American Muslims for Palestine (AMP), an organization facing ongoing scrutiny and lawsuits over alleged ties to Hamas, has launched a new regional chapter serving Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia, expanding its footprint in the nation’s political corridor.
According to the group, the new chapter will concentrate on outreach to educational institutions and government bodies, with an emphasis on mobilizing students and advancing advocacy related to Palestinian issues. In announcing the expansion, AMP framed the effort as part of a broader campaign aimed at localizing national and international activism, reported The Daily Caller.
“As residents of a region deeply complicit in upholding and funding the Zionist occupation, we recognize our responsibility to advance principled action in supporting [boycott, divestment and sanctions] efforts locally and challenging the political structures that enable genocide,” the organization stated. “We are committed to providing political and Islamic education in our masajid, offering cultural and historical education and equipping our College and high school [Muslim Student Associations] with the political guidance, teach-ins and tools they need to build informed and unapologetic student power.”
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The group also addressed the current Israel-Hamas war, expressing skepticism toward recent diplomatic developments and referencing “the supposed ‘ceasefire’” brokered under President Donald Trump, which both Israel and Hamas have accused the other of violating. AMP characterized those killed in the conflict as “martyrs” and reiterated its long-term objectives.
“From Gaza to the DMV, the movement for Palestinian liberation remains steadfast,” AMP declared. “We are grounded in our duty to achieve Collective Liberation and resist every day until every inch of land, from the river to the sea, is liberated and returned to the Palestinian people.”
AMP said the new chapter will pursue sustained advocacy at the local and state level. “Through sustained local and state-level advocacy, we aim to build a liberated future grounded injustice, dignity and self-determination for the Palestinian people,” the organization said. It concluded its announcement with a prayer: “May Allah grant victory to the oppressed, protect the steadfast & allow us to witness a free Palestine within our lifetime.”
The organization has consistently denied any involvement in terrorism. Nevertheless, AMP and several of its leaders have been the subject of continued scrutiny because of past affiliations. Executive Director Osama Abuirshaid authored a 2014 article praising Hamas that remains published on the group’s Al Qassam Brigades site. In 2015, his U.S. citizenship application was denied, in part due to previously undisclosed leadership roles with the Islamic Association for Palestine, which was found liable in a 2004 federal case for providing support to Hamas.
AMP Chairman Hatem Bazian co-founded Students for Justice in Palestine, an organization that has drawn national attention for campus activism following the October 7, 2023, attacks in Israel. Bazian also participated in fundraising efforts in 2004 for KindHearts, a charity later designated by the United States Department of the Treasury in 2006 for financing Hamas. KindHearts reached a settlement with the government in 2012 without admitting wrongdoing.
Since the outbreak of the war, AMP has been involved in anti-Israel demonstrations nationwide. In 2024, federal authorities secured a conviction against a Virginia-linked AMP affiliate for vandalizing a Washington, D.C., monument during protests by spray-painting the phrase “Hamas is coming.”
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