A six year old Palestinian boy and his mother were attacked in their own home, recently. The boy was murdered on October 14 and his mother is severely wounded. She is still recovering in the hospital. Officials say this was a hate crime since this mother and child were both Palestinian.
Devastating Morning
Early morning at 11:38 a.m., officers responded to a report of a stabbing that was made in a house by the intersection of South Lincoln Highway and Lily Cache Road. This report was made by a 32-year-old woman who had reported that her landlord stabbed her several times and needed immediate medical assistance. After that, she said she ran to the bathroom and continued to fight with the attacker as she called 9-1-1.
Once officers arrived at the scene, they made the shocking and devastating scene in front of them. In one of thee bedrooms, the police saw two bodies with several stab wounds to the chest, torso, and upper body. One of them was the 32-year-old woman who made the call. She was rushed to the hospital as she was in severe condition. However, beside her was Wadea Al-Fayoume. Her six year old son who had suffered an estimated of 26 stab wounds to his chest. He was pronounced dead at the hospital.
Awaiting Justice
At this time, officers at the scene had located a suspect. 72 year old Joseph M. Czuba had been sitting outside the house with a forehead wound and was taken to the hospital. However, once he was released from the hospital, he was then taken down to the police station for further questioning. Additionally, he was charged with first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, two counts of hate crime and aggravated battery with a deadly weapon.
Later on Monday, Czuba showed up to the court shackled in his jail uniform. The Will County judge ordered him held without a pre-trial release. Furthermore, investigators stated that Czuba was interested in the fight going on in the Middle East. He had told his wife that he wanted the Palestinian mother and son out of the place he was renting them. After that he knocked on their door to force them out, but instead he got in a heated argument with the mother. All of a sudden he began to stab her and her son while yelling Palestinian and Muslim slurs. “Detectives were able to determine that both victims in this brutal attack were targeted by the suspect due to them being Muslim and the on-going Middle Eastern conflict involving Hamas and the Israelis,” stated Will County Sheriff.
Community Enraged
“We are not animals, we are humans. We want people to see us as humans, to feel us as humans, to deal with us as humans, because this is what we are,” stated Yousef Hannon, Palestinian Boy’s uncle who is a Palestinian American that emigrated in 1999. Because this case touched many hearts, hundreds of mourning people showed up to the boy’s funeral including Gov. Pritzker and Mayor Brandon Johnson. The Palestinian boy’s white casket had the Palestinian flag on top of it. The boy’s father showed up to the funeral and stood a few feet away from the casket praying.
“Wadea is not the only one under attack,” stated Imam Jamal at the funeral service. “Our hope is the people with humanity, with understanding, do not rush taking one side without even hearing the other.” he continued. Many people are hopeful that there will be a change. Hoping that all Palestinians, Muslims, etc. can be able to feel safe. “We are left with this emptiness, this void. It is our responsibility to make sure that no more blood is shed for no reason,” stated Imam Omar Suleiman of Texas. As much as people hope for a change, there is almost nothing being done.
Written By Erika Cano
Sources:
Chicago Tribune: Man accused of fatally stabbing of Palestinian boy ordered detained on murder, hate crime charges
The New York Times: 6-Year-Old Boy Fatally Stabbed in Anti-Muslim Attack, Authorities Say
Fox 32 Chicago: 6-year-old boy killed, mother seriously wounded in hate crime motivated by Israeli-Hamas war, police say
Top and Featured Image courtesy of Alisdare Hickson Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
Inset Image Courtesy of Leif Harboe Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
