Six-year-old Wadea Al-Fayoume was stabbed to death

A six-year-old boy has been brutally stabbed to death and his mother was critically wounded in what authorities are calling an anti-Muslim hate crime.

The incident occurred in their home in Plainfield, Illinois, where the young boy, Wadea Al-Fayoume, lost his life allegedly at the hands of his landlord, Joseph Czuba, 71. The Will County Sheriff’s Office said that the victims, Wadea and his 32-year-old mother, Hanaan Shahin, were targeted due to their Muslim faith and their Middle Eastern background, amid the ongoing conflict involving Hamas and Israelis.

Despite the suspect’s silence during questioning, investigators gathered enough evidence and witness testimonies to charge him with two hate crimes, in addition to first-degree murder and attempted first-degree murder charges. Wadea was stabbed 26 times, while his mother suffered more than a dozen stab wounds.

Remarkably, Hanaan managed to fight off her attacker and call 911, ultimately surviving the horrifying assault. The family had sought refuge in America, like many others, hoping for a life of peace and safety.

The Will County Sheriff’s Office said: “Detectives were able to determine that both victims in this brutal attack were targeted by the suspect due to them being Muslim and the ongoing Middle Eastern conflict involving Hamas and the Israelis.”

President Joe Biden condemned the act, emphasizing that such hatred has no place in the United States. “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,” he said in a statement.

Wadea, described as a young boy with a passion for soccer and basketball, had just celebrated his sixth birthday before this tragic incident occurred. His life was cut short, a victim of the rising atmosphere of hate and dehumanization that has become a concern for many communities across the nation, according to the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR).

Ahmed Rehab, executive director of the Chicago chapter of the CAIR, speaks at a news conference ( Image: AP)
CAIR highlighted the rapid escalation of the attack, quoting Hanaan’s text messages sent during the incident, which indicated that the terrifying event unfolded within seconds. The organization, along with numerous community members, advocates for unity against hate crimes, emphasizing the importance of understanding, tolerance, and empathy among all individuals, regardless of their background or beliefs.

“[Wadea] paid the price for the atmosphere of hate and authorisation and dehumanisation that, frankly, I think we are seeing here in the United States,” Ahmed Rehab, the president of CAIR said.