More than 2,000 mourners packed into Brussels' largest mosque Friday to pay their last respects to a young Belgian-Moroccan mum who was killed in the March 22 terror attacks on the city, Belgian media reported.
So many worshippers descended on the capital's Grand Mosque that prayer mats had to be laid out outside, Belga news agency said, as religious leaders inside paid an emotional tribute to the victim.
Loubna Lafquiri, who had three children and worked as a gym teacher in the Brussels neighbourhood of Schaarbeek, was killed in the suicide blast at Maalbeek metro station.
A total of 32 people were killed in the coordinated Islamic State attacks, which also struck Brussels airport.
"We are here as human beings first," one of the mourners, a young woman in a pink headscarf, told RTL television, expressing solidarity with "the victims of all faiths" who died in the attacks.
"They were mothers, sisters, fathers, brothers... it could have happened to anyone," she said.
Metro bomber Khalid El Bakraoui and the two airport bombers had all been staying at a Schaarbeek flat before blowing themselves up last week.
Lafquiri was among the first victims of the attacks to be laid to rest in Belgium. More funeral services are planned in coming days.
More than 2,000 mourners packed into Brussels’ largest mosque Friday to pay their last respects to a young Belgian-Moroccan mum who was killed in the March 22 terror attacks on the city, Belgian media reported.
So many worshippers descended on the capital’s Grand Mosque that prayer mats had to be laid out outside, Belga news agency said, as religious leaders inside paid an emotional tribute to the victim.
Loubna Lafquiri, who had three children and worked as a gym teacher in the Brussels neighbourhood of Schaarbeek, was killed in the suicide blast at Maalbeek metro station.
A total of 32 people were killed in the coordinated Islamic State attacks, which also struck Brussels airport.
“We are here as human beings first,” one of the mourners, a young woman in a pink headscarf, told RTL television, expressing solidarity with “the victims of all faiths” who died in the attacks.
“They were mothers, sisters, fathers, brothers… it could have happened to anyone,” she said.
Metro bomber Khalid El Bakraoui and the two airport bombers had all been staying at a Schaarbeek flat before blowing themselves up last week.
Lafquiri was among the first victims of the attacks to be laid to rest in Belgium. More funeral services are planned in coming days.
