Heartbroken family members and sympathetic strangers came together in sorrow on Monday to bid farewell to a 6-year-old boy from the outskirts of Chicago, tragically taken away from them, allegedly because of his Muslim faith.
Wadea Al Fayoume fell victim to a ghastly assault, stabbed viciously 26 times by his family’s landlord in Plainfield Township, Illinois, according to information provided by the Will County Sheriff’s Office.
Hanaan Shahin, Wadea’s mother and a 32-year-old woman herself, was reportedly inflicted with over a dozen knife wounds during the same horrific event.
Unfortunately, due to the severity of her physical state, Shahin was unable to attend her dear son’s funeral, a deeply saddening fact as per Ahmed Rehab, the executive director for the Council on American-Islamic Relations’ Chicago office. Adherence to Islamic customs dictates the burying of the deceased as quickly as possible after their passing.
Ahmed Rehab shared, “No one can understand the depth of a mother’s grief at the loss of a child, more so for Hanaan as she has to grieve in isolation instead of in the loving arms of her family and community.” He continued, “Apart from carrying the heavy burden of her physical injuries, Hanaan is also dealing with the psychological aftermath of the horrifying events she has been through.”
The Department of Justice has begun investigating the cruel attack as a probable hate crime based on religious intolerance.
Quoting US Attorney General Merrick Garland, “This incident inevitably intensifies feelings of fear and anxiety, particularly among our Muslim, Arab, and Palestinian American citizens, regarding violence ignited by prejudice.”
In a glimpse into their background, Rehab shed light that Wadea’s parents originally hailed from a village in the West Bank. Wadea, born on American soil, witnessed his mother immigrate to the US twelve years ago, closely followed by his father three years later.
Among those attending Wadea’s funeral on Monday was Illinois Governor JB Pritzker. He declared solemnly, “The alarming act of ending a six-year-old’s life due to prejudice is the height of malevolence.” He continued, “Everyone living in Illinois, encompassing our Muslim, Jewish, and Palestinian inhabitants, have an inherent right to live completely free of the terror of such vile actions.”
Joseph M. Czuba, a 71-year-old male and the landlord at the center of this tragedy is being charged on several counts, including first-degree murder, attempted murder, two specifications of a hate crime, and aggravated battery with a deadly weapon.
The Will County Sheriff’s office has established that Czuba targeted his victims due to their faith and an ongoing Middle-Eastern conflict involving Israelis and Hamas, despite Czuba declining to make a formal statement to the investigative team.
In a disturbing revelation, court records showed Czuba’s wife recounting an incident where he expressed his desire for Wadea and his mother to vacate their home on October 11th. Czuba reportedly felt threatened by the possibility of the mother calling her Palestinian acquaintances to inflict harm upon them.
Hanaan Shahin claimed that on the same day, Czuba confronted her regarding the political landscape of the Middle East. During the critical moments leading up to the assault, Czuba allegedly expressed his frustrations related to unrest in Jerusalem. Shahin recounted making a plea for peace before the assault unfolded!
With quick thinking, she managed to lock herself in the nearby bathroom where she promptly called for help. Nonetheless, she couldn’t protect her son from the brutal attack.
Responding officers found Czuba in the vicinity and Shahin outside the house with severe facial injuries and bleeding profusely. The young child, Wadea, was transferred to a nearby hospital where he was unfortunately pronounced deceased.
Czuba briefly spoke during a court hearing on Monday, expressing his intention to rely on his assigned public defender for representation.
Prosecution indicates that this tragic incident was sparked by a heated disagreement between Czuba and the tenet Shahin regarding the Israeli-Hamas conflict, which escalated to violence and the subsequent horrific assault. The landlord had asked the family to move out once the Middle East tensions rose.
Despite having no prior convictions, the judge ordered Czuba to be held without bond. A preliminary hearing was scheduled for October 30th.
The victim’s family had been living amicably on the ground floor of the landlord’s house for two years. However, the tranquility was destroyed on the chilling day of the assault.
When the responding authorities arrived at the site of the incident located some 40 miles southwest of Chicago, they happened upon a grisly sight. They found Czuba seated on the ground near the driveway of the house.
Upon entering, they discovered the mother and son in a bedroom, both suffering from multiple stab wounds on their torso, chest and upper extremities. Despite immediate transfer to a hospital, the boy could not be saved.
Shahin managed to send a text to her husband from the hospital, recounting the horrifying event. In her message, she stated that the landlord had launched an unprovoked attack on her, alleging, ‘you Muslims must die’.
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson condemned the atrocity, stating, “This deplorable hate crime underlines the persistent harm of Islamophobia in our society.”
The US President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden joined in the condemnation, declaring, “We as Americans must collectively reject Islamophobia and all other forms of prejudice and hatred. It is fundamentally against the principles that our country stands by – the freedom from fear about practicing our faith, harboring our beliefs, or who we essentially are.”
The Bidens also recognized the fact that like many others, “the slain child’s Palestinian Muslim family had sought refuge in the US in their quest for peace, education, and to practice their faith without fear.”
Conclusion:
This heinous event comes amid rising tensions in the Middle East and an increase in reported hate crimes on American soil. From a bus passenger in New York City to a student at Columbia University, several instances of targeted, hate-fueled attacks have emerged. The death of young Wadea amplifies the urgency for action towards curbing such violence.
Organizations like CAIR stepped forward to emphasize the importance of halting xenophobic rhetoric and anti-Palestinian prejudice echoed in political statements, media outlets, and across various social media platforms.
The rectification of these issues provides a long-term, sustainable solution to weed out baseless hostility. As we think of Wadea and his family, it is critical to remember that unity, tolerance, and respect for diversity are the cornerstones for building a peaceful, inclusive society.
