In a recent tragic incident, a six-year-old Muslim boy was brutally attacked and later succumbed to his injuries in Illinois. The assault, which took place approximately 40 miles west of Chicago, has been linked by authorities to the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas.
The young boy suffered 26 stab wounds, inflicted by his landlord, and was pronounced dead after being rushed to the hospital. His mother, 32, was also injured in the attack but is anticipated to recover, according to the Will County sheriff’s office.
“Both victims in this brutal attack were targeted by the suspect due to them being Muslim and the on-going Middle Eastern conflict involving Hamas and the Israelis,”
the sheriff’s office disclosed.
US President Joe Biden, addressing the incident, identified the injured woman as the deceased boy’s mother. He emphasized the family’s Palestinian Muslim background and their quest for a peaceful life in America.
“This horrific act of hate has no place in America, and stands against our fundamental values,”
Biden remarked, urging the nation to unite against Islamophobia and all manifestations of prejudice and hatred.
The assailant, identified as 71-year-old Joseph Czuba, was discovered by deputies near the crime scene with a forehead injury. He was subsequently hospitalized and has been charged with murder, attempted murder, and two counts of hate crimes.
“He knocked on the door and attempted to choke her, and said, ‘you Muslims’ must die,”
Ahmed Rehab, the leader of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) Chicago branch, shared with the media. This information was based on messages the injured mother sent to the deceased boy’s father from her hospital bed.
Describing the incident as their “worst nightmare,” CAIR released an official statement expressing their grief and concern.
This is Joseph M. Czuba, the 71 year-old American racist who stabbed 26 times & murdered a 6 year-old Palestinian boy and wounded his mother in Illinois, Chicago (USA).
This racist murder is a net product of the hatred that the press is spreading against Palestine, criminalizing… pic.twitter.com/0WNAPE3INC
— Vanessa Prevost (@vanessa_p_831) October 16, 2023
In the broader context, the tension between Israel and Hamas has escalated dramatically. Israel announced a declaration of war on Hamas following a violent breach by the militant group’s fighters, resulting in the death of over 1,400 individuals, predominantly civilians. The subsequent bombings have devastated areas in the Gaza Strip, claiming the lives of at least 2,670 people, with the majority being ordinary Palestinians.
