Marwa El-Sherbini Killed In Germany For Being A Muslim

Marwa el-Sherbini decided to take her two-year old son, Mustafa, to a children's playground in the city of Dresden, Germany, one afternoon in August 2008.

Mrs Sherbini (31), an Egyptian born pharmacist who worked for Dresden University, was dressed in blue jeans, a white blouse, and a small headscarf that indicated she was a Muslim according to a news report in the Belfast Telegraph.

Mustafa wanted to play on one of the two swings but both were being used.

One of the swings was occupied by a grown man who was sitting and smoking a cigarette.

Mrs Sherbini asked the man in German if he would allow Mustafa to play on the swing.

The man immediately went into a rage shouting insults at Mrs Sherbini.

"You are an Islamist and a terrorist who has no business in Germany ..."

He called her a "terrorist whore" who had no right ("business") being in Germany and added that Mustafa would grow up to be a terrorist too.

A witness to the incident called the police and Mrs Sherbini filed a complaint against the man.

Alexander Wiens (28), an unemployed Russian-German was charged with defamation and ordered to pay a €330 fine by a Dresden district court three months after the incident.

He refused to pay the fine saying he was being "unfairly treated" and he appeared in court July 1, 2009, to appeal the fine.

Mrs Sherbini's and her Egyptian husband, Elwy Ali Okaz, were in court when Wiens pulled out a 12-inch knife from a bag.

He then rushed toward Mrs Sherbini and stabbed her 16-times shouting out "You don't deserve to live!"

Elwy Ali Okaz also sustained stab wounds in his attempt to defend his wife.

Mustafa, now three years old, witnessed the murder of his mother in front of judges and other court personnel.

Mrs Sherbini was three months pregnant.

The case hardly caused a stir in Germany while Muslims in Germany and elsewhere were shocked by the brutality and anti-Islamic sentiment.

A funeral prayer ceremony for her in Berlin was attended by more that two thousand Muslims before her body was flown to Cairo for burial according to a news report.

Last week, November 11 to be exact, Wiens was sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of Mrs Sherbini and causing grievous bodily harm to Elwy Ali Okaz.

The sentence was read in a Dresden court packed with security personnel unlike the time before when Wiens carried out his ruthless murder.

The sentence also prohibits Wiens from applying for parole after 15 years due to the violent nature of his crime.

The German government released a statement saying that "xenophobia" has no place in Germany.

In my view the sentence is too lenient. The court should have sentenced him to life without parole until death.

I expect that Elwy Ali Okaz may seek to sue the relevant authorities for negligence arising out of the lack of court security.

Whatever the course from here the damage has already been done and there is no turning back so to speak.

Mustafa will no doubt carry life-long scars and that is indeed a great tragedy.

Unfortunately, cases like this are on the rise. Being Muslim in the post-9/11 era means that your security is constantly under threat.

May Mrs Sherbini rest in peace.

Onward!

See Marwa El Sherbiny: The Veiled Martyr for more information.

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