Students United for Palestinian Equality and Return (SUPER), a suspended student group at the University of Washington, called the terrorist who orchestrated the Sbarro restaurant bombing a “heroine” on their Instagram page on Wednesday.
“Ahlam [Tamimi] represents every Palestinian woman who refuses to kneel before oppression, every Palestinian journalist who refuses to be silenced, and every Palestinian fighter who knows that freedom is not given – it is taken,” SUPER posted on their social media.
The group also reposted an Instagram carousel that called out the Jordanian regime, referencing an unverified report by Araby al-Jadeed that Jordan has plans to extradite Tamimi to the United States.
“This move is not just an attack on one woman – it’s an attack on the spirit of Palestinian resistance and the unwavering defiance of those who refuse to submit to colonial oppression,” the post said. “Ahlam Al-Tamimi is not just a name. She is a journalist, a warrior, and a symbol of steadfastness.”
Tamimi is known for organizing a suicide bombing in a Jerusalem restaurant in 2001, which wounded 130 people and killed 16 – including children.
The Instagram carousel, which was a collaboration between multiple pro-Palestinian accounts, features photographs of Tamimi smiling and flashing a peace sign.
The pro-Palestinian groups also mentioned the 2001 Sbarro attack, writing that “[Tamimi’s] courage was evident when she took part in the legendary “Sbarro restaurant operation, escorting the martyr fighter Izz al-Din al-Masri to his target” and added that “instead of punishing those who resist, it is time to honor and protect them.”
On December 13th, the group was subject to student conduct charges including “vandalism”, “unauthorized keys, entry, or use”, “failure to comply”, and “[disruption] or obstruction,” according to The Daily, the student newspaper of the University of Washington.
The organization has been suspended before
Last Wednesday, the organization, which has nearly 18,000 followers on Instagram, also staged a “Flood UW for Palestine” protest on the University’s campus despite reporting on Instagram that the school had suspended them for an AL-Quds Day sit-in at the Husky Union Building (HUB) in December.
The University told The Jerusalem Post that it understands “that chants and signs during a protest on Wednesday evening were deeply hurtful to many, particularly members of the Jewish community on our campus and beyond” but that “the First Amendment protects such speech and the University must uphold protesters’ right to speak.”
The University of Washington added that it “absolutely condemn[s] the celebration of violent organizations and individuals that was on display and is not representative of the UW or its students.”
According to their Instagram, SUPER has an ‘International Prisoner Solidarity’ event planned for Monday, in which they are “highlighting international solidarity with [Palestinian] prisoners” and “the role of prisoners in the liberation movements.”
The University of Washington clarified that “a suspension for a Registered Student Organization (RSO) means that it does not have access to support and resources that are available to student groups that are in good standing” but that “it does not prohibit a group from gathering or speaking in public spaces on campus.”
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