Hundreds gathered for the funeral of the six-year-old Muslim boy in Illinois who was killed in a heinous hate crime. His landlord reportedly became enraged because he believed his tenants were planning to attack him on what Hamas called “Day of Jihad.”
Wadea Al-Fayoume was stabbed 26 times and killed; his mother, Hanaan Shahin, was seriously injured in the attack. According to police, 71-year-old Joseph Czuba was the man behind Sunday’s attack that shocked the nation.
On Monday afternoon, Wadea’s small coffin lay in a mosque in Illinois as the congregation paid their final respects. The boy’s father, Oday, was in attendance and was seen wiping tears from his face during the ceremony.
“This is a difficult day that we hoped would never come. “As they say, the smallest coffins are the heaviest,” Ahmed Rehab, executive director of CAIR-Chicago, said in a statement, according to the Chicago Tribune Explanation.
The funeral took place as Czuba appeared in court on murder charges and was refused bail.
Community members in the Chicago area mourned the death of 6-year-old Wadea Al-Fayoume during a funeral Monday
Wadea was stabbed 26 times and killed in a Sunday attack. His mother, Hanaan Shahin, was stabbed more than a dozen times. She remains in the hospital
Joseph Czuba, 71, is charged with murdering the 6-year-old Saturday morning in Plainfield, Illinois
Before the funeral, members of the Muslim and Palestinian communities gathered to denounce the attack and criticize the media for stoking anti-Palestinian rhetoric.
Palestine, home to many Hamas members, is in the global spotlight as the Hamas-Israel war continues. More than 1,400 Israelis were killed in a surprise attack by the terrorist group Hamas.
Hundreds of thousands of Israeli soldiers are now massed along the Gaza border – awaiting instructions for an invasion that the Middle East country’s leaders say will be aimed at eliminating Hamas.
“This heinous crime did not happen in a vacuum,” Mosque Foundation board member Oussama Jammal told the Tribune. “Officials and our media are acting irresponsibly.”
The mosque holds 3,000 people, and media reports said the center was full of mourners who remained outside – where they cried and called for peace.
“He is a 6-year-old boy. Like any other 6 year old child, he loves playing games. I just want to tell the whole world that we live in a country called USA. “We are not at war, and we are not at war here,” Wadea’s uncle Mahmoud Yousef said at a press conference before the funeral, according to ABC7.
The boy’s small coffin was seen being carried in and out of the center by the crowd.
A fundraising page has raised more than $318,000 to cover funeral costs, housing for the mother and a memorial for Wadea.
“We cannot allow her to return to the home where she experienced such trauma.” “These funds will also be used to help Hanaan move to a safe place where she can feel comfortable.” , it says on the page.
The child’s school district also said counselors would be available at the boy’s school on Monday.
Relatives said the boy and his mother had lived in the home for two years without incident – until the landlord’s alleged attack this weekend.
“This is a difficult day that we hoped would never come. “As they say, the smallest coffins are the heaviest,” Ahmed Rehab, executive director of CAIR-Chicago, said in a statement
The boy’s father on Sunday. The child’s funeral took place as Czuba appeared in court on murder and other charges
The child’s school district said counselors would be available at the boy’s school on Monday
Before the funeral, members of the Muslim and Palestinian communities gathered to denounce the attack and criticize the media for stoking anti-Palestinian rhetoric
A fundraising page has raised more than $318,000 to cover funeral costs, housing for the mother and a memorial for Wadea
The FBI and the Justice Department have opened investigations into the attack. The FBI said it “takes the investigation of hate crimes extremely seriously.”
The racist attack angered many, including President Joe Biden. In Brussels, a man claiming to be a member of ISIS shot two people on Monday evening to “avenge” Wadea’s death.
The FBI and Justice Department have opened investigations into the attack, the Tribune noted. The FBI said it “takes the investigation of hate crimes extremely seriously.”
Czuba appeared in court today wearing a red prison jumpsuit with matted hair.
He was denied bail after being charged with first-degree murder, attempted murder and aggravated assault.
At the hearing, prosecutors described how Czuba became paranoid about the “Day of Jihad” that Hamas leaders declared for Friday, October 13.
When no seizures occurred, his wife says he was even more frightened in the days that followed than would otherwise be the case.
He withdrew $1,000 in cash from the bank, claiming “the power grid” was collapsing. He became increasingly concerned as he listened to radio coverage of the war in Israel and Gaza.
His wife told police that he believed he was in danger and that Shahin would “call Palestinian friends to harm them.”
The attack happened just before noon on Saturday.
According to the boy’s mother, Czuba – who had rented them a room in his house – appeared at the door and initially tried to choke her.
She ran inside and called 911. He followed her with a serrated military knife, which he used to stab Wadea 26 times.
The boy’s mother was also stabbed a dozen times. When police arrived, they found Czuba sitting upright in front of the property.
The boy and his mother. He has an older sibling who was unharmed in Saturday’s attack
Wadea, pictured on his sixth birthday earlier this month, said before his death: “I’m fine,” his parents revealed
The attack happened Saturday morning at this Plainfield home where they both lived. Wadea’s family rented a room from Czuba, who also lives on the property
The backyard of the house where Czuba stabbed the boy and his mother. It’s filled with US flags and other patriotic signs
Illinois Democratic Gov. JB Prizker released a statement Sunday evening after the killing.
“Taking the life of a six-year-old child in the name of bigotry is nothing short of evil,” he said. “Wadea should go to school tomorrow morning.” Instead, his parents will wake up without their son. “This wasn’t just a murder – it was a hate crime.”
Biden also released a statement after the six-year-old was murdered.
“Jill and I were shocked and devastated to learn of the brutal murder of a six-year-old child and the attempted murder of the child’s mother in her home yesterday in Illinois,” the statement said.
“The child’s Palestinian-Muslim family came to America looking for what we all seek: a sanctuary to live, learn and pray in peace.
“This terrible act of hate has no place in America and is contrary to our core values: freedom from fear of how we pray, what we believe and who we are.”
“As Americans, we must come together and reject Islamophobia and all forms of bigotry and hate.” I have said repeatedly that I will not remain silent in the face of hate. We have to be clear. There is no place for hatred toward anyone in America.
“We join everyone here at the White House in extending our condolences and prayers to the family, including for the mother’s recovery, and to the broader Palestinian, Arab and Muslim American community.”
The “Day of Jihad” sparked security fears across the country and around the world. In anticipation of unrest, every major police force in the United States increased their resources for the day.
In New York, all protests were peaceful, as were the majority throughout the United States.
Clashes broke out between police and pro-Palestine protesters in France, and a teacher was also killed by an attacker who reportedly shouted “Allahu akbar.”