Tampa community mourns Palestinian martyr Sayfollah Musallet
Tampa, Fl – Around 100 people gathered at the Islamic Community of Tampa on Saturday, July 19, to have a vigil for Palestinian martyr Sayfollah Musallet.
Musallet was a 20-year-old Tampa resident and U.S. citizen. He was a well-known community member and owned a local ice cream shop named Ice Sssscreamin. He was visiting family in the occupied West Bank when he was beaten to death by Israeli settlers on his family’s land on July 11.
The vigil was organized by the Center for American Islamic Relations (CAIR) Florida. They held prayer and invited elected officials, community members, as well as family and friends of Musallet to speak in remembrance of him. Musallet’s eight-year-old cousin spoke of Sayf being one of many martyrs murdered in Palestine by Israeli settlers, and of their family deserving justice from those responsible.
Tampa City Councilmember Lynn Hurtack also spoke, demanding that the U.S. launch an investigation into the murder of a U.S. citizen on foreign soil.
Speakers urged people to continue organizing for a free Palestine. They demanded that the United States end its funding of Israel’s genocide on Palestine and for an investigation to be launched into the murder of Musallet.