The vocal anti-Israel activist, who has donated multiple times to the House campaigns of Michigan Democrat Rep. Rashida Tlaib, mourned the assassination of the Hamas top leader on Wednesday, saying “his martyrdom will not be in vain.”
Zahra Billoo, a disgraced former Women’s March leader and executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) in San Francisco, spoke out on social media after Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh was reportedly assassinated in Tehran, Iran, and Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei vowed to “revenge” for the attack.
“Never say that those who were martyred for Allah are dead. In fact, they are alive, but you do not realize it,” Billoo began his post, appearing to quote the Quran.
“Tonight we mourn Ismail himself, but we know that his martyrdom was not in vain.” She continued: He used a controversial phrase that anti-Israel activists claim to mean the elimination of Israel: “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.”
Iranian leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei says ‘revenge is our duty’ after Haniya assassination
At left, Zahra Billoo, an ally of Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.), mourned the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh. (Fox News)
“I mourn the martyrs of yesterday because I see the terrible path that killing peace negotiators leads to,” Biraud added. Follow-up X threadHe accused Israel of “genocide.”
Biloo’s initial post drew immediate backlash from social media users, with some mocking the Quranic quote and saying the Hamas leader was definitely “not alive.”
“I think it’s important to remember that every time we see the name CAIR,” said journalist Bari Weiss.
Billu He donated about $1,000. A leader in several of Tlaib’s political campaigns, she has been the subject of controversy in recent years over her anti-Israel rhetoric, leading the board of the left-leaning Women’s March to cut ties with her after just two days on the board in 2019. At the time, she posted 25 Twitter threads blaming an “Islamophobic smear campaign” and the “right wing” for her removal.
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Despite the backlash, Talib Defended Billu The day after her expulsion, she posted, “#FreePalestineAlways! No one can silence us for speaking out against human rights violations.”
“They will lie, defame us, call us anti this or that, but we will always stand for humanity and the truth is on our side. Stay strong,” she continued.
Shortly after Billoo was elected to the Women’s March board of directors, several of her controversial posts went viral on social media.
“If you support Israel, you can be sure you support the killing of babies,” Billoo wrote in a 2014 post circulating before his firing. In other posts, he described Zionism as “racism” and said he was a “proud anti-Zionist.”
“Looking at the tweets in question, I admit that I wrote them in passion. Some of the content might be phrased differently today, but I stand by my words,” Billoo said in 2019 about some of his controversial posts.
Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) and labor union activists debate free speech on college campuses on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, Thursday, May 23, 2024. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
Prior to the Women’s March controversy, Billow had taken a “selfie” with Tribe outside the congressman’s office in Washington, D.C., in early 2019, during which he said, “Not all heroes wear capes. Some do, like the congressman.” [Tlaib] Please wear your Congressional pin badge!”
“I’m so happy to meet you sister! To protect you, I will always speak truth to power.” Talib responded:.
Billu also attended the Tribe’s 2021 fundraiser in California. According to a Facebook post:.
This is not the first time CAIR leaders have sparked backlash on social media. Last December, CAIR executive director and co-founder Nihad Awad said he was “delighted” by Hamas’ Oct. 7 invasion of Israel, saying the Jewish state has no right to self-defense because it is an “occupying power.”
“And certainly, the people of Gaza have the right to self-defense, the right to defend themselves. And certainly, Israel as an occupying power has no right to self-defense,” he said.
Nihad Awad, chairman of the Committee on American-Islamic Relations, spoke at an event in front of the Saudi Arabian Consulate in Istanbul. (Photo by Elif Ozturk/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
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In addition to his anti-Israel rhetoric, Billoo has questioned why fallen soldiers should be remembered, repeatedly attacked Memorial Day and denigrated the U.S. military.
“Do you think we should honor people who commit war crimes?” she asked in one post.
“I have never celebrated #MemorialDay and I will never celebrate it.” Billoo posted a lengthy post in 2019. Thread. “There is no honor in participating in a dishonorable war.”
Tlaib’s office did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Fox News’ Aubrey Spady and Landon Mion contributed to this report.
