The parents of three Palestinian students studying in California whose children were shot at in Vermont on Saturday have demanded that the crime be investigated as a hate case. On Saturday night, at around nine o’clock there was a shooting spree near UVM involving Hisham Awartani from Brown University in RI, Kinnan Abdel Hamid from Haverford College in PA, and Tahseen Ahmed from UConn in CT. According to police, the students received various degrees of medical care after sustaining injuries of different severities.
Burlington police are yet to reveal the identity of the shooter, make any arrests, and offer anything into the motivation behind the shooting inquiries. On Sunday, attempts to reach a spokesman for comment proved futile.
The parents of these students issued statements on Sunday which were relayed by the Institute for Middle East Understanding (IMEU), an NGO that supports Palestinians. The parents urged authorities to carry out a proper probe, with specific mention made that this should be treated as a hate crime case. The families showed dissatisfaction and informed that they would never be at peace unless the person who did the act is apprehended and punished for his mistakes.
The families of the students are urging law enforcement to conduct a thorough investigation into the shooting, emphasizing the need to treat it as a hate crime. Their statement, circulated by the Institute for Middle East Understanding, conveys their discomfort until the perpetrator is brought to justice.
This incident coincides with a surge in Islamophobic and antisemitic incidents in the U.S., including violent assaults and online harassment, following the Israel-Hamas conflict that began on Oct. 7. The students, reportedly speaking Arabic and wearing traditional Palestinian keffiyeh, prompted the Palestinian foreign ministry to call on U.S. authorities to hold those responsible accountable. Additionally, the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee has issued a statement urging state and federal law enforcement to investigate the shooting as a hate crime.
“The surge in anti-Arab and anti-Palestinian sentiment we are experiencing is unprecedented, and this is another example of that hate turning violent,” commented ADC National Executive Director Abed Ayoub.
The students’ families demand law enforcement should thoroughly examine it as an act of hate. The institute for middle east understanding distributed their statement, stating that they will be uncomfortable until the culprit is taken to court.
This occurrence happened during a spike of Islamophobia and antisemitism cases in America; such as bodily assault and internet bullying against America triggered by Israel-Hamas war that commenced on October 7th. These reportedly Arab speaking Palestinian students with keffiyeh caused the palace foreign ministry to push the US authorities hold those answerable. The American-Arab Antidiscrimination Committee (ADC) has also called on state and federal law enforcement agencies to take measures to treat the act as a hate crime.
This comes as another example of hating against Arabs and Palestinians which is happening at an unparalleled pace, stated ADC National Executive Director Abed Ayoub.
According to a press release from the Burlington Police, officers responded to reports of shots fired around 6: On a Saturday at 30 p.m. (2330 GMT), finding two injured individuals close to the University campus, and another several meters away from it . The police report indicated that although the victims could neither be identified nor located, the first two received immediate aid on site as well as assistance from the fire department who took them to the UVM Medical Centre for further treatment. Furthermore, the third was brought to UVM medical centre by police officers.
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