Terrorist Freed in a Hostage Deal is Now a "Noted Speaker" at a U.S. Conference
A Palestinian terrorist with a history of orchestrating violent attacks was a featured speaker at a recent pro-Palestinian conference in Detroit, raising serious questions about who is being given a platform in the United States.
A convicted Palestinian terrorist, Hossam Shaheen, freed in a February 1, 2025, hostage deal with Hamas, spoke via video at the People’s Conference for Palestine in Detroit on August 31, 2025. Shaheen, a Fatah Tanzim operative sentenced in 2004 to 27 years for attempted murder and orchestrating terror attacks in Jerusalem, appeared in a panel titled “The Palestinian Struggle Behind Bars.” The session, unlike others at the conference that were livestreamed on YouTube, lacked official documentation, but social media posts by attendees confirmed his participation. Also speaking was Arab Barghouti, son of Fatah terror leader Marwan Barghouti, alongside other figures like Omar Assaf, a former Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine official, and Mumia Abu-Jamal, a convicted U.S. cop-killer who delivered a pre-recorded speech.
The conference, held August 29–31, drew high-profile attendees, including Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), Richmond Mayor Eduardo Martinez, and Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein. The Palestinian Youth Movement, a key organizer, shared images of the panel on Instagram, spotlighting Shaheen’s involvement. His release was part of a deal to free Israeli hostages taken during Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack, which killed 1,200 and abducted over 250, igniting the ongoing war.
The U.S. State Department later scrutinized visa applications for international speakers, prompting journalist Abubaker Abed to participate remotely, where he labeled the U.S. a “fascist and sadistic country.” The event has raised alarms about platforms being given to individuals with violent histories, especially amid rising antisemitic incidents in the U.S., with 1,521 reported in the first half of 2025. Critics argue such appearances normalize terrorism, particularly as Hamas remains a designated terror group by the U.S. and EU, responsible for thousands of rocket attacks on Israel.