Al-Awda Shocked by Gruesome Murder of Abu Obeida Omran

August 15, 2010 Al-Awda
         
                 Al-Awda, The Palestine Right to Return Coalition is shocked,
saddened and outraged at the gruesome and tragic murder of Abu
Obeida Abdel Salam Omran. On Friday August 13, 2010, Abu Obeida
was deliberately run over and dragged with a car apparently during
an attempted robbery at one of his gas stations in Houston Texas.
The alleged killers were arrested by police after they fled the
scene. Abu Obeida died that night from the injuries he had
sustained during the attack. Abu Obeida is originally from the
village of Burin near Nablus on the West Bank. He was 42 years
old, married with two sons, Abu Obeida and Abu Ali Mustafa, and a
daughter, Maryam. His wife is expecting another child.

                 Abu Obeida was a young man full of energy. He was actively
involved in building Al-Awda's chapter in Houston which he
founded. He was a successful businessman and a leader in the
community. He took part in the Viva Palestina US convoy to Gaza in
2009, and actively helped with employment, housing, financially or
other ways all of the Palestinian refugees who recently arrived in
Texas from Al-Waleed camp in Iraq. Abu Obeida was a dedicated
activist for his people's right to return to their original homes
and lands from which they have been dispossessed by Zionist forces
and the Israeli state beginning in the 1948 era. He was in his
first year of service as a member of the national coordinating
committee of Al-Awda and was responsible for the external affairs
of the organization. He strongly believed in strengthening,
expanding and consolidating efforts in Al-Awda, and was working
with colleagues in Texas to develop chapters of the organization
in four other cities in that state. In addition to several other
projects, Abu Obeida was most recently organizing with colleagues
in Texas and elsewhere a conference to take place in Houston in
October 2010 to advance the campaign for one democratic state in
all of Palestine with the restoration and implementation of
Palestinian rights in full. Abu Obeida and his leadership will be
sorely missed by all those who knew him.

                 We extend our deepest condolences to Abu Obeida's family, friends
and our community. We have lost a comrade and share in your grief.

         
         
                 May he rest in peace.
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                 Al-Awda, The Palestine Right to Return Coalition
                 PO Box 131352
                 Carlsbad, CA 92013, USA
                 Tel: 760-918-9441
                 Fax: 760-918-9442
                 E-mail: info@al-awda.org
                 WWW: http://al-awda.org/

                 Al-Awda, The Palestine Right to Return Coalition (PRRC) is
dedicated to advocacy for the restoration of Palestinian human,
national, legal, political and historical rights in full with
particular emphasis on the right of Palestinians to return to
their homes and lands of origin from which they have been
dispossessed since 1948. PRRC is a not for profit tax-exempt
educational and charitable 501(c)(3) organization as defined by
the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) of the United States of
America. Under IRS guidelines, your donations to PRRC are
tax-deductible. To donate, go to
http://www.al-awda.org/donate.html and follow the instructions. To
become a member, go to http://www.al-awda.org/membership.html