PETITION TO RECONSIDER THE SEPARATION DECISION OF STUDENT MALEK BILAL HAMAD

To: The President of International College Beirut

Subject: Request for Immediate Reconsideration of the Disciplinary Decision Concerning Malek Bilal Hamad

Petition for Reconsideration and Compassionate Reform
Submitted to the school president and the board of directors

We, the undersigned members of this school community — parents, students, and faculty — stand in solidarity with the recently expelled Grade 11 student and respectfully call for a reconsideration of the disciplinary decision.

We wish to make it clear that we are firmly against any form of violence. Yet, we are equally against injustice and exclusion, especially when it concerns a young individual who has consistently demonstrated responsibility, maturity, and an impeccable record throughout their years at this school.

We were deeply saddened by the way this incident was portrayed in the media. Several outlets and social media platforms exaggerated and distorted the story, taking it out of context and misrepresenting the facts. This has unjustly damaged the student’s reputation and created public pressure that does not reflect the reality of what happened — a moment of self-defense in the face of aggression from a person with a criminal background and active arrest warrants. It is unfortunate that such media sensationalism may have influenced a decision that could destroy the future of a hard-working and respectful student.

Our institution has always been known not only for its academic excellence but also for its deep sense of humanity, compassion, and social responsibility. We believe that true leadership lies not in punishment alone but in the courage to guide, reform, and reintegrate.

This incident, while serious, is also an opportunity — a chance for the school to embody the values it teaches: accountability, forgiveness, and human growth. Expulsion is a breaking measure, not a reforming one. It sends a message of exclusion rather than education. We therefore plead for a response that aligns with the higher ideals of our school — one that acknowledges wrongdoing but also nurtures redemption.

As parents and educators, we all know that youth is a time of learning, not perfection. We respectfully ask that the administration consider a restorative justice approach — one that holds the student accountable, yet allows him the opportunity to learn, make amends, and continue his education within the same supportive environment that helped shape him.

Let this be a moment where our school leads by example — showing that true strength lies not in harshness, but in understanding; not in judgment, but in the belief that every young person deserves a chance to rise after they fall.

With urgency, respect, hope, and faith in the leadership of this esteemed institution,
we submit this petition in the spirit of unity, compassion, and justice.

Respectfully,