Hate Crime Sentencing: Illinois Man Gets 53 Years for Anti-Muslim Attack

Joseph Czuba, a 73-year-old Illinois man, has been sentenced to 53 years in prison for the hate crime stabbing of 6-year-old Wadee Alfayoumi and the attempted murder of his mother. The incident highlighted the increasing Islamophobia in the U.S., following the Gaza conflict.

An Illinois man received a 53-year prison sentence on Friday after being convicted for the murder of a 6-year-old Palestinian American boy and the attempted murder of his mother in a hate crime incident last October.

Joseph Czuba, 73, carried out the brutal attack, which prosecutors say was motivated by anti-Muslim hatred, shortly after the onset of the Gaza conflict. The sentencing underscores rising concerns about hate-driven violence in the U.S.

Prosecutors confirmed that Czuba, who was also the landlord of the victims, used a military-style knife to stab the boy multiple times, while the mother suffered severe injuries. This case is among numerous recent incidents reflecting growing anti-Muslim sentiment in the country.

(With inputs from agencies.)