11-Year-Old Victim of Antwerp Shooting to be Buried in Morocco as Community Mourns

The El Fath En Nassr mosque had suddenly become too small to contain the some 1,200 people who came to attend the prayer organized in memory of little Ferdaous, whose death has caused a wave of emotion in the city. "It’s exceptional. Ferdaous’ family is very well known in Antwerp. Mother Naziha is very loved, so everyone wanted to attend at all costs to support the family," confided a volunteer from the mosque to the newspaper Het Laatste Nieuws.

The mother was speechless in the face of so much solicitude and solidarity. "My little girl was shot in the heart, her hand was also hit. I washed her and had to say goodbye to her..." she said, in tears. Ferdaous’ father, 58, and her sisters aged 13 and 18, slightly injured by the explosion of the microwave during the shooting, are also deeply affected by this tragic event.

"We wanted to be there. Ferdaous is our sister. We hope that this kind of incident will never happen again. The parents are devastated, and that’s normal. Losing an innocent child so suddenly and in this way is not something you would wish even on your worst enemy," said the young Zaït, who came to attend this prayer with his friends.

The entire Moroccan community in the city is supporting Ferdaous’ family. "Here, everyone sympathizes with the pain of her family. No funeral prayer has attracted so many people... The death of a child is the worst thing you can experience. It’s horrible," said Saïd. "She was born and raised here and had her whole life ahead of her. There are no words to describe this. It’s a real tragedy that must not be repeated," concluded Rachid, who also came to support the girl’s family.