Mother to be reunited with child for cleansing ritual ahead of Muslim ...

Afterwards, the hands of the eight-year-old girl will be placed as if in prayer and her body covered in a sheet.

The ritual bath will take place in a specially-prepared room at University Hospital Waterford, before her body is transported to a Muslim plot in the city for burial.

At around the same time, or shortly after, the man suspected of taking her life in a violent stabbing at her home in New Ross, Co Wexford, on Sunday, is expected to be charged with her murder.

Alisha, aged 31, and an Irish-born convert to Islam, was injured in the attack and brought to the same hospital as her daughter, as was the attacker.

He was discharged at around lunchtime on Tuesday, before being arrested by gardaí on suspicion of murder.

The man, aged in his 30s, was taken to a Garda station for questioning. 

He is understood to be originally from the Middle East and has been living in New Ross for a number of years.

He is thought to have British residency status.

Gardaí are investigating if Malika tried to stop the man from attacking her mother when she was stabbed. 

The incident took place at their home on William St just before midnight on Sunday. 

Paramedics fought to save the girl’s life, but she was pronounced dead in hospital.

The violent death has shocked the close Muslim community in Waterford and Wexford as well as Malika’s classmates and teachers at New Ross Educate Together National School.

Imam Rashid Munir of the Waterford Islamic Centre told the Irish Examiner: “Everyone is heartbroken. Malika was so full of life. She had so many plans, religious and worldly.

“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.

 “She witnessed her child being murdered in front of her eyes, it is not easy to bear with that.” 

He said the community would rally around Alisha: “She’s our family and we will try and care for her. The Muslim sisters are ready to support her."

He said the Muslim community in Waterford and Wexford, numbering more than 1,200 people, are very close.

Imam Munir said Alisha and her daughter attended Waterford Islamic Centre and that he knew them well.

Little Malika was part of our community and attended the Islamic Centre. We are all going to miss her. She was a lovely child, beautiful girl. She was very smiley. She was so full of life, full of energy. 

"She had a lot of interest in Islam, good in studies and wanted to be a good part of society. The way that she has gone is so terrible.” 

He said he had spoken to Alisha on Monday and again on Tuesday: “She is not in good condition. Her wounds are not life threatening and she is out of danger, but she is not in good condition. I tried to talk to her.” 

Imam Munir said staff at the hospital have been very helpful with the Ghusl ritual: “They have set aside a special room for us near the mortuary. Because she’s a girl, females will wash her. My wife and the sisters will do it. I have been in touch with the mother and she will be attending. Arrangements have been made to bring her to the washing.” 

He said that Malika's body will be brought straight to the Muslim plot, which Waterford City Council have given them, in Kilbarry Cemetery. 

There will be prayers in the Islamic Centre after.

Imam Munir said reports that far-right agitators and well-known racist accounts online were trying to stoke up anti-Muslim and anti-migrant hatred were not important compared to the death of a child.

“I’ve here lived for over 20 years and never had racial incidents and my four children were born here," he said. 

"We are not immigrants anymore. These things happen in every society, in every religion.” 

He added: “Since Monday many people are ringing me expressing condolences, both people from the Muslim community and the non-Muslim community.”