BM Opinion: Marwa: the symbol to gather people together

Marwa: the symbol to gather people together

Bikya Masr

5 July 2009

Already, reports are circulating that the man who murdered Marwa Al Sherbini is to be charged with manslaughter. This would mean that he would not be prosecuted as murdering the Egyptian woman, rather simply accidentally killing her. It is as if people are stupid enough to force themselves to believe that the man had no “intention” of killing the 32-year-old woman. Come on. This is dispicable and needs to be reexamined. If a man can be charged with a lesser crime for killing Sherbini, what is the message Germany is sending the world, and Arabs in particular?

Across the Middle East, anger is high. This anger, however, cannot fall into random diatribes against Germans, or Germany. It must maintain some semblance of coherence for any campaign that should be established to succceed. And it will if Sherbini truly is a symbol that can bring people together much like Neda in Iran did.

First, activists here in the region must decide whether they will take action. Speaking out against the atrocities of the murder is understandable, but will there be a concerted effort to create a movement based on this sort of action? In Cairo today there are planned demonstrations against the hate crime. This is a start.

Do people believe Sherbini is a symbol? Without a doubt, not since Egypt won the African Cup have Egyptians come together under a common banner. And this time it is something that should be won. Egyptians should be outraged that a woman was verbally abused for wearing the veil and being Egyptian in the first place. The government should be sending a strong signal to Europe that this behavior is unacceptable, but they remain silent. That leaves it to the Egyptian population to take action.

The German Embassy should be picketed. Letters should be sent to the ambassador detailing why this current situation, the murder and now the manslaughter charges, is abhorrent. Demand to be heard. We will support you.

In the end, the question that many Egyptians undoubtedly want to ask is how does someone kill a person in the midst of a trial. We have been asking this over and over. There are police inside and outside the coutroom. How could a man, a person on trial in the first place, make it to sherbini and stab her once, let alone 20 times? Something is wrong.

Let us walk the streets in front of the German Embassy and demand a full investigation and report. Because if Germany cannot do this, then it once more proves that European hate for Muslims and Arabs is stronger than their so-called “freedom.” Yes, Marwa is a symbol, but she should be a symbol to bring people together, not divide them.

BM

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