Schoolgirl Malika Noor Al Katib was laid to rest on Saturday following a Muslim cleansing ritual at University Hospital Waterford.
The eight-year-old died after being stabbed at her home on Lower William Street in New Ross, Co Wexford last Sunday.
Her father, Mohammad Shaker Al Tamimi (34), appeared in court on Wednesday charged with his daughter’s murder and the attempted murder of her mother, Alisha. He was remanded in custody to appear before Wexford District Court on Monday.
Alisha, an Irish-born convert to Islam, who was injured in the incident, was in attendance for the ceremony.
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The cleansing ritual bath took place in a specially prepared room in the hospital. Malika’s hands were then placed as if she was in prayer and her body covered with a sheet before she was transported to Kilbarry cemetery for burial.
Imam Rashid Munir, of the Waterford Islamic Centre, recited funeral prayers at the graveside and later at the nearby centre.
“Everyone is heartbroken. Malika was so full of life. She had so many plans, religious and worldly,” Imam Munir said.
“For a mother to lose a child is not easy to bear. It is natural to bury your parents, but not to bury your child, particularly in such circumstances.”
He said the 1,200-strong Muslim community in Wexford and Waterford would rally around Malika’s mother who is part of “our family”.
“The Muslim sisters are ready to support her,” he added.
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