Administration of Joseph R. Biden, Jr., 2023

October 15, 2023

Jill and I were shocked and sickened to learn of the brutal murder of a 6-year-old child and the attempted murder of the child's mother in their home yesterday in Illinois.

The child's Palestinian Muslim family came to America seeking what we all seek, a refuge to live, learn, and pray in peace. 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.

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.

NOTE: The statement referred to Hanaan Shahin, mother of Wadea Al-Fayoume.

Categories: Statements by the President : Wadea Al-Fayoume, death in Plainfield, IL. Names: Al-Fayoume, Wadea; Biden, Jill T.; Shahin, Hanaan.

Subjects: Deaths, Wadea Al-Fayoume; Hate-based violence, efforts to combat; Illinois, stabbing in Plainfield; Islamophobia and other religious discrimination, efforts to combat.

DCPD Number: DCPD202300907.

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