Elected officials condemn stabbings of Muslim family near Plainfield

The weekend stabbing death of a 6-year-old Muslim boy and wounding of his 32-year-old mother allegedly at the hands of a landlord upset about the escalating war between Israel and Hamas drew swift condemnation from politicians across Chicagoland and the nation.

Hours after the charges were announced Sunday, President Joe Biden said he was sickened to hear of the fatal stabbing of Wadea Al-Fayoume and the serious wounding of his mother, Hanaan Shahin.

“This act of hate against a Palestinian Muslim family has no place in America,” Biden wrote in a statement on X, formerly known as Twitter. “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.”

Joseph Czuba, 71, of Plainfield, was charged with first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, two counts of hate crimes and aggravated battery with a deadly weapon in a “senseless and cowardly act,” the Will County sheriff’s office said in a news release Sunday.

Detectives were able to determine that both victims in the Saturday morning attack were targeted by Czuba “due to them being Muslim and the ongoing Middle Eastern conflict involving Hamas and the Israelis,” the release said.

U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement that he’s “heartbroken” over the attack and said the Justice Department has opened a federal hate crimes investigation into the incident. Garland said Czuba attacked the family with a military-style knife.

The Justice Department is investigating the attack and “will use every legal authority at our disposal to bring to justice those who perpetrate illegal acts of hate,” he said.

“This incident cannot help but further raise the fears of Muslim, Arab and Palestinian communities in our country with regard to hate-fueled violence. The Department of Justice is focused on protecting the safety and the civil rights of every person in this country,” Garland said in a Sunday statement. “We will use every legal authority at our disposal to bring to justice those who perpetrate illegal acts of hate. No one in the United States of America should have to live in fear of violence because of how they worship or where they or their family come from.”

The attack is also being investigated by the Chicago FBI Field Office.

Noting the Justice Department investigation, Vice President Kamala Harris said in a statement that “we unequivocally condemn hate and Islamophobia and stand with the Palestinian, Arab and Muslim American communities. The Biden-Harris Administration will continue working to protect our communities against hate and senseless violence.”

Following news of the stabbings, Gov. J.B. Pritzker, who is Jewish, released a statement condemning the stabbings and saying that the Illinois State Police had reached out to the Muslim community and other religious leaders.

“To take a 6-year-old child’s life in the name of bigotry is nothing short of evil. Wadea should be heading to school in the morning. Instead, his parents will wake up without their son. This wasn’t just a murder — it was a hate crime. And every single Illinoisan — including our Muslim, Jewish and Palestinian neighbors — deserves to live free from the threat of such evil,” Pritzker said in the statement.

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson was expected to attend the boy’s funeral at 1 p.m. Monday at Bridgeview’s Mosque Foundation.

“This despicable hate crime is a shameful reminder of the destructive role Islamophobia plays in our society,” Johnson wrote in a statement.

State Rep. Abdelnasser Rashid, the first Palestinian American state representative in Illinois, said the stabbings were the “result of the dehumanizing, one-sided media coverage of Palestinians and irresponsible statements from elected officials.”

“I call on President Biden, elected officials and all people of good conscience to condemn this heinous killing and to call for immediate cease-fire in Gaza so that no more of our children are killed here in Illinois or in Palestine and Israel,” Rashid said in a statement on X.

Illinois House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch said in a statement on X that “reports indicating that the crime was motivated by a bigoted misinterpretation of world events makes this tragedy a reprehensible act of hate. Our diverse state of many faiths and backgrounds is united in condemning this hateful violence and praying for the safety of all of our neighbors.”

State Rep. Bob Morgan, chair of the Illinois Legislative Jewish Caucus, said on X: “This is devastating news and must be universally condemned by all. Our Jewish and Palestinian communities in (Illinois) are already broken after this week. Illinois will never, ever accept this evil, and (we) must all do our part to keep our neighbors safe.”

U.S. Rep. Lauren Underwood, whose district includes Plainfield Township, where the stabbing occurred, described Wadea in a statement on X as a “beautiful Palestinian American boy” who was “taken from our community in an unacceptable attack rooted in bigotry and hate.”

“We are a community that thrives because of our diversity, and every one of our neighbors deserves to feel safe,” she said.

Will County Executive Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant said Illinois State Police officers are working with local law enforcement to monitor any potential extremist activities following the hate crime.

“At a time when tensions in the community can run high, I am asking residents to remain on alert. If you become aware of anyone who is threatening others, please contact law enforcement immediately,” she said.

Tribune staff reports.