[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 506 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

<DOC>






119th CONGRESS
  1st Session
S. RES. 506

   Honoring Wadee Alfayoumi, a 6-year-old Palestinian-American boy, 
    murdered as a victim of a hate crime for his Palestinian-Muslim 
                  identity, in the State of Illinois.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           November 19, 2025

  Mr. Durbin (for himself and Ms. Duckworth) submitted the following 
    resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
   Honoring Wadee Alfayoumi, a 6-year-old Palestinian-American boy, 
    murdered as a victim of a hate crime for his Palestinian-Muslim 
                  identity, in the State of Illinois.

Whereas Wadee Alfayoumi, a 6-year-old Palestinian-Muslim-American boy, was loved 
        by his family and friends as an energetic, loving, and joyous light who 
        brought sunshine to his loved ones and classmates;
Whereas, on October 14, 2023, at 11:30 a.m., Wadee Alfayoumi was brutally 
        stabbed 26 times by a hate-driven perpetrator and tragically succumbed 
        to his injuries;
Whereas Wadee Alfayoumi's perpetrator was convicted of murder and hate crimes 
        and sentenced to 53 years in prison, as there is evidence the 
        perpetrator yelled during the brutal killing, ``All Muslims must die'' 
        and was observed to be a consumer of media containing dehumanizing and 
        hateful rhetoric that is anti-Muslim and anti-Palestinian;
Whereas Wadee Alfayoumi was born and raised in the United States, and his family 
        wanted the United States to provide them a life of safety away from 
        dehumanizing and hateful rhetoric toward Palestinian people;
Whereas no one should be a target of hate because of their ethnicity or 
        religion, whether such ethnicity or religion is expressed verbally or 
        through how one dresses, such as through the wearing of a hijab, 
        keffiyeh, niqab, burqa, kufi, turban, mitpahat, tichel, shpitzel, 
        sheitel, kippah, or yarmulke;
Whereas dehumanizing rhetoric can fuel sentiments of hate that result in 
        violence against those who belong or who are perceived to belong to a 
        certain ethnic or religious group;
Whereas the Palestinian community's migration to the United States dates back to 
        the late 19th century;
Whereas the United States is home to one of the largest Palestinian diasporas in 
        the world that is made up of lawyers, doctors, teachers, business 
        owners, law enforcement, and others, all of whom contribute to the 
        history, arts, commerce, promise, and character of the United States;
Whereas Wadee Alfayoumi shared a heritage, history, love, culture, tradition, 
        and brilliance belonging to the Palestinian people and was a symbol of 
        another great Palestinian life full of promise;
Whereas Palestinian children, Israeli children, children in the United States, 
        and those all across the globe deserve to live in peace and be free from 
        discrimination, hate crimes, and violence; and
Whereas Israel's military campaign in Gaza has had a devastating impact on 
        children, with over 20,000 children killed in the last 23 months, 
        according to Save the Children: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the Senate recognizes that--
            (1) the United States lost the beautiful light of Wadee 
        Alfayoumi because of hate;
            (2) it is the duty of elected officials and media to tell 
        the truth without dehumanizing rhetoric when informing the 
        public of factual information;
            (3) freedom of speech and peaceful protest are 
        constitutionally protected and a fundamental cornerstone of 
        democracy; and
            (4) the United States has zero tolerance for hate crimes, 
        Islamophobia, anti-Semitism, and anti-Palestinian and anti-Arab 
        discrimination.
                                 <all>