Women’s March Founder Calls on Sarsour, Others to Step Down Over Anti-Semitism
Teresa Shook, the founder of the Women’s March, called on Linda Sarsour and other Women’s March leaders to step down for allowing anti-Semitism to infect the movement.
Shook wrote in a Monday Facebook post that “Bob Bland, Tamika Mallory, Linda Sarsour and Carmen Perez of Women’s March, Inc. have steered the Movement away from its true course” of being an inclusive movement.
“They have allowed anti-Semitism, anti- LBGTQIA sentiment and hateful, racist rhetoric to become a part of the platform by their refusal to separate themselves from groups that espouse these racist, hateful beliefs,” Shook wrote. “I call for the current Co-Chairs to step down and to let others lead who can restore faith in the Movement and its original intent.”
Shook added that she will be working “to support grassroots, decentralized leadership promoting a safe, worldwide community devoid of hate speech, bigotry and racism” back to the Women’s March.
The Women’s March responded on their Facebook page by thanking Shook for starting the Women’s March and then criticizing her post as irresponsible.
“We are imperfect,” the post read. “We don’t know everything and we have caused harm. At times we have responded with hurt. But we are committed to learning. We will continue to work through the good and the bad, the impact and the harm – of building an intersectional movement that our daughters, and our daughters’ daughters, can be proud of.”
The post concluded, “We are grateful to people who HAVE been with us for the past two years, wrestling with the challenges and opportunities of what we are trying to build. Our ongoing work speaks for itself. That’s our focus, not armchair critiques from those who want take credit from our labor.”
Siamak Kordestani, assistant director of the American Jewish Committee – Los Angeles, said in a statement to the Journal, “AJC commends Teresa Shook for bringing much-needed national attention to some of the Women’s March co-chairs’ embrace of hateful leaders and ideas.”
“It is unconscionable that Tamika Mallory praises Louis Farrakhan, who spews anti-Semitic and anti-LGBT rhetoric,” Kordestani said. “It is deplorable that Linda Sarsour uses anti-Semitic tropes to malign progressives who oppose BDS. All Americans should unite against this hate.”
The Zioness Movement also praised Shook’s Facebook post in a statement.
“Through their action and inaction, these leaders have demonized and marginalized members of the Jewish community, LBGTQIA community, and other groups,” the statement read. “Their exclusionary behavior is not only harmful to those of us who have been feeling alienated––it is harmful to all the marginalized communities we want to fight for. Anyone who cares about the advancement of social, racial, economic and gender justice should welcome all committed activists to the fight, not just some.”
Similarly, Susan George, founding member of the Progressive Zionists of California Democratic Party, said in a statement sent to the Journal, “Sadly, the Women’s March organizers continue to betray progressive ideals by not decisively repudiating anti-Semitism and homophobia. It’s amazing to see the rising avalanche of support for Jews and the LBGTQ community. We are so encouraged by the activism of local, community, and state marches to reject bigotry and really embrace intersectional ideals.”
The Women’s March leaders have been criticized over their ties to notorious anti-Semite Louis Farrakhan; Sarsour has been criticized for accusing pro-Israel progressive of dual loyalty to Israel and reportedly saying that Israelis shouldn’t be humanized.
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