Current:Home > NewsMother of Muslim boy stabbed to death in alleged hate crime issues 1st remarks -Streamline Finance
Mother of Muslim boy stabbed to death in alleged hate crime issues 1st remarks
View
Date:2025-04-13 13:02:45
The mother of Wadea Al-Fayoume, a 6-year-old Palestinian boy who was fatally stabbed in Illinois in an alleged hate crime linked to the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, urged the public to "pray for peace" in her first statement since the tragic slaying.
Wadea and his mother, 32-year-old Hanan Shaheen, were stabbed repeatedly with a serrated military-style knife in their suburban Chicago home on Oct. 14 during a confrontation with their landlord, who allegedly targeted them because they were Muslim, according to the Will County Sheriff's Office.
Their landlord, 71-year-old Joseph Czuba, allegedly stabbed Wadea 26 times, and his mother a dozen times, the sheriff's office said.
The head of the Chicago chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, said he met with Shaheen on Monday following her release from the hospital.
Asked whether she had any statement to convey, she said, "Just … pray for peace," according to CAIR-Chicago Executive Director Ahmed Rehab.
On her son, she said, "He was my best friend," according to Rehab.
MORE: US hate crimes expected to soar as Middle East war intensifies: DHS
"We spent most of our time together listening to her recounting stories of how smart and funny her boy was, and how he cared for the planet and always liked to join her in prayer," Rehab said in a statement released Tuesday.
Shaheen is focusing on her "physical and mental recuperation" in the wake of the attack, Rehab said. She is recuperating well from her injuries and is "fully functional but tired," he said.
"Despite the painful loss and the trauma she experienced that morning, her spirit is strong and she is finding peace and answers in her faith in God," Rehab said. "She said that she accepts that God chose them for this test -- and that she finds solace in 'remembering Wadea as an angel on earth, and knowing that he is now an angel in heaven.'"
Shaheen plans to speak out during a news conference on Wednesday in what will be her first time speaking publicly on the attack, according to her attorney, Ben Crump.
"The pain endured by the Al-Fayoume family is immeasurable," Crump said in a statement Tuesday. "No family should have to bear such a devastating loss, compounded by the burden of overwhelming medical bills. We must come together as a society not only to seek justice for Wadea but also to support this grieving family in their time of need."
Czuba, a U.S. Air Force veteran, has been charged with first-degree murder, first-degree attempted murder, aggravated battery with a deadly weapon and two counts of committing a hate crime in connection with the attack. He did not enter a plea during his arraignment on Oct. 16 and was ordered held without bail.
During the arraignment, Will County Assistant State's Attorney Michael Fitzgerald said Shaheen told investigators that when first confronted by Czuba over the violence in the Holy Land, she told him, "Let's pray for peace."
"He didn't give her time. He then attacked her with a knife," Fitzgerald said.
MORE: Uncle of 6-year-old Muslim boy stabbed to death in alleged hate crime speaks out
During an Oval Office speech on Thursday, President Biden denounced the killing while also addressing the fear in Jewish communities of being targeted amid the fighting between Israel and Hamas that broke out in the wake of Hamas' surprise attack on Oct. 7.
"We can't stand by and stand silent when this happens," Biden said. "We must, without equivocation, denounce antisemitism. We must also, without equivocation, denounce Islamophobia."
Shortly after his speech, Biden spoke with the boy's father and uncle, the White House said.
The Department of Justice said it has opened a federal hate crimes investigation into Wadea's death.
ABC News' Bill Hutchinson and Alexandra Hutzler contributed to this report.
veryGood! (255)
Related
- Mets have visions of grandeur, and a dynasty, with Juan Soto as major catalyst
- Iowa Lottery announces wrong winning numbers from Monday Powerball drawing, cites human error
- Bringing up a baby can be a tough and lonely job. Here's a solution: alloparents
- Oklahoma executes Philip Dean Hancock, who claimed self-defense in double homicide
- Hackers hit Rhode Island benefits system in major cyberattack. Personal data could be released soon
- Scarlett Johansson and Colin Jost Step Out for Marvelous Red Carpet Date Night
- Ruby Franke’s Husband Files for Divorce Amid Her Child Abuse Allegations
- Woman found dead by rock climbers in Nevada in 1997 is identified: First lead in over 20 years on this cold case
- Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Triathlon
- Harris heads to Dubai to tackle delicate tasks of talking climate and Israel-Hamas war
Ranking
- What do we know about the mysterious drones reported flying over New Jersey?
- Public Funding Gave This Alabama Woman Shelter From the Storm. Then Her Neighbor Fenced Her Out
- Canadian mining company starts arbitration in case of closed copper mine in Panama
- In a Philadelphia jail’s fourth breakout this year, a man escapes by walking away from an orchard
- Brianna LaPaglia Reveals The Meaning Behind Her "Chickenfry" Nickname
- Indianapolis police officer fatally shoots man who was holding bleeding woman inside semitruck
- Court orders Texas to move floating buoy barrier that drew backlash from Mexico
- 'May December': Natalie Portman breaks down that 'extraordinary' three-minute monologue
Recommendation
Toyota to invest $922 million to build a new paint facility at its Kentucky complex
Authorities in Haiti question former rebel leader Guy Philippe after the US repatriated him
Macaulay Culkin and Brenda Song's Sons Make First Public Appearance at Hollywood Walk of Fame Ceremony
Harris heads to Dubai to tackle delicate tasks of talking climate and Israel-Hamas war
SFO's new sensory room helps neurodivergent travelers fight flying jitters
Death toll from Alaska landslide hits 5 as authorities recover another body; 1 person still missing
Where to watch 'A Charlie Brown Christmas': 'Peanuts' movie only on streaming this year
Authorities in Haiti question former rebel leader Guy Philippe after the US repatriated him