Washington, DC | www.adc.org | Oct 9, 2015 – The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) and a broad coalition of organizations are demanding justice for Alex Odeh on the 30th anniversary of his assassination.
Today, ADC and twenty five other U.S. civil and human rights organizations sent two letters to the U.S. government demanding justice for Alex Odeh. In the letters, the coalition urged the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and the U.S. Congress to be vigilant in seeing that justice is done for Alex Odeh, who was killed in a terrorist attack on ADC’s West Coast Regional Office on Oct. 11, 1985.
The full text of the letters and a list of the signers are below.
- Letter to U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch
October 9, 2015
Loretta Lynch
U.S. Attorney General
U.S. Department of Justice
950 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20530
RE: Request to investigate and prosecute the perpetrators of the terrorist attack that killed Alex Odeh
Dear Attorney General Lynch:
On behalf of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) and the undersigned organizations, we urge you to bring to justice those responsible for the murder of Mr. Alex Odeh, who at the time of his murder was serving as the ADC West Coast Regional Director. An Arab-American organizer and civil rights icon, Mr. Odeh was assassinated on October 11, 1985. As he opened the front door of the ADC West Coast office, a powerful pipe bomb exploded, killing him and injuring seven others.
Thirty years after his death the Department of Justice (DOJ) has yet to bring justice to those responsible for this act of terrorism.
Following the attack, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) classified the bombing as an act of domestic terrorism and designated the investigation into the case as the highest national priority. Three decades after the terrorist attack, the FBI has failed to officially name a single suspect in the case, and the DOJ has failed to indict a single one of the perpetrators.
Mr. Odeh was a tireless Arab-American peace activist who committed his life to protecting civil and human rights in the U.S. and abroad, and to promoting peace and mutual understanding between diverse communities. He was also a poet and a lecturer of Arabic Language and Middle East History at Coastline College in Santa Ana, California. Mr. Odeh left behind a wife, three daughters and many friends.
In August of 2014, President Barack Obama gave a speech vowing to be ‘vigilant’ and ‘relentless’ in pursuing terrorists.
“The United States of America will continue to do what we must do to protect our people. We will be vigilant and we will be relentless. When people harm Americans, anywhere, we do what’s necessary to see that justice is done.” –President Obama
If the U.S. is truly committed to seeing that justice is done when terrorists harm Americans “anywhere”, then there should be particular vigilance in prosecuting the terrorists who killed Mr. Odeh.
Following the 1985 terrorist attack, the FBI received leads about potential suspects responsible for the attack. For 30 years the case has remained an open investigation, and even with prime leads identified, there has been no resolution, and the family has received no answers. Mr. Odeh’s assassination devastated his family and his children continue to suffer. Mr. Odeh’s granddaughters will never know their grandfather, never see his smile, and never hear him say, “I love you.”
The U.S. government needs to pursue those responsible for this domestic terrorist attack with the same vigilance as they would for any other act of terrorism committed on U.S. soil. ADC and the undersigned parties request assurances that the FBI is doing everything in their power to bring those who committed the crime to justice, including using technological advancements and forensics to actively pursue any and all leads and suspects in Mr. Odeh’s case. We strongly encourage you to recommit and rededicate all resources available to assure a swift resolution to the matter, and long overdue closure for the family. The friends, the family, and the legacy of Mr. Odeh demand better from our government.
ADC and the undersigned parties strongly urge your Department of Justice to conduct an extensive investigation into this matter and purse charges against the perpetrators. Secondly, we request a status update on the investigation, preferably in the form of a report. Additionally, we request a meeting with you to discuss this matter in detail. Please contact ADC President Samer Khalaf at 202-244-2990 to follow up on this matter.
Sincerely,
[See list below]
2. Letter to Congressman Bob Goodlatte, Chairman of the U.S. House Committee on the Judiciary
October 9, 2015
Chairman Bob Goodlatte
U.S. House Committee on the Judiciary
2309 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515
RE: Request to hold a hearing to investigate the terrorist attack that killed Alex Odeh
Dear Chairman Goodlatte,
I am writing to you on behalf of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) and the undersigned parties. We write to request a hearing to address the unresolved case of Alex Odeh, a human rights activist who was murdered in 1985. Following the attack, the FBI classified the bombing as an act of domestic terrorism and designated the investigation into the case as the highest national priority. Three decades after the terrorist attack, the FBI has failed to name a single suspect, and no justice has been brought to those responsible.
Mr. Odeh was a tireless Arab-American anti-discrimination activist who committed his life to protecting civil and human rights in the U.S. and abroad. He was a poet, a lecturer of Arabic Language and Middle East History at Coastline College in Santa Ana, and ADC’s West Coast Regional Director at the time of his assassination.
On the morning of October 11th, 1985, a pipe bomb exploded as Mr. Odeh entered the ADC West Coast Regional office in Santa Ana, California. There were several other people who were injured in the explosion. The bomb killed Mr. Odeh, leaving his wife without a husband, and his three daughters without a father.
If the U.S. is truly committed to seeing that justice is done when terrorists harm Americans “anywhere”, then there should be particular vigilance in prosecuting the terrorists who killed Mr. Odeh.
ADC and the undersigned parties strongly urge the House Committee on the Judiciary to conduct a hearing into the FBI’s investigation of the terrorist attack that killed Alex Odeh. We believe a Congressional Hearing investigating the matter will help bring a resolution to the case. The friends, the family, and the legacy of Mr. Odeh deserve better, and we must ensure that our nation’s law enforcement pushes the investigation in this case forward. Please contact ADC President Samer Khalaf at 202-244-2990 to follow up on this matter.
Sincerely,
American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC)
Arab American Association of New York (AAANY)
Arab American Institute (AAI)
American Muslims for Palestine (AMP)
Coalition of Palestinian American Organizations (CPAO)
Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR)
DRUM – South Asian Organizing Center (formerly Desis Rising Up and Moving)
Federation of American Scientists Project on Government Secrecy
Fight for the Future
Hindu American Foundation (HAF)
Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP)
Muslim Political Action Committee (MPAC)
Muslim American Women’s Policy
Muslim Anti-Racism Collaborative (MuslimARC)
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP)
National Associations of Yemeni Americans (NAYA)
OneAmerica
Roots Action
South Asian Americans Leading Together (SAALT)
Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund (SALDEF)
Sikh Coalition
Universal Muslim Association of America (UMMA)
US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation
U.S. Palestinian Community Network (USPCN)
Washington Peace Center
Yemeni Americans Civil Rights & Anti-Discrimination Coalition (YACADC)