LANDMARK RESOLUTION TO HONOR THE LIFE OF WADEE ALFAYOUMI
AND UPLIFT HIS PALESTINIAN AND MUSLIM IDENTITY
PASSES UNANIMOUSLY IN THE US SENATE
September 25, 2024. The Muslim Civic Coalition (The Coalition) championed a historic Congressional Hearing focusing on the increase of hate crimes across the nation last week. This week, the Coalition helped pass a pivotal federal legislation; the Wadee Resolution. At the center of the hearing and the resolution is six-year-old Wadee AlFayoumi, stabbed 26 times in a hate crime perpetrated by his landlord because Wadee’s family was Palestinian and Muslim. Wadee’s mother Hanan Shahin, stabbed over 12 times herself, simply stated, “Wadee was an inspiring boy. The six years with him was filled with love. I pray for peace.”
The Wadee Resolution is now part of the US record. It celebrates Wadee’s life and Palestinian heritage and counters false narratives of his identity. Since October 2023 there has been a spike in hate crimes resulting in death and serious bodily harm of Palestinian-Americans including Hesham Awartani, Tahseen Al Ahmed, Kinnan Abdalhamid, and Zacharia Doar. These incidents should have been addressed in all Hate Crimes Hearings in Congress, and the false misrepresentation of Palestinian children, community members, and college students should have been halted.
The Wadee Resolution protects children, students, and families from discrimination and hate based on appearance, dress, and other outward forms of religious or ethnic identity. It ensures freedom of expression to American residents of all faiths, races, and backgrounds, and honors the Palestinian Kaffiyeh and the Jewish Yamaka. Maaria Mozaffar, Legislative Lead for the Muslim Civic Coalition, stated, “This Resolution is a crucial step to recognize in the halls of Congress the dangerous impact of false narratives of any people for political expediency. Following the Congressional Hearing in the Senate Judiciary, where the Wadee AlFayoumis case took center stage, we saw in full display the deliberate attempt to misrepresent Palestinian people, and college students across this nation. As a nation we cannot normalize dehumanization, we cannot have another Wadee AlFayoumi.”
The Coalition worked with partners and allies to ensure the resolution was inclusive and highlighted the divisive times we live in today as well as an opportunity to collectively change the narrative. Dr. Dilara Sayeed, President of the Muslim Civic Coalition stated, “The dehumanization of Palestinian, African, Latino, Native, Asian, Muslim, Jewish, and other American communities is all connected. There have been too many Wadee AlFayoumis in our nation’s past. We are working tirelessly to ensure we do not have more in our future. Americans, as neighbors and colleagues, do not want to hate each other - or anyone else across the world. We need leaders and public officials who bring us together”
Senator Dick Durbin, Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, convened the hearing and stated after the resolution passed, “Wadee Alfayoumi, an American boy, and his mother were violently attacked for no apparent reason other than their religion and their ethnicity. Targeting someone based on their ethnicity or religion is wrong, and targeting an innocent child based on those characteristics is pure hatred. Nearly a year after Wadee Alfayoumi’s young life was taken too soon, our nation continues to mourn with his family. By passing this resolution, the United States Senate is honoring and remembering Wadee’s life and condemning all forms of hate.”
The passing of the Wadee Resolution in the House of Representatives is still pending. Congresswoman Delia Ramirez, one of the first to call for a ceasefire to stop the killing of Palestinian children in Gaza, led the Wadee Resolution in the House to stop the hate right here in our nation. “Yesterday’s Passage of S.Res. 847, honoring Wadee Alfayoumi, was an incredibly important step for humanity, for the movement against hate and bigotry, and for this moment. We are 12 days from October 7th and 19 days from the anniversary of Wadee’s murder - both dates marked by children torn from their mothers. While time has passed, we continue to see an escalation of violence in the Middle East, a rise in bigotry and dehumanizing rhetoric, and a rejection of our shared humanity. We must remember Wadee. And his memory must move Speaker Johnson and the House to take up the Concurrent Resolution and bring it to the Floor for a vote after the October Recess.”
The passing of the Wadee Resolution in the Senate and the continued advocacy to pass it in the House relies on decades of legislative relationships and marks 11+ months of tireless efforts by the Coalition board, staff, partners, and allies of all races, faiths, and backgrounds. The Senate reaffirmed with the passage of the Wadee Resolution what our nation has known all along, dehumanizing through false narratives and political rhetoric against Palestinians, Muslims, and Arabs have no place in America.
Achieving this moment is the result of years of strong relationships with legislators, partners, and allies, whose support made this work possible. View the timeline that provides context for understanding this moment.
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Muslim Civic Coalition is a partnership of hundreds of Changemakers and Organizations. The Coalition is a civic education, advocacy, and community organizing entity - to build an inclusive and more just society across the US. For more information, go to www.MuslimCivicCoalition.org
