The weekend stabbing demise of a 6-year-old Muslim boy and wounding of his 32-year-old mom allegedly by the hands of a landlord upset in regards to the escalating conflict between Israel and Hamas drew swift condemnation from politicians throughout Chicago and the nation.
Hours after the fees had been introduced Sunday, President Joe Biden mentioned he was sickened to listen to of the deadly stabbing of Wadea Al-Fayoume and the intense wounding of his mom, Hanaan Shahin.
“This act of hate against a Palestinian Muslim family has no place in America,” Biden wrote in a statement on X, previously often known as Twitter. “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.”
Joseph Czuba, 71, of Plainfield, was charged with first-degree homicide, tried first-degree homicide, two counts of hate crimes and aggravated battery with a lethal weapon in a “senseless and cowardly act,” the Will County sheriff’s workplace mentioned in a information launch Sunday.
Detectives had been in a position to decide that each victims within the Saturday morning assault had been focused by Czuba “due to them being Muslim and the ongoing Middle Eastern conflict involving Hamas and the Israelis,” the discharge mentioned.
U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland mentioned in an announcement that he’s “heartbroken” over the assault and mentioned the Justice Department has opened a federal hate crimes investigation into the incident. Garland mentioned Czuba attacked the household with a military-style knife.
The Justice Department is investigating the assault and “will use every legal authority at our disposal to bring to justice those who perpetrate illegal acts of hate,” he mentioned.
“This incident cannot help but further raise the fears of Muslim, Arab and Palestinian communities in our country with regard to hate-fueled violence. The Department of Justice is focused on protecting the safety and the civil rights of every person in this country,” Garland mentioned in a Sunday assertion. “We will use every legal authority at our disposal to bring to justice those who perpetrate illegal acts of hate. No one in the United States of America should have to live in fear of violence because of how they worship or where they or their family come from.”
The assault can also be being investigated by the Chicago FBI Field Office.
Noting the Justice Department investigation, Vice President Kamala Harris mentioned in an announcement that “we unequivocally condemn hate and Islamophobia and stand with the Palestinian, Arab and Muslim American communities. The Biden-Harris Administration will continue working to protect our communities against hate and senseless violence.”
Following information of the stabbings, Gov. J.B. Pritzker, who’s Jewish, launched an announcement condemning the stabbings and saying that the Illinois State Police had reached out to the Muslim neighborhood and different non secular leaders.
“To take a 6-year-old child’s life in the name of bigotry is nothing short of evil. Wadea should be heading to school in the morning. Instead, his parents will wake up without their son. This wasn’t just a murder — it was a hate crime. And every single Illinoisan — including our Muslim, Jewish and Palestinian neighbors — deserves to live free from the threat of such evil,” Pritzker mentioned within the assertion.
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson was anticipated to attend the boy’s funeral at 1 p.m. Monday at Bridgeview’s Mosque Foundation.
“This despicable hate crime is a shameful reminder of the destructive role Islamophobia plays in our society,” Johnson wrote in an announcement.
State Rep. Abdelnasser Rashid, the primary Palestinian American state consultant in Illinois, mentioned the stabbings had been the “result of the dehumanizing, one-sided media coverage of Palestinians and irresponsible statements from elected officials.”
“I call on President Biden, elected officials and all people of good conscience to condemn this heinous killing and to call for immediate cease-fire in Gaza so that no more of our children are killed here in Illinois or in Palestine and Israel,” Rashid said in a statement on X.
Illinois House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch mentioned in a statement on X that “reports indicating that the crime was motivated by a bigoted misinterpretation of world events makes this tragedy a reprehensible act of hate. Our diverse state of many faiths and backgrounds is united in condemning this hateful violence and praying for the safety of all of our neighbors.”
State Rep. Bob Morgan, chair of the Illinois Legislative Jewish Caucus, said on X: “This is devastating news and must be universally condemned by all. Our Jewish and Palestinian communities in (Illinois) are already broken after this week. Illinois will never, ever accept this evil, and (we) must all do our part to keep our neighbors safe.”
U.S. Rep. Lauren Underwood, whose district contains Plainfield Township, the place the stabbing occurred, described Wadea in a statement on X as a “beautiful Palestinian American boy” who was “taken from our community in an unacceptable attack rooted in bigotry and hate.”
“We are a community that thrives because of our diversity, and every one of our neighbors deserves to feel safe,” she mentioned.
Will County Executive Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant mentioned Illinois State Police officers are working with native regulation enforcement to observe any potential extremist actions following the hate crime.
“At a time when tensions in the community can run high, I am asking residents to remain on alert. If you become aware of anyone who is threatening others, please contact law enforcement immediately,” she mentioned.
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