German on Trial for Muslim Murder

A German man is on trial for killing an Egyptian woman, lets get the full report.

Egyptian Marwa El-Sherbiny was stabbed to death in a German court in July.

The 31-year-old mother-of-one was pregnant at the time.

Now the man accused of killing her, known only as Alex W., has gone on trial in the same court building in the eastern German city of Dresden.

The killing happened when Alex W. – a German of Russian origin – was appealing a conviction for insulting Sherbiny.

He was accused of calling her an „Islamist“, a „terrorist“ and a „slut“ when she asked him to make room for her son to play on swings in a playground.

Alex W. also stabbed Sherbiny’s husband.

The police added to the chaos when they shot him in the leg, mistaking him for the attacker.

The killing in July sparked protests in Egypt and Iran over whether Germany tolerated anti-Islamic views.

The head of Germany’s Muslim Council says it’s now up to Germans to defend their reputation during this trial:

[Ayyub Axel Koehler, German Muslim Council]:
„We’re looking at this trial with great anticipation because our women and girls are obviously scared. They are already being discriminated against in public and looked down on.“

Before the trial, there were fears that it could lead to an eruption of violence similar to that following Denmark’s publication of cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed, so security was tight.

Sherbiny’s family and friends wore badges with her photo in court.

And the case has led to much soul-searching in Germany – home to the second-biggest Muslim population in Europe – about how it reacts to xenophobia.

(NTDTV)