Press TV (11 July 2009) - The Islamic Centre of England Ltd (ICEL) has condemned the fatal stabbing of a pregnant Egyptian woman, Marwa el-Sherbini, inside a German courtroom.

The ICEL also denounced the silence of international communities and media in a statement on Friday.

“The horrible crime occurred while Western leaders always claim to support human rights and introduce their societies as civilized ones to the world. Their media also chant human rights slogans,” the statement said.

“The ICEL condemns the tragic incident in which Marwa el-Sherbini resorted to the German court to defend her own rights and her hijab (Islamic dressing code),” the statement added.

“The ICEL also asks the leaders of the world's divine religions, especially leaders of the Islamic World, not to be silent over the painful incident and to try their best to respect and defend human values so that such incidents will be prevented in the future,” it concluded.

Sherbini dubbed the “Hijab Martyr” was involved in a court case against her neighbor, Axel W., who was found guilty last November for insulting her, by calling her a “terrorist” and other slurs and ordered to pay a fine.

Axel W., a 28-year-old unemployed Russian immigrant, had appealed against that decision and the hearing on July 1 was considering appeal.

Sherbini was testifying at court when Axel W. rushed and stabbed her 18 times in front of her 3-year-old son. The courthouse was in the eastern German city of Dresden

Sherbini's husband, Elwi Ali Okaz, came to her aid but was also stabbed by the Axel W. 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, although he has been reported to have come out of coma.

Sherbini's killing was also condemned by the nearly four million Muslims living in Dresden who expressed concern about the scale of violent attacks against Muslims.

The attack sent shockwaves throughout the world with the Egyptian Secretary-General of the Arab League Amr Moussa calling it a "totally unjustified hate crime".

In addition to Muslim organizations, other bodies have also condemned the brutal murder in the sanctuary of a court.

In a statement issued on July 10, the US-based Human Rights First expressed its “deep concern” at the stabbing and said: “We hope that the investigation into this shameful crime will shed light on the particularly distressing circumstances that surround this case. In a tragic twist of fate, the attack occurred in a court room, a place that should bring justice to victims of racism - and not set the stage for new racist hate crimes to be committed.”

“Violent hate crimes against Muslims and those thought to be Muslims have been occurring at worrying rates in many parts of Europe and North America, yet few European governments have the tools to address them adequately,” the statement goes on to say.