Iran’s Foreign Ministry on July 9 summoned the German Ambassador, Herbert Honsowitz to the Iranian Foreign Ministry over the brutal murder of a Muslim Egyptian woman Marwa el-Sherbini in a Dresden court. Foreign Ministry Spokesman Hassan Qashqavi condemned el-Sherbini’s murder as a despicable act in violation of “all human rights and values.” El-Sherbini, dubbed the “veil martyr,” was involved in a court case against her neighbour, Axel W., who was found guilty last November of insulting and abusing the woman, calling her a “terrorist.” She was set to testify against Axel W. when he stabbed her 18 times inside the Dresden court in front of her 3-year-old son. El-Sherbini’s husband, Elvi Ali Okaz, came to her aid but was also stabbed by the neighbour and shot in the leg by a security guard who initially mistook him for the attacker, German prosecutors said. He is now in critical condition in a German hospital. Pointing to the German government’s delayed response to the incident, the Iranian Foreign Ministry said that it was Berlin’s responsibility to ensure the rights and security of minorities, especially Muslims, living in Germany.
The Muslim population of Dresden condemned el-Sherbini’s killing, expressing concern about the consequences of such terrorist attacks against Muslims. Iran’s Foreign Ministry also blamed Western countries for their “double-standard” and “news boycott” regarding the case.