Harvey, LA – In a solemn gathering at a local mosque, hundreds of Palestinians came together to honor the memory of 17-year-old Tawfik Abdeljabbar, a New Orleans native who was tragically killed by an undisclosed Israeli officer in the Palestinian village of Al-Mazra’a on the West Bank. The vigil brought relatives, friends, and community members to share their grief and condemn the violence that took Abdeljabbar’s life.
Abdeljabbar, who studied at the Muslim Academy Gretna Islamic School, was remembered as a vibrant and intelligent young man. Sherean Murad, vice principal of Muslim Academy and Abdeljabbar’s former teacher, fondly recalled his humor and wit. The emotional gathering saw men offering condolences to the family, while women came together at a private residence to express their support and empathy.
The pain of Abdeljabbar’s loss was felt deeply by those who knew him, with his cousin, Mohammad Abdel-Wahhab, expressing devastation and concern for his brother who remains in the West Bank. As the evening continued, the participants at the vigil also directed their outrage towards the Israeli occupation and criticized the U.S. government’s support for it.
Mohammad Salem, Abdeljabbar’s uncle, condemned the violence, labeling it an act of terror and denouncing the U.S. for supplying arms to support the occupation. The sentiment of the evening was one of sorrow and anger, as the community grappled with the loss of a young life and the broader implications of the ongoing conflict in the region.
The gathering at the mosque in Harvey, Louisiana serves as a reminder of the human toll of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East and the personal impact it has on individuals and communities. The commemoration not only honored Abdeljabbar’s life but also provided a platform for the community to voice their solidarity and stand against the violence that has touched their lives.