From the Liveblog of
Monday, October 16, 2023
Biden ‘sickened’ by murder of Palestinian American boy, condemns Islamophobia
Jacob Magid is The Times of Israel's US bureau chief
US President Joe Biden says he was “sickened” to learn of the murder of a 6-year-old Palestinian American boy in Illinois by a 71-year-old man who police said targeted the boy and his mother because of their Muslim faith, and as retaliation for Hamas’s onslaught in Israel.
Wadea Al-Fayoume was killed and his mother was seriously injured in the stabbing attack carried out by their landlord in their home.
“The child’s Palestinian Muslim family came to America seeking what we all seek — a refuge to live, learn, and pray in peace,” Biden says. “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,” Biden adds in a statement. “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.
