Al-Awda NY the Palestine Right to Return Coalition mourns the loss of Abu Obeida Omran, a brother and a comrade who always stood on the front lines of organizing for the Palestinian people and the Palestinian cause, particularly the Right of Return. Many of our members traveled with him as part of the Viva Palestina caravan that aimed to break the siege of Gaza. He will remain forever in our hearts and our struggle.
We reprint below the statement from the US Palestinian Community Network:
The US Palestinian Community Network expresses its feelings of great sadness and grief on the loss of the Palestinian community activist and leader Abu Obeida Abdel-Salam Omran, of the village of Burin, who lived in Houston, Texas. He died on Friday, August 13, 2010 of his injuries suffered as a victim of an attempted robbery at his business in Houston. Two thieves attempted to rob his business and then fatally injured Abu Obeida with their car as they fled. Abu Obeida died in the hospital later that night.
Abu Obeida Omran was always ready to serve his people, standing in the forefront of the defense of the Palestinian people’s rights, particularly the Right to Return. He was a leader in defending the civil and political rights of the Palestinian and Arab community in Texas. He was a leading organizer of the Viva Palestina convoy in 2009, which traveled to Gaza to break the siege and worked to support and welcome Palestinian refugees from Iraq arriving in the United States. He played an active role in building Palestinian community organizations, the right of return movement, solidarity movements with the Palestinian people, and cultural groups, including a popular debkeh troupe.
The Palestinian community has today lost a charismatic leader, and the children of Burin in the U.S., and all of the Palestinian community, mourn the loss of Abu Obeida. We pledge to him to continue upon the path of struggle, unity and return, and to fight for the full achievement of all of our national goals.
Today, we send greetings to the people of Burin village, to his wife, his children, his family and his comrades, in Palestine and in the diaspora. Abu Obeida Omran was born on November 13, 1967. He was 42 years old, married with two sons, Abu Obeida and Abu Ali Mustafa, and a daughter, Maryam.
* In the next 48 hours,friends and family of Abu Obieda will be receiving national and international messages of condolences, from people who are unable to attend the memorial from Individuals,Organizations, and Associations. Please send your condolences to: hamzehghazzawi@ymail.com .
