AMP Honors Wadee Alfayoumi Three Years After His Murder

American Muslims for Palestine (AMP) honors the life of Wadee Alfayoumi, a six-year-old Palestinian American Muslim child brutally murdered in an anti-Palestinian hate crime three years ago today in Chicago. We remember Wadee not simply as a victim of an unspeakable hate crime, but as a symbol of what his life could have been. Just like the children of Gaza enduring genocide, Wadee had dreams, hopes, and deserved to live a long, prosperous life. 

Although Wadee’s killer has been brought to justice, we must acknowledge that his murder was the byproduct of the anti-Palestinian and Islamophobic rhetoric perpetuated by the mainstream media and pro-Israel pundits following the genocide in Gaza. By equating Palestinians with extremism and denying their humanity, these nefarious voices manufactured consent for Palestinian Americans to be targeted based on their identity:

“Remembering Wadee is not enough. America must confront a difficult question: what have we learned from this tragedy? The answer appears to be nothing at all. We are now three years into a genocide in which the U.S. has given Israel billions to kill and maim Palestinian children across Gaza and the West Bank. President Trump has also used ‘Palestinian’ as a racial pejorative against political opponents. Our government’s foreign policy and personal beliefs are reflected by its horrid treatment of Palestinians. Until Washington sees our people as humans and imposes consequences for Israel’s crimes, both Palestinians and Palestinian-Americans will continue to have a target on their backs.”  – Dr. Osama Abu Irshaid, AMP Executive Director.

As anti-Palestinian racism and Islamophobia continue to threaten Palestinian, Arab, and Muslim communities across the U.S., Wadee’s murder serves as a reminder of the real-world consequences of both Palestinian dehumanization and continued U.S. subservience to Israeli interests.

We will never forget Wadee. AMP will continue confronting the hatred that made his murder possible while pursuing accountability against those who aid and abet Israel’s war crimes against Palestinians.