#DefendJCH: We are a network of community members united in support of the Jerusalem Coffee House as it faces a spate of legal attacks by the Department of Justice and the zionist propaganda machine. We are volunteers, friends, customers and/or members of the Muslim community and are collectively unaffiliated with any organization. Note that we are neither informal, official nor authorized spokespersons for Jerusalem Coffee House or Abdulrahim Harara.
Jerusalem Coffee House (JCH) is a unique third space, or an informal space that acts as a hub for community-building and socializing. It’s unique and deeply endeared to many people because it is a beautiful, art-centered space in the tradition of the coffee house. It is unrepentantly dedicated to liberation, art and political thought with deep roots in Islam, but welcoming to people of different faiths and perspectives.
Although it is a business, it functions as much more than that. It is a place where ideas, mutual aid, skillsharing and resistance towards liberation happen. When we think about defending JCH, we are not seeking to boost or protect a small business; we are defending the community and work, and relationships that are embodied there.
So what’s happening to the cafe?
Following a smear campaign by local zionists and alt-right crusaders, the zionist lobbyist and propaganda machine, the Anti-Defamation League, picked up a few of the hecklers’ false allegations of antisemitic discrimination, and processed them into three lawsuits–one being the federal lawsuit filed by the Department of Justice.
We see this for what it is: an old script from the colonial playbook. The DOJ and the ADL have teamed up to weaponize the historical suffering of the Jewish people in order to legitimize their century-long zionist project. This is not a tactic unique to the U.S. We’ve seen this happening across Europe, as well. Through this lawsuit, the zionist powerhouses and DOJ are attempting to codify the conflation of antisemitism with anti-zionism through legal precedent.
This particular form of attack comes on the heels of a nearly two-year escalation in the genocide of Gaza, in which modest estimates put the number of martyrs at 62,000. As the governments and zionists continue the onslaught, rage and dissent continue to erupt around the world. To combat that, these entities try to isolate and target those speaking out, attempting to make examples of those acting out of conscience and faith.
It is crucial that we rally together and defend Jerusalem Coffee House, as it is a place where we build towards our collective liberation. It belongs to all of us.
Please join us in fighting back against these attacks!