US Man Sentenced to 53 Years for Fatal Stabbing of Palestinian-American Boy in Hate Crime

Report By Safarti Tarjuman International Desk

A 73-year-old man from Illinois has been sentenced to 53 years in prison after being convicted of fatally stabbing a six-year-old Palestinian-American boy and severely injuring his mother in a racially motivated attack. The incident, which occurred in October 2023, was categorized as one of the most egregious hate crimes in the US since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas conflict.

Joseph Czuba, the convicted assailant, targeted Wadee Alfayoumi, stabbing the child 26 times with a military-style knife. His mother, Hanan Shaheen, also sustained severe injuries in the attack. Authorities say the assault was fueled by anti-Muslim and anti-Palestinian sentiments, following escalating violence in Gaza.

The sentencing, handed down by Will County Judge Amy Bertani-Tomczak, included 30 years for Wadee’s murder, 20 years for the attempted murder of his mother, and an additional 3 years for committing the attack as a hate crime. Prosecutors emphasized that no sentence could restore what had been taken from the family, with Ahmed Rehab from the Council on American-Islamic Relations in Chicago calling it “a necessary measure of justice.”

During the trial, Shaheen testified that Czuba, who was also her landlord, explicitly told her, “you, as a Muslim, must die” before attacking her son.

Evidence presented at the trial included a harrowing 911 call from Shaheen and crime scene photos, some of which were so graphic that the judge ordered screens to be turned away from the audience, including the victim’s relatives. Czuba’s defense team argued that prosecutors had appealed to the jury’s emotions, but the jury convicted him after deliberating for less than 90 minutes.

Wadee’s great-uncle, Mahmoud Yousef, delivered a poignant statement during the hearing, expressing that no punishment could ever undo the loss the family had suffered. “Czuba robbed us of Wadee’s future,” he said, adding that the pain was immeasurable.

In addition to the criminal proceedings, Wadee’s father, Odai Alfayoumi, has filed a separate lawsuit against Czuba, and the US Department of Justice has initiated a federal hate crimes investigation.

This case is part of a disturbing pattern of hate crimes targeting Palestinian and Muslim communities in the US, spurred by the ongoing conflict in Gaza. Other incidents, including the stabbing of a Palestinian-American man and violent attacks on pro-Palestinian protesters, have raised concerns about rising anti-Arab and anti-Palestinian hostility.