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Activists and the father of a Plainfield Township 6-year-old killed in an alleged anti-Muslim hate crime in October likened the boy’s death to ongoing violence in the Mideast Wednesday ahead of a pretrial hearing.
Around 40 supporters of the family of the boy, Wadee Alfayoumi, held electric candles as activists and the boy’s father spoke to reporters outside the Will County Courthouse before the hearing for Joseph Czuba, the man accused in the stabbing death. Later, they filled the courtroom’s wooden pews, many wearing a kaffiyeh, a traditional black-and-white cloth associated with support for Palestine.
The boy’s death remains “a matter of great urgency,” said Maggie Slavin, operations manager of the Chicago chapter of the Council on American Islamic Relations, during the pre-hearing news conference.
“Wadee was not just a son. He was a friend. He was a child. He was a student who loved life,” Slavin said. “He was a bright soul filled with dreams and aspirations.”
People must acknowledge the connection between the attack on the half-Palestinian boy and his mother and the ongoing conflict in the Palestinian territories, she said.
“His murder stands as a stark reminder of the consequences of unchecked hatred that extends beyond our border,” Slavin said. “The violence and suffering that we witness in Palestine reverberate far and wide, touching the lives of countless individuals and resulting in the murder of a 6-year-old boy and the attempted murder of his mother.”
She urged elected officials and international leaders to call for a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas.
Odai Alfayoumi, the father of slain Wadee Alfayoumi, said dreams and aspirations filled his “remarkable child,” who loved basketball, soccer and Legos.
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“He carried the bright light of hope wherever he went and was always smiling,” Alfayoumi said before the hearing. “But that light was tragically taken from us far too soon.”
The father vowed to not rest until justice is served for his son, a passionate promise that seemed to follow him to Judge Amy Bertani-Tomczak’s courtroom as he intently stared at Czuba.
Czuba, 72, didn’t speak during the brief pretrial appearance. He wore a red jail jumpsuit and handcuffs.
[ Plainfield man pleads not guilty to hate crime and murder charges in attack on 6-year-old Muslim boy ]
Prosecutors said federal authorities have not yet finished investigating the attack or shared their findings. The state and defense attorneys and Bertani-Tomczak agreed to a next court date of March 7, as well as an order requiring any recordings of Czuba speaking about the case with other inmates or jail staff to be shared among the parties.
Afternoon Briefing
In earlier court hearings, prosecutors accused Czuba of attacking the boy and his mother, Hanan Shaheen, who escaped and survived after being stabbed. Czuba, who allegedly stabbed Wadee Alfayoumi 26 times, attacked the mother and son, his tenants, because he blamed them for Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel, prosecutors said.
At a late October arraignment, Czuba pleaded not guilty to the eight felony charges he faces, including four murder charges, two aggravated battery charges and two hate crime charges. If convicted, he could face life in prison.
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Thousands attended the boy’s funeral, which drew national attention as war broke out in Gaza between Israel and Hamas, the group that controls the Gaza Strip. Odai Alfayoumi has since “lost everything,” including his son and his job, he told the Tribune in December after filing a wrongful-death lawsuit against Czuba, Czuba’s wife and their property management company.
Ahead of Wednesday’s brief hearing, Alfayoumi said his son was a victim “not only of violence, but of prejudice and hatred.”
“He was targeted because of his faith, because he was Muslim,” Alfayoumi said. “Let his life inspire us to reject bigotry and to embrace the diversity that makes our nation so beautiful.”
As he spoke through a translator, he shared that he had mixed feelings about Czuba’s ongoing criminal case, “knowing that the same country that supports Israel unconditionally is the country that is supposed to serve him justice.”