Illinois Man Charged With Hate Crime in Killing of 6-Year-Old Palestinian Boy

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Facts

  • Joseph Czuba, a 71-year-old Illinois landlord, is accused of attacking his Palestinian-American tenants, stabbing a six-year-old boy to death and seriously wounding the boy's mother, reportedly because of their Islamic faith and the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas on Saturday.1
  • He has been charged with first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, hate crimes, and aggravated battery, with the US Dept. of Justice also opening a federal hate crime investigation into the attack that took place in Plainfield, Ill.2
  • The Chicago office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) identified the victims in a news release as the American-born Wadea Al-Fayoume, who had just turned six years old, and Hanaan Shahin, who had moved to the US from a village in the West Bank more than a decade ago.3
  • The Will County Sheriff's Office reported that the 32-year-old female had over a dozen stab wounds to her body, while the juvenile victim was stabbed 26 times. Czuba was taken into custody at the scene.4
  • Both Muslim and Jewish organizations have condemned the attack, including the Chicago Jewish Community Relations Council and the Anti-Defamation League. Pres. Joe Biden on Sunday stated that Americans must come together and reject Islamophobia, as well as other forms of hatred.5
  • The funeral for Wadea Al-Fayoune took place Monday at the Mosque Foundation in Bridgeview, Ill., southwest of Chicago. Meanwhile, Czuba made his first appearance in Will County court. He will remain behind bars, and his next court appearance is scheduled for Oct. 30.6

Sources: 1BBC News, 2NBC, 3CNN, 4The Gateway Pundit, 5CBS and 6NPR Online News.

Narratives

  • Narrative A, as provided by MSNBC. The disgusting anti-Palestinian bigotry amid the Israel-Hamas conflict undeniably played a part in the horrific murder of this innocent child. Islamophobia has become not just common, but normalized in the past week, as people across the world dehumanize the Palestinian people. It's no coincidence that this hate killing echoes similar incidents post-Sept. 11.
  • Narrative B, as provided by Associated Press. This tragic fatal stabbing incident indicates a wider problem that has plagued the nation for decades. While the recent conflict has undoubtedly fueled these types of episodes, hate crimes have been on the rise for far too long. Now, more than ever, it's time that American law enforcement, having learned from the aftermath of 9/11, refine a law and order approach with zero tolerance for hate.