Tuesday, January 30, 2007

Egyptian Mother kills herself after having baby girl

Egyptian mother kills herself after having baby girl

CAIRO -- A 24-year-old Egyptian mother who desperately wanted to have a son committed suicide Thursday after giving birth to a girl instead of a boy, state media reported. The woman, identified as Mona Abdel Wahab, already had a daughter and recently delivered a second. Her husband told the authorities that she became depressed after the birth because she had wanted a son, the MENA news agency said. She climbed onto her gas stove in the kitchen and hanged herself using a rope attached to the ceiling, the agency said. The woman lived in the Nile delta village of Badr. Giving birth to male descendants is highly valued in rural Egyptian culture.