Wednesday, July 29, 2009

You deserve to know as well

I'm not writing this post to condemn Germany. Nor am I writing this post in the belief that Muslims are the only ones victimized. Because, I know unfortunately violence of this nature happens everywhere and by people of different types.

The reason I am writing this post is because of the lack of attention it got from the world, specifically the European media. While if the reverse had taken place, the media would have been crawling all over it. And that is one of the things that frustrated me the most.

This is a bit old now, so bear with me.

On July 1st, Marwa el- Sherbini, was in court in Germany with her three year old son and her husband. She was a 32 year old Egyptian native, working on her PhD, and expecting her next child in January.

A couple months ago, she had a won a case against Alex W. She had sued him for insulting her with terms like, "terrorist" and "Islamist whore", at a park.

However during the appeals on July 1st, while she was on the dock, Alex W. leapt across the courtroom and stabbed her with a knife 18 times. Ms. Sherbani's husband rushed in to save her, was stabbed by the assailant and was also accidentally shot by German police.

While Ms. Sherbini had died, her husband had been rushed to intensive care.

So that was the story. I mean besides the fact that someone managed to get into the courtroom with a knife and pulled that stunt off (try pretend stabbing the air 18 times and see how long it takes) in front of a three year old son, there was almost no mention of the case in Germany. On the other hand, Egypt was up in arms about it.
When I came across the news article from facebook, I searched BBC news for it. I mean it has an article talking about a mafia boss being shot, it must have some mention of a woman being stabbed 18 times in a court room.

And it did. Under the middle east section. And the article was about a woman being hailed as a martyr by Egyptians, and their outrage over what had happened and "Germany's silence".

Where was the focus on Germany? And Germany's reaction? It happened in Europe, to a person living in Germany. Why was it in the middle east section? Why did it focus on her martyr status, instead of what had happened?!

A week after being accused of being silent, Germany defended itself saying it was not silent and that the German chancellor would apologize to the Egyptian president.

Alex W. is being tried for attempted murder.

I think Marwa deserves to have her story be known to you. The fact that this occurred in a court room boggles a friend of mine, my brother is boggled by how long it takes to stab someone 18 times, I'm boggled by what I feel was a silence over a case that happened in a developed country in front of a three year old kid.

20 comments:

fuelMybrain said...

OMG!!! I'm speechless... that was so bad I called DH into the room and read him your post.

What kind of message does this send:
Ponder this, it's situations like this that make us tolerate being harrassed. I mean, when the accused are so demented that they do things like this, then we are that much more fearful for standing up for ourselves.

I thought to myself after having the above thought, "if she had not sued him in the first place this wouldn't of happened... but, that's not right! She should be able to stand up for herself, but she did and look what happened?"

Thanks for sharing, this is very tragic! Oh, question, why "attempted murder"? Shouldn't it manslauter?

Artistic Logic said...

after that many witnesses its still "attempted murder" ?!?!?!?!?


IM FURIOUS

Farnnay said...

I'm SOOO glad you posted this (I've been meaning to ask one of you guys to write about this)...

I think the German chancellor is stupid for going and apologizing to the freaking Egyptian president. WTF does he have to do with this. What does her ETHNICITY have to do with ANYTHING?

AND HOW ABOUT THE HUSBAND!? HOW ABOUT THE KIDS? WHERE THE FREAK IS THEIR APOLOGY? What justice will the kids and the family receive?

and i agree with FMB about the message it now sends for people who are harassed.

This story infuriates me on so many levels but also makes me extremely, extremely sad.

Little Ms Blogger said...

Thank you for sharing this. I had not heard it, but admit I tend to stay away from the news because it depresses me (I live right outside NYC and there are so many injustices).

However, I'm dumbfounded that Germany would muffle this story. I would understand if a gov't official was doing the stabbing and they wanted to cover it up, but it wasn't. (Although, how does a person stab a person 18 times without quicker intervention).

Alex W is only getting tried for attempted murder - hello? He murdered the woman in front of her 3 year old son.

So sad.

PerplxinTexan♥ said...

CA- Is it Faryal or Saffiyah? Your name I mean.

Girl On A Journey said...

Wow this is the first time i'm hearing about this. Its so sad and upsetting. Tragedies like this really shows you just how unfair the world is.

Heckety said...

I hadn't heard that story either and I am stunned, horrified, helpless. Its unreal that firstly it could happen, and secondly be swept under the carpet. If she had been German what then?
Racist attitudes make me sick.

MarjnHomer said...

Yeah, I found the article from fb too and seen it yesterday in Muslim Observer. That poor kid who seen his mom die like that. and her husband was the only one who went to help his wife. Why did no one else do anything? Pisses me off! May Allah grant her Jannatul Ferdous. (because she did die a martyr)

*mary* said...

It is ludicrous that this story barely got a mention, and when it did it was compartmentalized in order to sweep it under the rug. It's disgusting.

She died from injuries sustained from a planned attack, right? It should be Murder. Premeditated. Sick.

David Kames said...

I'd liked to say I was shocked by this: but I just felt cold and sick about it. The European far-right have been using "Islam" and "Muslims" as a favourite demon for the last two decades - this is the inevitable, horrible result.

I first heard about this from the Engage blog; http://engageonline.wordpress.com/2009/07/06/marwa-el-sherbini/
It seems to be one of those stories that News editors think the public wont be interested in: don't remember it much from any MSM.

According to wikipedia, the attempted murder charge is for Axel W.'s attack on Marwa el-Shrebini's husband Elwi Ali Okaz, and he will face a murder charge for killing Marwa.
Also this, I guess explains how he managed it:
"No security personnel was present and no security searches of individuals and their possessions were carried out, common in cases without anticipated security concerns and with no persons under arrest present."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marwa_El-Sherbini

As for the BBC - their news agenda is always fucked up on the TV broadcast, as I recall they were still talking Michael Jackson at the time. I'm guessing it came out under an Egyptian heading in part because Marwa was an Egyptian, not a German citizen, and the Mid-East bureau of the BBC is better than the German one...

provoking choking said...

you forgot to mention one little thing- she was pregnant. so two people were murdered that day.
it makes me weep for the family..

and i just have to say : EFF the media. i really think muslims looking TRUE fairness in the mainstream media need to wake up. and recognise that there is a war and the media is full of sh*t and propaganda to fuel this war that owns them.
and muslims looking for justice other than God's, I PRAY you will wake up but the dead cannot be woken up. this is a lesson for those that seek manmade justice from the enemies of Islam.. God says in the Qur'an: "(5:44-48) So do not fear men but fear Me... Those who do not judge by what Allah has revealed are indeed the unbelievers.
Then We revealed the Book to you (Muhammad) with Truth, confirming whatever of the Book was revealed before (in torah and gospel), and protecting and guarding over it.
Judge, then, in the affairs of men in accordance with the Law that Allah has revealed, and do not follow their desires in disregard of the Truth which has come to you. For each of you We have appointed a Law and a way of life.
And had Allah so willed, He would surely have made you one single community; instead, (He gave each of you a Law and a way of life) in order to test you by what He gave you."


And God says to be strong:
"(5:54) Believers!...remember that Allah will raise up a people whom He loves, and who love Him; a people humble ...who will strive hard in the way of Allah and will not fear the reproach of the reproacher."

In following the religion of God, in implementing His injunctions, in judging things to be either right or wrong according to the criteria of the faith, the believer will be afraid of nothing. He/she will be impervious to opposition, reproach, denunciation, name-calling and scorn. Even when public opinion happens to be hostile, and his efforts to follow Islam single him out for the scorn of the whole world, the man of faith will still follow the way which he recognizes in his heart to be true. - Maulana Maududi


Lastly,
"So remember Me and I will remember you, and give thanks to Me and be not ungrateful. O Believers, seek help with patience and prayer, for Allah is with those who show fortitude.
And do not say of those who are slain in the way of Allah, "they are dead." In fact, they are alive but you do not perceive that life. We will surely put you to trial by involving you in fear and hunger and by causing loss of property, life and earnings. And give good tidings to those who remain steadfast in these trials: when a misfortune comes to them, they say, 'We are Allah's and we shall certainly return to Him' "
(Quran 2:152-156)

=')

Liza said...

Wow, and I usually have a good handle on current events and this one slipped by me.

I'm amazed like a previous poster that it's considered only "attempted murder." There's something really wrong with this picture. Do you have the link/facebook link to the news article so I can post it?

Fikerz said...

This is such a cool blog (sorry but this is my first time here).

I agree, the "Hijab-martyr" story is really pathetic and shameful for Germany.

I remember reading (or maybe hearing a lecture) on how we as Muslims are often caught in positions defending ourselves and our actions yet our actions are completely sensible and correct while it is infact those who oppose who are wrong; who are they to question us?

This case is like the exact opposite, we as Muslims need to stand up and keep this issue alive and not yet again be silenced.

I love how American media manages to replay a video of a captured soldier 500times over the course of two days and no one can forget Gilad Shalit yet a Muslim death is meaningless.

Again, cool blog. I don't know any of these readers but ya hi. My name is Faique, I have a blog also: themuslimkid.blogspot.com. Check it out sometime!

Salam.

-The Muslim Kid-

Kim said...

Wow. That story is horrifying. And you're right--it's sad that it isn't bigger news, because it really should be.

controlled chaos said...

Hi guys thanks for all your responses and for caring. David Kames, thank you for that additional information.

It's good to know that some of us are now less ignorant and care about what happened to Marwa. I wish the entire world was like this. sigh.

Anyways here's the original link where I had first read the article. You can also search bbc news for it.

http://www.facebook.com/ext/share.php?sid=102004406714&h=p_dSk&u=ZPh1V&ref=nf

Kate said...

Wow what a story. I hadn't heard about that, so I appreciate you sharing it!

Soda and Candy said...

Awful.

Here in the Southern US, "Muslim" is almost a synonym for "terrorist" to so many ignorant people, whereas I grew up in a much more multicultural city in Australia, and it's just such a frustrating thing to behold. And then it goes beyond frustrating to horrifying when things like this happen and people don't seem to care because she's one of "them" not one of "us".

Hello, we're ALL "us".

Izzy said...

Great post, thanks for sharing -- I hadn't heard of this news either.

Yasemin said...

This story is terrible and the Germans are acting no different than some of them did during the Holocaust.

I mean what if the dad had died? We're just lucky that his son still has a father, and it wasn't by the grace of The Germans that he was spared...

I'm appalled and trying to figure out what the heck CAIR is doing? My guess-counting their millions....Love you and ugh, detestable!

Anonymous said...

Alex W is now on trial:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/8325451.stm
DK