Muslim boy in US killed in attack linked to Israel-Hamas war. Joe Biden calls it a ‘horrific act of hate’
- A 71-year-old Illinois man was charged for the killing of a six-year-old Muslim boy who was stabbed 26 times
- Police allege the suspect targeted boy and mother for their religion, and as a response to the war between Israel and Hamas
US President Joe Biden condemned the killing of a six-year-old Muslim boy as a “horrific act of hate” on Sunday, after authorities charged the assailant with murder and hate crimes for an attack allegedly linked to the war between Israel and Hamas.
The child was stabbed 26 times by his landlord on Saturday and later died at hospital, while his 32-year-old mother was also wounded but expected to survive, the Will County sheriff’s office in Illinois said in a statement.
“Detectives were able to determine that both victims in this brutal attack were targeted by the suspect due to them being Muslim and the ongoing Middle Eastern conflict involving Hamas and the Israelis,” the sheriff’s office said, adding the killing took place about 64km west of Chicago.
Biden, in a statement late Sunday, confirmed that the woman was the boy’s mother and said their “Palestinian Muslim family came to America seeking what we all seek – a refuge to live, learn, and pray in peace”.
“This horrific act of hate has no place in America, and stands against our fundamental values,” added Biden, calling for Americans to “come together and reject Islamophobia and all forms of bigotry and hatred”.
Authorities said the woman managed to call 911 as she fought off the landlord, named by the sheriff’s office as 71-year-old Joseph Czuba.