World Bulletin / News Desk

European Muslims faced another hate crime with killing of a headscarved woman by a German man in a court room on on July 1st, German and Egyptian media reported.

 A 28-year old German man stabbed Egyptian national Marwa Sherbini 18 times in Dresden courthouse before she gives evidence against court appeal.

Marwa Sherbini, a 32-year-old Egyptian national was suing her attacker after he insulted her for wearing the Islamic headscarf.

Sherbini stood in court to give evidence against court appeal before German man took out a knife and stabbed her 18 times.

Marwa took her 3-year old son Mostapha to play in a Dresden park. A German man, identified only as Axel W, insulted her because of wearing headscarf and called her a "terrorist". She filed a case against him in German courts after the incident.

When she won the case and the court fined him the €780 for having abused her. But German man appealed against the verdict, German media said.

Also, her husband and her son were present in the court room. When the assailant attacked Marwa her husband ran to rescue her. But the assailant stabbed him 3 times. Meanwhile, a German security officer in court shot the husband in the leg too.

The husband Elwy Okaz lapsed into a coma and was taken to hospital suffering from serious injuries to the stomach and liver.

Marwa Sherbini was a star pupil at her Alexandria School, El Nasr Girls' College (EGC), one of the oldest and most prestigious educational establishments for girls in Alexandria. Her personality and academic achievements led to her selection as Head Girl of the school before she joined the Faculty of Pharmacy at Alexandria University, graduating in 2000 with flying colors. After she got married to Elwy Okaz, a researcher at the Max Planck Institute, she moved with him to Germany.

Crime ignored

The killing of the Muslim woman raises many questions regarding inter-racial relationships and co-existence in Europe.

It's been too long since Egyptian bloggers came together under the same opinion. But the new hate crime that took place in Germany against Sherbini, was one good reason for them to unite again, condemning international media for ignoring such incidents against Muslims in the West.

German officials did not acknowleged about bloody event which is taken in front of the 3 year old son's eyes during 24 hours and did not informed Marva's family or Egyptian embassy..

According to father of MArwa who spoked to an Egyptian TV, they learned the killing from a family friend after on a phone conversation after 24 hours.

"My daughter was pregnant in her third month," the heartbroken mother told Egypt's Al-Masri Al-Youm daily on Sunday, July 5.

"I never imagined she would be a victim of terrorism and we would see her pictures in the media."

Also, the media reported that German officials put the son of Sherbinis, Mostafa in an orphanage, rejecting to hand him over Egyptian embassy for send him to family members.

The state-owned Egyptian Gazette reported the hate crime as saying the attacker stabbed Sherbini "shortly before she was to give evidence in an appeal lodged by the man against a conviction for insulting her over wearing the hijab."

"The investigation into this bloody crime is bound to show there are some indications the suspect was hostile toward foreigners – the signs are there," said Saxony police chief Bernd Merbitz told German media.

Marwa Sherbini is being hailed as the shahida, or martyr, of the Hijab

The body of a Muslim woman, killed in a German courtroom by a man convicted of insulting her religion, has been taken back to her native Egypt for burial.

Marwa Sherbini, 31, was stabbed 18 times by Axel W, who is now under arrest in Dresden for suspected murder.

Husband Elwi Okaz is also in a critical condition in hospital, after being injured as he tried to save his wife.

Ms Sherbini had sued her killer after he called her a “terrorist” because of her headscarf.

The case has attracted much attention in Egypt and the Muslim world.

German prosecutors have said the 28-year-old attacker, identified only as Axel W, was driven by a deep hatred of foreigners and Muslims.

< =http://www.youtube.com/v/dBvOLp0ruyA&rel=1&fs=1&showsearch=0&hd=0 width=425 height=350 =application/x-shockwave-flash allowfullscreen="true" wmode="transparent">

‘Martyr’

Medics were unable to save Ms Sherbini who was three months pregnant with her second child. Her three-year-old son was with the family in court when she was killed.

Axel W and Ms Sherbini and family were in court for his appeal against a fine of 750 euros ($1,050) for insulting her in 2008, apparently because she was wearing the Muslim headscarf or Hijab.

Newspapers in Egypt have expressed outrage at the case, asking how it was allowed to happen and dubbing Ms Sherbini “the martyr of the Hijab”.

Senior Egyptian officials and German diplomatic staff attended the funeral in Alexandria along with hundreds of mourners.

Media reports say Mr Okaz was injured both by the attacker and when a policeman opened fire in the courtroom.