BIRZEIT UNIVERSITY MALICIOUSLY LINKED TO FATAL BUS ATTACK IN JERUSALEM

Following the suicidal bomb attack on the no. 18 bus in Jerusalem at 6.25am yesterday, various media outlets reported that the bomber was "Islam Mohammed Abdo from Hebron, an engineering student at Birzeit University."

Birzeit University notes that there is no student called either "Islam Mohammed Adbo" or any similar name, registered at the University. Neither has there ever been a student named Islam Mohammed Abdo nor of any similar name, registered at the University. Of the five students whose first name is `Islam' who are registered at the University, none are from Hebron.

Birzeit University regrets the erroneous media reports that have linked the attack to a student at the university and expresses concern that their writers have made no attempt to establish the facts of the matter with the relevant authorities at the university. This example of irresponsible journalism in the current Israeli political climate is threatening to the university community, whose staff and students have been targeted by both Israeli military and civilians during similar periods in the past.

The university community hopes that the media outlets that carried the erroneous report will correct this mistake, and take measures to ensure that such incendiary material is not similarly reported in the future.