Commenting On Murder Of Palestinian Boy In Chicago, Shooting Of Swedes In Brussels, Prominent Islamic State (ISIS) Supporter Calls To Kill Non-Muslims In Middle East, Declares ISIS Will 'Shake' Europe

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On October 14, 2023, 71-year-old Joseph Czuba of the Chicago suburb Plainfield stabbed his tenants, Palestinian-Americans Hanaan Shahin and her six-year-old son, Wadea Al-Fayoume, killing the boy and injuring the mother. The stabbing was reportedly related to the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel.

In an unrelated incident, a gunman armed with an automatic rifle shot three Swedes in Brussels, killing two and seriously injuring another, as the Swedish national soccer team was scheduled to play a match against Belgium at a nearby stadium. Videos of the perpetrator, Abdesalem Jilani Meftah Lassoued, a 45-year old Tunisian who was in Belgium illegally, circulated showing him swearing allegiance to Islamic State (ISIS) leader Abu Hafs Al-Hashemi Al-Qurashi and declaring that the attack was perpetrated to avenge Muslims.[1] The attacker was at large for several hours before being shot dead by police in a café in the Schaerbeek neighborhood.

A prominent pro-Islamic State (ISIS) Telegram channel, "Sawt Al-Zarqawi" ["Voice of Al-Zarqawi"], commented on the two incidents, calling on Muslims to perpetrate attacks to avenge the murders of Muslims in non-Muslim countries by killing unbelievers in their countries and declaring that ISIS will "shake" Europe.

Call To Attack Non-Muslims In Middle East To Avenge Killings Of Muslims In The West

In an October 16 post commenting on news reports of Al-Fayoume's funeral, Sawt Al-Zarqawi called for Muslims in the Middle East to attack non-Muslims: "Spit the size of the sky on the scum of the Middle East. Their unbelievers in our countries enjoy themselves, while the Muslims in our countries are being killed, so where are the descendants of 'Abdallah bin Unays [a Companion of the Prophet Muhammad who was sent to assassinate one of the Muslims' enemies]?" The channel continued: "Make their pigs die from beheadings and stabbings in the streets. tear open their bellies with knives, crush their skulls with cleavers. Slit their throats [...] Curses on them and on those who protect them."[2]

Praise Of Brussels Shooter; ISIS Will Shake Europe; No One Knows How It Thinks And Plans

In another post from the same day, the channel praised the Brussels attacker: "May Allah forgive you and accept [your deed], you beast [...] We ask Allah to protect you wherever you are."[3]

Sawt Al-Zarqawi effusively praised the attacker in a separate post: "You are better than a million people [...] You are braver than a lion protecting his cubs […]"

On October 17, the channel commented on a statement delivered by French President Emmanuel Macron while visiting Albania, in which he stated that "Europe is shocked" by the Brussels attack. Sawt Al-Zarqawi commented: "We will shake it, o unbelievers of the world."[4]

In another post, the channel wrote: "The caliphate state is outside of expectations and analyses. No one knows how it thinks, how it makes plans, and how it attacks its enemies in their homelands."

Other Sawt Al-Zarqawi posts published in recent days have called on Palestinian Muslims to form armed cells, swear allegiance to ISIS, and prepare to attack Jews on ISIS' behalf.[5]