REP LIEU STATEMENT ON SHOOTING OF PALESTINIAN COLLEGE STUDENTS

WASHINGTON - Today, Congressman Ted W. Lieu (D-Los Angeles County) issued the following statement on the shootings of three college students of Palestinian descent in Vermont.

“I am deeply dismayed by the shootings of three college students of Palestinian descent in Vermont this weekend. An arrest has been made and if that person is the shooter, I urge officials to pursue justice to the fullest extent of the law. I hope that Hisham Awartani, Kinnan Abdalhamid and Tahseen Ahmed all make swift and full recoveries.

“While we do not know yet if this is a hate crime, I want to reemphasize that Islamophobia and anti-Arab hate have no place in our country. I also share the concern that so many of us have about the troubling rise in hate crimes in our country.  People of all faiths and ethnicities deserve to feel safe and welcomed in the places where they live, work and visit. We must stand together to condemn hate and promote tolerance and understanding.”

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