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Three Palestinian students were left wounded after they were shot by a gunman in what is being suspected as a case of hate crime in Vermont, US. According to a report in Reuters, police said a man with a pistol shot the three victims near the University of Vermont, Burlington when they were on their way to a family dinner. Two of the students are US citizens while the third one is a legal US resident. Police said all of them are 20 years old, as per Reuters.
The head of the Palestinian mission to the UK, Husam Zomlot shared the photo of the victims with their names calling the incident a case of hate crime. He also sought protection for Palestinians everywhere.
“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. Their crime? Wearing the Palestinian keffiyeh,” Zomlot said in a post on X, formerly Twitter.
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. Their crime? Wearing the Palestinian keffiyeh. They are critically injured. And… pic.twitter.com/OwafFkHwg4
— Husam Zomlot (@hzomlot) November 26, 2023
“They are critically injured. And Six weeks ago, 6-year-old Palestinian child was stabbed 26 times in a hate crime in Illinois. The hate crimes against Palestinians must stop. Palestinians everywhere need protection,” he added.
The boys were wearing a keffiyeh, the traditional black-and-white checkered scarf of Middle Eastern dress, at the time of the attack and were speaking Arabic, cousin of one of the victims said.
“My cousin Hisham has been shot in the back while walking with his friends in Burlington for simply wearing kuffiyehs and speaking Arabic,” Basil Awartani wrote on X.
My cousin @HishamAwartani, a Palestinian student at @BrownUniversity has been shot walking with his friends for simply wearing a keffiyeh and speaking Arabic.
Dangerous and dehumanizing rhetoric regurgitated by US politicians and right wing pundits has consequences. https://t.co/dZjWIET6EN
— Basil Awartani (@AwartaniBasil) November 26, 2023
“Dangerous performative rhetoric from US pundits and politicians as well as constant dehumanization of Palestinians has a real life cost,” he added.
The Ramallah Friends School meanwhile issued a statement on Facebook naming and describing them as graduates of the Palestinian high school.
“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,” the post said. “While we are relieved to know that they are alive, we remain uncertain about their condition and hold them in the light,” it added.
The White House said US President Joe Biden has been briefed on the matter and he will continue to monitor it as the investigation is ongoing, according to The Guardian.
Families Of Victims Issue Joint Statement, Seek Probe
The families of the three victims have meanwhile expressed concern about the safety and well-being of their children in a joint statement.
“As parents, we are devastated by the horrific news that our children were targeted and shot in Burlington, VT. At this time, our primary concern is their full recovery and that they receive the critical medical support they need to survive. We are extremely concerned about the safety and well-being of our children,” the statement read.
“We call on law enforcement to conduct a thorough investigation, including treating this as a hate crime. We will not be comfortable until the shooter is brought to justice. 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. Our children are dedicated students who deserve to be able to
focus on their studies and building their futures,” they said.
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