(Image: Alex Garland for CHS)
By Seattle City Council Member Kshama Sawant — Originally posted here
News that 16-year-old Seattle Central College student Hamza Warsame fell to his death from a 6-story building in Capitol Hill Saturday afternoon has shaken the Seattle community. We are saddened by this news, and our sympathies are with his family and friends.
The Seattle Police Department must urgently and thoroughly investigate Hamza’s death. Some reports suggest he was beaten and thrown from the building in an Islamophobic attack by a fellow student. If they are proven true, the killers should immediately be brought to justice.
We must come together as a community, united and clear that we will not stand for any threats or hate violence towards our Muslim brothers and sisters.
Why is the Muslim community being targeted? What strategy is needed to effectively end Islamophobia within working class communities?
Right-wing racist rhetoric against Muslims has spiked since the Paris and San Bernandino terrorist attacks, in which many innocent lives were lost. Demonizing and hate-filled rhetoric of Muslims is not new. From 9/11 to this day, ordinary Muslims have been ruthlessly targeted by the corporate media and right-wing politicians.
Politicians are exploiting the fear that people have in the wake of terror attacks with an onslaught of racist and Islamophobic proposals. Donald Trump’s proposals to ban all Muslims from entering the country and to require Muslims to register with the government are the most extreme examples. Working class communities, faced with low-wage jobs, no benefits, slashed social services, underfunded schools, and rampant poverty are looking for answers in the wake of terrorist attacks. Donald Trump and others offer only racism and never-ending war.
It’s also clear that politicians and the media react very differently to terrorist attacks and hate crimes by white attackers. One need only examine the reporting of the killing of nine African Americans in a Charleston church by white Dylann Roof, largely portrayed as a mentally troubled individual, earlier this year. This night and day difference serves the interests of the ruling elite to keep working people of different religions and races divided and in fear of one another.
We need to stop the racism Donald Trump and other cynical politicians and media pundits are spreading. We need to build a united movement of Black Lives Matter activists, the labor movement, and community members. We need to come together against racism to stop hate crimes, police killings, the school-to-prison-pipeline, and the systemic racism of poverty. Our movement should link anti-racism to demands to improve people’s lives: living wage jobs, fully funded high-quality education, free tuition at public colleges, and more.
That’s why Seattle Councilmember Kshama Sawant and Socialist Alternative argue for a party based on ordinary working-class communities that fights for and defends the rights of all workers, regardless of religion, race, gender, sexual orientation, or country of origin. People of all backgrounds who are looking for answers will be drawn to the idea that solidarity with other working-class people is the answer to racism, sexism, and poverty.
A new party based on the solidarity and cooperation of working people could challenge the so-called moderate, but still racist, Republicans and the corporate leadership of the Democratic party, both of which are fueled by big business money and ultimately serve the interests of the 1%, not us. Both Republicans and Democrats would bomb ordinary working people in Syria, Yemen, Afghanistan, and Iraq to stop ISIS. Yet the past 15 years of bombing campaigns have created the extreme suffering which leads to the rise of extremist Islamic groups like ISIS in the first place. U.S. bombs cannot destroy ISIS.
As the Black Panther Fred Hampton said 50 years ago, “You don’t fight fire with fire, you fight fire with water. We’re gonna fight racism with solidarity. We’re gonna fight capitalism with socialism. Socialism is the people.”
Our economic system is controlled by the 1%, who own and use society’s vast wealth to enrich themselves at the expense of the 99% and our environment. The capitalist system is maintained by exploiting the differences between us (race, gender, religion, and so on) to keep us divided and unable to fight back.
We are struggling for democratic socialist change, where working people have the control, not the corporations, and where we can finally end the exploitation and oppression that drives Islamophobia, racism, and sexism within our communities.
I started to zone out at about the 6th paragraph, which only adds fuel to my belief that the rest of the city council just tunes her out when she talks.
The whole thing seems like a juvenile rant.
Never misses a chance to grandstand, does she? And (unless she’s privy to info nobody else has heard) all this pontificating based on zero evidence.
“Politicians are exploiting the fear that people have…”
yeah, politicians like you, sawant! what the hell does your post solve? you cite several reports which claim this kid was, “…beaten and thrown from the building in an Islamophobic attack by a fellow student.”. which reports? by the police, fire/rescue that were at the scene last week? or by grieving members of the community who are trying to make sense of this tragedy by imagining the worst?
how about we let the investigation happen and stop the speculation and rhetorhic? oh, also, sawant, where was your letter to the community when four people were injured by a drive-by shooting a couple of weeks ago? clearly you are showing that you don’t give a shit about our community; only your posturing for your political party. pathetic.
I’m sorry, that’s too reasonable a position to have..haha
@ Jason: I agree wholeheartedly. However, Sawant seems unable to resist any opportunity to exploit raw emotions and continue her grandstanding as a publicity prostitute.
I agree too. It is totally irresponsible of Sawant to fuel unsubstantiated rumors of how this young man died. Shame on her!
Without a shred of real evidence, the psychopath voters in this districted elected is ginning up hostility and racial strife for her own political purposes and is exploiting the premature death of a teenager. Why is this blog allowing her to spew conspiracy theories? Will you allow the SPD to do the same?
I agree, and hope that Justin will respond with an explanation as to why Sawant’s screed was published here.
And yet we elected Sawant… twice.
I sure didn’t.
Welp, look at the demographics of the 3rd, you’ll find a whole lot of being-gentrified kids. That’s a good way to make socialists.
This is a call to action with no call to action besides “join our Socialist party”? What about people who want to actually DO something?
With one little statement, “Some reports suggest…” you proceed to go on a 13 paragraph rant on the rightwing politicians and how we have to hold the police accountable and after all, socialism is the cure for all evils. Give me a break. You speak passionately about how the rightwing racists are exploiting Islamic extremists and using it as an excuse to blame all of that faith. You even speak of yourself in the third person. Let’s have the authorities do their investigation. If they don’t find something that reinforces your rhetoric, perhaps they are not wrong, perhaps you have a lens that distorts things. The world is not all against you.
“…The world is not all against you.”
Give her time….she’s workin’ on that.
Kshama Sawant was reelected due to the fact that she was the best candidate to help the average worker and resident be heard in city politics. Yes, in this tragic case it would be good if she used her position to push for release of the facts as soon as possible. For anyone with an imagination, there are too many speculative scenarios to make speculation without facts productive. This is very tragic.
“…best candidate to help the average worker and resident be heard in city politics.”
really? how exactly is it that she’s allowing my voice to be heard? or any of the people in the comments here; which are, for the most part, “average workers and residents”?
in this case, she’d do best to let the police investigate this tragedy and then comment on their results. what would be great is if she used her position to make our everyday streets safer.
“Some reports suggest he was beaten and thrown from the building in an Islamophobic attack by a fellow student.”
Please provide more information about these reports. For example, their source, their specific details, and so on.
More importantly, if these are eyewitness reports, make sure that the witnesses share what they saw with police.
hey, justin, in another post you stayed that comments speculating on what happend in this case would be removed. yet you clearly let this, highly speculative, and blatently political message, be posted on the site as “news.”
did you lose editorial control or did sawant’s team make a nice “donation” to you site’s cause? why the double standards here?
Seems rhetorical. I thought more people should see, read, think.
I agree with the justice 4 Hazma movement, there should be a full fledged investigation here. However, I also believe it is important to stay on topic. Kshama taking advantage of tragic circumstances to push a political agenda is reminiscent of Bush after 9/11.
Right on!
Or our own current president after the financial crisis in 08. I’m tired of people who complain about the Bush admin and don’t point out the same negative behavior from the Obama admin
“The Seattle Police Department must urgently and thoroughly investigate Hamza’s death”
Full stop here. Is there any evidence that SPD isn’t “thoroughly investigating Hamza’s death?” Sawant, of all people, should know that real police work isn’t like TV police work; it actually takes time to get back lab evidence, for example.
Is there any other examples in Seattle, or Capitol Hill/CD specifically (since that’s her district) of Muslims being targeted? And where is the “working class community” in her district that is practicing Islamaphobia?
As for the rest of your piece, that is the kind of exploitative political grandstanding normally used by the right; they use terrorism to push Republicanism, and their policies of Islamaphobia and racism. You’re using it to push Socialist Alternative. A tragic event (or a murder, or a suicide, or an accident) isn’t a marketing opportunity.
I hope she takes the time to read these comments and retracts this ridiculous statement. It really makes her look bad.
a shameful exanple of politicing a tragedy to benefit your own agenda. Shameful, speculative, and downright pathetic. Really, just a terribly inappropriate way to handle this situation from our elected District 3 representative.
I appreciate the Capitol Hill Seattle Blog as an excellent site that provides residents news of the community and I’ve become dependent on it in that role. But I was shocked to see this Sawant publicity item as the featured story when I logged in this morning. The editor needs to distinguish between informative stories and empty rhetoric.
Please do report when our newly elected city council representative does something newsworthy for us, but this post is just her in an election-type self-aggrandizing mode.
He seems to like Sawant..
Sawant is the Donald Trump of Seattle politics. It’s unfortunate that CHS has given her such valuable space to rant nonsense.
Justice for Hamza, yes! Using him for political grandstanding, no. It’s offensive and she is so obviously disingenuous. I cannot believe we are stuck with her, and essentially no representation in our district, for the next four years. I hope the rest of the council just ignores her and pretends like she doesn’t exist.
Amen!!!
I am glad this letter is posted to this blog. Sawant is our elected leader, we should know more about what she says outside of election time promises. My only problem is with the title. I feel it should be clear in the title that this is written by Sawant or from her Seattle.gov page. I personally missed the byline when I started reading. For a second, I was worried about our wonderful blogger’s mental health.
Bylines are important!
IslamAphobia? Huh? Too busy to get off her soapbox for a second and use a spellchecker?
Kshwama Sawant reminds me of another publicity HOUND.
The good ole Rev.Al Sharpton
They talk alot,but accomplish NOTHING
Thank you Councilmember Sawant – I appreciate your public commentary. I’m very concerned about this young man’s death. While we wait for more news – at least you have the temerity to go on public record about this case. With all the cams at school – there must be evidence for investigation.
Thanks so much – I hope for a ground swell of socialists and social democrats to rise!
It seems racist that some members of the black and Muslim community immediately assumed this young man was a victim of racism and Islamaphobia despite there being no history of serious hate crimes against blacks or Muslims in recent history in this city. On the other hand there have been many very serious hate crimes committed by both groups- mob attacks, muggings, shootings on Captiol Hill, the Jewish Center shooting, the attempt to firebomb Neighbours, the murder of 2 gay men. These same people are outraged when people jump to conclusions that a mugger is black or a terrorist attack was committed by Muslims without any facts to back it up. How are they any different?
Couldn’t agree more Jason.
Totally agree with the author’s sentiments. This country is not alone in treating minorities badly (in fact, it appears that majority populations of all political ideologies and cultures have engaged in despicable actions toward weaker groups, based on one or more criteria.) With that knowledge, it’s important for thinking people to gather in solidarity against the forces of knee-jerk bigotry of the Trump type, because any of us could be grouped into the next target of ignorance and violence.