- Stanford University is investigating several hate crimes since the escalation of events in Palestine, including a hit-and-run on an Arab Muslim student.
- Other incidents involve physical confrontations and offensive actions against Muslim, Arab and Palestinian students.
At Stanford University, an ongoing investigation is underway into a series of potential hate crime incidents that have occurred since the onset of escalated events in Palestine. Among these incidents is a hit-and-run accident involving an Arab Muslim student, Abdul Wahab Omira, as reported by the university’s public safety department.
The distressing event occurred when the student was ‘struck’ by a vehicle on a Friday afternoon. According to the victim’s account, the driver purposefully ‘made eye contact with the victim, accelerated and struck the victim, and then drove away while shouting, ‘f*** you people.” A preliminary investigation conducted by the California Highway Patrol confirmed that this was indeed a ‘hate crime.’ Thankfully, the injuries sustained by the victim were not life-threatening.
In the description provided, the victim identified the driver as ‘a white male in his mid-20s, with short dirty-blond hair and a short beard, wearing a gray shirt and round framed eyeglasses.’ The vehicle involved was described as a ‘2015 black Toyota 4Runner or possibly a newer model.’
Omira says that whilst he was walking to his class, an individual who had been previously been reported to have shown him and his community animosity, struck him intentionally.
Omira asserts:
“As an Arab Muslim student at Stanford, I never imagined becoming the victim of a hate driven attack…His hateful screams of F*** YOU AND YOUR People ECHO in my ears as I GRAPPLE WITH THE EMOTIONAL PAIN THIS INCIDENT HAS LEFT IN ITS wake”
Stanford University student Farah Tantawy reacted to the attack, “It was targeted and it shouldn’t have happened.”
Pictured: Stanford University student Farah Tantawy
In response to the incident, Stanford’s President, Richard Saller, and Provost Jenny Martinez released a statement strongly condemning the hit-and-run. They emphasized the university’s commitment to maintaining a campus free from ‘violence’ and ‘hatred.’ Additionally, the Council on American–Islamic Relations San Francisco Bay Area voiced its concern, highlighting the pressing need to address ‘Islamophobia’ and ‘hatred’ in communities.
Authorities are urging individuals with any information regarding the incident to come forward.
The recent series of potential hate crime incidents at Stanford began on October 15 when a group of students, who were ‘Arab, Muslim and/or Palestinian,’ reported an unsettling incident. They were physically confronted by another student while attempting to ‘add and remove posters’ on campus. Stanford has unequivocally labeled these acts as ‘abhorrent’ and is actively investigating them as ‘hate crimes.’
The next day, another incident transpired involving a student from an ethnic minority background who was seated near a Palestinian liberation display at the Palo Alto campus’s White Plaza location. The student was allegedly ‘spat at’ as reported on the university’s Protected Identity Harm reporting site.
It is deeply disconcerting for many that such incidents are occurring at Stanford University, an institution known for its esteemed reputation.
