Muslim Health Professionals Hold Capitol Hill Citizens' Hearing on Universal Healthcare

WASHINGTON, D.C. (MASNET) Sept. 16, 2009 – On September 15, 2009, MAS Freedom (MASF) is a civic and human rights advocacy entity of the Muslim American Society (MAS), participated in a Citizens' Hearing on Universal Health Care at the Rayburn House of Representatives building on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. sponsored by the American Muslim Task Force on Civil Rights and Elections (AMT). A panel of prominent Muslim health care professionals and three members of Congress also contributed to Tuesday's hearing as the nation continues to be engaged in a ferocious, and often unprincipled, attempt by some political forces in America to derail the idea of comprehensive health care reform. (SLIDESHOW)

The political contest is heated, and often uncivil, yet Muslim physicians, national leaders, and civil rights leaders are united by two points of agreement: first, that health care is a human right – not a commodity; and second, that the tenets of the Islamic faith compel Muslims to work for social justice and compassion, which means, in the context of this political issue, universal health care in the United States.

"This crucial issue involving health care moves beyond mere public policy. Universal health care is both a moral and spiritual imperative and must be recognized as a fundamental right for everyone," stated MAS Freedom Executive Director, Mahdi Bray.

Testifying before a panel of national Muslim leaders including AMT President Dr. Agha Saeed, Nihad Awad, Executive Director of the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR), Naim Baig, Secretary General of the Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA), Dr. Jamal Barzinji, Vice President of the International Institute of Islamic Thought (IIIT), MAS Freedom (MASF) Executive Director, Imam Mahdi Bray, and Kaizi Khan of the American Muslim Alliance (AMA), New York chapter, health care professionals and practicing Muslims, Dr. Khalique Zahir, President of the Medical Association of North America, Dr. Zaid Imran, a prominent psychiatrist, and Dr. Esam Omeish, a prominent Virginia surgeon and former Board Chair of the Muslim American Society, offered their perspectives on the national health care debate. (PHOTO ALBUM)

Dr. Khalique Zahir noted that while the United States leads the world by a large margin in per capita health care expenditures, this staggering amount is not evenly distributed across the population. He pointed out that the wealthiest 10 percent of Americans account for 63 per cent of all health care expenditures in the country, while the cost of health insurance has risen some 140% in the last decade. Additionally, some 50% of this $ 2.2 trillion spent on health care in the U.S. every year is wasted, and that the average annual health care cost for a family of four in America is now $16,771.

Dr. Zhair went on to explain that this staggering collective bill is driven, in part, by some $210 billion spent every tear on "defensive" medical costs that are intended to protect physicians from possible malpractice lawsuits. This reality underlines the need for comprehensive reform to guarantee that physicians can deliver quality care without the fear of potentially ruinous litigation.

Psychiatrist, Dr. Zaid Imran offered his expert testimony by noting that, while seeking medical knowledge and serving the needs of others is sacred in Islam, the defense of the not-so-sacred national status quo is funded by some one million dollars spent every day by the health insurance and pharmaceutical companies to oppose the structural reforms presented by President Obama. Dr. Imran added that one large health care organization-United Health Group-booked some $812 billion in profits a year ago.

Virginia surgeon and former Board Chair of the Muslim American Society, Dr. Esam Omeish, reiterated the need to regard health care as a human right, and not a commodity, noting that the ultimate goal of advocacy should be the creation of "robust and sustainable" care for all, and not the continued preservation of profits made by the insurance industry.

Meanwhile, however, as insurance and drug companies continue to fight against universal coverage, the idea of health care for all Americans is being vigorously supported by the American Medical Association and virtually all professional medical groups in America. The opposition to reform, Omeish stated, "is not about health care-it's about (opposition to) (President Barack) Obama."

Three members of the House of Representatives- Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio), Rep. Andre Carson (D-Indiana, and the second of two Muslims elected to Congress), and Rep. Pete Stark (D-CA) all gave enthusiastic praise for the national Muslim stand for health care reform.

Rep. Kucinich particularly emphasized both the Islamic values of compassion and caring for others as a central tent of the faith, and the need to organize a serious political movement to hold the government accountable for living up to the constitutional responsibility to "promote the general welfare" for all people in society.

As a co-author of HR 676 (a bill calling for a national single payer health insurance system), Rep. Kucinich emphasized that the road to universal health coverage in American will be a long one, but that people must be prepared to continue to struggle for this objective, adding, "All of our faith traditions are based on some variation of the golden rule to love our neighbors as ourselves."

One aspect of the national health care mosaic – that of free health clinics – is not often a topic in the current public debate, however, Khizer Husain, a Fulbright Scholar and Washington Liaison to the Task Force on Health Care Affordability, noted the solid, and even remarkable, contribution that free Muslim health clinics are making in serving the community of poor and disadvantaged.

There are some 25 of these Muslim-initiated clinics throughout the United States (out of a total of some 1,200 free clinics in the nation), demonstrative of the Islamic concept of "faith in action" and the Islamic charitable obligation to serve needy people.

One of these institutions, the Ummah Clinic in Los Angeles, was praised on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives by Rep. Maxine Waters (D-California) for its outstanding service in the Los Angeles community. The clinic now provides care to some 16,000 people, less than 2% of which are Muslim.

In an impact statement regarding the ordeal she endured while suffering from a serious illness and losing her health insurance, Muslim community member Beverly Britton told panel members, "In the end, I lost my home."

America's Muslim health care providers are not monolithic, but two things are certain: they are both a formidable force in the national health care reform debate, and they are seriously committed to the Islamic principles of compassion and caring for the welfare of their neighbors.

And in this case, compassion means affordable health care for every person in this nation.

For additional information contact MAS Freedom AT (202) 552-7414, (703) 642-6165 or by email: info AT masfreedom.org.
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MAS Freedom (MASF) is a civic and human rights advocacy entity and sister organization of the Muslim American Society (MAS), the largest Muslim, grassroots, charitable, religious, social, cultural, civic and educational organization in America - with 55 chapters in 35 states.

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Muslims Strive for Shari`ah-Compliant Drugs

By Rafiu Oriyomi
Freelance Writer - Nigeria

Out of religious concern, as well as due to the evident increase in drug abuse among Nigerian youth, the Muslim Pharmacists Association of Nigeria recently announced its plan to manufacture drugs containing no alcohol or intoxicants such as codeine (a narcotic pain medicine found in most cough syrups) while at the same time meeting the medical needs of the Ummah (Muslim Nation).

The announcement has drawn international headlines as well as some skepticism, with observers waiting to see if the group can turn the dream into a reality in a world where Islamic renaissance draws suspicions of fundamentalism.

The skepticism flows from the fact that alcohol has long been used as a solvent in medicines and for the extraction of active constituents of crude drugs. It also concentrates the active components within the medicine and improves its absorption after consumption. Alcohol acts as a preservative and slows downs the fermentation that occurs when only water is used. Compounds that can be dissolved in alcohol include alkaloids, glycosides, resins, and volatile oils.

Ironically, the early application of alcohol to medicine is claimed to be traced back to two Muslim alchemists from Persia, namely Geber and Rhazes, who developed and used distillation to concentrate alcohol for its use as an anesthetic.

An Arab surgeon, Abulcasis, who lived in Spain during the late 10th century, described the use of distilled alcohol in drugs as a solvent. Its use for the preparation of chemicals and tinctures became popularized during the 16th century by Paracelsus, a Swiss physician.

The Search for Alternatives

The aim of the Muslim Pharmacists Association of Nigeria is to come up with an effective alternative to alcohol, if any. Another main concern of the association is the rising misuse of intoxicating drugs.

Alhaji Aliyu Haruna, the national president of the association, says his group stands by the recent announcement and that they are convinced that alcohol and intoxicants can be substituted with other substances that are both legal and permissible for the Ummah.

Haruna would neither deny nor confirm that Muslim societies pioneered the use of alcohol in drug making and preservation, but insists that advancements in medicine and technology compel the search for pro-Islamic drugs.

In an exclusive interview with IslamOnline.net, he said that his group has taken upon itself the responsibility to help the Ummah comply with Shari`ah (Islamic law) in their use of drugs.

Haruna lamented that most people chose the cough syrups that contain codeine and that many become intoxicated. Islam forbids the intake of intoxicating substances.

"As a group out to help the Ummah conform to Shari`ah in their use of drugs, we are talking about the use of intoxicants in medication," said Haruna.

"Obviously alcohol is an intoxicant, but basically there is this issue of cough syrup with codeine which people, especially the youth, abuse."

Haruna maintained that many people use cough syrups that contain codeine to get high.

"So our association is certainly concerned about the use of this intoxicant, especially when we are aware that there are other substitutes of medications that could be used in place of codeine."

"There are many verses of the Holy Qur'an which forbid the use of intoxicants, particularly Chapter 5 verse 90," he added.

"Pharmacy is Advancing"

Haruna explained that Islam is not an austere religion, and that it allows certain forbidden things, such as the consumption of pork, if your life depends on it and there are no alternatives. However, the intake of such forbidden substances becomes unacceptable if an effective substitute is available.

"We have set up a committee to come up with substitutes we think are available for alcohol and then encourage manufacturers to use them. This will be a long term campaign," he said.

"There are many other potent cough syrups without codeine, and we encourage our brothers to opt for them. Because of the abuse of intoxicants, our local manufacturers are also working seriously to avoid its use, where possible."

Asked whether the organization plans or has the capacity to stop the local manufacture or importation of drugs containing alcohol, Haruna said, "The essence of our organization is to help our brothers. We can neither stop the importation of such drugs nor stop those who insist on producing them."

He went on to say, "Our focus is to assist our brothers like we see in Malaysia and Indonesia, where they produce drugs that suit the situation and religious doctrine of their people."

When asked what could be used in place of alcohol as a solvent, the pharmacist said that "water could be used for this purpose too, although there is the danger of water getting infected with fungi. We encourage the Ummah to always avoid drugs with alcohol since there are alternatives."

Haruna also said that the "Muslim society has options not to use gelatin made from pork," as there are Halal alternatives.

"Like every other field of study, pharmacy is advancing. Today, pharmaceutical scientists are talking about genetic engineering where genes will be manipulated to address diseases without [the sick] necessarily taking chemicals," enthused Haruna.

Sources: Brinker, Francis. " The Importance of Alcohol in Medicine." Health World. Accessed 21 Oct. 2009

Rafiu Oriyomi is a senior journalist in Nigeria, who writes politics, religion, and development. He is currently the Foreign Editor of a national newspaper in Nigeria. He holds a national diploma in Mass Communication and is currently reading History and International Relations at the Lagos State University. You can contact him by emailing: HealthAndScienceATiolteamDOTcom

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Bar in Cyprus Mosque Infuriates Muslims

CAIRO — The building of a bar in the garden of a historic mosque in South Cyprus has infuriated local Muslims who warn the provocative action could foment ethnic tensions in the disputed island.

"What they are trying to construct in the garden of the mosque is not in accordance with the values [of Islam]," Hala Mosque Imam ?akir Alemdar told Zaman daily on Monday, October 26.

Greek authorities in South Cyprus announced the construction of a bar in the garden of the historic Hala Mosque to allegedly serve tourists visiting the site.

The decision stirred a wave of criticism from local Muslims offended by the provocative action.

“The Greeks know in their territory there are some traces left from the Ottoman Empire,” said Mehmet Dere, the Head of the Religious Worker's Union.

"They should stop the construction."

Hala Mosque is the most revered Muslim shrine in Cyprus and an important holy site for the entire Muslim world.

It reportedly houses the tomb of Umm Haram, the aunt of the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessing be upon him).

Most accounts establish a connection between the site and the death of Umm Haram during the first Arab attempts to conquer Cyprus under Caliph Muawiyah between 647 and 649.

According to these accounts, Umm Haram, being of very old age, had fallen from her mule and had died during a siege of Larnaca in south Cyprus.

She was buried near the salt lake and her grave became a sacred shrine. The shrine, and later the mosque and the whole complex, was named after her.

Harmful

Muslim leaders warn the construction of a bar would be hurtful to the relations between Turkish Muslims and Greek non-Muslims on the island.

“Religious values should be respected in order for relations between the two sides to remain positive,” said Yusuf Suiçmez, Director of Religious Affairs Directorate in the Turkish Republic or Northern Cyprus (KKTC).

Cyprus, the Mediterranean's third largest island, is partitioned into two main parts.

The area under the effective control of the Republic of Cyprus comprises about 59 percent of the island's area and is a European Union member.

The Turkish-held area in the north covers about 37 percent of the island's area and recognized only by Turkey as an independent state.

Suiçmez said his directorate has recently filed a complaint at the state offices in Greek Cyprus, but has so far received no response.

Imam Alemdar said the provocation move is offending to Muslims all over the world not just in Cyprus.

“If the construction goes on and officials do not intervene to stop it, we would make this incident more public to the world," he said.

"It is not an issue related to the KKTC but to the entire Muslim world. Every Muslim should be paying attention to this.”

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Nigeria's Anti-Hijab Employers

LAGOS – Muslim women in southern Nigeria are reportedly facing job discriminations in the private labour market, especially the banking sector, on account of their hijab which most employers consider unpatronising. Rasheedah Omolola Abdulkareem, a graduate of accounting, says she has been discriminated against twice during job interviews in multi-religious Lagos, Nigeria’s economic hub and former federal capital city.

"In March this year, I visited the Integrated Corporate Service (ICS), a recruitment agency for banks and oil companies in Ilupeju, a suburb of Lagos, looking for job offers," she told IslamOnline.

"I met all their requirements. We were asked to write tests. I did and got a notification two weeks after that I passed the test and should come for interview," she recalled.

"I went there only to be told that I was not dressing corporately.”

Mrs. Abdulkareem rushed home, put on a suit jacket and skirt, while still covering her head.

"But the interviewer, for reasons known to him, refused me access on my return, unless I remove my head cover. That was how I lost the job."

She says the same happened in a job interview at a bank.

"I was told point blank I cannot be employed because I cannot market the bank with my religious dress," she asserted.

"They said my hijab will not make me smart," she added.

A spokesman of the Chartered Institute of Bankers in Nigeria (CIBN), who sought anonymity because he was not authorised to speak on the sensitive issue, said banks or any other establishments reserve the right to employ who they think will boost their business.

He neither confirmed nor denied discrimination against veiled Muslim women.

There is no law banning hijab anywhere in Nigeria, a country with a secular constitution but whose citizens are considered some of the world's most religious.

Most states in the Muslim-dominated North operate a Shari`ah legal code.

Southern Nigeria is largely multi-religious, with Christians in the majority.

Trend

Idayat Adeola-Lawal, a graduate of College of Education, had similar experience when she wanted to teach at an elementary school in Abeokuta, the capital of Ogun State in southwest Nigeria.

"The school authorities told me I cannot teach in their school with my Islamic garments," she told IOL.

"And since my religion is paramount I left the school."

Islam sees hijab as an obligatory code of dress, not a religious symbol displaying one’s affiliations.

Maymunat Ismail, a nurse in a private hospital in Ibadan in the south-western Oyo State, faces sanctions for her hijab.

"They told me my headscarf is not welcome and that my insistence could get me sacked," she told IOL.

"I told my parents to help plead with the proprietor that my appearance does not block my brain," she added.

"We are still dragging the issue with my fate hanging in the balance."

Al-Mu’minaat a nationwide coalition of mostly young Muslim women from various backgrounds, including the professionals, says the anti-hijab trend is on the rise.

"We have the same scenarios playing out in nursing schools," Hajiah Mutiah Jumoh-Olagunju, president of the Al-Mu’minaat, told IOL.

"It is worst in banks because it seems to be a no-go area for Muslim women."

She brands such stances as a violation of "our human rights as guaranteed by the constitution of Nigeria and other global declarations of people’s rights."

The Al-Mu’minaat says its campaign against discrimination in government establishment is yielding positive results, with women now allowed to wear hijab in state hospitals and schools without any harassment.

"But there is still a long way to go, because the battle is still ahead in the private sector," admits Jumoh-Olagunju

"We will soon be filing cases in court to seek full respect of our fundamental human rights."

Source: IslamOnline

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Africa's Human Trafficking Nightmare

NAIROBI - Human trafficking in the parched and bare Horn of Africa region is getting bolder every passing day as the region groans under the yoke of protracted conflicts, searing poverty and cyclic droughts. "The rate of trafficking is very alarming," Mrs. Amina Kinsi, the coordinator of Ngazi Moja Foundation, an anti-trafficking lobby group in Easleigh, the hub of human trafficking in the Horn, told IslamOnline.

Thousands of young Somalis, Ethiopians and Eritrean are being smuggled out of their countries to chase the dream of better lives elsewhere.

"Many of them cannot face the searing poverty and conflict in their countries. They are smuggled out so that they can get out of this disarray."

War-ravaged Somalia, where militant groups are conducting daily attacks on the fragile authority of President Sheikh Sharif, stands out as the state worst affected in Africa.

"Many youth are abandoning their families in war-torn Somalia, simply vanishing into South Africa, often passing through a dangerous journey," says Kinsi.

Human traffickers have established a strongwork to make money from many ambitious young people.

"Traffickers make millions of dollars by arranging and directing the journey to South Africa," estimates Abdi Abdikadir, an anti-trafficking activist in Nairobi.

The cheapest illegal migration goes well over 600 dollars while the most expensive costs more than 1,500 dollars for a journey to South Africa that sometimes takes several months.

Pressure groups have sharply criticized the role of security agents in Eastern African countries where trafficking is deeply entrenched.

They argue that security agents are colluding with smugglers, increasing the risk of the illegal trade.

Aid groups say the illegal business is an organized crime that is operating on a global scale, with an estimated trade value of 32 billion dollars a year.

In about 130 countries throughout the world, about 2.7 million people are trafficked at one point every year.

Abused Girls

In much of the countries in this region, human trafficking continues to be a lucrative business.

"In the Horn of African region, the situation is getting desperate for those who are smuggled like goods," says George Omondi, another anti-trafficking activist in Nairobi.

"The crime is on the increase every day."

According to a report recently released in Nairobi by the International Organization of Migration, (IOM), most victims of human trafficking are women and young girls.

Many of them are forced into prostitution and other forms of sexual exploitation.

"Girls are in great danger in this situation," an official with the IOM who counsels Somali refugees in Kenya, told IOL on condition of anonymity.

"I have recently dealt with the case of a teenage girl who was going to catch a bus to South Africa. She was gang raped on the way."

Fatma Issa (not her real name) made a failed journey to South Africa last year.

Now back in Kenya, she recalls her nightmarish experience with the human traffickers.

"They don’t care about the lives of the people they are trafficking," Issa, 29, told IOL in the heavily Somali-populated settlement of Easleigh in Nairobi.

"They care about how they can get more money, they are really thieves and every government should stand up against these guys," she said, physically moved by the memory.

Issa says the hellish journey is a chilling reminder and should be a lesson for others who are now preparing to take the same risk.

"It was an experience that I will never try again."

Source: IslamOnline

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West Treating Iran Unfairly: Erdogan

CAIRO – Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has accused the West of treating Iran unfairly over its nuclear program, denying Western accusations that Tehran was seeking nuclear weapons. "There is a style of approach which is not very fair,” Erdogan said in an interview with the Guardian on Monday, October 26.

He accused the world major powers of “hypocrisy” in tackling the Iranian nuclear issue, especially those with “very strong nuclear infrastructures.”

"The permanent members of the UN Security Council all have nuclear arsenals and then there are countries which are not members of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) which also have nuclear weapons,” Erdogan noted.

"So although Iran doesn't have a weapon, those who say Iran shouldn't have them are those countries which do."

The US and its main European allies accuse Tehran of developing a secret nuclear weapons program.

Iran insists that its nuclear program only aims at procuring power to feed an increasing local consumption.

"Iran does not accept it is building a weapon…They are working on nuclear power for the purposes of energy only," said Erdogan.

He warned against any "crazy" military strike targeting Iranian nuclear installations.

“I don't think that would be right."

The US has never ruled out a military action against Tehran and its chief regional ally, Israel, has already threatened military action against the Islamic republic.

Prejudice

Taking up his country’s decades-old EU accession talks, Erdogan said Ankara’s membership would help strengthen the West’s relations with the Muslim world.

"Being in the European Union we would be building bridges between the 1.5 billion people of the Muslim world to the non-Muslim world,” he contended.

“They have to see this. If they ignore it, it brings weakness to the EU."

Ankara's long quest to join Europe's 27-country club has been dogged by problems since it was made an official candidate in October 2005.

"Among leaders in Europe there are those who have prejudices against Turkey, like France and Germany,” said Erdogan.

“Previously under Mr Chirac, we had excellent relations with France and he was very positive towards Turkey,” he recalled, referring to former French president Jack Chirac.

“But during the time of Mr Sarkozy, this is not the case.”

Opposition from France and Germany, the EU’s two central powers, has dimmed prospects of the overwhelmingly Muslim nation of 71 million ever joining the 27-nation bloc.

“The European Union is violating its own rules,” Erdogan said.

“It is an unfair attitude.”

Source: IslamOnline

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Afghans Protest Qur'an Desecration

KABUL – At least three Afghans were injured Monday, October 26, when police randomly opened fire at people protesting reports about the burning of the Noble Qur’an by foreign troops. "Police fired at the crowd, one bullet hit me. I was closing my shop at the time," Sherullah, an 18-year-old man, told Agence France-Presse (AFP).

"They (policemen) were just firing. They were firing at the people," added Sherullah, who suffered a bullet wound to his hip.

Around 300 Afghans marched on the parliament in protest at reports that foreign troops burnt a copy of the Qur’an.

The angry protestors hurled stones at the riot police and armoured vehicles blocking their way.

Clashes erupted when the policy tried to disperse the protestors.

"They beat us up, they fired at the people," said one protestor, one side of his face covered in blood.

The Interior Ministry said that more than 15 police were also wounded in the clashes.

Dozens of protestors were also arrested.

An AFP reporter at the scene saw about three dozen people, mainly young students, herded into a police vehicle and taken away.

"We were demonstrating, we wanted to protest the burning of Qur’an by the foreign forces but the police came and started beating us," a young man, refusing to give his name, said from the back of a police vehicle.

On Sunday, protestors torched an effigy of US President Barack Obama and attacked police. Police responded by firing into the air to disperse the crowd.

The US-led foreign troops were reportedly burnt a copy of the Qur’an during an operation against the Taliban in the province of Wardak, south of Kabul, earlier this month.

The claims have been rigorously denied by NATO and Afghan authorities who say they are being falsely circulated to whip up hatred against the West.

Appeal for Calm

The protests come amid a growing resentment, even among government members, against the 100,000 foreign troops in Afghanistan.

"Is the United States a reliable partner with Afghanistan? Is the West a reliable partner with Afghanistan?" President Hamid Karzai told CNN in an interview on Sunday.

"Have we received the commitments that we were given? Have we been treated like a partner?"

The US invaded Afghanistan in 2001 on promises to promote democracy and prosperity in the central Asian Muslim country.

But eight years after the US ousted Taliban and installed a West-backed government, Afghans still lack the very basics of life.

The country is so destitute and undeveloped that most inhabitants have no central heating, electricity or running water.

The protests sparked calls from the United Nations for calm, as the country is heading for an election run-off next month.

"We want to appeal for calm,” Dan McNorton, a spokesman for the UN mission in Kabul, told AFP.

Afghans will go to polling stations on November 7 to elect a new president from among incumbent Karzai and former foreign minister Abdullah Abdullah.

“We recognise that emotions are high but this issue needs to be resolved by talking not by resorting to violence,” said McNorton.

"There is nothing to indicate the demonstrations are politically motivated but we do need to recognise the constitutional right of people to demonstrate peacefully."

Source: IslamOnline

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German 'Hijab martyr' trial opens under tight security

The trial of a man accused of killing pregnant Egyptian Muslim woman Marwa Ali El Sherbini in a national courtroom in July opened today in Germany.

The defendant, identified as Alex W., stands trial today for stabbing to death Marwa al-Sherbini in a courtroom in Dresden.

The 28-year-old man stabbed Marwa at least 18 times in three minutes on July 1 in front of her husband, 3-year-old son and eight courtroom officials as well as police.

He stabbed the 31-year-old mother repeatedly with an 18-centimeter kitchen knife in the same courthouse where his trial will be held.

Alex W. also attempted to kill the victim's husband. During the frenzy a court guard shot Sherbini's husband in the leg, 'mistaking' him for the attacker.

Thousands of Muslims took to the streets worldwide to mourn the death of the young woman, dubbed the "Hijab martyr". The protests also targeted the media silence in Germany over the incident.

Egypt has demanded the maximum sentence for Alex W., which is life imprisonment under German law.

Source: Press TV

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