Saturday's Gala Speakers Announced

Our Lineup of Speakers

Dr. Osama Abuirshaid

Osama Abuirshaid is the Executive Director and a national board member of American Muslims for Palestine (AMP). He is a board member of the U.S. Council of Muslim Organizations (USCMO), an umbrella organization of eight major national American Muslim organizations. He lectures frequently on the Middle East and American politics. He is a regular commentator on Palestinian and Middle Eastern affairs as well as on the American domestic and foreign policy on various Arabic satellite T.V. channels such as Aljazeera. He authored or co-authored several books in Arabic and he published dozens of studies and articles in Arabic and English, on issues relevant to the Middle East and its political climate.

Congresswoman Barbara Lee

Barbara Lee serves as the U.S. Representative for California's 13th congressional district. Now in her 12th congressional term, she's been a leading progressive voice in Congress for decades. In March 2020, along with 14 other Representatives, Congresswoman Lee signed onto a strong letter to the Department of State calling on the Trump Administration to reinstate civilian aid to Palestinians.

Congresswoman Debbie Dingell

Debbie Dingell represents the 12th District of Michigan in the U.S. House of Representatives. Before being elected to Congress, Debbie was the Chair of the Wayne State University (WSU) Board of Governors. An active civic and community leader, she is a recognized national advocate for women and children. Congresswoman Dingell led a letter in february to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, urging the administration to immediately restore all U.S. funding for humanitarian aid in Gaza, including the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) funding. The letter also urges an end to the blockade on the movement of people and goods in and out of Gaza.

Imam Omar Suleiman

Omar Suleiman is an American Muslim scholar, civil rights leader, writer, and public speaker. He is the Founder and President of Yaqeen Institute for Islamic Research, and an Adjunct Professor of Islamic Studies at Southern Methodist University. He is also the Resident Scholar at Valley Ranch Islamic Center and Co-Chair Emeritus of Faith Forward Dallas at Thanks-Giving Square.

Issam Adwan

Isaam is the Gaza project manager for We Are Not Numbers, a project designed to help young adults share their narratives in their own words with the Western world and bust stereotypes about Palestinians. Adwan is an interpreter, journalist and English teacher. In 2019, he was chosen by The Carter Center to be the first Palestinian independent observer for the Tunisian elections. His passion encompasses improving the learning experience of diverse students, youth empowerment, social justice and gender equality.