Illinois, United States

Trigger warning: Some readers may find details of this report disturbing. Discretion is advised

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In Illinois, United States, a six-year-old child has become the victim of a hate crime. A 71-year-old man has been charged with stabbing a Muslim child and his mother over their religion. 

As per police, the mother-son duo were attacked because of tensions over the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.

After-effect of Israel-Hamas war

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Will County sheriff's office in a statement said that their officers responded to an emergency call by a 32-year-old woman alleging that her landlord had attacked her with a knife.

Also read | TikTok 'stands against terrorism,' launches measures to control misinformation amid Israel-Hamas war

"Detectives were able to determine that both victims in this brutal attack were targeted by the suspect due to them being Muslim and the ongoing Middle Eastern conflict involving Hamas and the Israelis."

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The man entered her house yelling, "You Muslims must die!" said the woman in a text to her husband. The texts, according to the Guardian, have been shared by CAIR International, the largest Muslim civil rights organisation in the US. 

As per the woman, her landlord also tried to choke her, and when she ran to the bathroom to call 911, he stabbed her son.

"It all happened in seconds," said the woman in a text. 

The child was stabbed 26 times with a military-style knife, reports Al Jazeera. The mother suffered a dozen stab wounds and is expected to survive the senseless crime.

The alleged murderer

Police have identified the suspect as 71-year-old Joseph M Czuba, who as per a statement did not "make any statements to detectives regarding his involvement in this heinous attack."

However, "despite the suspect not providing a statement to detectives, personnel were able to gather enough information through interviews and evidence to formally charge Joseph Czuba with numerous criminal offences."

Also read | Two Israeli women security officers of Indian origin killed in attack by Hamas

He has been charged with murder, two counts of hate crimes, along with other offences.

Police transported the victims to the hospital, where the child was pronounced dead. The woman was hospitalised in serious condition.

In a statement, CAIR said: "We are shocked and disturbed to learn that a landlord in Chicago expressing anti-Muslim and anti-Palestinian views broke into a Muslim family's apartment and attacked them with a knife, injuring the mother and killing her 6-year-old son, Wadea Al-Fayoume."

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Threats in US rising: FBI

In a press briefing on Sunday, FBI director Christopher Wray said that since Hamas launched its attack, threats in the US have been rising.

"The threat is very much ongoing and in fact, the threat picture continues to evolve," said the FBI chief.

"Here in the US, we cannot and do not discount the possibility that Hamas or other foreign terrorist organisations could exploit the conflict to call on their supporters to conduct attacks on our own soil."

As per a CBS News report, Wray also said that in America, Jews, Muslims and their institutions, and houses of worship have been threatened, and to mitigate the threats, the bureau is "moving quickly".

(With inputs from agencies)

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