Plainfield, Illinois – In a horrifying act of hate, a 71-year-old landlord in Plainfield, Illinois, has been charged with the murder of a six-year-old Palestinian-American boy, Wadea Al-Fayoume, and the serious stabbing of the child’s mother due to their Muslim identity. The attack was fueled by the ongoing Middle Eastern conflict involving Hamas and the Israelis.
The tragic incident unfolded when the 32-year-old mother made an emergency call, reporting a violent attack by her landlord, Joseph Czuba. According to messages shared with CAIR International, the landlord attempted to strangle the woman and then stabbed her, yelling hateful slurs against Muslims. The mother, seeking refuge in the bathroom, called 911 and later discovered that her son had also been brutally stabbed by the assailant.
We are shocked and disturbed to learn that a landlord in Chicago expressing anti-Muslim and anti-Palestinian views broke into a Muslim family’s apartment and attacked them with a knife, injuring the mother and killing her 6-year-old son, Wadea Al-Fayoume. @cairchicago will hold a… pic.twitter.com/N0ILuevq4n
— CAIR National (@CAIRNational) October 15, 2023
Officers arrived at the scene, finding the suspect outside the home and the victims suffering multiple stab wounds. The six-year-old boy was transported to the hospital but tragically succumbed to his injuries, while the woman remains hospitalized in serious condition.
Joseph Czuba, who had previously had a seemingly good relationship with the family, now faces charges of murder, hate crimes, and other offenses. The horrifying attack has shocked the community, highlighting the rising atmosphere of hate and xenophobia.
CAIR, the largest Muslim civil rights organization in the US, organized a news conference, describing the young victim as a beloved boy who adored his family and sports. Wadea had recently celebrated his sixth birthday, making his loss even more devastating. The tragic incident underscores the urgency to address hate-fueled violence and work towards peace and understanding in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
