Region | Egypt

German city holds memorial for Egyptian mother

Several hundred people gathered on Saturday in the eastern German city of Dresden to honor a pregnant Egyptian pharmacist fatally stabbed by a Russian-born immigrant in a courtroom.

  • AP
  • Published: 20:09 July 11, 2009
  • Gulf News

  • An unidentified woman lays a flower tribute as several hundred German and foreign residents, mourn during a public funeral service for Marwa Al Sherbini in Dresden, eastern Germany, on Saturday.
  • Image Credit: AP
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Dresden, Germany: Several hundred people gathered on Saturday in the eastern German city of Dresden to honor a pregnant Egyptian pharmacist fatally stabbed by a Russian-born immigrant in a courtroom.

The public memorial, organised by local civil rights groups, attracted some 800 people who included the Egyptian ambassador and officials from the state of Saxony, where the July 1 stabbing took place.

Marwa Al Sherbini, 31, was attacked by a Russian-born German during his trial on charges of insulting her with racial slurs. He stabbed her 18 times as her three-year-old son looked on. Her husband was injured when he intervened to protect her and he remains hospitalised.

Egyptians have expressed outrage at the attack, saying the German response has been too little, too late and serves as an example of racism and anti-Muslim sentiment.

Chancellor Angela Merkel expressed her condolences to Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak during the Group of Eight summit in Italy last week and sent her top official for immigration affairs to offer sympathy to Al Sherbini's husband, but has not publicly condemned the slaying.

The attacker, a Russian-born immigrant whose name has been given only as Alex W., has been detained and is under investigation on suspicion of murder.

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