On Tuesday, dozens of St. Louis-area businesses temporarily closed their shops at 1 p.m. for 70 minutes in commemoration of the Nakba, as part of a protest coordinated by the newly formed Missouri chapter of American Muslims for Palestine. The duration of the shutdown represents the 70 years since the founding of the Israeli state and subsequent displacement of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians, according to the group.
Neveen Ayesh, executive director of the nonprofit group, said the demonstration was a way for both Palestinians and non-Palestinians in St. Louis to “stand in solidarity with Palestine, and also a way to mourn everything that’s going on, from the lives that have been taken, the villages that have been depopulated and the current occupation.”
Muath Salameh was among the local business owners who temporarily closed their businesses in protest and joined the gathering downtown. He owns Prompt Tax Services in Florissant, in addition to serving as financial director for Missouri’s chapter of American Muslims for Palestine.
He said the shut-down campaign “is all about the education” and is an opportunity for fellow business owners “to educate yourself, your employees, or customers on Palestine.” Salameh traces his ancestral roots back to the depopulated village of Dayr Aban, part of present-day Jerusalem.
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