Chicago area mother attacked because she's Muslim released from hospital
CHICAGO (CBS) – The Palestinian American mother who was attacked by her landlord last week in an apparent hate crime was released from the hospital this week.
Hanan Shaheen, 32, was released Thursday from the hospital and was placed in temporary housing, according to the Will County Sheriff's Office. Her 6-year-old son, Wadee Alfayoumi, was also attacked and killed.
Their landlord, Joseph Czuba, 71, was charged with the attack and Wadee's murder.
Sheriff's police said the department is working with community partners to secure permanent housing for Shaheen.
The boy's death led to large showings of mourning in the Plainfield community. President Joe Biden mentioned the attack in his remarks to the nation this week, urging peace despite heightened tensions amid the war between Israel and Hamas after the terrorist attack on Oct. 7.
The Will County case has also highlighted the lack of reporting on hate crimes by local police agencies in Illinois. The attack, along with a threatening letter sent to an all-girls Islamic day school in Bridgeview, has raised fears among local Muslim residents about an increase in violence.
