It has not been a great week to be known as a Vermonter. As a group, our population is being seen across the globe as haters — a perception cast by a senseless act of violence.
Hisham Awartani, Kinnan Abdalhamid and Tahseen Ali Ahmad, all age 20, and of Palestinian descent, were out for a walk Saturday after a birthday party when a man approached them. The students were speaking a mixture of English and Arabic, and two of the victims wore keffiyehs, traditional Palestinian scarves. Shooting them without saying a word, the suspect left them seriously injured and shattered their families’ sense that they would be safer in the U.S. than in the war-torn region where they grew up.
The suspect has been identified as Jason J. Eaton, 48. Eaton has pleaded not guilty to three counts of attempted murder.
He was ordered held without bail. Authorities, including the U.S. Department of Justice, are investigating whether the shooting was a hate crime amid an increase in threats against Jewish, Muslim and Arab communities across the U.S. since the Israel-Hamas war began. Attorney General Merrick Garland noted: “There is understandable fear in communities across the country.”
The students were visiting the state, enjoying time with family and friends.
Awartani is studying mathematics and archaeology at Brown University; Abdalhamid is a pre-med student at Haverford College in Pennsylvania; and Ali Ahmad is studying mathematics and IT at Trinity College in Connecticut. Awartani and Abdalhamid are U.S. citizens while Ali Ahmad is studying on a student visa.
At a vigil Monday night at Brown University, a professor read a statement from Awartani in which he expressed appreciation for the community’s love and support but said, “I am but one casualty in a much wider conflict.”
The shooting incident has re-ignited global conversations about attitudes and gun violence. Emotions already high over the Israeli-Hamas war are chafing now.
Vermont’s place on the world stage today is not so flattering.
But vigils and calls for unity across the state aim to dispel the perception that this is a place where haters are welcome to act.
“As we pull for their recovery, we must come together in support of Hisham, Kinnan and Tahseen, as well as our communities, who are reeling from this incident,” the governor said this week. “One way to overcome the violence and hate is to unite to support one another.”
The stand in unity has to be even stronger and even more pointed.
The ACLU of Vermont stated: “We all deserve to feel safe in the expression of our identities. This includes the right to wear cultural and religious garments — and to speak our language of origin, or any language we please — without the fear of experiencing hate or harm. … The ACLU of Vermont condemns racism and Islamophobia in all forms. Vermont can and must strive to be a place where everyone is treated with dignity and respect, no matter their race, national origin, or cultural identity. This includes during times of heightened conflict overseas and divisive political rhetoric at home.”
Members of Central Vermont Interfaith, in a statement, wrote, “Our faith traditions call on us to live in God’s love by extending welcome to all, loving our neighbors, and protecting the stranger. With anti-Arab and anti-Palestinian sentiment alive and growing, we urge that we all affirm and proclaim the full humanity and dignity of Palestinian people. … We also share our concern for the highly polarized political environment that is leading too many people in our community to disregard the humanity of others with whom they disagree and whose life experiences they do not fully understand. We denounce all hatred and, in this moment, especially all Islamophobic, anti-Semitic and anti-Arab words and actions.”
Dr. Sunny Eappen, president and CEO of the UVM Health Network where the men were treated, issued a statement, as well, stating, “I am committed to fostering a community at the UVM Health Network that is neither antisemitic nor Islamophobic — a community where all are welcome and valued. I understand that Arabs, Muslims, Jews, Israelis and Palestinians each have endured hardship, hatred and violence for generations. I condemn the October 7 Hamas terrorist attacks on Israel, which killed more than 1,200 civilians and led to hundreds more being held hostage. Nobody should ever face such violence. I also condemn the staggering loss of innocent lives in Gaza, where an estimated 14,000 (many of them children) have died since this war began. More violence — regardless of where it occurs — will not resolve this conflict.”
While no one has officially called Saturday’s shooting a “hate crime,” we are glad it is being investigated as such. Justice needs to be ensured.
For its ugliness, we need to use this moment to rise in solidarity against further violence.
We must stop demonizing and speak as one community that respects all perspectives and ensures that we are providing a welcoming place to live and visit.
