LANSING, Mich. (WLNS) — A former Humphrey Fellow from Michigan State University has died in Israel’s bombing campaign on Gaza, along with 15 members of his family, according to the Islamic Center of Greater Lansing.
Tariq Thabet, a Humphrey scholar at MSU from 2021-2022, died along with 15 family members including his wife, children and parents in Central Gaza City, the Islamic Center said in its post Wednesday. “Tariq and his family were killed as a result of Israeli bombing in central Gaza, a region people from the North of Gaza are asked to evacuate to,” the Center said in its post.
According to the center, Thabet attended prayers at the Islamic Center in East Lansing during his Humphrey Fellowship “and was a beloved brother to many of us.”
The Humphrey Fellowship is a Fulbright exchange program that brings accomplished mid-career professionals from developing countries to the United States for one year of study, networking and professional development, according to MSU.
The Islamic Center sourced the news of Thabet’s death from Ahmed I. Tanneera, “a dear friend of Tareq’s who is heartbroken.”
