{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://ramirez.house.gov/media/press-releases/reps-ramirez-underwood-jacobs-watson-coleman-introduce-resolution-honoring-6", "Reps Ramirez, Underwood, Jacobs, Watson Coleman Introduce Resolution Honoring 6-year-old Wadee Alfayoumi and Condemning Hate Crimes", "2023-12-19", "2023", "2023-12", "Democrat", "House", "IL", "Delia C. Ramirez", "R000617", "ramirez.house.gov", "ramirez", "https://ramirez.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "Washington, DC \u2014 Today, Congresswoman Delia C. Ramirez (IL-03), joined by Representatives Lauren Underwood (IL-14), Sara Jacobs (CA-51), andBonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12), introduced a resolution honoring Wadee Alfayoumi, a 6-year-old Palestinian boy, murdered as a victim of a hate crime for his Palestinian Muslim identity, in the State of Illinois. The resolution affirms that no one should be a target of hate because of their ethnicity or religion and strongly condemns hate crimes, Islamophobia, antisemitism, and anti-Palestinian discrimination. The legislative text definitively declares that Palestinian children, Israeli children, United States children, and all children across the globe deserve to live in peace and be free from discrimination, hate crimes, and violence.\n\nIn light of reports that misinformation and hateful rhetoric contributed to Wadee\u2019s murder, the resolution also asserts that dehumanizing misinformation and disinformation can fuel acts of violence against ethnic or religious groups. That\u2019s why the legislation calls on elected officials and the media to take on the responsibility of communicating and informing the public and constituents without utilizing dehumanizing rhetoric.\n\n\u201cHateful anti-Muslim and anti-Palestinian rhetoric has real consequences. Just 30 minutes away from my district, Wadee Alfayoumi, a 6-year-old Palestinian-American child full of dreams, became victim to the rising islamophobia and hateful rhetoric spewed about carelessly and recklessly since October 7. His death and his family's pain weigh heavily on my heart, and we must ensure that no other children, families or communities suffer as a result of this vile rhetoric,\u201d said Congresswoman Ramirez. \u201cThe safety, well-being, and peace of our communities are interconnected. The rise of hate crimes anti-Palestinian racism, Islamophobia, and antisemitism puts all of us in grave danger. That\u2019s why I am proud to join Reps Jacobs, Underwood, and Watson Coleman, Wadee\u2019s family, and a broad coalition of human rights advocates to honor the life of Wadee and condemn hatred that makes us all less safe. I call on all the members of Congress to join me in upholding our sacred shared humanity.\u201d\n\n\u201cOur community lost a beautiful light when Wadee Alfayoumi was taken from us,\u201d Rep. Underwood said.\u201cWadee brought sunshine and joy to his loved ones and classmates, and I am so proud to have worked with Wadee\u2019s family and community leaders on this resolution to honor his life and his memory.\u201d\n\n\u201cWadee Alfayoumi was a happy, sweet, spirited six-year-old, who deserved every opportunity in life. I am distraught and heartbroken for his family, who witnessed his murder and now have to live life without him \u2013 and I am alarmed by the rise of anti-Muslim and anti-Palestinian racism and violence that has skyrocketed since October 7,\u201d said Rep. Sara Jacobs. \u201cNo one should be targeted and killed because of their identity, and every child should have the chance to grow up free from violence and hate. I\u2019m honored to co-lead this resolution to honor Wadee\u2019s life, to denounce hatred of all kinds, and to push for peace and safety for everyone in the United States, Israel, Gaza, and the West Bank.\u201d\n\n\"It is a shared wish of every parent for their children to live in peace and security. The brutal murder of Wadee Alfayoumi shook the world. The increase in dehumanizing language we\u2019ve seen in recent years and especially in the last two months puts all of our children at risk. This resolution comes at a critical time when we must reverse this trend and create a world in which all of our children - be they American, Palestinian, or Israeli - live and thrive with a sense of peace, dignity, and mutual respect,\u201d said Rep. Watson Coleman.\n\nThis legislation also has the support of local and national organizations, including the Muslim Civic Coalition, Defending Rights & Dissent, Emgage Action, Muslimahs in Policy, US Campaign for Palestinian Rights (USPCR), National Association of Muslim Lawyers, CAIR National, Muslim Bar Association, Chicago Muslim Medical Alliance, North Carolina Muslim Bar Association, Dallas Ft. Worth Texas Bar Association, American Muslim Health Professionals, Muslim Legal Fund of America, and ICNA Council of Social Justice.\n\nThe Resolution resolved that:\n\nthe United States lost the beautiful light of Wadee Alfayoumi because of hate;\n\nit is the duty of elected officials and media to tell the truth without dehumanizing rhetoric when informing the public of factual information;\n\nfreedom of speech and peaceful protest are constitutionally protected and a fundamental corner- stone of democracy; and\n\nthe United States has zero tolerance for hate crimes, Islamophobia, antisemitism, and anti-Palestinian and anti-Arab discrimination.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T01:14:16Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://ramirez.house.gov/media/press-releases/reps-ramirez-underwood-jacobs-watson-coleman-introduce-resolution-honoring-6"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.8445770256221294, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}