Father of Wadee Alfayoumi, Muslim boy killed in Unincorporation. Plainfield stabbing commemoration one year after alleged hate crime

CHICAGO (WLS) – A year later, the death of 6-year-old Wadee Alfayoumi in the south suburbs continues to impact many people in the Chicago area.

President Joe Biden is among those marking the somber milestone, and Wadee’s father is among those gathering on Chicago’s Northwest Side for a memorial service scheduled to begin Monday evening.

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Wadee died after being stabbed more than two dozen times at his home near Plainfield on October 14, 2023. His mother was critically injured in the attack.

The Muslim family’s landlord, Joseph Czuba, who prosecutors said was angered by Hamas’s Oct. 7 attack on Israel last year, has pleaded not guilty to charges of first-degree murder and hate crimes. His trial is scheduled to begin in February.

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“We will never forget what happened. We will never forget the atmosphere that was created and that continues today,” said CAIR Executive Director Ahmed Rehab.

Dozens of people gathered at Settler’s Park in Plainfield on Sunday to honor Wadee and mourn as a community.

At Monday night’s memorial, ABC7 was told that Wadee’s father, Odai Alfayoumi, specifically requested an intimate meeting at the Muslim Community Center in Chicago and told his supporters that he did not want his son’s memory to be politicized in any way.

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He sat down with ABC7 after Monday night’s memorial service. In Arabic, the father said he was full of sadness but still felt his son’s presence and heard his voice.

In a statement, Biden said, in part: “On this day, let us take every step to honor Wadee’s memory and together affirm that there is no place for hate in America, including hatred of Palestinians, Arabs and Muslims.”

Last month, the U.S. Senate passed a resolution acknowledging that Wadee’s death was the result of a hate crime.

Wadee’s father urged people of all faiths to see the humanity in others.

In his grief, he said, it gave him joy to know that so many people around the world had seen his son in their own children.

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