Dream ended in nightmare: Heartbreaking tribute for Aiia Maasarwi
The sister of murdered Palestinian student Aiia Maasarwe has shared a poignant artwork by the slain 21-year-old, as her devastated family prepares to bury the young woman’s body in Israel.
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The sister of murdered Palestinian student Aiia Maasarwe has shared a poignant artwork by the slain 21-year-old, as her devastated family prepares to bury the young woman’s body in Israel.
“A little girl with BIG dreams, that how Aiia was. this is a painting Aiia painted in 2014,” Noor Maasarwe posted on Instagram.
“She was living a dream in Melbourne, a dream that ended up being worst (sic) than a nightmare.
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“Violence against women is not a women issue, it is a men issue.
“We tell women if they feel unsafe to make a call so that they can feel safe. But Aiia was on the phone with my sister Ruba when all that happen (sic).
“BUT what do we tell men to do? Do we tell them how to behave?
“We tell them nothing! That’s what we tell them. BUT when NEED to tell them something from now on!”
It comes ahead of a public vigil in Ms Maasarwe’s honour, near where her body was found in Bundoora.
Mourners can pay their respects at the corner of Plenty Road and Main Drive, near the Polaris Shopping Centre, at 6.30pm Tuesday night.
Organiser Kelsey Wilson says visitors will be able to pay tribute and there will also be a short reading.
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The heartbroken father of Aiia Maasarwe will begin the long journey back to Israel with her body on Tuesday.
She will then be buried in front of her family on Wednesday. The Victorian Coroner released the murdered 21-year-old’s body on Monday, which was then washed and wrapped in accordance with Islamic tradition.
Father Saeed Maasarwe was in tears as he spoke of his hope for the world before Aiia’s body arrived at the mosque in Dandenong on Monday night.
“I can talk from the depth of my heart, the depth of my pain,” he said.
“I pray for all the student, all the child — everyone can go safely everywhere and can go home to hug his mother and his father and his family. This is what we want to see, to see the world with more peace, more safety and more smile and more forgive each other and more accept each other.
“I talk in my voice, but this is Aiia’s mind.”
He thanked Melbourne for ongoing support over the past week.
“We are very, very surprised for the support and grateful what we see here from the community,” he said.
Aiia’s cousin Sharef Masarwa arrived from New York on Sunday to be with Saeed on the way back to the Middle East and at the prayer ceremony on Monday night at the Albanian Islamic Centre mosque in Dandenong.
“We went to the scene and there were hundreds of people waiting there and sharing their support,” he said about his first time visiting the makeshift memorial in Bundoora.
“It’s extremely painful and it makes it just that little bit less difficult.”
In accordance with religious tradition, the young woman’s body was washed, powdered and wrapped in white linen by women from Melbourne’s Muslim community.
“She has no one here so I feel obliged, like I want to do something because the women in her family aren’t here,” 28-year-old Salma Sakejha said.
After the body was prepared, hundreds of people gathered around the casket to pray for Aiia and her family.
Saeed thanked the people of Melbourne, the Arabic community and emergency services after the service.
He shared his wish for all people to find peace and light in their lives as he began a new chapter with his family.
“I wish … to take Aiia to my family and to the end and to continue the life with my three daughters and to teach them for love,” he said.
“I wish all people to see the light and not be in the dark.
“Look to the star to see the light.”
Sharef said the family wanted to remember what an amazing young woman Aiia was.
“Aiia was full of life, full of happiness,” her cousin said.
“Her smile would make you smile. Her laugh would make you laugh.
“We as a family feel not one ounce of hatred or anger from what happened.
“We all deserve to safety return home.”
Planning discussions for a permanent memorial to honour Aiia Maasarwe at the site in Bundoora where she was killed last week are underway, as her family prepares for her funeral in Israel.
The 21-year-old’s cousin Sharef Masarwa said a memorial tree and plaque, being considered by shopping centre management and the Darebin council, would mean a lot.
“Our family are very grateful for that plan and we hope it comes to life soon,” he said.
“Her voice of peace, love and happiness continues to live on forever.”
The Victorian government said it has been offering assistance the family through the ordeal.
Jacinta Allan told reporters: “As acting Premier I wrote to the father (and) I spoke to the Israeli ambassador.”
“Every support is being provided through the Victorian government, through victim support agencies, through Victoria Police, to support the Maasarwe family through this most difficult of times and we’ll continue to provide that support every step of the way.”
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Accused murderer Codey Herrmann made a brief second court appearance on Monday, during which some of the gruesome details about the case were withheld in respect for the grieving family, who are yet to learn the full details about her tragic killing.
Police requested the graphic details be redacted from court documents made available to the media so they could first speak with Ms Maasarwe’s family.
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Magistrate Jonathon Kledstadt agreed, saying Ms Maasarwe’s family should first learn of the “confronting” allegations from police.
Dressed in a green T-shirt and black tracksuit pants, Mr Herrmann kept his head down during the five-minute hearing at the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court.
He looked up just twice, once when being addressed by the magistrate, and once to scan the public gallery of the small courtroom.
He appeared to have no supporters in court.
The brief administrative hearing set down a timetable for the progression of the case, with police granted a longer than usual period to prepare their brief of evidence.
CCTV footage is expected to form part of the brief.
It must be served on Mr Herrmann’s legal aid lawyers by April 12.
He is then due to return to court in June.
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