Overseas tragedy felt in Eastern Iowa; I.C. woman's
sister killed in West Bank
By Sara
Faiwell The Gazette Sunday, October 13, 2002, 8:46:51
PM
IOWA CITY -- An Iowa City
woman is grieving the loss of her sister who was shot Friday,
allegedly by Israeli soldiers in Nablus.
Amal Al-Jurf, 60, said her sister, Shaden Abu-Hijleh, 62,
was shot in the heart with no provocation after Israeli
soldiers drove up to her home in the West Bank and opened
fire.
"This is not the first time they are shooting at people,"
said Al-Jurf, a housewife who has lived in Iowa City for 25
years. "No one else has the ability to shoot people like this
besides Israeli soldiers."
The Associated Press reported Friday that Abu-Hijleh, a
school teacher, died of a shot to the heart that Palestinian
witnesses said came from someone in an Israeli military
vehicle.
It also was reported that the Israeli army was unaware of
any shooting.
Family members say Abu-Hijleh was sitting on her front
porch enjoying the afternoon breeze before she was killed. Her
husband and one of her sons also were shot Friday, but they
remain in stable condition.
Last week, all the windows in Abu-Hijleh's home were shot
out, as well.
Family members say Abu-Hijleh was known in her community
for aiding poor families and providing money and gift baskets
to those who were less fortunate.
Abu-Hijleh had other Iowa City ties besides her sister. All
four of her children graduated from the University of Iowa
within the last 10 years.
Jayne Finch, 31, Abu-Hijleh's daughter-in-law, said her
husband Rami Abu-Hijleh went to the Middle East on Friday for
his mother's funeral.
Rami Abu-Hijleh graduated from the UI in 1994 with a degree
in biomedical engineering, and later received a master's
degree in electrical engineering.
The couple now live in Mount Prospect, Ill.
"U.S. taxpayers should know that they helped pay for the
bullet that ripped through my mother-in-law's heart," said
Finch. "This is not a unique story."
Finch handed out fliers Saturday at a peace rally in the
Pedestrian Mall to promote awareness about the conflict in the
Middle East. She said she plans to hand out more information
on other college campuses in Illinois and Iowa in the next few
days.
"People don't know what's going on there," said Finch. "The
major media networks cannot even get in there to show people
what is happening."
Abu-Hijleh's other children -- Raed, 32; Saed, 35; and
Lana, 38 -- moved to the West Bank after graduating from the
UI.
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