In a brutal act that has shocked the conscience of the nation, an Egyptian-born man named Mohamed Sabry Soliman launched a premeditated firebomb attack against a peaceful group gathered in Boulder, Colorado, to raise awareness for Israeli hostages held in Gaza. The assault, which occurred during the Jewish festival of Shavuot—a sacred time for reading the Torah—left eight people injured, some with severe burns. Among the victims was a Holocaust survivor.
The suspect, shouting “Free Palestine,” used a makeshift flamethrower and Molotov cocktails to ignite terror at the Pearl Street pedestrian mall, targeting a weekly gathering of elderly citizens with the Colorado-based group Run For Their Lives. “He stated that he wanted to kill all Zionist people and wished they were all dead,” FBI Special Agent Jessica Krueger said in a sworn affidavit, revealing that Soliman had planned the attack for over a year and would do it again “if given the opportunity,” according to The Guardian and Jerusalem Post.
This wasn’t a spontaneous act of madness—it was an ideologically motivated act of hate, fueled by antisemitism and executed with chilling intent. The FBI has declared it an act of terrorism. “This is an example of how perpetrators of violence continue to threaten communities across the nation,” said FBI Special Agent Mark Michalek. US Attorney General Pam Bondi condemned the attack as “vile antisemitic violence” and vowed swift justice. “We will never tolerate this kind of hatred. We refuse to accept a world in which Jewish Americans are targeted for who they are and what they believe,” Bondi said in a statement reported by The Times.
As Catholics, we must stand in righteous indignation and sorrow at this latest outburst of evil. The command to love our neighbor is not optional. Christ did not ask us to love selectively. To see such a calculated act of hatred launched at elderly civilians—people of faith who were simply walking and praying for hostages—is not only an assault on them, but on the very image of God imprinted in every human soul.
The attacker, who had overstayed his visa and left messages for his wife and five children explaining his plans, was taken into custody after accidentally setting himself on fire. According to The Guardian, he watched YouTube videos to learn how to make the incendiary devices and waited until his daughter’s graduation before carrying out his assault. In court, he now faces state and federal charges including attempted first-degree murder and a federal hate crime.
President Donald Trump responded by writing on Truth Social, “This attack showed why the Muslim Brotherhood must stay banned and its sympathisers removed,” while Egyptian news outlets attempted to link Soliman to the Brotherhood—though U.S. authorities have not yet confirmed such affiliations. “Any organizational link must come from forensic evidence, not speculation on television,” said Amr Fathy of the Egyptian Council for Foreign Affairs, urging caution amid speculation (Jerusalem Post).
But the moral outrage is not speculative. What happened on Pearl Street is a reminder that darkness does not wait politely at the door. It breaks it down. It throws fire in the faces of the elderly. It does not distinguish between prayer group or protest. It targets Jews, Christians, the vulnerable—all in its campaign of chaos.
Still, light overcomes darkness. “Terror will not silence us,” said Run For Their Lives in a statement, pledging to continue their weekly walks until the hostages in Gaza are freed. Their courage is a testament to the human spirit—and a call to action for Catholics. We must reject all forms of hatred, no matter their guise. We must speak clearly, act boldly, and pray fervently.
Let us not look away. Let us pray for the victims. Let us demand justice. And above all, let us love with greater urgency, for “perfect love casts out fear” (1 John 4:18).
