Authorities in Nashville, Tennessee, arrested a mother, father, and son for assaulting a teenage boy for becoming a Christian after officers conducted a welfare check on the juvenile.
Muslim family accused of assaulting son in Nashville home for converting to Christianity. https://t.co/ySsN1Pu7n1 pic.twitter.com/StTPYpJxKv
— FoxNashville (@FOXNashville) December 12, 2023
According to the arrest warrant, a Muslim family, composed of mother Rawaa Khawaji, father Nick Kadum, and son John Kadum, were arrested for beating and attacking their teenage son after he recently converted to Christianity.
The victim, who was not identified, told police officers his mother, father, and brother repeatedly punched him and spat in his face. Arrest records also said his mother took a knife and scratched the back of his right hand with it.
Records also showed that the family demanded the boy to retract his Christian beliefs and say he was a Muslim during the attacks. The victim also said the abuse continued until law enforcement arrived at their home. All three suspects were taken into custody without incident.
Muslim family accused of assaulting son in Nashville home for converting to Christianity
— 🇺🇸🇮🇱Steve (@MAGAKAG_St3v3_I) December 13, 2023
👇https://t.co/UdNjeJyHvh
When law enforcement officers saw the victim, he was "trembling and wide-eyed" with "disheveled" hair, and he also appeared to have been "cut haphazardly" with lumps on his face.
Officers responded to a welfare check at the boy’s home in Nashville on December 11th after the boy’s employer called the police with concerns about his safety.
The Assistant General Manager at the McDonald’s where the boy worked, identified only as Michelle, said she had her shift manager call the police to conduct a welfare check.
“They were torturing him," said Michelle. "They had him down where they kicked and beat him unconscious.”
Michelle said their pastor called her, saying the boy’s brother, John Kadum, was threatening to kill him because he wanted to be a Christian.
Muslim family accused of assaulting son in Nashville home for converting to Christianity. https://t.co/ySsN1Pu7n1 pic.twitter.com/StTPYpJxKv
— FoxNashville (@FOXNashville) December 12, 2023
“I kind of adopted him in my heart, and I knew about this problem because he had come to me before and said, 'My mom put a knife to my throat, and she said if I don’t deny Jesus, she will kill me,'" Michelle added.
Paul Levine, the victim’s neighbor who also became his mentor, was heartbroken when he heard about the news of the abuse.
“He told me a week ago he was threatened by his brother," Levine said. "His brother was going to shoot him.”
Levine asked the boy if he was all right, and the victim told him they wouldn’t do anything. Levine also said that the victim was always asking him about his church and his Christian faith and that no one knew the boy’s parents well.
“They don’t have any friends in the neighborhood," Levine said. "You never see them out.”
Muslim family accused of assaulting son in Nashville home for converting to Christianityhttps://t.co/OBZm9cJuKn
— ABC 33/40 News () December 13, 2023
Although the three were taken into custody, only the mother, Rawaa Khawaji, remained after she was charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. The father, Nick Kadum, and son, John Kadum, were released on bond after being charged with domestic assault and bodily injury.
The victim’s neighbor admitted feeling uneasy after learning that two of the three arrested were released on bond. Nevertheless, the boy is currently safe and staying with a Christian foster family.
Disclaimer: This article was previously published on Atheist Republic blog.