Kind and energetic, this is how Wadea Al-Fayoume, Muslim boy stabbed to death in Chicago, is remembered

The crime of Wadea Al-Fayoume, the boy who was stabbed 26 times and succumbed to his injuries, continues to steal attention and as the days go by, more details become known. Crowds of mourners in a predominantly Palestinian suburb of Chicago paid tribute to the boy.

Family and friends remembered Wadea as a kind, energetic boy who loved to play. His body was transported in a small white coffin, which was sometimesHe was draped in a Palestinian flag, among packed crowds.

Imam Jamal Said of the Mosque Foundation reflected on the boy’s death during the janazah, or funeral service, but also on the loss of life in general in the war between Israel and Hamas.

“Wadea is a child and he is not the only one being attacked“he said, adding that many “children are being literally massacred in the Holy Land, unfortunately, which is very sad.”

For many, The case is an example of uncontrolled hatred, as she died Saturday after being stabbed dozens of times in a brutal attack that drew condemnation from local elected officials to the White House. Authorities said the family’s owner, Joseph Czuba, was upset by the war between Israel and Hamas and attacked them after the boy’s mother proposed to “pray for peace.”

Early Monday, Czuba made his first court appearance on charges of murder, attempted murder and hate crimes. In detailing the charges on Sunday, the Will County Sheriff’s Office determined that “both victims of this brutal attack were targeted by the suspect due to their being Muslim and the ongoing conflict in the Middle East involving Hamas and the Israelis.” .

Czuba, a Plainfield resident, responded, “Yes, sir,” when asked if he understood the charges and was subsequently returned to jail in Joliet, 50 miles southwest of Chicago. A Will County judge granted him a court-appointed attorney. The public defender’s office did not immediately respond to messages seeking comment on the charges against him.

The boy’s mother told investigators she rents two rooms on the first floor of the Plainfield home, while Czuba and his wife live on the second floor, Assistant State’s Attorney Michael Fitzgerald said in a court filing.

In recent days, Jewish and Muslim groups have reported an increase in hate rhetoric following the war. Several cities have stepped up police patrols.

The Justice Department said it opened a hate crime investigation into the attack. Czuba’s next court date is scheduled for October 30.

Keep reading:

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