Rashida Tlaib to Speak at Michigan Terror-Tied "People's Conference"
The conference, set to occur on August 29-31, will also feature individuals tied to Hezbollah, the PFLP, and the DFLP
The Palestinian Youth Movement (PYM), the chief organizer of the People's Conference for Palestine, has unveiled an updated speaker lineup for the August 29-31, 2025 Detroit gathering. The most notable new addition is Michigan Congresswoman Rep. Rashida Tlaib, who made a surprise appearance at the inaugural conference last year.
The updated speaker list illustrates that the 2025 conference may embrace an even more militant approach than its inaugural event, which featured a member of the U.S.-designated terror group, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), as well as speakers who called for the downfall of the United States.
Additionally, on August 13, PYM announced that the main conference hall would be named after Al Jazeera journalist Anas al-Sharif, who was recently killed in an Israeli airstrike for actually being a Hamas terrorist.
Rep. Tlaib's Elevated Role
Perhaps most significantly, Representative Rashida Tlaib—who made an unannounced surprise appearance at last year's conference—has been elevated to keynote speaker status for 2025. The congresswoman, who was formally censured by the House of Representatives in November 2023 by a vote of 234-188 for her inflammatory rhetoric and was named "Anti-Semite of the Year" for 2023 by StopAntisemitism, will now deliver the event's premier address.
Tlaib's censure specifically cited her "promoting false narratives regarding the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel and for calling for the destruction of the state of Israel," particularly her defense of the phrase "from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free."
Expanded Roster of Extremist Voices
The new speaker list reveals several other concerning additions that previous reporting had not mentioned:
Jake Romm
Romm is the U.S. Representative of the Hind Rajab Foundation, an organization founded by an admitted Hezbollah member. The founder, Dyab Abou Jahjah, stated in a 2003 New York Times article that he had "joined the Hezbollah resistance against Israel" and "had some military training [with Hezbollah]" of which he was very proud of.
Romm has explicitly endorsed terrorist organizations, tweeting on March 27, 2025: "Hamas is the only group meaningfully working to return the hostages" and on March 7, 2025, praising the Houthis as the only group properly respecting the Genocide Convention. He has called for “death to israel, america, and colonizers everywhere” on his social media.
Dr. Omar Suleiman
Dr. Suleiman is a controversial imam who delivered opening prayers in the US House, despite his documented history of promoting a "third intifada." According to Canary Mission, on July 24, 2014, Suleiman tweeted: "The 3rd Intifada starts on the 27th night of Ramadan. Oh Allah make it blessed. #FreePalestine #48kmarch." He has also made statements comparing Gaza to concentration camps and, has made religious statements attributing negative phenomena to Jewish people.
Mahmoud Khalil
Khalil is a notorious radical activist who was arrested by ICE agents on March 8, 2025, after the Department of Homeland Security determined he had "led activities aligned to Hamas, a designated terrorist organization." Khalil was the lead negotiator for the violent Columbia encampment that took university workers hostage and featured weapons, antisemitic propaganda, and calls for Israel's destruction. He has openly justified Hamas terrorism, stating "We've tried armed resistance, which is legitimate under international law, but Israel calls it terrorism." During protests, his group distributed materials reading "DEATH TO AMERICA" and "LONG LIVE THE INTIFADA."
As Jewish Onliner previously reported, among the speakers is Omar Assaf, a known member of the PFLP offshoot — the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP), who has spent eight years in Israeli prisons. DFLP was one of the armed groups who along side Hamas, participated in the October 7th massacre. Even after his release, he continues to champion “armed struggle.”
Another previously named speaker is British-Palestinian plastic surgeon, Abu-Sittah, who has been a prominent media figure during the Gaza conflict, frequently offering commentary that aligns with Hamas narratives. He has publicly eulogized Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) founding member Maher Al-Yamani—a group designated as a terrorist organization by the U.S. and EU—and was filmed mourning at his grave. Abu-Sittah was previously banned from entering France and Germany.
Last Year's Conference
The conference's extremist nature was exemplified by its decision to name the main hall after Walid Daqqa, a convicted PFLP terrorist who participated in the 1984 kidnapping, torture, and murder of Israeli soldier Moshe Tamam. His widow, Sana Daqqa, was a keynote speaker at the 2024 event.
Last year's conference also saw PFLP co-founder Salah Salah send a video endorsement, while PFLP member Wisam Rafeedie spoke to the audience virtually and praised the October 7 massacre. News outlets documented dozens of chants urging a "global intifada," applauding the Houthi terror group's missile attacks on Israel, and calling for the dismantlement of the United States.
#1 Rule of Extremist Politics: When far left or far right people hold a “people’s conference,” it has very little to do with what the actual people want.