The trial of a man accused of stabbing a pregnant Egyptian woman to death in a German court — an attack that outraged Muslims — opens Monday in the same courthouse, but under much greater security.
Some 200 police officers are to secure the Dresden state court, and bulletproof glass has been installed in the courtroom where the alleged assailant, identified only as Alexander W., goes on trial accused of murder, attempted murder and dangerous bodily harm.
Marwa al-Sherbini, 31, was giving evidence in July against a man charged with defamation for having called her a "terrorist" and "Islamist" when he attacked her. The young woman died after being stabbed 18 times. Her husband was also stabbed.
Members of al-Sherbini's family, including her husband, Elwy Ali Okaz, are to act as co-plantiffs in the trial, as is allowed under German law — allowing them to review evidence, file motions and question witnesses.
On Sunday, Egypt's president of the Lawyers' Syndicate, Hamdi Ahmed Khalifa, left for Germany to join the al-Sherbini family lawyers.
He told reporters that the defense team will "concentrate on refuting some of the German media's claims that the killer is mentally ill. We will demand the severest punishment for him."
The defendant Alexander W. is a jobless 29-year-old German citizen who was born in Russia and emigrated to Dresden a decade ago.
The July 1 killing of pharmacist al-Sherbini triggered protests in Egypt and Turkey, in large part due to what Muslims regarded as a lack of concern regarding the incident in Germany and the rest of the Western world.
Chancellor Angela Merkel expressed her condolences to Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak on the sidelines of the Group of Eight summit in Italy this summer, but German officials generally appeared slow to respond to the killing. That was widely interpreted in the Muslim world as evidence of a deep-seated Islamophobia in Germany.
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad highlighted as evidence of Western double-standards the contrast between an apparent lack of interest in the story and intense interest in the death of a young Iranian woman during anti-government protests in Tehran.
Ahead of the trial, Merkel's adviser for immigrant affairs spoke Friday with Egypt's ambassador to Germany. Maria Boehmer's office said the two agreed to stay in touch, given the tremendous interest in the trial "in both countries, as well as in the whole Arab world."
In their indictment, Dresden prosecutors said the defendant was driven by a "hatred of non-Europeans and Muslims." If convicted, he could face life in prison.
The defendant had originally taken al-Sherbini to court to challenge a euro780 ($1,170) fine for defaming her in 2008 over a dispute on a playground.
Prosecutors say that in the courtroom he turned on al-Sherbini, stabbing her repeatedly with a seven-inch (18-centimeter) kitchen knife in front of her husband, 3-year-old son and eight courtroom officials.
Most German courts normally have no security measures and the defendant was able to smuggle the knife into the courtroom.
Okaz tried to intervene to protect his wife and was critically wounded when a security guard called to the scene shot him in the leg, apparently confusing him for the attacker.
The trial is scheduled to last 11 days. Participants were allowed to inspect the courtroom on Friday, according to a Web site operated by al-Sherbini's family and friends that aims to inform the public on the proceedings.
Re: German trial over stabbing death of Muslim woman
the western governments go berserk when an iranian girl gets killed by an unknown quantity, the media is the tool used to try and defame the country after unsettling it..meanwhile around the same time we get a woman stabbed in a courthouse 18 times nothing is done....her husband gets stabbed nothing is done and according to them its not an interesting enough story to get the right amount of coverage
Re: German trial over stabbing death of Muslim woman
I wonder if muslims will ever come to the mass realization that "justice" and "equality" touted by western civilization are more political than anything. The "goodwill" towards muslims need to be seen that it is more of a reluctant courtesy, and that behind it there are layers of fear. Fear of muslims living amongst them and bringing their traditions and causing discomfort, fear of Islam itself and its obligations being enforced upon them, and fear of losing their freedom and identity.
Of course some of these fears are unfounded and the rest are outright rediculous, but they are fears that appear very real to them nontheless, and what muslims need to understand is that the anti-Islamic notions are not errors or haphazard occaisions, but actively nurtured by anti-Islamic institutions and the stupidities of extremists and ignorants carrying the Islam banner. Until we realize what and who is targeting us, all our efforts will be pretty futile to counter them.
_____________________________________________
Iblis's eternal destination in the Hellfire is due to Arrogance, not Disbelief.
Re: German trial over stabbing death of Muslim woman
First it is pathetic that a modern country like Germany cannot even provide basic security for parties in action in the court. They cannot even recruit proper security guards who in this case shot the man who tried to save his wife.
Second I have no idea what they are supposed to be debating about. Individuals like Douglas Murray has not studied the Qu'ran. He labelled Islam as Fascists, bigoted and racist. Islam had spoken against racism before even the European countries introduced the Human Rights Act, it is the US and European countries charging around the world setting up Fascists regimes and the guy himself is bigoted and has not woken up to reality. Typical strategies to divert the topic.
It is so obvious the media is the main blame for Islamophobia. After September 11th there had been an increase in hatred attacks against Muslims and...Sikhs. They attacked Sikhs because they wear a Turban and have beard and thought they were Muslims. In regards to issues taking place in Iran, again Douglas Murray is only vomiting out the crap that Zionist media has fed him.
I was looking at myself talking to myself and I realized this conversation...I was having with myself looking at myself was a conversation with myself that I needed to have with myself.
Re: German trial over stabbing death of Muslim woman
'opens under greater security'.. got to love that.. who are they tightening the security for? she got killed in the same court house and her husband shot by the courthouse police.. perhaps they should lessen the security and bring her three year old son for the finish...
7asbona Allah wa'ni3ma alwakeel!
Text without context is pretext If your opponent is of choleric temperament, seek to irritate him
Re: German trial over stabbing death of Muslim woman
format_quote Originally Posted by Sampharo
I wonder if muslims will ever come to the mass realization that "justice" and "equality" touted by western civilization are more political than anything. The "goodwill" towards muslims need to be seen that it is more of a reluctant courtesy, and that behind it there are layers of fear. Fear of muslims living amongst them and bringing their traditions and causing discomfort, fear of Islam itself and its obligations being enforced upon them, and fear of losing their freedom and identity.
Of course some of these fears are unfounded and the rest are outright rediculous, but they are fears that appear very real to them nontheless, and what muslims need to understand is that the anti-Islamic notions are not errors or haphazard occaisions, but actively nurtured by anti-Islamic institutions and the stupidities of extremists and ignorants carrying the Islam banner. Until we realize what and who is targeting us, all our efforts will be pretty futile to counter them.
Extremely well put. And that both you as a muslim and I as an atheist see it may give your observation even more weight.
Re: German trial over stabbing death of Muslim woman
format_quote Originally Posted by Uthmān
[COLOR=#153e7e][FONT=Georgia][SIZE=3]
...
Okaz tried to intervene to protect his wife and was critically wounded when a security guard called to the scene shot him in the leg, apparently confusing him for the attacker.
So he shot the husband by accident and then what? He just stopped and let the real attacker stab the muslim female 18 freakin times? I can understand maybe once or twice, but 18 times? What was he doing? Reloading?!
He should have just shot him there and then - he was quick enough to shoot the husband!
This whole case is an utter farce, and hopefully, this scumbag in question will get death penalty: he killed someone (who was pregnant [that's double murder btw] AND suing him for defamation [wow, how many crimes has he commited now?!) in court - it would be an insult to the justice system if this ass-wipe does not receive death penalty.
Someone said to the Prophet, "Pray to God against the idolaters and curse them." The Prophet replied, "I have been sent to show mercy and have not been sent to curse." (Muslim)
Re: German trial over stabbing death of Muslim woman
German courtroom killer gets life
A man has been sentenced to life in prison after being convicted of murdering a pregnant Egyptian woman in a German courtroom.
The Dresden state court also ruled that Alexander Wiens would not be eligible for early release.
Wiens, 28, admitted stabbing Marwa Sherbini to death at a court hearing involving them both in July.
The crime sparked outrage across the Muslim world. Egypt said justice had been served with the sentence.
Wiens, a Russian-born German citizen, had argued his action was not premeditated.
But prosecutors at the trial, which took place amid tight security, insisted he was motivated by a "hatred of non-Europeans and Muslims".
'Martyr of the hijab'
The case began with an argument in a playground in 2008.
Ms Sherbini, a pharmacist, is said to have asked Wiens to let her child use a playground swing he was sitting on. He refused and instead called her abusive names.
She later took the defendant to court and he was fined 780 euros ($1,170; £718) for defamation.
But when Wiens returned to the courtroom for an appeal hearing on 1 July this year, prosecutors say he smuggled in an 18cm (7in) kitchen knife and stabbed Ms Sherbini at least 16 times with it.
The 31-year-old, who was three months pregnant with her second child, bled to death in front of her husband and their three-year-old son.
Her husband was himself stabbed as he tried to protect his wife, and also accidentally shot in the leg by a security guard who initially believed him to be the attacker.
Wiens was also found guilty of attempted murder and causing bodily harm for his
Egyptian Ambassador Ramzy Ezzeldin Ramzy told reporters outside court that "justice has been honoured".
He said: "Getting the maximum possible sentence, I think that itself says a lot."
Egyptian foreign ministry spokesman Hossam Zaki said in a statement quoted by AFP news agency: "The verdict, the maximum punishment under German law, serves justice and is considered a warning to those motivated by hate."
Many Muslim leaders had accused Germany of Islamophobia following the killing.
They said the country, which has the second-biggest Muslim population in Western Europe, had been too slow to condemn it.
Ms Sherbini, who wore a headscarf, was dubbed "the martyr of the hijab".
Thousands attended her funeral in Egypt, some chanting "Death to Germany", and there were also mass protests in Iran.
On Wednesday, outside the courtroom, about 200 people staged a demonstration calling for the German government to do more to counter racism, particularly on the internet.
ANALYSIS
By Yolande Knell, BBC News, Cairo
There were alerts on Egyptian state television as news of the verdict broke.
This trial has been extensively covered in the media and many Egyptian journalists travelled to Dresden.
Members of Marwa Sherbini's family and Egyptian lawyers - including a legal team provided by the Egyptian foreign ministry - were also in court.
The case shocked Egyptians and there was outrage at what was seen as the slow response of the German authorities to deal with claims of Islamophobia and to offer condolences.
In July, thousands turned out for the funeral of Ms Sherbini in Alexandria, her home city.
There were small protests afterwards outside the German embassy and in the Al-Azhar Mosque in Cairo.
Tensions remained during the trial - causing a Dresden orchestra to postpone planned performances in Egypt.
Re: German trial over stabbing death of Muslim woman
format_quote Originally Posted by Humbler_359
Salaam Glo,
I am not sure what you mean by satisfaction? You know as I know this guy did absolutely done wrong cowardly attack in Courtroom, don't you think?
Peace!
Greetings, Humbler
Perhaps 'satisfied' for the wrong term to use.
What this man did was terrible and inexcusable ... and nothing will ever be enough to repay the grief and hurt, which he has caused!
I guess what I meant was, given that some people have called for the death penalty, do they feel the German law has done justice?
Peace glo
Here I stand.
I can do no other.
May God help me.
Amen.
Come, let us worship and bow down •
and kneel before the Lord our Maker
[Psalm 95]
Re: German trial over stabbing death of Muslim woman
According to islam that is not justice, but what can you do? Regarding being satisfied with the punishment, I doubt the husband is gonna be satisfied knowing that his wife and child are dead whilst the murderer is still alive in this world.
No punishment can bring back the dead, but the death sentence would atleast rid the world of these criminals straight away, the husband would probably think alot less about his wife's murderer knowing that he's dead in his grave rather than alive and kicking.
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