Slain Calgary woman's loved ones speak out against domestic violence at her funeral
Sarah Rieger | CBC News | Posted: April 2, 2018 2:13 AM | Last Updated: April 3, 2018
Nadia El-Dib, 22, was found dead in the backyard of a home in Marlborough Park
Hundreds of mourners, some travelling from as far away as Los Angeles and Dubai, gathered on Sunday to remember 22-year-old Nadia El-Dib, who was killed in northeast Calgary last week.
"This is a celebration of life and how happy and beautiful she was on the inside and out," said Racha El-Dib, Nadia's sister.
The young woman's body was found in the backyard of a Marlborough Park home.
Adam Bettahar, 21, was wanted for first-degree murder on a Canada-wide warrant following El-Dib's death.
On Thursday, Bettahar died in a shootout that sent an RCMP officer to hospital.
Racha said on the night her sister lost her life, her family knew right away something was wrong.
"She was just out on a regular night with her friends, and to find that she didn't come home, it's every parents' worst nightmare. She always calls and texts when she's going to be late."
Emily Hassay, a friend of Nadia, said she was always the kind of person to reach out with support to everyone in her life.
"I just want us to use Nadia's voice as a voice for all women who are in abusive relationships," Hassay said, a message Nadia's sister also wanted to share.
"We want to empower women. We want to empower women to talk, to support each other, to get out of any kind of toxic relationship," Racha said.
Nadia loved to sing even when it annoyed her three sisters, Racha said, and was always borrowing their clothes.
She said Nadia's death will forever leave a gap in their family.
"I'm going to miss her happiness. She was the rock of our family and she brought us all together. In a weird way she brought us even closer through this."
"Honestly it comes in waves. It still doesn't feel real," Hassay said.
The family has been overwhelmed by all of the people Nadia impacted in her life that have reached out.
Friends and family came from as far away as Ontario, Los Angeles, Lebanon and Dubai to remember Nadia, who was a first-year legal assistant student at SAIT.
"It speaks so much of her and our family and how much people loved her and how this story has impacted so many people," Racha said.
Nadia's family plans to hold a candle-light vigil in her memory on Saturday.