In a devastating attack, a 6-year-old Palestinian-American boy named Wadea was murdered by his family's landlord in a Chicago suburb. Wadea's mother was stabbed a dozen times while trying to call for help and is recovering in the hospital. Before the attack, the family trusted their landlord. In fact, when Wadea saw the landlord, he "ran to him for a hug and instead was stabbed 26 times."
This tragic crime was not a random act of violence, but a targeted, hate-fueled assault rooted in anti-Arab sentiment and Islamophobia.
Demand the Department of Justice conduct a thorough investigation of this hate crime!
Wadea just celebrated his sixth birthday. The boy's father says one of the reasons they emigrated to the United States was to escape settler violence in the occupied West Bank, where the family is from. Wadea had a full life ahead of him -- a life that was unjustly and prematurely ended by hatred and prejudice.
The attacker's wife said he listens to conservative talk radio and recently became obsessed with the Israel and Palestine conflict. This peaceful Palestinian-American family was failed by islamophobic, hateful rhetoric in the media.
Given the current violence in Israel and Gaza, Muslim and Jewish communities are understandably worried about a rise in Islamophobia and antisemitism. The number of hate crimes committed due to religious discrimination should always be zero.
It's essential to acknowledge and address the root cause of such atrocities: unchecked prejudice and rampant misinformation. Our communities should be places of safety, understanding, and mutual respect. To prevent any more heinous acts, it's imperative that federal authorities thoroughly investigate this crime.
Sign now to demand a rigorous investigation into this hate crime!
