(LOS ANGELES, CA – 10/18/2023) – The Greater Los Angeles Area office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-LA), along with the Islamic Society of Orange County (ISOC), Project Islamic H.O.P.E, and the Islamic Shura Council of Southern California, yesterday held a vigil for Wadea Al-Fayoume, the six-year-old Palestinian-American boy killed in a hate-fueled attack, and all victims of Islamophobia and war.
Local Muslim leaders and community members gathered at ISOC in Garden Grove, Calif., to mourn the loss of victims of Islamophobia and war, including Wadea Al-Fayoume, who was killed by his family’s landlord on Saturday, Oct. 14, when the landlord attacked him and his mother with a knife. According to text messages reportedly sent to the father of the boy by the mother from the hospital, the suspect tried to choke her before yelling, “You Muslims must die!” and attacking them with the weapon.
SEE:
- 6-year-old boy killed, woman critically injured in Plainfield stabbing: Will County Sheriff’s Office
- NBC News: CAIR-LA Vigil for American-Palestinian Boy Killed in Attack
In a statement made during the vigil, CAIR-LA Executive Director Hussam Ayloush said:
“It is a trust upon us to protect every child. No child deserves to feel insecure or threatened. Every child is precious. Every child deserves protection. Whether they are Muslim, Christian, Jewish, Palestinian, Israeli, American, White, or Black—every child deserves that protection.
“What makes a neighbor suddenly lose their ability to see a child as an innocent being? It is the hate that they consume, the hate that goes unchallenged. And where did that hate come from? From social media, from listening to irresponsible politicians who are losing their moral compass—starting with our President.
“Elected officials, including a few officials from the Orange County Board of Supervisors who falsely blamed Islam for the violence and killing of innocent people in a place where a political struggle has been going on for 75 years—but most politicians are too blind to see the suffering of the Palestinian children, men, and women. They see the humanity of one group, and when you see the humanity of one group and choose to ignore another, there’s a word for that—it’s called bigotry
To report any bias incidents, contact CAIR-LA’s Civil Rights Department at (714) 776-1177 or click here to file a report.
CAIR-LA is Southern California’s largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance the understanding of Islam, protect civil rights, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
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CONTACT: CAIR-LA Digital Communications Manager Enjy El-Kadi, (714) 851-4851 or eelkadi@cair.com
