Landlord imprisoned for hate-crime attack on Palestinian American family has died
Three months ago, Joseph Czuba was sentenced to 53 years behind bars for the attack. He was found guilty in February of murder, attempted murder and hate-crime charges in the death of 6-year-old Wadee Alfayoumi and the wounding of the boy's mother, Hanan Shaheen.
The 73-year-old Czuba targeted them in October 2023 because of their Islamic faith and as a response to the war between Israel and Hamas, which started days earlier.
Czuba died Thursday in the custody of the Illinois Department of Corrections, according to a statement from the Will County Sheriff's Office.
Ahmed Rehab, the executive director of Council on American-Islamic Relations' Chicago office, said in a statement on Saturday that 'this depraved killer has died, but the hate is still alive and well.'
Evidence at trial included harrowing testimony from Shaheen and her frantic 911 call, along with bloody crime scene photos and police video. Jurors deliberated less than 90 minutes before handing in a verdict.
The family had been renting rooms in Czuba's home in Plainfield, about 40 miles (64 kilometers) from Chicago when the attack happened.
Central to prosecutors' case was harrowing testimony from the boy's mother, who said Czuba attacked her before moving on to her son, insisting they had to leave because they were Muslim. Prosecutors also played the 911 call and showed police footage. Czuba's wife, Mary, whom he has since divorced, also testified for the prosecution, saying he had become agitated about the Israel-Hamas war, which had erupted days earlier.
Police said Czuba pulled a knife from a holder on a belt and stabbed the boy 26 times, leaving the knife in the child's body. Some of the bloody crime scene photos were so explicit that the judge agreed to turn television screens showing them away from the audience, which included Wadee's relatives.
The attack renewed fears of anti-Muslim discrimination and hit particularly hard in Plainfield and surrounding suburbs, which have a large and established Palestinian community. Wadee's funeral drew large crowds, and Plainfield officials have dedicated a park playground in his honor.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Argaam
3 hours ago
- Argaam
Trump, EU strike major trade deal with 15% tariffs
US President Donald Trump announced that his country has reached a trade agreement with the European Union, just days ahead of the August 1 deadline for the mutual tariffs to come into effect. The agreement was reached following a meeting on Sunday between Trump and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in Scotland, marking a political win for the US president. Trump said the deal includes a 15% tariff on most European goods entering the United States, including automobiles. He also stated that the EU agreed to purchase $750 billion worth of American energy, invest an additional $600 billion in the US, and buy hundreds of billions of dollars' worth of military equipment, according to CNBC. Von der Leyen, in a press briefing, said that certain products—including aircraft, their components, some chemicals, and pharmaceuticals—would be exempt from the tariffs. She also clarified that the new 15% tariff rate would not be added on top of any existing duties. While the 15% rate is lower than the 30% Trump previously threatened, it is still above the EU's preferred rate of 10% that it had hoped to secure in the negotiations. "It's a very powerful deal, it's a very big deal, it's the biggest of all the deals,' Trump said. 'It's a good deal, it's a huge deal, with tough negotiations,' von der Leyen said.
Al Arabiya
5 hours ago
- Al Arabiya
Europe hopes for ‘no surprises' as US weighs troop withdrawals
After keeping Donald Trump happy with a pledge to up defense spending at NATO's summit, Europe is now bracing for a key decision from the US president on the future of American forces on the continent. Washington is currently conducting a review of its military deployments worldwide -- set to be unveiled in coming months -- and the expectation is it will lead to drawdowns in Europe. That prospect is fraying the nerves of US allies, especially as fears swirl that Russia could look to attack a NATO country within the next few years if the war in Ukraine dies down. However, the alliance is basking in Trump's newfound goodwill following its June summit in The Hague, and his officials are making encouraging noises that Europe will not be left in the lurch. 'We've agreed to no surprises and no gaps in the strategic framework of Europe,' said Matthew Whitaker, US ambassador to NATO, adding he expected the review to come out in 'late summer, early fall'. 'I have daily conversations with our allies about the process,' he said. While successive US governments have mulled scaling back in Europe to focus more on China, Trump has insisted more forcefully than his predecessors that the continent should handle its own defense. 'There's every reason to expect a withdrawal from Europe,' said Marta Mucznik from the International Crisis Group. 'The question is not whether it's going to happen, but how fast.' When Trump returned to office in January many felt he was about to blow a hole in the seven-decade-old alliance. But the vibe in NATO circles is now far more upbeat than those desperate days. 'There's a sanguine mood, a lot of guesswork, but the early signals are quite positive,' one senior European diplomat told AFP, talking as others on condition of anonymity. 'Certainly no panic or doom and gloom.' 'Inevitable' The Pentagon says there are nearly 85,000 US military personnel in Europe -- a number that has fluctuated between 75,000 and 105,000 since Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine. 'I think it is inevitable that they pull out some of their forces,' a second European diplomat told AFP. 'But I don't expect this to be like a dramatic overhaul. I think it's going to be gradual. I think it's going to be based on consultations.' Trump's first target is likely to be the troops left over from a surge ordered by his predecessor Joe Biden after Moscow's tanks rolled into Ukraine. Officials say relocating the rump of that 20,000-strong deployment would not hurt NATO's deterrence too much -- but alarm bells would ring if Trump looked to cut too deep into personnel numbers or close key bases. The issue is not just troop numbers -- the US has capabilities such as air defenses, long-range missiles and satellite surveillance that allies would struggle to replace in the short-term. 'The kinds of defense investments by Europe that are being made coming out of The Hague summit may only be felt in real capability terms over many years,' said Ian Lesser from the German Marshall Fund think tank. 'So the question of timing really does matter.' 'Inopportune moment' Washington's desire to pull back from Europe may be tempered by Trump now taking a tougher line with Russia -- and Moscow's reluctance to bow to his demands to end the Ukraine war. 'It seems an inopportune moment to send signals of weakness and reductions in the American security presence in Europe,' Lesser said. He also pointed to Trump's struggles during his first term to pull troops out of Germany -- the potential bill for relocating them along with political resistance in Washington scuppering the plan. While European diplomats are feeling more confident than before about the troop review, they admit nothing can be certain with the mercurial US president. Other issues such as Washington's trade negotiations with the EU could rock transatlantic ties in the meantime and upend the good vibes. 'It seems positive for now,' said a third European diplomat. 'But what if we are all wrong and a force decrease will start in 2026. To be honest, there isn't much to go on at this stage.'
Al Arabiya
6 hours ago
- Al Arabiya
Dwight Muhammad Qawi, boxer who went from prison to champion, dies at 72
Dwight Muhammad Qawi, the Hall of Fame fighter who took up boxing in prison and became a two-weight world champion, has died. He was 72. Qawi's sister, Wanda King, said he died Friday following a five-year battle with dementia. Born Dwight Braxton in Baltimore, Qawi grew up in Camden. He competed in the boxing program at Rahway State Prison while serving a sentence for armed robbery and turned professional at age 25 soon after his release in 1978. In December 1981, Qawi—who legally changed his name in 1982 following his conversion to Islam—stopped Matthew Saad Muhammad in the 10th round to win the WBC light heavyweight belt. Qawi stopped Saad again eight months later, taking six rounds. After a loss to Michael Spinks, the 5-foot-7 Qawi—called 'The Camden Buzzsaw'—moved up in weight and took the WBA cruiserweight title from Piet Crous in July 1985. Qawi lost the title to future heavyweight champion Evander Holyfield in a 15-rounder in July 1986. Qawi later fought as a heavyweight with George Foreman, stopping him in seven rounds. Qawi retired in 1998 at age 46 with a 41-11-1 record and 25 knockouts. He was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2004. After his retirement from the ring, he worked as a boxing trainer, youth advocate, and drug and alcohol counselor.
