UPDATE:
Read CNN's 1 of the 3 Palestinian students shot in Vermont is paralyzed from the shooting, his mother says OR
Watch Video shows Palestinian American student paralyzed in Vermont shooting released from hospital to applause: Hisham Awartani, 20, who was paralyzed from the chest down, was released from the University of Vermont Medical Center, according to video shared by his family. --->NOTE: If you watch the video of Awartani, the next video to play automatically is graphic.
In a GoFundMe campaign created to raise money for Awartani’s medical expenses, his loved ones disclosed that “one of the bullets that struck him is lodged in his spine and has left him paralyzed from the chest down.” Awartani's mother, Elizabeth Price, said last week that her son has a lot of physical rehabilitation ahead of him. “He has what they call an incomplete spinal injury, which means that he can feel, but he can’t move the areas that are currently paralyzed,” she said. “He is going into intensive rehab later this week, and we hope that that will help with his prognosis. … He’s resolute. He’s resilient.” Awartani, a Palestinian Irish American who grew up in the West Bank, speaks seven languages and is a teaching assistant at Brown University, where he studies math and archaeology.
SUMMARY
The shooting of three college students of Palestinian descent on Nov. 25 in Vermont has added more fear and concern about a rise in bias, discrimination and violent attacks against Arab Americans and Muslims in the U.S.
While the motive is still unclear, some groups argue officials should consider this a hate crime. William Brangham discussed more with Abed Ayoub of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee.
For a transcript of this story, click here.
News wrap alternative: Check out recent segments from the NewsHour, and choose the story you’re most interested in watching. You can make a Google doc copy of discussion questions that work for any of the stories here.
WARM UP QUESTIONS:
- Who is Jason Eaton?
- When did the shooting incident take place?
- How are authorities handling the investigation into the shooting incident?
- Why are some considering the shooting in Burlington to be a hate crime?
- Where were the three victims walking when they were attacked?
FOCUS QUESTIONS
How has the rise in Islamophobia and anti-Arab incidents, particularly since the Israel-Hamas conflict, impacted Arab and Muslim communities in the U.S.?
Media literacy: How can students prevent hate crimes?
Alternative: See, Think, Wonder: What did you notice? What did the story make you think? What story would you want to find out more about? Where would you go to learn more?
FOR MORE
What students can do: Discuss — in what ways does Abed Ayoub suggest local and national leaders can address the rise in hate crimes?
Check out this Student Reporting Labs video on how a passion for food helped a student to appreciate their Arab culture and family.
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