Plainfield landlord charged with hate crime in stabbing that killed 6-year-old Muslim boy, injured mom

CHICAGO (CBS) -- A Plainfield Township landlord is now accused of killing a 6-year-old boy and stabbing that boy's mother because of their religion.  Jill and I were shocked and sickened to learn of the brutal murder of a six-year-old child and the attempted murder of the child's mother in their home yesterday in Illinois. The child's 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: freedom from fear for how we pray, what we believe, and who we are.   As Americans, we must come together and reject Islamophobia and all forms of bigotry and hatred.  I have said repeatedly that I will not be silent in the face of hate.  We must be unequivocal. There is no place in America for hate against anyone. We join everyone here at the White House in sending our condolences and prayers to the family, including for the mother's recovery, and to the broader Palestinian, Arab, and Muslim American communities.   To take a six year old child's life in the name of bigotry is nothing short of evil. 

Joseph Czuba, 71, now faces several charges, including two hate crime counts. According to the Will County Sheriff's Office, the two victims were targeted because they are Muslim and because of the ongoing Middle Eastern conflict involving Hamas and Israel.  Wadea should be heading to school in the morning. Instead, his parents will wake up without their son. This wasn't just a murder--it was a hate crime. 

"Oh that's just awful. It's sickening. I can't even imagine how anybody could do that to a little child," one neighbor said.  And every single Illinoisan--including our Muslim, Jewish and Palestinian neighbors--deserves to live free from the threat of such evil.