MEDIA DIGEST: CAIR-Chicago, Wadee Alfayoumi’s Family, & Community Dedicate Monument Honoring Muslim Child Killed in Anti-Palestinian Hate Crime

Jul 1

(See full presser and wide press coverage below)

On June 28, 2025, CAIR-Chicago joined the family of Wadee Alfayoumi, elected officials, faith leaders, and local residents in Plainfield to dedicate a monument honoring Wadee Alfayoumi, a 6-year-old Palestinian-American boy tragically killed by Joseph Czuba in an anti-Muslim, anti-Palestinian hate crime. The ceremony, held at Van Horn Woods East Playground, served as both a memorial and a unified stand against bigotry and hate-fueled violence.

Speakers included Ahmed Rehab, Executive Director of CAIR-Chicago; John Argoudelis, Mayor of Plainfield; Fran Leeman, pastor of LifeSpring Community Church in Plainfield; Bonnie McPhilips and Brittany Gruver, Will County Sheriff’s Office social workers; Trisha Mathias, Wadee’s teacher at Bonnie McBeth Early Learning Center in Plainfield; Sheikh Hassan Aly, imam and director of religious affairs at The Mecca Center in Willowbrook; Odai Alfayoumi, Wadee’s father; Jane Ramsey, University of Chicago professor; Soha Khatib, Palestinian Youth Movement.