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Daily Outrage: Pregnant Egyptian woman stabbed 18 times

Examiner Staff Writer
July 7, 2009

Egyptians react during the funeral for 32-year-old pregnant Egyptian woman Marwa el-Sherbini who was stabbed by a German man in a courtroom in eastern Germany last week. The woman was to testify against the man in court after he allegedly called her an Islamist and a terrorist in 2008. German prosecutors say a 28-year-old man who fatally stabbed Marwa was driven by a deep hate of foreigners. (Nasser Nouri/AP)

WHO: Marwa al-Sherbini, 32, of Egypt

WHAT: Al-Sherbini, four months pregnant, was in Dresden, Germany, because of her husband’s research fellowship. She had taken her neighbor, Alex W., 28, to court for repeatedly calling her a terrorist and trying to pull off her headscarf. Inside the courtroom she was to testify against the recent Russian immigrant when he stabbed her 18 times in front of her 3-year-old son.

WHAT HAPPENED: Al-Sherbini’s husband came to her aid and is now hospitalized in critical condition. He was also stabbed by the neighbor in addition to being shot in the leg by a security guard who thought he must be the attacker.

WHAT’S BEING DONE: The killing has been Egypt’s top news story for days, enflaming national anger because of the comparatively little press and political outrage in Germany and Europe. Thousands of Egyptian mourners marched behind al-Sherbini’s coffin Monday during the funeral in her Mediterranean hometown of Alexandria.

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Reader Comments

All comments on this page are subject to our Terms of Use and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Examiner or its staff. Comment box is limited to 250 words.

Ismail Aboulnaga,Ph.D. in Quality

Jul 7, 2009

I am shocked! why the police guard shot the brave husband instead of the killer? Moreover, why that officer didt prevent the killer neither from continue stabbing the lady nor her already shot wounded man.

Ismail Aboulnaga,Ph.D.in Quality

Jul 7, 2009

To my surprise I just read that the security officer thought that the husband is the attacker! This Is an illogical reason to explain the wrong proffessional reaction taken by the man responsible for the courtyard security. If this is accepted to protect that police officer; then the police staff qualification scheme can be in serious scientific criticism from QUALITY point of view. The higher ranks - higher than that officer - responsible for training and upgrading of human resources should revise their programs otherwise they will produce more inefficient guards such that an extremely evident example in the present case.

Jew

Jul 8, 2009

You see a pregnant lady get stabbed 18 times in a row, then you see an arab man try to stop it. You see the arab man get stabbed defending his wife and child and you think, I'll shoot the guy in the leg!?
Why do German people have to be so evil, they've been doing good these last 40-50 years. lol

A Concerned Individual

Jul 9, 2009

What saddens me is the lack of press coverage this story is receiving. And the lack of public outcry in Germany against this heinous crime.

I know that one hate crime alone does not determine public sentiment towards Muslims, but when officials regard this incident with more emphasis on the breach in court security than the blatant hate crime that it is, I do believe we can assume that German public sentiment towards Muslims is, at least, unsympathizing and utterly racist.

Imam Abdul Rahman

Jul 10, 2009

If the world is really serious and just in the so called war 'on terror', then I think incident like this should be taken seriously. Stabbing a defenceless pregnant woman in a court room in the eyes of securities, is not only a hate driven crime against Muslims but believe it, it is a clear manifestation of how the human life as become so insignificant. This incident brought back my memories of Rome 500 years BC when Julius Caesar was brutally stabbed to death in the presence of all noble Romans with no one coming to his aid.

broken heart

Jul 12, 2009

How is it possible for a man to stabb a women 18 times in court with out being stopped so quickly? how? I dont understand , and then when her husband comes to save her they decide to start shooting??? How do you explain this how? What does this tell , well it tells me a lot. They kill them and they call them terrorist when they are the terrorist themselves and they get mad when they become extreme.

Sad

Jul 12, 2009

Marwa may you rest in peace , You are going straight to heaven, I wish I can die for the sake of islam.

sunny

Jul 12, 2009

I pray for Marwa's soul to rest in perfect peace. This incidence will increase the haterate of europeans by the muslim world. I believe such things will never be allowed to happen in any sharia court.

truc-minh

Jul 13, 2009

1)the murderer was an immigrant from russia to germany. the logical consequence is to lock the border for all the strangers, so nothing alike can happen again. Germans are still very open to let all these ppl come in their countries!
2) last a young muslim killed his sister on the street in Germany, because she did not follow the Muslim way of life, the parents allowed him to do so. He killed her in front of her son! Any comment on this matter, dear Muslim world. This happened not only once! The best joke is the grandparents seek later on for the child's custody. allah is great and he will punish these murderers!

mustafa

Jul 16, 2009

this is a joke.. no security