Video Producer: Maaz Hasan
Video Editor: Abhishek Sharma
Amid the Israel-Palestine conflict, a shocking hate crime came to light in the United States on 15 October, Sunday. A landlord in Chicago broke into the house of a Palestinian family, killed a 6-year-old child and critically injured the mother.
The mother, 32-years-old Hanaan Shahin, and her son Wadea Al-Fayoume lived on the ground floor of the house for two years with "no previous notable issues with the landlord, called 71-year-old Joseph Czuba," according to the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) is a nonprofit, grassroots civil rights and advocacy organization and America’s largest Muslim civil liberties organization.
As we await the official investigation of the local authorities, what we can confirm at the moment is that we have a murdered child in his own home, a six-year who had just celebrated his birthday a couple of weeks ago, and a mother lying in the hospital in serious condition, both stabbed over a dozen times. And we have testimony from the mother as to the harrowing moments that unfolded in terms of what was done and said — and it is our worst nightmare.Ahmed Rehab, CAIR-Chicago Executive Director
Meanwhile, US President Joe Biden has issued a statement, condemning the child's killing.
The Boy Was Stabbed 26 Times
The mother sent her husband which, as per CAIR stated that the landlord knocked on the door of this house and Shahin had no reason to suspect any foul play so she opened it.
The landlord had been angry with the coverage he was seeing on TV. He tried to choke her and proceeded to attack her with a knife, yelling, "You Muslims must die!” Shahin rushed into the bathroom to call 911 but she came out to find that he had stabbed her six-year-old son to death.
The boy was stabbed 26 times with a 12-inch knife. "It all happened in seconds,” she had texted her husband, Oday Al-Fayoume.
“We have full confidence in the authorities to investigate this heinous incident as a hate crime and to do so swiftly, Rehab added in his statement.
Later in the day, addressing the media, Rehab revealed more details of the late 6-year-old boy:
"He was a lovely boy, he loved his family and friends, he loved soccer, basketball, and he paid the price of the atmosphere of hate, otherisation, dehumanisation we are seeing in the US as a result of irresponsible leadership and lopsided, one-sided statements and covers in the media."
Rehab, much like other American Muslims on X (formerly Twitter) have been stating that current sensitive and divided environment reminded them of post-9/11, where it was seen that there were real-time consequences to such hate.
The family maintained that until before the landlord had started watching the news, he was friendly with the boy and had even built a tree house for him.
The father said, as per CAIR, that part of the reason his family came to America was to escape the settler-violence that such violence could accrue with impunity. "Bring accountability to a life taken so soon," said the father who stood beside Rehab during the press conference.
The suspect is now in custody, as per CAIR. The Will County Sheriff's Office stated on Sunday that the 71-year-old landlord, was charged with first-degree murder, aggravated battery and a hate crime in this case.
'Such Act of Hate has No Place in America': President Biden
Meanwhile, The White House put out a statement on 15 October expressing their shock over the hate crime.
"This horrific act of hate has no place in America," it read. Further the statement added, "As Americans, we must come together and reject Islamophobia and all forms of bigotry and hatred. I have said repeatedly that I will not be silent in the face of hate. We must be unequivocal. There is no place in America for hate against anyone.
In the past week alone, many other anti-Palestinian hate crimes have been reported, though not as widely by the mainstream media.
On 13 October, in Philadelphia around 300 members had gathered to rally for Palestine through a march and an individual in a car reportedly yelled racial slurs “pulling a gun out and pointing it at the crowd.” The suspect was taken into custody.
On 12 October, men waving Israeli flags from their cars, assaulted an 18-year-old Palestinian man in Brooklyn, New York Daily News reported.
On the same day, two Jewish men approached two other men holding Palestinian flags, grabbed one of the flags, hit one man over the head with it and then ran away, police said, as per this report.
Fliers with names and faces of Israelis allegedly kidnapped by Hamas were posted outside San Diego mosque, and blue cloth strips were tied at the entrance, this is still being investigated as a possible hate crime.
To what an extent have we created an atmosphere where someone who may not have committed such act, senseless, meaningless murder and have changed these lives forever? To what extent was he radicalised and brainwashed by the lopsided atmosphere that has fanned the flames of hatred against Muslims and Palestinians?Ahmed Rehab, CAIR-Chicago Executive Director
Meanwhile, reactions have poured in on X (Formerly Twitter) accusing propaganda on the media of inciting such attacks.
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)