We are devastated and heartbroken to learn that a special student, Muhammed, who was one of the students who received MECA’s scholarship this year was killed in cold blood by Israeli forces on 10 October 2023 as he was heading out of his home in al-Arroub Refugee Camp in Hebron.  

Muhammed’s mother called us to share this sad news. She did not want the scholarship he’s received to go to waste and  asked for it to be donated to those students who could use it in these dire times. We were left in awe at her thoughtfulness after this call. 

Muhammed was only 19 years old. He had barely started his educational journey to become an architect. Our last message from him was to tell us that he’s been doing better and getting his grades up. 

“I am not saying this because he was my son, but ask anyone about him, from his friends to his university professors … they all just loved him, and they wept at his funeral,” his mother told us. 

“His murder broke me … there were roadblocks everywhere by Israeli forces, yet thousands of people attended his funeral,” his father said before excusing himself as he could not talk anymore. 

“He’s always been dedicated, smart, ambitious, and full of life. He was the soul of the place since he was a little boy. He was my eldest, you know, he was my dear eldest boy. He was so focused on his studies but he also loved life, loved to hang out with his friends and spend time with people in the camp. He was such a light-hearted spirit. ” His mother added, “I have all of his designs and work, I left everything in its place since October 10th.” 

His mother told us she heard the two bullets that took his life, “it was so sudden, so fast, and beyond painful. He came home, had dinner, then got dressed to go meet his friends, and he just left the house. None of us knew there was a military raid in the camp, and I heard them, them bullets. Two bullets took him from me, and I heard them.” 

Muhammed was shot on the evening of 10 October 2023, one of the bullets hit his lungs and killed him. 

In each student’s application to the scholarship we ask them to provide a letter of interest or to tell us more about themselves and why they’ve applied to the scholarship and decided to study . This was part of Muhammed’s answer that broke our heart:

Muhammed often shared his ideas and designs on Instagram

“I did lots of research into different specialties that would both fulfill my interests in life but also help me give back to my society, and I finally found the perfect specialty; architecture and design. This way I’ll be able to work on the exterior but also the interior as both matter. I want to help people in my refugee camp to maintain their simple beautiful houses but make them even better designed on the inside and outside, I want to make school rooms better so students get more excited about school, and I want to create more spaces for the children and rest of the people in my community so they could spend their time. And I want to study at the Polytechnic University as it will keep me closer to my community and family.”

He wanted to make life better for his people, he was devoted to his family and community. He had great ambition and he was such a hopeful young man. Muhammed is not another number in the long list in Israel’s genocidal campaign against Palestinians in the West Bank, Gaza, and everywhere else. Muhammed deserved to live and fulfill his dream, his once good heart was inherited from his giving parents who refused to have their son’s scholarship go unused and asked us to help give the rest of it to another student who needs it to fulfill his/her dream. 

Muhammed, your legacy of dreams, hopes, and ambitions will live on and we will never forget you.