Washington, DC | www.adc.org | October 17, 2023 – The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) is deeply concerned by a series of hate incidents in Denver, CO targeting a Palestinian American family. Over the course of the last week, the family received multiple death threats to their place of business, with callers saying “we’ll kill all you Palestinians” and “we’ll kill your family.” Shortly after the threatening phone calls, a gunman shot at the family home in Greenwood Village, CO. Thankfully no one was injured in the shooting.
The shooting follows concerns raised by Denver area parents of Palestinian and Arab students about increased bullying. Arab and Palestinian students expressed that they feel unsafe, and unsupported in their school environment. Both other students and, more concerningly, teachers have been singling out the Palestinian students, while administrators are ignoring the needs of Arab and Palestinian children.
ADC is providing the family with assistance as the investigation continues. We are also pursuing a hate crime investigation by local and/or federal agencies.
ADC National Executive Director Abed Ayoub said, “We will not stand by and allow hate crimes against our community to become a normal occurrence again. We have seen a sharp increase in hate incidents, including in schools and the workplace. The rhetoric being used by many elected officials and media outlets continues to dehumanize Arab, Palestinians and Muslims – this is creating an environment for hate crimes to occur. The rhetoric needs to change immediately.”
If you believe you’ve been targeted due to your ethnicity, religion, or nationality, or require assistance in dealing with law enforcement, please report the incident here. ADC remains steadfast in its commitment to the safety and well-being of its members and the wider community.