Today, Congressional Black Caucus Chairman Steven Horsford (NV-04) and members of the Congressional Black Caucus issued the following statement regarding the Islamophobic attack in Plainfield, Illinois:
“The Congressional Black Caucus offers our sincerest condolences to the family of Wadea Al-Fayoume and we are praying for his mother Hanaan Shahin’s recovery. We condemn in the strongest terms possible the hate and Islamophobia that led to this unspeakable act, and we stand with the Palestinian, Arab, and Muslim American communities who are feeling heavy hearts in the wake of this tragedy. This is a painful reminder of the very real Islamophobia that permeates our society today.
“Wadea Al-Fayoume should be alive today. No parent should worry for their child’s safety, and no community should live in fear of hate and violence. We fully support the Department of Justice and the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Illinois’ decision to open a federal hate crime investigation into this incident, and we hope for justice to be brought for the family and the entire Plainfield community.”
