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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
World
Jordan King

Palestinian boy, 6, dies after being stabbed 26 times in ‘hate crime’ in Illinois

A 6-year-old Palestinian-American boy has been killed and his mother left in a critical condition after a suspected hate crime in the US state of Illinois.

Wadea al Fayoume was found in a bedroom with his mother Hanaan Shahin, 32, on Saturday.

The child had been stabbed 26 times with a military-style knife with a seven-inch serrated blade.

Ms Shahin, who was discovered with multiple stab wounds, is expected to survive the attack.

She called police to her home in Plainfield Township, about 40 miles from Chicago, and said her landlord had attacked her.

When officers arrived, suspect Joseph Czuba, 71, was sitting on the ground outside. He was charged with first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, two counts of hate crime and aggravated battery with a deadly weapon.

Will County Sheriff's Office said in a statement: "Detectives were able to determine that both victims in this brutal attack were targeted by the suspect due to them being Muslim and the ongoing Middle Eastern conflict involving Hamas and the Israelis.”

Joseph M. Czuba has been arrested over the suspected hate crime (via REUTERS)

US President Joe Biden said the boy's family were Palestinian Muslims who “came to America seeking what we all seek - a refuge to live, learn, and pray in peace."

"This horrific act of hate has no place in America,” he added.

The victims were identified by the Council on American-Islamic Relations, which wrote on social media: “The Islamophobic rhetoric and anti-Palestinian racism being spread by politicians, media outlets, and social media platforms must stop.”

FBI Director Christopher Wray warned the International Association of Chiefs of Police conference to stay vigilant “in this heightened environment”.

He said: "There's no question we're seeing an increase in reported threats, and we've got to be on the lookout, especially for lone actors who may take inspiration from recent events to commit violence of their own.”

The home where the boy was killed and his mother critically injured after they were stabbed because they were Muslim (AP)

The war in the Middle East has raised tensions in many Western countries.

Police in London are currently investigating a public order offence at a pro-Palestinian rally on Saturday.

Officers said the march initially began peacefully but clashes erupted in Trafalgar Square in the evening after thousands had walked from Portland Place to Whitehall.

They want to speak with a woman wearing a black jacket and one in red. They were wearing images of paragliders on their jackets.

Hamas used paragliders in their deadly assault on the south of Israel which claimed more than 1,000 lives.

Some nine officers were injured during the chaos and eight people were arrested.

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