Hate as an excuseOn November 1, Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan, Archbishop of New York and Chairman of the U.N. Committee on Religious Liberty, said that he would like to thank the Archbishop of New York, Timothy M. Cardinal Dolan, for his U.S. Conference of Catholic BishopsCardinal Dolan deplored the acts of religious hatred violence that have increased in the United States since the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7. Referring to the murder south of Chicago of a 6-year-old Palestinian boy, Wadea Al-Fayoume, by Joseph Czuba, Cardinal Dolan said, "It is very disheartening to learn that the man accused of killing a 6-year-old Muslim boy in Chicago identifies himself as a Catholic. Nothing could be more antithetical to the teachings of our Church than the crime committed by this man."
The prelate added that, in the face of this type of violence based on religious hatred, we must affirm the fundamental truths of our faith: "Every human life is of incalculable value and hating our neighbor is a grave sin against God who created us in his image and likeness, violence only begets more violence and not justice," concluded the Archbishop of New York. In addition to brutally stabbing the boy Wadea Al-Fayoume on October 14 in his home, Joseph Czuba, 71, also seriously wounded the 32-year-old mother. The man has already been arrested and is facing 8 charges, including murder, attempted murder and hate crime. Authorities said that according to statements the victims were targeted because of their Muslim religion and the war between the two countries. Israel and Hamas.
U.S. government condemnation
In the face of this tragedy, on November 1, Vice President Kamala Harris also strongly condemned the crime and announced the implementation of a National Strategy to Counter Islamophobia in the United States. "As a result of the Hamas terrorist attack in Israel and the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, we have seen an uptick in anti-Palestinian, anti-Arab, anti-Semitic and Islamophobic incidents across the United States, including the brutal attack of a Palestinian American Muslim woman and the murder of her 6-year-old son."
These acts, Harris added, have given people the apprehension that they may be targeted simply because of their racial profiling, religion or appearance. In response, Harris said, "President Joe Biden and I have a duty not only to keep our nation's people safe, but to unequivocally and forcefully condemn all forms of hatred. Our nation was founded on the basic principle that all people should be free to live and profess their faith without fear of violence or persecution. Everyone has the right to live free from violence, hatred and intolerance," she said. This new Strategy against Islamophobia will be a joint effort led by the Domestic Policy Council and the National Security Council.
