In a heinous crime that took place in Plainfield village in Illinois, a six-year-old Palestinian-American child was stabbed to death by a 71-year-old man on Saturday.
According to media reports, the boy, Wadea Al-Fayoume, and his 32-year-old mother, Hanaan Shahin, were attacked by their landlord, Joseph Czuba. Wadea tragically lost his life, while Shahin was hospitalised.
What happened on Saturday morning?
On Saturday morning, the landlord, who was angered by developments he had seen in the news, knocked on the door of his tenants. As soon as Shahin opened the door, he attempted to attack her with a knife while yelling, “You Muslims must die.”
Although she managed to escape into the bathroom and call 911, her son lost his life due to multiple stab wounds. The landlord reportedly stabbed the boy 26 times.
Shahin has been living in the US for the past 12 years, and Wadea was born in the United States. The boy’s funeral will take place on Monday.
Following this heinous crime, Czuba has been charged with first-degree murder and other crimes. He has been taken into Will County’s Adult Detention facility.
US President Joe Biden, other condemned the incident
The Will County Sheriff’s Office has described the crime as ‘senseless’ and ‘cowardly.’
Meanwhile, US President Joe Biden issued the following statement regarding this heinous crime.
“Jill and I were shocked and sickened to learn of the brutal murder of a six-year-old child and the attempted murder of the child’s mother in their home yesterday in Illinois.
The child’s Palestinian Muslim family came to America seeking what we all seek—a refuge to live, learn, and pray in peace.
This horrific act of hate has no place in America, and stands against our fundamental values: freedom from fear for how we pray, what we believe, and who we are.
As Americans, we must come together and reject Islamophobia and all forms of bigotry and hatred. I have said repeatedly that I will not be silent in the face of hate. We must be unequivocal. There is no place in America for hate against anyone.
We join everyone here at the White House in sending our condolences and prayers to the family, including for the mother’s recovery, and to the broader Palestinian, Arab, and Muslim American communities.“
Governor JB Pritzker also released a statement that reads, “To take a six-year-old child’s life in the name of bigotry is nothing short of evil… Every single Illinoisan – including our Muslim, Jewish, and Palestinian neighbors – deserves to live free from the threat of such evil.”
Many others, including US Senator Tammy Duckworth and Dick Durbin, have condemned the incident.
