The three young Palestinian men were yelled at and shot near the University of Vermont, Burlington. Source: Michelle Maria, Wikimedia Commons
Three young Palestinian men were shot near the University of Vermont campus in Burlington, US, on Saturday evening.
The three men, Hisham Awartani, Kinnan Abdel Hamid, and Tahseen Ahmed, are all alive and being treated in hospital.
The men, all aged 20, are each studying at different universities in the US.
The Ramallah Friends School in the occupied West Bank in Palestine, where the three men previously studied, said in a statement on Facebook: “[We] are deeply distressed by the recent incident involving three of our graduates.”
“While we are relieved to know they are alive, we remain uncertain about their condition. We extend our thoughts and prayers to them and their families for a full recovery, especially considering the severity of the injuries – as Hisham has been shot in the back, Tahseen in the chest, and Kinnan with minor injuries.”
The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) said that hate was a significant motivator behind the attack.
The men were wearing Keffiyehs – traditional Palestinian scarves/headdresses – and speaking Arabic when they were attacked.
“According to the information provided, the three victims were wearing a keffiyeh and speaking Arabic. A man shouted and harassed the victims, then proceeded to shoot them,” ADC said in a statement.
“Given the information collected and provided, it is clear that hate was a motivating factor in this shooting,” said ADC’s Director Abed Ayoub.
“We call on law enforcement to investigate it as such. The surge in anti-Arab and anti-Palestinian sentiment we are experiencing is unprecedented, and this is another example of that hate turning violent.”
The families of the three students have urged law enforcement to thoroughly investigate the attack.
“We will not be comfortable until the shooter is brought to justice,” the families said in a joint statement.
“We need to ensure that our children are protected, and this heinous crime is not repeated. No family should ever have to endure this pain and agony.”
This attack comes amid a rise in Islamophobic and anti-Palestinian hate crimes in the US, with a strong bias towards Israel from US political leaders and media outlets.
So far, more than 15,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza in Israel’s most recent war on the region.
