Many in Vermont are probably still feeling a shocking alarm from Saturday’s shooting of three young Palestinian-American men in our community. My heart goes out to Hisham Awartani, Kinnan Abdalhamid, Tahseen Ali Ahmad, their family, friends, and community, who were made victims of hate.
I know that many in Vermont feel the type of violence these three young men suffered is uncharacteristic of our community, but it would be both disrespectful and irresponsible of us to write this crime off as we navigate the political, social and personal turmoil that has permitted those with hate in their hearts to commit acts of violence against their neighbors.
As a Christian minister, I have a responsibility to speak up in solidarity with Vermont’s Arab and Muslim communities who have had to suffer the suspicion, prejudice, anger and violence of neighbors who are not willing to look past the misinformation spread on the news, social media or even in places of worship. I feel all faiths, in particular those of us who walk the path of Christ, need to affirm that Arab people and those who practice Islam here in Vermont are just as loving and deserving of love as any other people.
I know that many feel anger over the war between Israel and Hamas. I also recognize that many feel conflicted between supporting our Palestinian or Jewish neighbors. As we learn about the victims on both sides of this conflict, we need not choose sides to stand in solidarity with the suffering. We need not choose sides to give love to a suffering neighbor.
We need to both recognize the loss of the people of Israel while also recognizing that Palestinians are suffering in Gaza and the West Bank. We also need to be aware that hate crimes against Jews and Arabs are on the rise here in the U.S. We need not choose a side to hate in this conflict, but rather choose the side of love. I would argue that those of us committed to love have an obligation to do so.
This week I preached from Matthew 25:34-36, where Jesus tells his followers, “Come, you that are blessed by God, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.”
Here in Vermont, we need to wrestle with this call to love. Are we so blinded by global politics, hate and prejudice that we are unable to see the hungry, the thirsty, those who are made strangers, left naked, sick, or locked in prisons?
Before we assume that Vermont is above the violence we are seeing in the world, we should first take a good look at ourselves and our communities. What happened on Saturday to Hisham Awartani, Kinnan Abdalhamid, and Tahseen Ali Ahmad can happen again if we are unwilling to confront hate.
We must stand in solidarity with anyone who is victimized by any act of hatred.
Rev. Devon Thomas
Ascension Lutheran Church in South Burlington
