How The Brutal Killing of an American-Palestinian Boy Could Herald New Wave of Deadly Anti-Muslim Attacks in ‘Post 9/11’ Era
Muslim communities are calling for an end to ‘one-sided’ reporting which is believed to be a trigger for anti-Muslim hate
The horrific death of a six-year-old Palestinian boy is being labeled another casualty of the current violent fighting in the Middle East.
However, the tragedy is that Wadea Al-Fayoume is American-born, and his brutal murder after being stabbed 26 times in his home in Chicago, is fueling fear of a new wave of Islamophobic attacks spurred by the conflict abroad.
Police have already charged his family's Plainfield landlord, Joseph Czuba, 71, thanks to testimony from the child’s mother, Hanan Shahin, who survived 12 stab wounds.
She revealed the suspect knocked on the door and attempted to choke her while saying, “You Muslims must die” before stabbing her. Despite being in a critical condition, she is expected to survive.
Family Demands Accountability
Like so many parents of Israeli and Palestinian children killed in the Middle East, Wadea’s father Odai Al-Fayoume said he wants to ‘bring accountability’ for his young son’s death.
His words to the media are translated from Arabic, “This mother is a daughter of Palestine and he couldn’t handle her…so he went and got a knife and took revenge through the child…we really are animals for permitting such things to happen…I hope that this can be the incident that begins to awaken us.” Odai said.
It’s been claimed that media coverage about the recent attacks in the Middle East triggered the landlord who previously had a cordial relationship with the family. Investigators too are connecteding the killing to the ‘ongoing Palestine-Israel conflict.’
The slain boy’s uncle said, “I want to ask anybody here, a 71-year-old man sitting on top of a six-year-old kid, stabbing him more than 26 times and he was looking into his eyes…You tell me what kind of man can do that? Our officials need to come out and say something…”
A ‘LaunchGood’ account has already been created in Wadea's name and has raised nearly half a million dollars. It’s hoped the funds will be utilized to help the parents move to a safe space, away from the trauma of the deadly attack.
Biden and Others Condemn the Attack
The slaying of Wadea has led to condemnation from the White House. "Jill and I were shocked and sickened to learn of the brutal murder of a 6-year-old child and the attempted murder of the child's mother in their home yesterday in Illinois," President Joe Biden said. "The child's Palestinian Muslim family came to America seeking what we all seek — a refuge to live, learn, and pray in peace."
But it's Biden’s all-out support for Israel following Hamas’ deadly attack that is being partly blamed for heightened emotions.
The largely one-sided media coverage seems to have impacted public perception. According to the latest NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll, two-thirds of Americans say the United States should publicly support Israel in the war between Israel and Hamas.
Islamophobic Violence on the Rise
The climate has also left millions of Muslims in the US and around the world feeling vulnerable. Those taking part in pro-Palestinian protests say they’re being targeted, despite human rights organizations denouncing the treatment of Palestinians as a violation of international law and fears that Islamophobic violence will spread.
In the United Kingdom, Muslim MP Apsana Begum was forced to flee a conference last week when Islamophobic abuse was leveled against her, which was sparked by misinformation spread on social media.
In Canada, a woman was filmed lashing out horrific abuse at Asmaa El Mouden, who was flying a Palestinian flag from her car, and said, “You should be raped and dragged on the streets in front of your kids.” Police are also looking for a man who allegedly painted hate symbols on the front of a mosque in Toronto.
In Pennsylvania, a man was charged with felony ethnic intimidation after police said he pointed a gun and yelled slurs at attendees of a pro-Palestinian rally near the state Capitol last week.
In Boston, the word “Nazis” was spray-painted across the sign for the Palestinian Cultural Center for Peace.
Palestinian Americans and Muslims in New Jersey have also suffered an increase in attacks, “Palestinian lives are not lesser than any other lives," said Basma Bsharat with the Palestinian American Community Center.
Staff at the Center say they are getting calls from schools and businesses about harassment and intimidation.
“There’s a lot of fear. There’s a lot of anxiety and uncertainty in everything that’s happening. It’s very reminiscent of the early days of post-9/11, where people didn’t want to go outside, they didn’t want to send their kids to school,” said Abed Ayoub, national executive director for the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee.
Wa'el Alzayat, CEO of civil rights group, Emgage Action, stated, “We are seeing a rise in violence and inflammatory rhetoric, including Islamophobia, anti-Muslim, and anti-Arab bigotry that is reminiscent of the hate directed at our communities after 9/11,” he says. “Reckless and bigoted language used by many media outlets and their suffering are dehumanized and canceled. We call on all elected officials, leaders, and media sources to refrain from one-sided messaging that only serves to spread misinformation and sow division. As we have seen, such messaging can lead to violence and the death of innocents, in the United States and abroad.”
Wadea’s Death Provokes Warnings of More anti-Muslim Hate
Minnesota Congresswoman Ilhan Omar called the murder of Wadea an “unspeakable” crime and said she prayed “love can prevail in these times of so much hate”.
In statements on Monday, both Vice President Kamala Harris and Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas condemned the attack and rising incidents of hate. "There is no humane world that can and should tolerate the murder of an innocent child because of his identity," Mayorkas said.
FBI Director Christopher Wray warned the International Association of Chiefs of Police conference to stay vigilant in this heightened environment. "The tragic events in the Middle East...have brought ideologies of hate to the fore across the world - notably antisemitism and Islamophobia. This must end," he said.
