Baqa Al-gharbiyye, Israel – Israeli Female Student Killed In Australia Is Laid To Rest

    2

    Relatives and friends carry the coffin of Israeli Arab student Aiia Maasarwe during her funeral in Baqa El Gharbiye, Israel, Wednesday, Jan. 23, 2019. Maasarwe, 21,  was killed as she was walking on a city street in Melbourne. Australia speaking to her sister by phone. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)Baqa Al-gharbiyye, Israel – A female Israeli student who was killed in Australia last week, sparking a nationwide uproar, was laid to rest Wednesday in her hometown in northern Israel.

    Join our WhatsApp group

    Subscribe to our Daily Roundup Email


    Thousands of mourners crammed outside the family home of Aiia Maasarwe for a traditional Muslim burial in the predominantly Arab town of Baqa al-Gharbiyye.

    Friends and neighbors carried flowers and Arabic signs, reading “Your beautiful soul will not be forgotten.” They huddled and prayed as her family lowered Maasarwe’s coffin into the ground.

    “She was a special girl from all aspects, it’s very hard to describe her in words,” said her uncle, Jamil Maasarwe.

    Maasarwe, a 21-year-old exchange student at La Trobe University in Melbourne, was coming home from a night out in a nearby suburb when she was killed in what appears to have been a random attack.

    She was speaking to her younger sister in Israel via FaceTime when the assault occurred, police said.
    Relatives and friends carry the coffin of Israeli Arab student Aiia Maasarwe during her funeral in Baqa El Gharbiye, Israel, Wednesday, Jan. 23, 2019. Maasarwe, 21,  was killed as she was walking on a city street in Melbourne. Australia speaking to her sister by phone. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)
    Her death quickly captured international attention, sparking demonstrations in Australia demanding an end to violence against women and shocking her tight-knit hometown.

    Vigils and memorials honoring Maasarwe’s life and raising awareness about gender-related killings have drawn thousands of supporters in Australia and Israel over the past week.

    Her family said Maasarwe had decided to study in Australia because of its reputation for safety.

    “I mean, that’s unbelievable, how could something like this happen to someone like Aiia,” said a cousin, Baker Maasarwe.

    Maasarwe’s father flew to Australia to identify his daughter’s body and bring it home after a passer-by stumbled upon it near the tram station where she was killed.

    A 20-year-old man has been charged with rape and murder.


    Listen to the VINnews podcast on:

    iTunes | Spotify | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | Podbean | Amazon

    Follow VINnews for Breaking News Updates


    Connect with VINnews

    Join our WhatsApp group


    2 Comments
    Most Voted
    Newest Oldest
    Inline Feedbacks
    View all comments
    yamsar
    yamsar
    5 years ago

    Amazing to see how we have Israeli Arabs who are more loyal to their country than the fifth column of so called ‘Israeli settlers’ who terrorize their neighbors and are holding the entire Israeli society hostage to their crooked beliefs.

    triumphinwhitehouse
    triumphinwhitehouse
    5 years ago

    amazing how many rights Arabs who hate Israel have, when Jews or Christians live in Muslims lands they have no standing in the law as they are dhimmi, for this thousands of Jewish boys lie in graves?