https://sputnikglobe.com/20231127/three-palestinian-college-students-shot-in-vermont-1115222664.html
Three Palestinian College Students Shot in Vermont
Three Palestinian College Students Shot in Vermont
Sputnik International
Local authorities are investigating a possible hate crime after three Palestinian college students were shot Saturday evening in Burlington, Vermont.
2023-11-27T01:50+0000
2023-11-27T01:50+0000
2023-12-05T09:25+0000
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Local authorities are investigating a possible hate crime after three Palestinian college students were shot Saturday evening in Burlington, Vermont.The attack occurred around 6:25 PM local time near the campus of the University of Vermont as the friends, all 20 years old, were on their way to a family dinner. According to police a white male with a handgun appeared, firing at least four shots at the young men. The victims are recovering at a nearby hospital, with one of them reportedly suffering “serious injuries.”The men were identified on the X social media platform by Husam Zomlot, Palestine’s head ambassador to the United Kingdom.“Three young Palestinian men, Hisham Awartani, Tahseen Ali and Kenan Abdulhamid, students at Brown and other US universities, were shot last night on their way to a family dinner in Burlington, USA,” wrote Zomlot. “Their crime? Wearing the Palestinian keffiyeh.”The keffiyeh is a black-and-white scarf considered a symbol of Palestinian culture.The attack shocked residents of Burlington, a liberal-leaning college town of less than 45,000. Police have not yet apprehended a suspect in the shooting or confirmed a motive, but the possibility of a hate crime is being investigated.“In this charged moment, no one can look at this incident and not suspect that it may have been a hate-motivated crime,” said local police chief Jon Murad. “I have already been in touch with federal investigatory and prosecutorial partners to prepare for that if it’s proven.”The US Federal Bureau of Investigation is reportedly investigating the incident and has an agent on the scene in Burlington.Meanwhile the Ramallah Friends School, where the three men reportedly attended high school in the occupied West Bank, posted a statement on social media.“While we are relieved to know that they are alive, we remain uncertain about their condition and hold them in the light,” read the post. “We extend our thoughts and prayers to them and their families for a full recovery, especially considering the severity of injuries – as Hisham has been shot in the back, Tahseen in the chest, and Kinnan with minor injuries.”Bias attacks in the US have been on the rise since Hamas’ October 7 surprise attack in Israel, which spurred the country to respond militarily in the Gaza Strip. The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) reports a 216% increase in reported incidents of bias against Arab-Americans compared to 2022.There’s evidence that public demonstrations of antisemitism are on the rise as well, with police in New York City reporting a 214% increase in reported hate crimes against Jewish people in October.The shooting in Vermont comes just a week after a Muslim man was shot and wounded outside of a mosque in Providence, Rhode Island, although police are still uncertain of a motive in that crime as well. In October, a six-year-old Palestinian boy in Illinois was stabbed to death by his landlord, who was reportedly radicalized by anti-Muslim talk radio programs.In another highly-visible incident of Islamophobia, Stuart Seldowitz, a former US State Department employee and advisor to President Barack Obama, was charged with stalking and aggravated harassment last week after a video of him berating a New York City food cart vendor went viral online.Earlier this month a 69-year-old Jewish man in Ventura County, California, died after an altercation with a pro-Palestine counter-protester. The local sheriff’s office says they haven’t ruled out the possibility of hate crime charges.Some Jewish students have reported incidents of harassment during pro-Palestine demonstrations at US colleges. The issue has prompted a debate over free speech after Florida Governor Ron DeSantis moved to ban chapters of a pro-Palestine group from university campuses across the state. George Washington University in Washington, DC and Columbia University in New York have also banned pro-Palestine groups in recent weeks.The move at Columbia was particularly controversial as one of the groups that was banned, Jewish Voice for Peace, is composed primarily of Jewish activists. Students and professors have demonstrated against the suspension of the groups while alumni of the university protested last week by throwing away their caps and gowns.Israel has been engaged in military action against Hamas since the Palestinian movement launched a surprise October 7 attack that killed some 1,200 Israelis. Since then Israel has reportedly killed more than 15,000 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, including about 10,000 women and children. US media has reported that “the rate of death during Israel’s assault has few precedents in this century.”
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Three Palestinian College Students Shot in Vermont
01:50 GMT 27.11.2023 (Updated: 09:25 GMT 05.12.2023) Bias attacks in the United States have been on the rise amid the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, although authorities in Burlington have not yet confirmed a motive for the shooting. The young men were reportedly speaking Arabic at the time and wearing the Palestinian keffiyeh.
Local authorities are investigating a possible hate crime after three Palestinian college students were shot Saturday evening in Burlington, Vermont.
The attack
occurred around 6:25 PM local time near the campus of the University of Vermont as the friends, all 20 years old, were on their way to a family dinner. According to police a white male with a handgun appeared, firing at least four shots at the young men. The victims are recovering at a nearby hospital, with one of them
reportedly suffering “serious injuries.”
The men were
identified on the X social media platform by Husam Zomlot, Palestine’s head ambassador to the United Kingdom.
“Three young Palestinian men, Hisham Awartani, Tahseen Ali and Kenan Abdulhamid, students at Brown and other US universities, were shot last night on their way to a family dinner in Burlington, USA,” wrote Zomlot. “Their crime? Wearing the Palestinian keffiyeh.”
The keffiyeh is a black-and-white scarf considered a symbol of Palestinian culture.
The attack shocked residents of Burlington, a liberal-leaning college town of less than 45,000. Police have not yet apprehended a suspect in the shooting or confirmed a motive, but the possibility of a hate crime is being investigated.
“In this charged moment, no one can look at this incident and not suspect that it may have been a hate-motivated crime,” said local police chief Jon Murad. “I have already been in touch with federal investigatory and prosecutorial partners to prepare for that if it’s proven.”
The US Federal Bureau of Investigation is reportedly investigating the incident and has an agent on the scene in Burlington.
Meanwhile the Ramallah Friends School, where the three men reportedly attended high school in the occupied West Bank, posted a statement on social media.
“While we are relieved to know that they are alive, we remain uncertain about their condition and hold them in the light,” read the post. “We extend our thoughts and prayers to them and their families for a full recovery, especially considering the severity of injuries – as Hisham has been shot in the back, Tahseen in the chest, and Kinnan with minor injuries.”
Bias attacks in the US have been on the
rise since Hamas’ October 7 surprise attack in Israel, which spurred the country to respond militarily in the Gaza Strip. The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) reports a 216% increase in reported incidents of bias against Arab-Americans compared to 2022.
There’s evidence that public demonstrations of antisemitism are on the rise as well, with police in New York City reporting a 214% increase in reported hate crimes against Jewish people in October.
The shooting in Vermont comes just a week after a Muslim man was shot and wounded outside of a mosque in Providence, Rhode Island, although police are still uncertain of a motive in that crime as well. In October, a six-year-old Palestinian boy in Illinois was stabbed to death by his landlord, who was reportedly radicalized by anti-Muslim talk radio programs. In another highly-visible incident of Islamophobia, Stuart Seldowitz, a former US State Department employee and advisor to President Barack Obama, was
charged with stalking and aggravated harassment last week after a video of him berating a New York City food cart vendor went viral online.
Earlier this month a 69-year-old Jewish man in Ventura County, California, died after an
altercation with a pro-Palestine counter-protester. The local sheriff’s office says they haven’t ruled out the possibility of hate crime charges.
Some Jewish students have reported incidents of harassment during pro-Palestine demonstrations at US colleges. The issue has prompted a debate over free speech after Florida Governor Ron DeSantis
moved to ban chapters of a pro-Palestine group from university campuses across the state. George Washington University in Washington, DC and Columbia University in New York have also
banned pro-Palestine groups in recent weeks.
The move at Columbia was particularly controversial as one of the groups that was banned, Jewish Voice for Peace, is composed primarily of Jewish activists. Students and professors have demonstrated against the suspension of the groups while alumni of the university protested last week by throwing away their caps and gowns. Israel has been engaged in military action against Hamas since the Palestinian movement launched a surprise October 7 attack that killed some 1,200 Israelis. Since then Israel has reportedly
killed more than 15,000 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, including about 10,000 women and children. US media has
reported that “the rate of death during Israel’s assault has few precedents in this century.”
