An individual from Illinois has been charged with committing hate crimes, having allegedly fatally stabbed a 6-year-old Muslim boy and injuring his mother. Officials and activists advocating for Muslim rights have asserted that this attack was motivated by religious bias and perceived as a response to the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas.
According to a statement from the Will County Sheriff’s Office, the young boy endured 26 stab wounds inflicted with a military-style knife equipped with a 7-inch (18-cm) serrated blade. The 32-year-old woman, the boy’s mother, suffered multiple stab wounds but is expected to survive the assault, which took place on Saturday in Plainfield Township, situated approximately 64 kilometers (40 miles) southwest of Chicago.
U.S. President Joe Biden acknowledged that the family of the young victim were Palestinian Muslims who had come to the United States in search of the same refuge that all people seek: a safe haven to live, learn, and pray in peace. President Biden strongly condemned the act, emphasizing that such a heinous manifestation of hate has no place in America.
Jill and I were sickened to learn of the brutal murder of a child and the attempted murder of the child’s mother yesterday in Illinois. Our condolences and prayers are with the family.
This act of hate against a Palestinian Muslim family has no place in America.
— President Biden (@POTUS) October 16, 2023
