On October 14, 2023, 6-year-old Palestinian Wadea Al Fayoum and his 32-year-old mother Hanan Shaheen were stabbed multiple times in their home in Plainfield, Illinois. Fayoume was stabbed 26 times, and his mother was stabbed 12 times.
Fayoume died of his injuries, but his mother survived the attack and told her story two days later when she recovered enough to speak.
She recalled the day of the attack and said it was their landlord who had stabbed them.
Shaheen claimed that day she had opened the door to her 71-year-old landlord Joseph Czuba, who began to “confront” her about the current situation between Hamas and Israel.
According to Shaheen, she told him that they must “pray for peace”, and that is when Czuba stabbed her.
Deputies of Will Country found the victims in their home, with Wadea atop a bed with his injuries and a military knife. Czuba was found in the backyard wearing a holster of knives, one of which was used to stab Wadea.
When asked about Czuba’s behavior, those in his immediate circle discussed his behavior leading up to the attack. His wife claimed he saved up money as he was concerned about the state of the U.S. on the “day of Jihad.”
“During Monday’s arraignment, prosecutors alleged Czuba first confronted the family on Oct. 11, telling them he was going to kick them out of the apartment. Czuba’s wife told investigators her husband wanted the mother and son out of his rental because he believed they posed a ‘danger’ and that Shahin ‘was going to call her Palestinian friends over to harm them’”, said Bill Hutchinson in an article regarding the attack.
Czuba had no ill will toward the family, according to Wade’s father, and only changed his attitude once he learned about the situation between Hamas and Israel.
The passing of Fayoum has become a speaking point for many about the increased racial hate crimes against Muslims and has united many in mourning.
The current conflict in Palestine and Israel has evolved into a political and racial debate amongst Americans. Hamas is a political and Islamist organization based in Palestine, and on October 7, 2023, launched an attack on Israel. This began Israel’s bombing and fight against Hamas, which has left the Gaza Strip in ruins.
Within the past months, these attacks have led to tensions and hate crimes increasing against both Jewish and Muslim individuals alike. Many are concerned about protecting those of both ethnic groups, and urge government officials to take action.
“There can be no room for any hate in America: not Islamophobia, not anti-Semitism, not racism. I commend law enforcement’s swift decision to open a federal hate crime investigation into this incident to bring justice to Wadea’s family and the entire Plainfield, IL, community,” said Judy Chu, chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus.
The concern of many individuals is that the situation in Palestine and Israel will have long-lasting social effects in the U.S., especially considering the high numbers of Muslim and Jewish Americans.