The founder of the Muslim Students Association at Georgetown resigned Thursday from the Virginia Commission on Immigration amid controversy surrounding comments he made last year that some have said are anti-Israel.
Esam Omeish (COL ’89, MED ’93) chief of the division of general surgery at Inova Alexandria Hospital, stepped down after Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine (D) was made aware of comments Omeish made at a rally protesting the then-ongoing war in Lebanon on Aug. 12, 2006. Omeish is the president of the Muslim American Society.
“The invasion of Lebanon and the destruction of its infrastructure and the deliberate targeting of civilians through the barbaric, indiscriminate, disproportionate Israeli war machine is indeed criminal and must end now,” Omeish said at the rally.
Kaine became aware of the comments last week after being asked about Omeish’s appointment to the commission by a caller on the governor’s radio program on WRVA Richmond, according to the Washington Post.
The Virginia Commission on Immigration is a 20-person advisory panel established this year to analyze the impacts of immigration on the state. Kaine said he planned to name another Muslim to replace Omeish on the panel.
“I have accepted Dr. Esam Omeish’s resignation. . I have been made aware of certain statements he has made which concern me,” Kaine said during a press conference Thursday.
Kevin Hall, Kaine’s press secretary, declined to comment for this report.
John Esposito, a university professor and director of the Prince Alwaleed Bin-Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding, said that Omeish should have been allowed to remain on the VCI.
“It’s not surprising that a sitting governor in this post-9/11 political climate would overreact. This was a prominent member of society sharing views that would be controversial to some,” he said. “The difficulty that I see is someone is sharing their perspective that is not supporting Israel and their decision to bomb Lebanon, an opinion shared by many at that time. . This comment is offensive to people who support anything that Israel does but this comment is in no way anti-American.”
Omeish said at a press conference last week that his comment “was related to giving support to people who are under occupation and who are under severe conditions of repression.”
“It was not a call for violence. It was never any condoning of terrorism or any violent acts,” he said at the press conference.
Omeish said calls for his resignation were unfair. “This was a smear campaign against me,” Omeish said in a press release from the MAS.
Omeish also came under fire for a speech he gave at a Jerusalem Day Rally on Dec. 22, 2000.
“You have known that the jihad way is the way to liberate your land,” he said at the rally.
“I think you have to take such quotes in context,” said Farhana Esmail (SFS ’11), a member of the Muslim Students Association. “Jihad has many interpretations and it does not always mean war. It can mean an inner struggle. His comments shouldn’t be taken to represent the religion itself.”
Calls to Omeish’s office were referred to the press release.
