Source: ghanasoccernet.com « Prev Next » Comments (9) Listen to Article German-Ghanaian midfielder FC Magdeburg suffered a humiliating 5-0 home defeat to Preußen Münster severely damaging their Bundesliga 2 promotion hopes Their poor performance raises serious questions about their ability to secure a top-two finish FC Magdeburg suffered their heaviest home defeat in Bundesliga 2 losing 5-0 to relegation-threatened SC Preußen Münster in front of 26,800 disappointed fans This devastating loss significantly hampered Magdeburg's promotion hopes dropping them to fourth place in the table using the same formation that had success against Hertha BSC Münster's high press and quick transitions proved too much A lapse in defense allowed Jano ter Horst to head home the opener (12th minute) followed swiftly by a second goal after another Magdeburg error (15th minute) Coach Christian Titz made a double substitution at halftime scoring twice early in the second half through Joshua Mees (52nd minute) and Daniel Kyerewaa (54th minute) Magdeburg's performance was their weakest of the season losing crucial duels and failing to create any significant opportunities The 5-0 defeat raises serious questions about their promotion prospects especially with crucial games against Paderborn and Düsseldorf looming The loss adds another layer of complexity to the already intense Bundesliga 2 promotion race While Cologne and Hamburg also faltered on Matchday 31 losing to Hannover and Karlsruhe respectively Magdeburg's disastrous result widened the gap between themselves and the top two The upcoming matches will be critical in determining whether Magdeburg can recover and challenge for promotion Magdeburg needs a significant turnaround in form if they are to salvage their promotion ambitions Their upcoming fixtures demand immediate improvements in all aspects of their game This humbling defeat serves as a wake-up call highlighting the need for improved team cohesion The home team's performance was significantly below expectations The 5-0 defeat severely damages Magdeburg's chances of securing promotion to the Bundesliga They now face a steep uphill battle to finish in the top two The match was played at Magdeburg's home stadium The loss was particularly disappointing for the home fans given the magnitude of the defeat FC Magdeburg and Preußen Münster currently compete in Bundesliga 2 Promotion to Bundesliga 1 is the ultimate goal for many teams in the league Magdeburg needs to quickly analyze their performance address the weaknesses exposed in the heavy defeat and regroup to focus on the remaining matches Their chances of promotion will now depend on consistent wins in the coming games All trademarks are the property of their respective owners All rights reserved @ 2025 Nishtya Infotech (India) Ltd the 27th round of the DAIKIN men's handball Bundesliga in the 2024/25 season was held across Germany The rise of defending champion SC Magdeburg is scary He won four consecutive games and rose to fourth place Magdeburg defeated 12th-ranked HSG Wetzlar 32-29 in this round Magdeburg is on a roll with a win when they need it the most reaching the Final Four in the Champions League as well SG Flensburg-Handewitt beat 15th-ranked TVB Stuttgart 32-27 to move from 6th to 5th SG Flensburg chased Magdeburg by accumulating points in the last three consecutive games fell two places from fourth place to sixth place due to the rise of Magdeburg and SG Flensburg Rhein-Nekar Löwen moved up one spot to seventh place with a 35-34 victory over SC Leipzig TBV Lemgo Lieppe fell to eighth place after losing 29-30 to TSV Hannover-Burgdorf Hanover Burkdorf escaped a second straight loss shrugging off Magdeburg's pursuit to remain in third place MT Melsungen beat 17th-ranked HC Erlangen 31-25 and won four straight to keep up with leader Füchse Berlin without a point difference VfL Gummersbach defeated bottom-ranked Potsdam 31–27 escaping a two-game losing streak to remain in ninth place while ThSV Eisenach defeated SG BBM Bietigheim 34–26 With HC Erlangen and SG Wittichheim losing side by side the fight to escape the relegation zone is expected to become fiercer toward the end ※ This service is provided by machine translation tool What a thriller. What a comeback. After a four-goal deficit 10 minutes from the end, SC Magdeburg secured a 28:27 victory in the second-leg Machineseeker EHF Champions League 2024/25 Quarter-final at Veszprém — exactly the result they needed to clinch their berth for the TruckScout24 EHF FINAL4 for the third consecutive time Icelander Gisli Kristjansson took the 2022/23 title winners back to Cologne with a buzzer-beating goal while One Veszprém HC missed the EHF FINAL4 for the third straight time The top scorers in the true thriller were Felix Claar with seven goals for Magdeburg and Ludovic Fabregas for Veszprém who netted six times for the Hungarian side Magdeburg, who joined Füchse Berlin and HBC Nantes in the TruckScout24 EHF FINAL4 2025 line-up with the victory, now wait to learn their opponents through the semi-final draw on Friday 2 May at 14:00 CEST MOTW: One Veszprém HC (HUN) vs SC Magdeburg (GER) 27:28 (13:13)Magdeburg win 54:53 on aggregate SC Magdeburg were shaken by Wisla Plock in the quarter-finals but made it to Cologne for the first time and raised the trophy coach Bennet Wiegert’s team needed a penalty shootout against Kielce to book their ticket to the TruckScout24 EHF FINAL4 Veszprém seemed out of reach of the two-time EHF Champions League winners several times Magdeburg were hit hard by an early injury to top scorer Matthias Musche It took the hosts 57 minutes until they were ahead for the first time and they secured a lucky draw when they were ahead 26:22 — but you should never write off SCM The home side got nervous and made several mistakes Two Swedes punished the hosts with a 5:0 run as Claar struck four times and Albin Lagergren once After both coaches took their final timeouts in the last 100 seconds Agustin Casado and Luka Cindric missed Veszprém’s last chances — and Kristjansson sent SCM back to Cologne You said no to using cookies or similar tools that help improve your experience. To see this content, you would need to update your Privacy Preferences DRAW: Recent champions meet and potential first-time winners clash in hotly-anticipated semi-finals after TruckScout24 EHF FINAL4 semi-final… DRAW: The four sides who made it through the qualification tournaments now know who they will face in Cologne QUARTER-FINAL REVIEW: A 30:29 victory for Szeged was not enough to book their first ticket to Cologne QUARTER-FINAL REVIEW: 2018 finalists end Sporting CP’s Machineseeker EHF Champions League journey with second quarter-final win QUARTER-FINAL REVIEW: After a nine-goal win in the first leg HANDBALL THROUGH MY EYES: Versatile One Veszprém back Nedim Remili reveals why he loves handball OFFICIAL STATEMENT: Court of Handball issues further decision regarding withdrawal of Vipers from EHF Champions League STATS COUNTER: Julian Rux analyses the data to provide statistical insights for the Match of the Week Barça and Nates enter the reverse fixtures of the quarter-finals as winners after a car plowed into a busy outdoor Christmas market in the eastern German city of Magdeburg on Friday in what authorities called a deliberate attack Thi Linh Chi Nguyen thought the loud bangs were fireworks was on the phone during a break when she heard the noise just after 7 p.m Then she saw a car drive through the market at high speed People screamed and a child was thrown into the air by the car where a car drove into a crowd on Friday evening The woman recalled seeing the car bursting out of the market and turning right onto Ernst-Reuter-Allee street and then coming to a standstill at a tram stop where the suspect was arrested The Christmas market was surrounded by concrete barriers designed to prevent attacks but there was a gap left for emergency access and residents walked slowly amid the shuttered food people stopped to light candles or leave flowers at a growing makeshift memorial He was named as André Gleissner by fire department officials in the Elm-Asse region west of Magdeburg where he was a member of the children’s fire brigade They were being treated in multiple hospitals in Magdeburg which is about 130 kilometers (80 miles) west of Berlin People have lit candles at the Christmas Market in Magdeburg The suspect’s X account describes him as a former Muslim It is filled with tweets and retweets focusing on anti-Islam themes and criticism of the religion while sharing congratulatory notes to Muslims who left the faith saying they had failed to do enough to combat the “Islamification of Europe.” He has also voiced support for the far-right and anti-immigrant Alternative for Germany (AfD) party Investigators are analyzing the suspect’s computers trying to understand what motivated him to drive his black BMW into a crowd in the eastern German city Prosecutors said the motive may have been “dissatisfaction with the treatment of Saudi refugees in Germany.” Intelligence agencies say that increasingly they are seeing attackers with a confusing mix of beliefs and motivations The head of Britain’s domestic intelligence agency MI5 said in October that “straightforward labels like ‘Islamist terrorism’ or ‘extreme right-wing’ don’t fully reflect the dizzying range of beliefs and ideologies we see.” People lay flowers and light candles on concrete blocks that protect the Christmas market in Magdeburg There are unanswered questions about what the authorities knew about the suspect The head of the Federal Criminal Police Office said the agency — Germany’s equivalent of the FBI — received a warning from Saudi Arabia in November 2023 Münch said the suspect “published a huge number of posts on the internet,” was in contact with various authorities and “made insults and even threats” — but was not known to be violent Germany’s Federal Office for Migration and Refugees also acknowledged it had received a warning about the suspect last year German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is facing criticism about security lapses that allowed the attack to happen and was heckled by some bystanders during a visit to Magdeburg on Saturday prompting several other German towns to cancel their weekend Christmas markets as a precaution and out of solidarity with Magdeburg’s loss Berlin kept its markets open but increased the police presence Those attacks have led cities to beef up security at Christmas markets and other events The top scorers in the true thriller were Felix Claar with seven goals for Magdeburg and Ludovic Fabregas for Veszprém who were severely handicapped by an early injury to top scorer Matthias Musche 57 minutes until they were ahead for the first time and they were able to secure a lucky draw when they were ahead 26-22 — but Magdeburg should never be written off as the home side got nervous and made several mistakes Two Swedes punished the hosts with a 5-0 run Füchse Berlin and Nantes have also secured tickets to the season's Final 4 The fourth and final team was found on Thursday evening when Emil Nielsen and Barcelona progressed with an overall victory over two games against Pick Szeged Two German sides – SC Magdeburg and Füchse Berlin – and one from France – HBC Nantes – and Spain – FC Barcelona – each qualified for the TruckScout EHF FINAL4 this season after a dramatic quarter-final phase in the Machineseeker EHF Champions League The most dramatic quarter-final was the one between the reigning champions in the IHF Men’s Club World Championship Aiming high in their first season with coach Xavi Pascual on the bench when Magdeburg also lost wing Mathias Musche due to an Achilles injury which will sideline him for several months With a full-blown injury crisis this season Magdeburg bounced back in the second leg of the rematch of the final of the 2024 IHF Men’s Club World Championship with an absolutely mind-blowing 28:27 away win in Veszprém dealing the Hungarian side their maiden home loss of the season Swedish centre back Felix Claar scored seven goals while centre back Gisli Kristjansson and line player Magnus Saugstrup added five goals each with Veszprém registering a total collapse after they led by four goals in the first half But the Hungarian side scored a single goal in the last 10 minutes enabling Magdeburg to finish the match on a 5:1 run and take the coveted EHF FINAL4 spot proving once again the relentless nature of the team This will be the third consecutive appearance for Magdeburg in the EHF FINAL4 as another team punched their seventh consecutive ticket to Cologne FC Barcelona are back to fight for the title they won 11 times after a hard-fought doubleheader with another Hungarian side Barcelona found themselves in uncharted territory in their Palau Blaugrana where Szeged did their utmost to ruin the party Barça’s free-flowing attack was once again limited by a plucky Szeged side Barça managed to stay afloat as much as possible Backs Dika Mem and Domen Makuc combined for 11 goals while Szeged had left wing Sebastian Frimmel score 10 times and the top goal scorer of the competition the All-Star right wing of the 2025 IHF Men’s World Championship add eight more goals The largest Barça deficit in the closing minutes was two goals but a goal from Petar Cikusa sealed the deal with the Spanish champions aiming now for yet another title A high-octane doubleheader was the one between Füchse Berlin and Aalborg Håndbold and the German side had two huge matches from the 2024 IHF Male Player of the Year While that was more than enough for plain sailing in the second leg Füchse provided another entertaining match This is the second team Füchse qualify for the EHF FINAL4 which delivered a surprise against the dark horse of the season where left back Martim Costa had an otherworldly performance was followed by a 32:30 away win in Portugal the All-Star Young Player of the 2025 IHF Men’s World Championship as both top sides in Group A went crashing out The draw for the semi-final pairings is due to take place on Friday while the EHF FINAL4 is scheduled for 14 and 15 June Machineseeker EHF Champions League – quarter-finals By continuing to browse ihf.info, you agree to our terms of use , privacy policy and the use of cookies. For more information, please review our cookie policy Florian Wellbrock headed the men’s 800 free on the first day of the Gothaer and Friends meet in Magdeburg Wellbrock – who won 800 silver at the 2022 World Championships in Budapest – trains in the city in Saxony-Anhalt under the guidance of coach Bernd Berkhahn He was tracked closely throughout the race by Johannes Liebmann and it wasn’t until the final 100 that he managed to put more than a second between the two of them Wellbrock stopped the clock in 7:49.79 with Liebmann setting a German junior standard of 7:50.86 Arne Schubert was the third man home in 7:59.06 It followed Wellbrock’s successful outing at the Swim Open Stockholm a fortnight ago. The 27-year-old posted 14:38.27 en-route to victory in the 1500 free to top the world rankings He then went 7:41.10 for second behind Lukas Märtens in the 800 with his Germany teammate going 7:39.10 for victory Märtens is also competing in Magdeburg in the 100 and 200 free and 100 backstroke, two weeks after setting a 400 free WR of 3:39.86 as he lowered Paul Biedermann’s supersuited record that had stood since July 2009 Leonie Märtens – sister of Lukas – headed the women’s 1500 free in 16:27.29 ahead of Julia Ackermann who clocked 16:42.20 with the pair the only women inside 17mins Märtens was outside the A cut for the World Championships in Singapore Lars Kochmann and Maya Werner won the men’s and women’s 50 back in 27.66 and 30.00 respectively with Jonas Schwerthelm and Kellie Messel taking the 50 breast races in 28.51 and 33.30 Luca Schöttge posted 4:27.43 for the men’s 400IM while Ewa zur Brügge was the only woman inside 5mins in the women’s in 4:58.43 Welcome to our community. We invite you to join our discussion. Our community guidelines are simple: be respectful and constructive, keep on topic, and support your fellow commenters. Commenting signifies that you agree to our Terms of Use ' + scriptOptions._localizedStrings.webview_notification_text + ' " + scriptOptions._localizedStrings.redirect_overlay_title + " " + scriptOptions._localizedStrings.redirect_overlay_text + " A suspect arrested after an apparent attack on a German Christmas market was brought before a judge on Saturday night The alleged attack Friday evening in Magdeburg about 130 kilometers (80 miles) west of Berlin killed a 9-year-old and four adults and injured 41 people badly enough that authorities warned the death toll could rise Germany (AP) — German authorities said they received tipoffs last year about the suspect in a car attack at a Christmas market in Magdeburg as more details emerged on Sunday about the five people killed flowers and wreaths sit in front of the entrance to St after a car drove into a crowd at a Christmas market on Friday Flowers and candles laid down in front of the Johannis church close to the Christmas market Authorities say he does not fit the usual profile of perpetrators of extremist attacks The man described himself as an ex-Muslim who was highly critical of Islam and in many posts on social media expressed support for the far-right anti-immigrant Alternative for Germany (AfD) party He is being held in custody as authorities investigate him “This perpetrator acted in an unbelievably cruel and brutal manner — like an Islamist terrorist although he was obviously ideologically an Islamophobe,” Interior Minister Nancy Faeser said Sunday The suspect originally lived in the state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania where he completed his specialist training in Stralsund and also came to the attention of authorities due to threatening criminal acts In a dispute over the recognition of examination results he threatened members of the state medical association with an act that would attract international attention triggering an investigation and a search of his home No evidence was found of real preparations for an attack but a court found him guilty in 2013 of threatening an attack Clothes and blankets lie on chairs at the Christmas market A police officer guards the Christmas Market That was followed by other threats he made said in an interview on the German broadcaster ZDF on Saturday that his office received a tipoff from Saudi Arabia in November 2023 which led authorities to launch “appropriate investigative measures.” “The man also published a huge number of posts on the internet He also had contact with various authorities he was not known to have committed acts of violence,” said Münch whose office is the German equivalent of the FBI Teddy bears were laid together with candles near the Christmas market People embrace as they mourn the victims near the Christmas Market The Federal Office for Migration and Refugees also said it received a tipoff about the suspect in the late summer of last year like every other of the numerous tips,” the office said on X on Saturday But it also noted that it is not an investigative authority and that it referred the information to the responsible authorities The Central Council of Ex-Muslims said in a statement that the suspect had “terrorized” them for years as it expressed shock at the attack “He apparently shared beliefs from the far-right spectrum of the AfD and believed in a large-scale conspiracy aimed at Islamizing Germany His delusional ideas went so far that he assumed that even organizations critical of Islamism were part of the Islamist conspiracy,” said the statement said in the same statement: “At first we suspected that he might be a mole in the Islamist movement But now I think he is a psychopath who adheres to ultra-right conspiracy ideologies.” said Sunday that those who died were four women aged 45 The suspect was on Saturday evening brought before a judge who behind closed doors ordered him to be kept in custody on allegations of murder and attempted murder Right-wing figures from across Europe have criticized German authorities for having allowed high levels of migration in the past and for what they see as security failures now At an annual press conference in Budapest on Saturday Orbán insisted that “there is no doubt that there is a link between the changed world in Western Europe especially illegal migration and terrorist acts.” Associated Press writer Bálint Dömötör in Budapest A car plowed into a busy outdoor Christmas market in the eastern German city of Magdeburg on Friday killing at least two people and injuring at least 60 others in what authorities called a deliberate attack The two people confirmed dead were an adult and a toddler but officials said additional deaths couldn’t be ruled out because 15 people had been seriously injured Officials from the German city of Magdeburg held a briefing on Saturday regarding an attack at a Christmas market on Friday evening where five people were killed (AP video shot by Axel Gerke and Chris Stern) Germans on Saturday mourned the victims after a car plowed through a Christmas market teeming with holiday shoppers Scholz visits site of Christmas market attack that killed at least 5 and injured over 200 People outside Magdeburg Cathedral follow a memorial service for victims of Friday’s Christmas Market attack People have laid flowers and candles in front of the Johannis church close to the Christmas market Participants in a silent prayer stand with candles in the Cathedral Square Magdeburg 2024 for the victims when a car drove into the crowds at the Christmas market on Friday “Remigration” is written on a banner at a demonstration by right-wing groups in Magdeburg attend a memorial service for victims of Friday’s Christmas Market attack People attend a memorial service outside the cathedral close to the Christmas market People lay flowers at the entrance of a church near a Christmas Market Citizens pay tribute for deaths outside St Citizens pay tribute and cry for deaths outside St People attend a memorial service for victims of Friday’s Christmas Market attack Police officers and police emergency vehicles are seen at the Christmas market in Magdeburg after a driver plowed into a busy Christmas market in Magdeburg Magdeburg marked the tragedy Saturday with the tolling church bells at 7:04 p.m. the exact time of the attack in the city of roughly 240,000 people Police officers patrol a cordoned-off area at a Christmas Market A damaged car sits with its doors open after a driver plowed into a busy Christmas market in Magdeburg a 50-year-old doctor who immigrated from Saudi Arabia in 2006 He’s being investigated for five counts of suspected murder and 205 counts of suspected attempted murder prosecutor Horst Walter Nopens said at a news conference investigators are looking into whether the attack could have been motivated by the suspect’s dissatisfaction with the way Germany treats Saudi refugees “There is no more peaceful and cheerful place than a Christmas market,” Chancellor Olaf Scholz said “What a terrible act it is to injure and kill so many people there with such brutality.” Although Nopens mentioned the treatment of Saudi immigrants angle authorities said Saturday that they still didn’t know why the suspect drove his black BMW into the crowded market Security guards stand in front of a cordoned-off Christmas Market after a car crashed into a crowd of people A firefighter walks through a cordoned-off area near a Christmas Market after a car drove into a crowd in Magdeburg He also accused German authorities of failing to do enough to combat what he referred to as the “Islamification of Europe.” John’s Church for the victims of Friday’s attack at the Christmas market in Magdeburg Chancellor Scholz and Interior Minister Nancy Faeser traveled to Magdeburg where a memorial service took place Saturday Faeser ordered flags lowered to half-staff at federal buildings across the country Although many people went to the site with candles to mourn the victims several hundred far-right protesters gathered in a central square in Magdeburg with a banner that read “remigration,” German news agency dpa reported a 34-year-old manicurist from Vietnam whose salon is in a mall across from the Christmas market was on the phone during a break when she heard loud bangs that she thought were fireworks She then saw a car drive through the market at high speed A police officer guards at a cordoned-off area near a Christmas Market after an incident in Magdeburg Emergency services work in a cordoned-off area near a Christmas Market Shaking as she described what she had witnessed she recalled seeing the car bursting out of the market and turning right onto Ernst-Reuter-Allee street and then coming to a standstill at the tram stop where the suspect was arrested The number of injured people was overwhelming “My husband and I helped them for two hours He ran back home and grabbed as many blankets as he could find because they didn’t have enough to cover the injured people The market itself was still cordoned off Saturday with red and white tape and police vans as armed officers guarded at every entrance Some thermal security blankets still lay on the street Moulson reported from Berlin and Gera from Warsaw Nothing could separate SC Magdeburg and One Veszprém HC in their opening clash with the scoreboard locked at 26:26 after a dramatic 60 minutes Even in the number of shots there was a tie (37:37) Veszprém advanced directly to the quarter-finals by topping Group A, while Magdeburg fought their way through the play-offs with commanding performances against Dinamo București. That same grit was on display again on home court, as they kept Veszprém within reach throughout, overturning a four-goal deficit to ensure everything will be decided next week in Hungary QUARTER-FINALS, FIRST LEGSC Magdeburg (GER) vs One Veszprém HC (HUN) 26:26 (11:14) Veszprém will be left ruing their missed opportunity after letting a four-goal lead slip Magdeburg’s comeback leaves the door wide open for both teams to reach the TruckScout24 EHF FINAL4 2025 The goalkeepers were the unsung heroes of the night Sergey Hernandez and Rodrigo Corrales made five and four saves respectively in the second half but their most crucial interventions came in the dying minutes — each registering an 11th save that denied the opponent a potential match-winner Since the introduction of the EHF FINAL4 format in 2009/10 whenever Veszprém remained unbeaten away in the first leg of a quarter-final they have always gone on to reach Cologne — as was the case in 2013/14 You said no to using cookies or similar tools that help improve your experience. To see this content, you would need to update your Privacy Preferences. QUARTER-FINAL REVIEW: Sporting CP came close, but HBC Nantes clinched a narrow win in the first leg of the Machineseeker EHF Champions Leagu… HANDBALL THROUGH MY EYES: Versatile One Veszprém back Nedim Remili reveals why he loves handball, and how to switch positions on court ROUND PREVIEW: Berlin, Barça and Nates enter the reverse fixtures of the quarter-finals as winners, everything open in Veszprém QUARTER-FINAL REVIEW: A 30:29 victory for Szeged was not enough to book their first ticket to Cologne, as the record title winners proceeded QUARTER-FINAL REVIEW: After 120 minutes, a single goal separated the 2023 title winners and Veszprém, as Magdeburg reached the semi-finals Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles., opens new tab , opens new tab Browse an unrivalled portfolio of real-time and historical market data and insights from worldwide sources and experts. , opens new tabScreen for heightened risk individual and entities globally to help uncover hidden risks in business relationships and human networks. © 2025 Reuters. All rights reserved Germany — Germans on Saturday mourned the victims of an apparent attack in which authorities say a doctor drove into a busy outdoor Christmas market injuring 200 others and shaking the public's sense of security at what would otherwise be a time of joy He's being investigated for five counts of suspected murder and 205 counts of suspected attempted murder investigators are looking into whether the attack could have been motivated by the suspect's dissatisfaction with the way Germany treats Saudi refugees "There is no more peaceful and cheerful place than a Christmas market," Chancellor Olaf Scholz said "What a terrible act it is to injure and kill so many people there with such brutality." More on the suspect police arrestedAlthough Nopens mentioned the treatment of Saudi immigrants angle authorities said Saturday that they still didn't know why the suspect drove his black BMW into the crowded market but several German news outlets identified him as Taleb A. withholding his last name in line with privacy laws and reported that he was a specialist in psychiatry and psychotherapy the suspect appears to have been an active user of the social media platform X sharing dozens of tweets and retweets daily focusing on anti-Islam themes criticizing the religion and congratulating Muslims who had left the faith He also accused German authorities of failing to do enough to combat what he referred to as the "Islamification of Europe." The violence shocked Germany and Magdeburg which is the capital of the eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt bringing its mayor to the verge of tears and marring the centuries-old German tradition of Christmas markets It led several other communities to cancel their weekend Christmas markets as a precaution and out of solidarity with Magdeburg's loss Berlin kept its many markets open but increased its police presence at them Germany has suffered a string of extremist attacks in recent years including a knife attack that killed three people and wounded eight at a festival in the western city of Solingen in August Friday's attack came eight years after an Islamic extremist drove a truck into a crowded Christmas market in Berlin killing 13 people and injuring many others The attacker was killed days later in a shootout in Italy several hundred far-right protesters gathered in a central square in Magdeburg with a banner that read "remigration," German news agency dpa reported Verified bystander footage distributed by dpa showed the suspect's arrest at a tram stop in the middle of the road A nearby police officer pointing a handgun at the man shouted at him as he lay prone Other officers swarmed around the suspect and took him into custody "My husband and I helped them for two hours He ran back home and grabbed as many blankets as he could find because they didn't have enough to cover the injured people Become an NPR sponsor Migrants who have settled in the German city of Magdeburg say they have experienced a sharp increase in racism and anti-immigration sentiments following a deadly Christmas market attack last year The violence has ensured that migration remains a key issue as the country heads toward an early election Sunday An election poster of the far-right anti-immigrant party Alternative For Germany party AfD with with the slogan reading “It’s time for a country that is still a home country” An election poster showing AfD top candidate for Chancellor Alice Weidel is displayed in a street in Magdeburg with the slogan reading “It’s time for free opinion 26 years old Eritrean immigrant who has lived and worked in Magdeburg for 7 years An anti AFD slogan is seen written on a bridge in the city of Magdeburg ADDS TRANSLATION OF POSTERS - Defaces election posters of Green Party top candidate and federal minister for economy Robert Habeck and FDP top candidate and former finance minister Christian Lindner you’re a son of a bitch.” (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi) Eritrean immigrant who has lived and worked in Magdeburg for 7 years Syrian immigrant who has lived and worked in Magdeburg for 6 years stand for a photo in a street 25 years old Syrian immigrant who has lived and worked in Magdeburg for 6 years Gebregergish did not speak German well enough to comprehend what the woman was saying But Gebregergish says that when the woman threw a beer bottle at her head “We are the same as you,” Gebregergish said earlier this month there was a large right-wing demonstration in Magdeburg and verbal and physical attacks on people with a migrant background have increased significantly in the city since then according to the German-Syrian Cultural Association in Magdeburg newly elected chair of the board for the Advisory Council for Integration and Migration in Magdeburg said victims of racist attacks in the city often do not feel support from politicians or police people just didn’t dare to say it so clearly before,” said Asatiani-Hermann who came to Magdeburg in 2011 from Georgia Officers sometimes target or search the victims first before the perpetrator and they also worry reporting an attack could have a negative impact on their residence status The Magdeburg Police Department did not respond to multiple requests for comment said: “Cohesion and community are fundamental values of a city that are inviolable.” The mayor also referred media to online services for migrants and said the city’s Cooperation with the Advisory Council for Integration and Migration will be expanded Even though it’s highly unlikely to take a share of power soon it has become a factor that other politicians can’t ignore and has helped shape Germany’s debate on migration The election’s outcome — and a potential gain in influence for AfD — could have a large impact on Magdeburg’s politics and everyday life Saeeid said the city’s migrants feel alone and want to hear directly from their elected officials to address their concerns “We will not allow Magdeburg to become a playing field for racism and hatred,” he said Germany (AP) — A 9-year-old was among five people killed when a Saudi doctor drove into a Christmas market teeming with holiday shoppers in the German city of Magdeburg as people mourned the victims and their shaken sense of security READ MORE: Driver hits crowd with car at Christmas market in Germany, killing at least 2 and injuring 60 City official Ronni Krug said he didn’t have further information on the adults who were killed on Friday night of whom 41 in serious or very serious condition is under investigation on suspicion of murder about 40 kilometers (25 miles) south of Magdeburg Neurosurgeon Mahmoud Elenbaby said some 80 patients were brought to Magdeburg’s university hospital on Friday night and some are also in critical condition,” Elenbaby told The Associated Press as he dashed into the hospital cafeteria to buy himself a cola Several German media outlets identified the suspect as Taleb A. Mourners lit candles and placed flowers outside a church near the market on the cold and gloomy day A Berlin church choir whose members witnessed a previous Christmas market attack in 2016 sang Amazing Grace offering their prayers and solidarity with the victims There were still no answers Saturday as to what motivated the man to drive his black BMW into a crowd in the eastern German city the suspect shared dozens of tweets and retweets daily focusing on anti-Islam themes criticizing the religion and congratulating Muslims who left the faith He also accused German authorities of failing to do enough to combat what he said was the “Islamism of Europe.” said the motive may have been “dissatisfaction with the treatment of Saudi refugees in Germany” but investigators are still trying to get to the bottom of what was behind the attack “He has at least talked about the motive,” Nopens said “And we have to clear up how much of that is true.” bringing its mayor to the verge of tears and marring a festive event that’s part of a centuries-old German tradition It prompted several other German towns to cancel their weekend Christmas markets as a precaution and out of solidarity with Magdeburg’s loss Berlin kept its markets open but has increased its police presence at them including a knife attack that killed three people and wounded eight at a festival in the western city of Solingen in August On Friday the suspect used a special escape and rescue route to enter the market Magdeburg is a city of about 240,000 people Friday’s attack came eight years after an Islamic extremist drove a truck into a crowded Christmas market in Berlin killing 13 people and injuring many others Chancellor Scholz and Interior Minister Nancy Faeser traveled to Magdeburg on Saturday and a memorial service is to take place in the city cathedral in the evening Verified bystander footage distributed by the German news agency dpa showed the suspect’s arrest at a tram stop in the middle of the road a 34-year-old manicurist from Vietnam whose salon is located in a mall across from the Christmas market was on the phone during a break when she heard loud bangs and thought at first they were fireworks Shaking as she described the horror of what she witnessed The market itself was still cordoned off Saturday with red-and-white tape and police vans every 50 meters (yards) Police with machine pistols guarded every entry to the market Christmas markets are a German holiday tradition cherished since the Middle Ages now successfully exported to much of the Western world © 1996 - 2025 NewsHour Productions LLC PBS is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization Subscribe to Here's the Deal with Lisa Desjardins MAGDEBURG, Germany (AP) — Mourners laid flowers near the scene of the deadly Christmas market attack on Monday as investigators puzzled over the motive of the suspect and fears swirled that the rampage could deepen divisions in German society READ MORE: Death toll in German Christmas market attack rises to 5, with a 9-year-old among those killed a church a short walk from the scene of the attack has become a central place of mourning since the suspect drove a car into the busy market on Friday evening A carpet of flowers now covers the broad sidewalk in front of the church Prosecutors said the number of injured has risen to as many as 235 as more people have reported to hospitals and doctors but it’s possible there was some double-counting Authorities have identified the suspect as a Saudi doctor who arrived in Germany in 2006 and had received permanent residency They say he does not fit the usual profile of perpetrators of extremist attacks The man described himself as an ex-Muslim who was highly critical of Islam and in many posts on social media expressed support for the far-right “The Magdeburg perpetrator had repeatedly attracted attention by threatening crimes his political statements were so confused that none of the security authorities’ patterns fitted him,” Justice Minister Volker Wissing was quoted as telling the Funke newspaper group He said Germany may have to “draw consequences for our security architecture” and that a serious debate about that will be needed “but it’s still too early for that” as facts and questions remain open The country’s vice chancellor voiced fears that the attack will fuel online misinformation ahead of a national election expected in late February He urged people to “take time for the truth” and said: “Don’t let yourselves be infected by hatred.” “There is still a lot we don’t know and a lot is unexplained including the exact motive,” Robert Habeck said in a video posted Sunday I fear that the distrust that was immediately propagated on the net against Muslims foreigners and people with a history of immigration will entrench itself deeper in society” police in the port city of Bremerhaven said they detained a man who threatened crimes at a Christmas market there in a TikTok video German news agency dpa reported that he had said he would stab any people of Arabic appearance there on Christmas Day '+n.escapeExpression("function"==typeof(o=null!=(o=r(e,"eyebrowText")||(null!=l?r(l,"eyebrowText"):l))?o:n.hooks.helperMissing)?o.call(null!=l?l:n.nullContext||{},{name:"eyebrowText",hash:{},data:t,loc:{start:{line:28,column:63},end:{line:28,column:78}}}):o)+" \n '+(null!=(o=c(e,"if").call(r,null!=l?c(l,"cta2PreText"):l,{name:"if",hash:{},fn:n.program(32,t,0),inverse:n.noop,data:t,loc:{start:{line:63,column:20},end:{line:63,column:61}}}))?o:"")+"\n"+(null!=(o=(c(e,"ifAll")||l&&c(l,"ifAll")||n.hooks.helperMissing).call(r,null!=l?c(l,"cta2Text"):l,null!=l?c(l,"cta2Link"):l,{name:"ifAll",hash:{},fn:n.program(34,t,0),inverse:n.noop,data:t,loc:{start:{line:64,column:20},end:{line:70,column:30}}}))?o:"")+" Editing by Frances Kerry and Timothy Heritage concerns have been raised about public safety and intelligence gaps Five people, including a 9-year-old boy, were killed and more than 200 injured on Friday night when a car plowed into a crowd at the eastern German city's Christmas market. Politicians across the spectrum, from the far-left to the far-right, are calling for enhanced security measures. Police have yet to determine the motives behind Friday's attack. The perpetrator, a doctor from Saudi Arabia, is currently in pre-trial detention, facing charges of murder, attempted murder, and dangerous bodily harm. Investigators are examining reports that there had been warnings about a potential threat from the perpetrator. 12/24/2024December 24, 2024Party landscape largely unchanged after Magdeburg attack, poll suggestsIn the first opinion poll to be released after the Magdeburg attack, Germany’s political landscape looks largely unchanged ahead of February's election. According to the poll, published by the tabloid Bild newspaper and conducted by German polling institute INSA, the conservative CDU/CSU is still the biggest political force garnering 31% voter support and losing half a percentage point from the previous INSA survey.    The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) maintained its position as the second most-popular party The Social Democratic Party (SPD) having lost half a percentage point from the previous INSA poll. Germany’s environmentalist Greens gained one point and now have 12.5% backing The left-wing populist Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW) remain at 8%. 12/23/2024December 23, 2024Magdeburg attacker left will in attack car — SpiegelGerman investigators found a will left in the car used by the perpetrator of Friday night's attack on the Magdeburg Christmas Market, according to Germany's Der Spiegel news magazine. In the will, the attacker, who presumably expected to die during the attack, states that his entire fortune should be donated to the German Red Cross. In May 2024, he had posted on "X" that he expected to die "this year," a warning which he repeated in several private messages to other "X" users, reports Spiegel. The will and testament reportedly did not contain any political messages. 2024Magdeburg residents form human chain against 'hate'Hundreds of people formed a human chain around the Alter Markt in Magdeburg on Monday evening in a gesture of remembrance for the victims of Friday night's attack on a Christmas market held on the same square named "Don't Give Hate a Chance," was also intended to be a stand against right-wing extremists seeking to exploit the attack for political gain with people of all ages standing together in dense crowds they applauded and thanked the emergency services — the police officers who had apprehended the perpetrator and the medical teams who had treated the over 200 wounded "These are lights for a cosmopolitan city," said Oliver Wiebe The event took place at the same time as a demonstration led by the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party on the Domplatz just across town, where attendees had chanted for "deportations!" 12/23/2024December 23, 2024Local German newspapers warn against 'political instrumentalization'Local newspapers in Magdeburg and the surrounding areas of eastern Germany have warned against what they consider the "instrumentalization" of Friday night's attack while calling on the authorities to investigate security failures thoroughly the local Volksstimme newspaper wrote:  "Three days on from the attack, and despite all appeals to the contrary, the political instrumentalization has begun. The right has blamed all migrants for the crime, while the left says it was the result of far-right radicalization. With the federal election coming up [in February] it's a battle for control of the narrative it will lead to little — only to a further division of society the profile of the perpetrator can be interpreted in several ways "But that doesn't mean that [the attack] doesn't require investigation when people lose trust in the state's ability to protect them the political center and ultimately democracy itself are endangered We saw what that means on Saturday when groups of far-right demonstrators using sinister language could be observed." And in Cottbus, a city in the neighboring state of Brandenburg,the Lausitzer Rundschau newspaper wrote: "As correct as it is to investigate the precise circumstances of this terrible crime and the security failures before it, the political instrumentalization is equally disingenuous. Regardless of who is doing it." Precise attendance figures were not immediately available, but footage appeared showed many people on the square listening to speeches made by AfD politicians, including chancellor candidate Alice Weidel and Jan Wenzel Schmidt the AfD's leader for the state of Saxony-Anhalt "Someone who hates — and kills — the people of the country that gave him asylum, who hates all we stand for and all that we love, does not belong to us," said Weidel, who had traveled to Magdeburg from Berlin "We want things to finally change in this country so that we will never again have to mourn with the mother who has lost her son in such a pointless and brutal way," she continued describing the attack as "an act of an Islamist full of hatred for what constitutes human cohesion .. The perpetrator of the Christmas market attack is a Saudi man who came to Germany in 2006. In social media posts, he called himself an atheist who renounced Islam and attacked German migration policies as too lenient. He also expressed sympathy for the AfD, saying it pursued the same goals he did.  Wenzel Schmidt called the attack a "monstrous political failure" on the part of the authorities who had granted the "mass murderer" asylum despite him having publicized his intentions (see entries below). Individual police officers, he said, had had their "hands tied" and been "left alone" by their superiors. During the demonstration, which was titled "Grief unites — for a secure future," attendees intermittently chanted for "deportations." After the speeches, the AfD is set to lead a march around the city center. Simultaneously, several counter-demonstrations took place with slogans such as "We want to mourn — give hate no chance" and "Give fascism no chance." 12/23/2024December 23, 2024German authorities received warning about perpetrator in 2023 – MDRState police in Saxony-Anhalt received a warning regarding the perpetrator of Friday night's Christmas market attack back in autumn 2023 a member of the public contacted the police via direct message on Instagram writing in English: "There's a guy [who] said he's going to kill random German citizens please do something and arrest him as soon as possible The warning also featured screenshots of posts made by the eventual perpetrator on "X." According to MDR, the tipster had also contacted Germany's Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) and police in Berlin, both of which had directed them to police in Saxony-Anhalt. Acknowledging the warning, BAMF said on Monday: "This tip, like many others, was taken seriously. But since we are not an investigative authority, the person giving the warning was, as is always the case, referred directly to the responsible authorities." Saxony-Anhalt state police told MDR that they were unable to comment due to the ongoing investigation. 12/23/2024December 23, 2024Police contacted attacker several weeks ago, and last yearGerman police contacted the perpetrator of Friday night's deadly attack in Magdeburg several times in the past year in order to conduct so-called preventative appeals.  According to Saxony-Anhalt Interior Minister Tamara Zieschang, a first appeal took place in September 2023 and another in October 2024. Police also attempted to conduct a preventative appeal in December 2023 regarding comments the perpetrator had made on social media. However, they were unable to confront him in person, a written appeal went unanswered and the investigation was dropped. 12/23/2024December 23, 2024Prosecutors say number of injured has risen to 235Prosecutors said the number of injured in the Magdeburg Christmas market attack has risen to as many as 235 as more people have reported to hospitals and doctors possible there was some double-counting of the figures Germany in shock after car rams into Christmas marketTo view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video 12/23/2024December 23, 2024CDU calls for stronger intelligence services following Magdeburg attackGermany's leading opposition party, the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), has called for the country's intelligence services to be strengthened after the attack in Magdeburg. "We can no longer be satisfied with the fact that information about violent criminals and terrorists often only comes from foreign services," CDU lawmaker Günter Krings the Handelsblatt newspaper. "That is why our German security authorities need more powers of their own in order to gain more of their own knowledge, especially in the digital area." Saudi Arabia has previously requested the extradition of the attacker from Germany, a government source told the AFP news agency on Monday. "There was [an extradition] request," said the source, without giving the reason for the request, adding that Riyadh had warned he "could be dangerous." The CDU's Krings said security services must be able to remove dangerous people from society using information from their digital activities. 12/23/2024December 23, 2024State offers counseling to schoolchildren, staffThe German state of Saxony-Anhalt, of which Magdeburg is the capital, is offering psychological counseling to schoolchildren and educational staff who were caught up in the attack. Hotlines are being set up on which the state's Education Ministry said "those affected can use the hotlines to talk confidentially about their own feelings and fears." State Education Minister Eva Feussner said the attack had deeply affected the community. "In addition to compassion for the victims and their families, it is also very important to support those seeking help and to support them in their healing process," said Feussner. "We want to ensure that no one has to deal with the emotional stress of this tragedy alone. We stand together in this difficult time and will do everything we can to offer our children and the state's school staff the support they need." 2024Lawmakers to question intelligence agencies German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser and the heads of Germany's domestic and foreign intelligence services are due to answer questions about the Magdeburg Christmas market attack at a parliamentary committee next week a member of Chancellor Olaf Scholz's Social Democrats told the AFP news agency that officials from Germany's domestic and foreign intelligence agencies and the Office for Migration and Refugees had been called to a hearing on December 30 There are unanswered questions about what the authorities knew about the perpetrator before Friday's attack.  Germany's Federal Criminal Police (BKA) President Holger Münch told public broadcaster ZDF the man had various contacts with authorities during which he made insults and sometimes threats Münch described him as an "atypical perpetrator." Germany's Federal Office for Migration and Refugees also acknowledged Sunday it had received a warning about the suspect last year Magdeburg attack puts pressure on German security servicesTo view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video 2024Police detain man who threatened Bremerhaven's Christmas market A man who threatened severe criminal acts at Bremerhaven's Christmas market in a TikTok video was detained on Sunday night Police in the German port city "very quickly"  identified the suspect after the video was posted and took him into custody.  There are no details about the suspect or the specific threats made Police said there was no danger to the public Read more about it here. 12/23/2024December 23, 2024Far-right rally, counter rally planned for Magdeburg Germany's far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) is set to hold a rally in Magdeburg on Monday evening The party's chancellor candidate, Alice Weidel and several state AfD politicians are expected to attend the gathering at the city's Domplatz the AfD claimed that the recent attack highlights the dangers of Germany's immigration policy.  scuffles broke out at a far-right rally in the city billed as a "demonstration against terror" and attended by more than 2,000 people Protesters held up a large banner bearing the word "immigration," a term popular with anti-immigration extremists seeking the mass deportation of migrants Market ramming suspect faces five murder countsTo view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video 12/23/2024December 23, 2024Faeser wants more powers for the policeFaeser said outstanding legislation on domestic security should be approved immediatelyImage: Ebrahim Noorozi/AP/picture allianceGerman Interior Minister Nancy Faeser has urged the swift adoption of draft laws to bolster internal security The deadly attack on a Christmas market in Magdeburg has raised questions about public safety and intelligence gaps in Germany "We must do everything in our power to protect the people of Germany from such horrific acts of violence Our security authorities need all the necessary powers and additional personnel to achieve this," Faeser told Der Spiegel news magazine Following the Solingen knife attack earlier this year lawmakers tightened gun laws and strengthened security authorities' powers said further legislative changes were blocked by her Social Democratic Party (SPD) party's former governing coalition partner the opposition Christian Democrats (CDU) and the CDU's Bavarian sister party "All of these bills could be passed immediately if the [CDU and CSU] and FDP did not refuse to do so," she said The measures include a new Federal Police Act and the introduction of biometric surveillance FDP General Secretary Marco Buschmann cautioned against hasty actions the parliamentary head of the far-right AfD called on Chancellor Olaf Scholz to convene a special session of the Bundestag regarding the "desolate" security situation stating that "this is the least we owe to the victims." demanded Faeser explain "why so many tips and warnings were ignored beforehand." The CDU and FDP called for enhancements to Germany's security apparatus including improved coordination between federal and state authorities Grief and tributes after Magdeburg Christmas market attackTo view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video An image taken from a video shows police officers arresting a suspect after car drove into a crowd at the Christmas market in Magdeburg A person stands by flowers and candles placed outside St CAIRO (AP) — Authorities have not formally named the suspect in the car ramming in the city of Magdeburg that killed at least five people and wounded hundreds saying only that he is a Saudi doctor who has lived in Germany for nearly two decades and that he acted alone He was arrested on site after plowing a black BMW into a Christmas market crowded with holiday shoppers Friday evening Taleb’s X account describes him as a former Muslim saying they had failed to do enough to combat the “Islamism of Europe.” He has also voiced support for the far-right and anti-immigrant Alternative for Germany (AfD) party Some described Taleb as an activist who helped Saudi women flee their homeland he seemed focused on his theory that German authorities have been targeting Saudi asylum-seekers Prominent German terrorism expert Peter Neumann posted on X that he had never before come across a suspect in an act of mass violence with that profile “After 25 years in this ‘business’ you think nothing could surprise you anymore But a 50-year-old Saudi ex-Muslim who lives in East Germany loves the AfD and wants to punish Germany for its tolerance toward Islamists — that really wasn’t on my radar,” he wrote German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser told reporters: “At this point we can only say for sure that the perpetrator was evidently Islamophobic — we can confirm that Everything else is a matter for further investigation and we have to wait.” A German-based organization called Atheist Refugee Relief said the alleged attacker was not a part of the group and claimed that he made “numerous accusations and claims” against it and former board members there was a plan to work together to coordinate aid for atheist refugees from Saudi Arabia “We distance ourselves from him in the strongest terms,” the group said in a statement on its website adding that members of Atheist Refugee Relief filed a criminal complaint against him in 2019 following “the most foul slander and verbal attacks.” your new go-to podcast to spice up your weekday mornings with relevant news and behind-the-scenes from Brussels and beyond From the economy to the climate and the EU's role in world affairs this talk show sheds light on European affairs and the issues that impact on our daily lives as Europeans Tune in to understand the ins and outs of European politics Dare to imagine the future with business and tech visionaries Deep dive conversations with business leaders Euronews Tech Talks goes beyond discussions to explore the impact of new technologies on our lives the podcast provides valuable insights into the intersection of technology and society Europe's water is under increasing pressure floods are taking their toll on our drinking water Join us on a journey around Europe to see why protecting ecosystems matters and to discover some of the best water solutions an animated explainer series and live debate - find out why Water Matters We give you the latest climate facts from the world’s leading source analyse the trends and explain how our planet is changing We meet the experts on the front line of climate change who explore new strategies to mitigate and adapt The attack on the Christmas market in the German city of Magdeburg has sparked a strong reaction across the Arab world Several Arab countries, including Saudi Arabia and Qatar, were quick to condemn the attack which has so far killed at least five people and injured 200 There were mixed reactions across social media many of which reflected the ongoing sectarian and political polarisation in the Arab world Social media users in Arab countries have been quick to discuss the alleged attacker's religious background highlighting that he had reportedly renounced Islam and become an atheist Many have criticised Western media's coverage of the attack with some people arguing that it hasn’t been given much attention Some claimed that the incident hasn't been sensationalised in the way similar attacks often are alleging that when the perpetrator is Muslim Social media has highlighted that the suspect was a dissident of the Saudi regime and that Riyadh had reportedly stripped him of his citizenship and asked Berlin to extradite him Some even went so far as to allege that Saudi Arabia had warned the authorities in this country of the danger posed by the suspect indicating a WhatsApp conversation dating back more than a year between a Saudi girl and German security services warning that Taleb A This content remains not officially verified Many social media users criticised Western countries' treatment of Arab dissidents under the pretext of protecting human rights and freedom of expression saying that Germany is bearing the brunt of this approach and that the West in general is paying the price for its positions Amid tense relations between Tehran and the majority of Arab countries some responses tried to link the Islamic Republic with the ideology of the attacker who they claim came from Qatif in eastern Saudi Arabia One said he had a little Khomeini in his heart which supports the toppled regime in Syria and claimed it was an attempt to retaliate against Berlin for Germany's protection of Syrian civilians during the civil war that ravaged the country that he published anti-Tehran and pro-Israel content He also retweeted posts of Ahmed al-Sharaa Nationality of the attacker was also taken up by Saudi Arabia's opponents on social media Some have called for the restriction of Saudi passports in order to prevent further terrorist attacks worldwide Others tried to link the Magdeburg attack to recent developments in Syria and the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime Some social media users accused the attacker of being a supporter of al-Assad's regime and even accused his brother of being behind the attack had contacted sleeper cells in Europe and provided them with money to launch similar operations in several European countries just hours hour before the Magdeburg incident.** Supporters of the new Islamist-dominated rulers in Damascus linked the Islamophobic attacker's ideology to calls for a secular regime in post-Assad Syria saying that "terrorism and apostasy" were two sides of the same coin Some supporters of the Kurdish community tried to link the timing of the attack to Germany's stance on the Syrian Kurds and its call for them to lay down their arms and make a peace deal with the new regime in Syria they claim the attacker was a supporter of the PKK and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in Syria Despite the statement by the German authorities that the incident was an individual act it seems that some try to cloak every attack in a sectarian or political guise with the incident reflecting a high level of polarisation and tension in a region wracked by war and political turmoil and toys to mourn those killed or injured when a man drove a car into a Christmas market in Magdeburg Saudi doctor and refugee Taleb al-Abdulmohsen drove a rental BMW into a crowded Christmas market in the East German town of Magdeburg Al-Abdulmohsen had been living in Germany since 2006 and applied for asylum in 2016 speculation has been rife about possible motives especially for ex-Muslims from Saudi Arabia and the Gulf States He called himself a “Leftist” but also voiced support for the right-wing Alternative for Germany (AfD) party who has known al-Abdulmohsen from online encounters sheds light on the attacker’s motives and beliefs Middle East Forum spoke to Mohammed in France via a voice call you posted that you had known the attacker from Twitter/X for several years where he was “obsessively” going after ex-Muslims and “didn’t seem stable.” five years he’s been messaging me in English very obsessively He’s had multiple accounts over these years I was inclined to trust him because he had an ex-Muslim support website that he used to help atheists who were escaping from the Muslim world I knew people he had helped and supported and so I figured he was a legitimate activist He was trying to expose another activist named Rana Ahmad Hamd who runs an organization in Germany called Secular Refugee Relief (Säkulare Flüchtlingshilfe) closely affiliated with [evolutionary biologist and vocal atheist] Richard Dawkins … [Abdulmohsen] was trying to convince me that a person that’s affiliated with Rana’s organization is a sexual predator and he believes that she’s involved in sexual trafficking I essentially said to him on multiple occasions if you are concerned about a German man or a German organization and you are in Germany then go ahead and contact the German police He wants me to “expose her” by sharing this evidence of his on my Twitter account and I said MEF: On his website he seems to write obsessively about women “Over the years he has just become more and more deranged and erratic.” YM: Over the years he has just become more and more deranged and erratic on any of his tweets where he was supporting feminists in Saudi Arabia was in 2019 I was very hesitant to even be interacting with him anymore because he was devolving into something really weird so I just wanted to keep my distance from him MEF: What do you know about his organization I know that his organization legitimately helped people who were apostates who escaped from Saudi Arabia One of those people is Rahaf Mohammad. She was a very high-profile case. She’s written a book called Rebel She’s one of the many people that that he helped to get out of Saudi Arabia he had proven himself to be a legitimate activist MEF: Often people who are alone and unmarried tend to go down rabbit holes if they spend a lot of time online He started to hate Germans and Germany because he felt like they weren’t doing enough to support him and to fight against Islamists He felt like Germany was basically leading itself into social suicide like he just couldn’t believe You see this from so many Swedish and French ex-Muslim activists They have that same feeling of frustration and anger that they basically left their homelands their families their communities and escaped to this country where they thought they would find freedom and security and instead they find this “free” country capitulating to terrorists but he just went down a rabbit hole and started to get even more and more erratic he was much more and more aggressive and insistent he said he was going to kill innocent German people because he wanted to get their attention He needed them to see that they were in danger there’s a possibility he may have actually tried to stage a “false flag” attack and that could be why he followed the same method that Muslims have done in the past which is ramming his car into people at a Christmas market MEF: [Author and blogger] Robert Spencer had an interesting tweet in which he said this looks like a Muslim returning to the faith who has to do something radical to absolve himself I’m an ex-Muslim and there are shitty agnostic atheists out there There are shitty people from all religions and all ideologies Why would the atheist Muslims be an exception So many people are hell-bent now on saying he was actually a Shi’i Muslim I can’t be 100 percent sure if he was or wasn’t a Saudi agent But there was nothing I saw from his actions or his communication with me that would have given any hint or indication that he was a “fake ex-Muslim.” He really did hate that religion and want to help people who were escaping from it how can you be so concerned about women being sexually exploited and your response to that is “I’m gonna kill people because nobody’s listening to the fact these women are being sexually exploited” MEF: You kind of wonder whether the German secret police shouldn’t have had him on their radar People tend to brag about that kind of stuff if they’re a little loopy YM: He did mention all the time that the German authorities were after him that the German authorities were not supporting him even though they saved him from Saudi Arabia And the Saudis were trying to warn the Germans about him in 2023 “He did mention all the time that the German authorities were after him but that’s what Saudi Arabia does when somebody is an asylum seeker They very often will try to get that asylum seeker extradited back to Saudi Arabia so they can deal with them—whether it’s a woman running away from forced marriage … I’ve got a woman right now that I’m talking to that’s dealing with this They’re saying she owes the Saudi government money and she needs to come back because they want to try her for this money that she stole from the government YM: He said it was because of his disbelief [apostasy] He was seeking asylum in Germany because he’s a non-believer and the punishment for renouncing Islam in Saudi Arabia is execution he became an atheist in Saudi Arabia and then left but he never publicly stated it before he came to Germany MEF: It’s just such an odd history because he seems to have come as a doctor 2006 and then didn’t apply for asylum until 10 years later YM: The story I was given was not the truth I know of people who say that they’re Christian They all say whatever they need to say to get asylum Some of those people legitimately are trying to come to the West because they’re trying to escape from countries with Islamic law while others are just coming to the West because they want to spread Islam MEF: But you don’t think Taleb was practicing taqiyya [religiously sanctioned deception] Taqiyya does not work in this circumstance at all The fact it’s being thrown around everywhere by people who don’t really understand what it means is just adding so much noise to an already confusing situation … The idea of taqiyya is that you can pretend to be Sunni so that the Sunnis don’t kill you Some Muslims extrapolate from the taqiyya concept that they can pretend to be anything within an unsafe environment if the non-Muslims are gonna kill you and they say eat this pork to prove that you’re not a Muslim then you can eat the pork because you’re trying to save your life you’re allowed to pretend that you’re not a Muslim to save your life Rahaf Mohammed is living comfortably in Canada If he was a taqiyya “double agent,” then he would have maybe brought her to Canada and made her life miserable or told the Saudi authorities where she was living There are countless examples of people—mostly women—that he helped MEF: There may be something to the claim that he was mostly interested in women as with all these types—he was very controlling of women Even helping women was from that sense of power and control Bow to me.” It was very clear that he was not a humanitarian person He was just too aggressive and angry and demanding He was not a kind and thoughtful person like most people in this space Definitely100 percent narcissism energy from him MEF: He was all over the map on his social media YM: I think he liked to say things that were controversial and that were going to get him attention There’s one tweet where he was supporting Hamas … It’s very clear when you read it in Arabic that he was writing it in a sarcastic way MEF: The German left-wing jumped all over that and tried to use it against Elon Musk and the AfD everybody’s trying to pigeonhole him and make things nice and easy and clean but nothing about this is easy and clean I genuinely don’t think it had anything to do with his beliefs or his ideology I think he was just a man who was spiraling and I genuinely believe he did this simply because it was finally gonna get him attention People were finally going to listen to him because he has been screaming for people to pay attention to him for four to five years and he’s just being ignored at every turn I’m gonna do something that nobody can ignore.” © 2025 Middle East Forum • E-mail: info@meforum.org • Tel: 1 (215) 546-5406 German leaders are coming under intense scrutiny for failing to prevent an attack on a Christmas market in Magdeburg last week after receiving several warnings about the suspect ― an anti-Islam activist who made little secret of his violent intentions in online posts Investigations into the security failures are likely to haunt Germany’s governing parties for weeks ahead of a snap election set for Feb 23 and could well fuel a general sense of mistrust and insecurity among voters particularly as far-right groups rush to capitalize on the attack by depicting mainstream leaders as unable to protect Germans In a bid to restore trust following the attack German political leaders vowed to fully investigate the security lapses and enact new laws to strengthen police and bolster security after the tragedy that left five people dead “Federal authorities are turning over every stone,” said German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser of the Social Democratic Party (SPD) But it’s far from clear that will reassure voters particularly as revelations about security missteps continue to surface The suspect, however, gave repeated indications of his violent intentions in online posts. “I assure you 100% that revenge will come soon. Even if it costs me my life,” he is purported to have written on X last December in a now-deleted post “I seriously expect to die this year,” another such post reads The atypical profile of the suspect — a 50-year-old refugee from Saudi Arabia who styled himself as a women’s rights activist, was reported to have sympathized with the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) and whom German authorities characterize as “Islamophobic”— may have predisposed authorities to overlook warning signs “In Germany, people think very strongly in established, rigid categories of right-wing extremist, left-wing extremist, Islamist,” said Peter Neumann, a terrorist and security expert at King’s College London, in an interview with Spiegel “A second problem is that it has long been assumed that mental illness is by and large irrelevant in the fight against terrorism.” Because the suspect’s unusual profile defies easy narratives the attack has also become a rich breeding ground for speculation and conspiracy theories with some casting doubt on the government’s early accounts of the suspect’s political beliefs “Legacy media lies again,” X boss Elon Musk wrote over the weekend while reposting a collage of headlines quoting Interior Minister Faeser referring to the attacker as “Islamophobic.” On Friday, shortly before the attack, Musk endorsed the AfD calling it the only party that could “save Germany.” Germany’s economy minister and chancellor candidate for the Greens seemed to push back against Musk without mentioning the tech mogul by name “Don’t believe what propagandists on the net want to tell you; their lies are faster than the truth,” Habeck said over the weekend The power of the big social media platforms and Aside from rampant speculation and disinformation a more common message being pushed by European radical-right figures is that the alleged attacker’s motives and beliefs are largely beside the point Despite the atypical profile of the Magdeburg attack suspect the AfD clearly intends to use the incident to double down on its anti-immigration message — and to attack German mainstream politicians on the issue of domestic security AfD members and leaders were set to gather for a rally in Magdeburg late Monday Among the party leaders expected to speak was Alice Weidel Weidel was clear about her main message ahead of the rally “The discussion about new security laws must not distract from the fact that #Magdeburg would not have been possible without uncontrolled immigration,” Weidel wrote on X on Monday “The state must protect its citizens through a restrictive migration policy and consistent deportations!” Friedrich Merz presides over a coalition of crumbling mainstream parties Germany’s junior coalition partner hands key ministries to familiar faces — and springs a few surprises Chinese President Xi Jinping is among the leaders set to attend the Victory Day Parade in Moscow The final phase of the election campaign was dominated by Trump’s trade war and the cost of living German government to investigate whether more could have been done to prevent car attack that killed five The German government has vowed to investigate whether a Christmas market car attack that killed five people and injured 200 could have been prevented after it emerged that authorities had received multiple warnings about the suspect Amid mounting criticism of Germany’s security apparatus said on Sunday that the heads of the domestic and foreign intelligence services would be questioned by two parliamentary committees next week The man arrested at the scene of Friday’s attack in Magdeburg a Saudi-born psychiatrist named by German media as Taleb al-Abdulmohsen had made online threats to kill German citizens and has a history of disputes with state authorities A self-described “Saudi atheist” who helped women flee Gulf countries he had been strongly critical of Berlin for allowing in too many Muslim refugees and had repeatedly backed far-right conspiracy theories about the “Islamisation” of Europe Abdulmohsen voiced support on the social media platform X for the far-right Alternative für Deutschland party and for X’s owner, the US billionaire Elon Musk, who has publicly backed AfD saying only the anti-immigration party “can save Germany” Andre Gleißner, who was killed at the Christmas market in Magdeburg. Photograph: Family photoThe victims were identified as four women aged 52, 45, 75 and 67 and a nine-year-old boy who was named by his mother on Sunday as André Gleißner. “Let my little teddy bear fly around the world again,” Désirée Gleißner said on Facebook. “André didn’t do anything to anybody. He was only with us on earth for nine years. Why you? Just why? You will always live on in our hearts … I promise you that.” Faeser said on Sunday the task was to “paint a picture” of a suspect “who does not fit any existing mould”. He had acted in “an unbelievably cruel and brutal manner, like an Islamist terrorist, though he was clearly ideologically hostile to Islam”, she said. She promised Bild newspaper that “no stone will be left unturned”, adding that authorities would “clarify all this background. They will also examine in detail what information was available in the past, and how it was followed up.” The head of the federal criminal police, Holger Münch, told the public broadcaster ZDF that his office received a tipoff from Saudi Arabia in November 2023 that led authorities to launch “appropriate investigative measures”. Abdulmohsen had “published a huge number of posts on the internet”, Münch said, and also “had contact with various authorities, making insults and even threats. However, he was not known to have committed acts of violence.” Germany’s federal office for migration and refugees said it received a tipoff about the suspect last summer. “This was taken seriously, like every other of the numerous tips,” it said, adding that it had referred the person offering the tip directly on to relevant authorities. Der Spiegel magazine said the Saudi secret service alerted Germany’s spy agency BND last year to a post in which Abdulmohsen threatened Germany would “pay a price” for its treatment of Saudi refugees. Police said on Sunday that Abdulmohsen, who arrived in Germany in 2006 and had permanent residency, was remanded in custody late on Saturday evening after prosecutors pressed charges of murder, attempted murder and grievous bodily harm. rented BMW SUV ploughed at speed through the crowded market shortly after 7pm on Friday 41 of whom were still in a serious or critical condition on Sunday As thousands mourned the victims in Magdeburg on Saturday night billed as a “demonstration against terror” and attended by more than 2,000 people Protesters in black balaclavas chanted “migration kills” and held up a large banner bearing the word “remigration” a term popular with anti-immigration extremists seeking the mass deportation of migrants and people deemed not ethnically German A sea of flowers stretched out in front of St John’s church in Magdeburg which attracted a steady stream of tearful mourners throughout the weekend Abdulmohsen has described himself as a former Muslim and was an active user of X sharing dozens of posts daily focusing mainly on anti-Islam themes criticising the religion and congratulating former Muslims who had abandoned it he wrote on social media: “Is there a path to justice in Germany without blowing up a German embassy or randomly slaughtering German citizens please let me know.” He also posted on X that he wished Germany’s former chancellor Angela Merkel could be jailed for life or executed he was fined by a court in the city of Rostock for “disturbing the public peace by threatening to commit crimes” This year he was investigated in Berlin for the “misuse of emergency calls” after arguing heatedly with officers at a police station He had been on sick leave from his workplace the chair of an association of former Muslims in Germany because he has been terrorising us for years” She labelled him “a psychopath who adheres to ultra-right conspiracy ideologies” 1:09Olaf Scholz calls for unity at site of deadly attack in Magdeburg – video The German chancellor insane” attack and called for national unity amid mounting political tension in the country as it heads towards federal elections on 23 February Opposition parties were swift to criticise his government The anti-immigration AfD’s parliamentary leader demanded Scholz call a special session of the Bundestag on the “desperate” security situation AfD has strong support in the former East Germany and is in second place nationally in the polls planned a rally in Magdeburg on Monday evening of the centre-right Christian Social Union which as the CDU/CSU alliance is leading in the polls said the attack “raises questions about authorities’ knowledge of warnings from home and abroad especially as there were obviously specific warnings and tips in this case that were ignored.” This article was amended on 23 December 2024 Germany’s federal office for migration and refugees said it had directed to relevant authorities the person who provided a tip about the Magdeburg suspect not that it had passed on the tip itself as an earlier version said The scenes that took place in Magdeburg on Friday evening were gruesome A large BMW SUV raced several hundred meters through the cheerfully celebrating people in the crowded Christmas market The massacre is reminiscent of the attack on Berlin’s Breitscheidplatz eight years ago where a truck raced into a Christmas market Only that this time the perpetrator is not a jihadist but an Islam-hater and supporter of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) The assassin was well known to the authorities Several warnings had been received about him he had repeatedly come into conflict with the law had left a broad trail on social media and had hinted at his deed and carefully prepared it But because he did not shout “Allahu akbar,” but agitated against the alleged Islamization of Germany The now 50-year-old Taleb Jawad al-Abdulmohsen came to Germany from Saudi Arabia in 2006 to complete his medical studies with a specialist training since March 2020 as a specialist in psychiatry and psychotherapy at the state-owned Salus Clinic Bernburg near Magdeburg There he supervised addicted offenders in involuntary treatment Abdulmohsen successfully applied for asylum He justified his request by saying that he was persecuted in Saudi Arabia because he had turned away from Islam and helped women to flee the country A cultural attaché at the Saudi embassy warned him that he was threatened with execution in his home country the Rostock District Court had already sentenced him to a 90-day sentence three years earlier for “disturbing public peace by threatening crimes.” The reason is said to have been threats he had made because his medical education was only partially recognized It appeared under the headline: “I am the most aggressive critic of Islam in history.” Abdulmohsen portrayed himself as a champion for the rights of Arab women and told horror stories about fathers who abuse and murder their daughters does not seem to have checked what was fact and what was invented the interview fit perfectly into a political atmosphere in which all parties fomented resentment against refugees and Muslims and the short-term opening of the borders in the summer of 2015 was declared the original sin of German politics which already had 15,000 followers in 2019 While he had initially railed against Islam and the Saudi authorities he felt increasingly persecuted by the German authorities “Germany is hunting Saudi asylum seekers inside and outside Germany to destroy their lives Germany wants to Islamize Europe,” said the English-language short biography of his X account He fiercely attacked even refugee organizations that seek help for religiously persecuted people he  accused “Secular Refugee Aid Germany” of misuse of donations and corruption “The traces that Abdulmohsen left behind online in recent years give disturbing insights into a world disconnected from reality,” reports Der Spiegel the right-wing extremist Briton Tommy Robinson He openly sympathized with the AfD and dreamed of a joint project with the largely right-wing extremist party: an academy for ex-Muslims.” He called for the death penalty for former Chancellor Angela Merkel he threatened to kill Germans indiscriminately on his X account the cover of which is decorated with an automatic handgun: “A purely philosophical questionnaire: Would you blame me if I killed 20 Germans indiscriminately because Germany is taking action against the Saudi opposition?” The entry was deleted—probably by himself—but copies were retained he spoke on X in Arabic of a “war” with the German authorities and announced that it was likely “that I will die for it later this year.” He also repeated this in private messages with other X users Abdulmohsen wrote up to 250 messages per week on X in which he portrayed himself as a fervent supporter of the AfD and posted video excerpts of an Islamophobic account he threatened in Arabic that the West only understood “carnage and violence.” He added “Those who do not blow up and kill are not respected by the Germans.” an Islamophobic US blog published a video interview with Abdulmohsen he accuses the German state of conducting a “covert secret operation” to “hunt down and destroy the lives of Saudi ex-Muslims worldwide.” At the same time Syrian jihadists were granted asylum in Germany the Saudi intelligence service warned the German Federal Intelligence Service about Abdulmohsen three times in 2023 and 2024 The warning is said to have been about the post in which he threatened that Germany would pay a “price.” The warning also reached the police the State Criminal Police Office in Magdeburg and the Federal Criminal Police Office came to the conclusion that “there was no concrete danger” from him Abdulmohsen apparently carefully prepared the attack himself powerful BMW and advanced via the only access road to the Christmas market which was not secured by barriers and could only be reached via a pedestrian zone where he was stopped and arrested by the police right-wing extremists tried to exploit it for their own purposes Elon Musk, who had called for support for the far-right party a few hours before the attack with the words “Only the AfD can save Germany,” demanded the immediate resignation of Chancellor Olaf Scholz in response to the attack, whom he called an “incompetent fool” and an “incompetent idiot.” He also shared an article that linked the events in Magdeburg to “mass immigration.” Even after the perpetrator was identified and his right-wing extremist the AfD is trying to exploit the terrible attack for its reactionary purposes Party leader Alice Weidel intends to take part in a demonstration in Magdeburg today whose party is in no way inferior to the AfD when it comes to anti-refugee agitation and the call for law and order called on the German government to “finally present a convincing security concept with a clear focus on protecting the population.” The political background of the Magdeburg attack shows that right-wing extremism anti-refugee agitation and terrorist violence against the population go hand in hand the personality of the perpetrator plays a role in such terrible massacres But political hatred and paranoia can only lead to such a monstrous crime in a sick society where violence and killing people have become the norm the European Union’s inhumane closed-border policy from January to November of this year has claimed 2,000 lives several Magdeburgs have been taking place every day for 14 months when Israeli fighter jets bomb homes and refugee camps killing children and women indiscriminately hundreds of thousands of young men are being sacrificed for a war that serves the imperialist powers of NATO The established parties responsible for this policy also bear responsibility for the Magdeburg disaster They defend a sick capitalist social system that can only survive through war fuses are short-circuiting more and more often where school shootings are now commonplace This development can only be stopped by building a movement that unites the working class across all borders and fights for a human MAGDEBURG, Germany (OSV News) — Several hundred people gathered at Magdeburg Cathedral in the evening of Dec. 21 for an ecumenical prayer service to remember the victims of the Dec. 20 Christmas market attack in the central German city, which killed five, including a 9-year-old child, and injured over 40 people, leaving some in critical condition. Bishop Gerhard Feige of Magdeburg said that the “brutal attack” left the community “sad and angry, helpless and fearful, uncertain and desperate, speechless and stunned, and deeply affected.” He continued: “We are here in the cathedral tonight with feelings that cannot be grasped.” The service was attended by injured victims, relatives and rescue workers as well as the country’s President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Chancellor Olaf Scholz. Hundreds of people also followed the service on the cathedral square in the cold and rain via a screen broadcast. Pope Francis sent a telegram to the German president, expressing he “learned with dismay” about the attack. “His Holiness expresses his participation in the grief of those affected,” the telegram, sent by Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin said. It added the Holy Father “assures all the victims his spiritual closeness.” The pope thanked those “supporting the victims during this difficult time,” invoking “divine consolation” to all those who lost their lives. Church bells rang at 7:04 p.m. in Magdeburg, the exact time of the attack in the city 80 miles west of Berlin, where roughly 240,000 people live. The attacker who ploughed a car into a crowd of shoppers is a 50-year-old doctor who immigrated from Saudi Arabia in 2006, and who surrendered to police at the scene. Protestant Bishop Friedrich Kramer said in his sermon: “We are shocked and ask ourselves: Is there still a safe place, a place of peace?” Perpetrators of violence sit on “the throne of attention.” Bishop Kramer continued: “Let us not give this perpetrator of violence any space.” Initial speculation about a possible Islamist background to the attack is now considered unlikely. Just three minutes away from the scene of the horror attack, the local community organized a memorial, laying flowers and cuddly toys in front of St. John’s Church in Magdeburg’s city center. Emergency counsellor Corinna Pagels was on the scene on the evening of the crime. She was standing in front of St. John’s, looking after the mourners who came to the memorial site. “Listening, hugging, comforting” is what she did throughout the evening of Dec. 20, she said. All available emergency counsellors and crisis intervention teams from all over the region of Saxony-Anhalt were on duty in Magdeburg that evening. “We are now in the hospitals, on the children’s wards and here at the scene of the incident — for many people, the shock is only now really sinking in. Many are traumatized,” Pagels told KNA German Catholic news agency. Pagels also has an image of the night of the crime that she can no longer shake off: “There was a dead woman lying there. And her grieving husband was lying on top of her and just didn’t want to get up and let go of his wife.” Her colleague told her of an injured child lying next to his injured mother, screaming loudly in pain and fear. Such a horrific attack happening just four days before Christmas Eve left Pagels deeply shaken. “I don’t think we’ll be putting up a tree this year. Christmas has taken on a different meaning now,” she told KNA. Chancellor Scholtz promised the state’s support for all those who have fallen victim to this “terrible, insane act.” Earlier on Dec. 21, Bishop Georg Bätzing, president of the German bishops’ conference, and Bishop Kirsten Fehrs, chair of the Council of the Evangelical Church in Germany, said: “Our thoughts and prayers are in Magdeburg at this time.” “The inhumane attack in Magdeburg leaves us stunned,” they added. “The horror, grief and sympathy are felt by many people throughout Germany and the world today.” So many innocent people “fell victim to this senseless violence just before Christmas,” Bishop Bätzing and Bishop Fehrs continued. “Our thanks go to the dedicated emergency services, who have been caring for the injured since yesterday and are working hard to find out what happened, as well as to the emergency counsellors who are supporting people at this moment and accompanying traumatized people.” KNA German Catholic news agency contributed to this report. We have now stopped updating this page.  12/22/2024December 22, 2024Police: Suspect remanded in pre-trial detention after arraignment hearingMagdeburg police said in the early hours of Sunday that the suspect had been issued with a warrant for pre-trial detention.  Magdeburg's district court approved an appeal from the city's public prosecutors in a late-night hearing on Saturday, police said in a statement. "The arraignment judge ordered investigative detention on suspicion of five cases of homicide, multiple cases of attempted homicide and multiple cases of dangerous bodily harm," police said.  "The accused was accordingly taken to a place of detention," the short statement concluded. Police also provided more information on those killed during Friday's attack. It said the victims were a 9-year-old boy, and four women, aged 45, 52, 67 and 75. In line with German privacy norms, police did not identify the victims. 2024Prosecutors make first comments on potential motiveA senior public prosecutor in Magdeburg offered first indications about the potenital motive for the attack in a press conference on Saturday.  albeit adding that it could certainly be considered an attack.  Nopens also said that federal prosecutors had not as they would if it is formally deemed a terrorist investigation.  He said the suspect had made comments about his motive during questioning but that it was still necessary to see which of these held up to scrutiny.  the motivation for the crime "could have been .. dissatisfaction with the treatment of Saudi Arabian refugees in Germany."  "But what might still lie behind that is the subject of the investigations," he said For more information on what's known so far about the suspect, click here. 12/21/2024December 21, 2024French EU Minister Haddad will travel to Magdeburg on SundayBenjamin Haddad, France's EU minister will travel to Magdeburg on Sunday "to express France's support for the German people after the tragic Christmas market attack." French President Emmanuel Macron is said to have tasked Haddad with the visit.  Macron expressed his own condolences on Friday evening shortly after the attack. 12/21/2024December 21, 2024Pope Francis offers condolences, praises first respondersPope Francis has conveyed his condolences in a telegram to German Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin conveyed the pontiff's "spiritual closeness" to the victims of Friday's attack. Parolin wrote that the pope "prays for the deceased and entrusts the people to Christ, our hope, whose light may shine in the darkness." Francis singled out first responders for their brave work in helping victims "at this difficult time."   2024Victims' assistance official promises help for those traumatized by attackPascal Kober the German government's commissioner for the victims of domestic terrorist activities has promised lasting psychological care for those who were at the scene in Magdeburg Kober said Chancellor Olaf Scholz personally asked him to oversee the government's efforts Kober said his thoughts were with the victims and their loved ones He also went on to speak of his empathy for all those who were forced to "experience this repulsive act." Kober called the incident one of the biggest acts of domestic terror the country has ever seen, saying he expected upwards of nearly 1,000 people could be in need of psychological and practical assistance. "The experience can be accompanied by great psychological stress," he said, adding, "Those affected should not think that they can cope with it alone. The earlier help is sought, the lower the risk of the damage becoming chronic." Kober also announced Saturday that those in need could reach out for psychological help by calling a special toll-free hotline at 0800 - 000 95 46. 12/21/2024December 21, 2024Protesters chant far-right slogans during march through the streets of MagdeburgAs mourners gathered in and outside Magdeburg Cathedral to pray for the victims of Friday night's deadly Christmas market attack, members of the far-right made their presence known as they marched through the streets of the city.  Marchers chanted "We are the people!" and carried large placards reading "Heimat" (Homeland) and "Remigration."  Police, who accompanied the protesters through the streets, estimate that roughly 1,000 people have joined the demonstration. 12/21/2024December 21, 2024German leaders attend memorial serviceChancellor Olaf Scholz, Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Saxony-Anhalt State Premier Reiner Haseloff were among those in attendance at a memorial service for the victims of Friday night's attack on a Magdeburg Christmas market that killed five and injured over 200.  "Last night's brutal attack leaves us saddened and angry, helpless and fearful, uncertain and desperate, speechless… stunned and deeply affected. We are here in the cathedral tonight with feelings that cannot be grasped," said Bishop Gerhard Feige. Feige continued by saying those present were there to offer each other support, adding, we cannot "let hate and violence have the last word."  12/21/2024December 21, 2024White House pledges support for MagdeburgUS President Joe Biden on Saturday released a statement of support for Germany and the German people in the wake of Friday's Christmas market attack in the central city of Magdeburg. The statement expressed "our deepest condolences" after what Biden called a "despicable and dark event." 12/21/2024December 21, 2024Attacker used unimpeded emergency access route to enter Christmas marketAuthorities in Magdeburg, Germany, said the rescue route exploited by Friday's Christmas market attacker was not protected by barriers. City official Ronni Krug said Magdeburg's security system had proven itself over the years and was last updated in November. Though there were no barricades along the route — designed to ensure access to rescue services vehicles in the event of an emergency — Krug made clear that it was not unprotected as it had been guarded by police at the time of the attack. 12/21/2024December 21, 2024President Steinmeier to attend Saturday evening memorial serviceGerman Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier will join locals in praying for the victims and their families and friends while attending a memorial prayer service at Magdeburg Cathedral on Saturday evening. On Friday evening, Steinmeier expressed his shock and sadness over news of Friday night's attack just days before the Christmas holiday. The 7 p.m. (1800 GMT) service will cap a day that began with a visit from Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Interior Minister Nancy Faeser and Saxony-Anhalt State Premier Reiner Haseloff. 12/21/2024December 21, 2024Nine-year-old child among victims of Magdeburg attackA nine-year-old child was among the five people killed in a car-ramming attack at a Christmas market in Magdeburg, prosecutors said. Authorities are currently investigating the alleged Christmas market attacker on five counts of murder. According to senior prosecutor Horst Walter Nopens, the charges also include attempted murder in 200 cases in connection with grievous bodily harm. The motive for the attack remains unclear, but the suspect's dissatisfaction with Germany's treatment of Saudi refugees may have played a role, Nopens said. 12/21/2024December 21, 2024Merz urges politicians to act responsiblyFollowing the deadly attack in Magdeburg, the leader of Germany's opposition center-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU), Friedrich Merz, called on politicians to act responsibly. The horrific attack does not fit the known pattern, he said. This obliges "us politicians to pause for a moment and only assess what happened yesterday on the basis of reliable information," Merz wrote on X. "It remains intolerable that we can only gather with fears and worries and can no longer celebrate carefree. We must stop this. But on this day, compassion, grief and help are more important," Merz said and emphasized. "Our country stands together." Merz had traveled to Magdeburg today together with Chancellor Olaf Scholz and several ministers. 12/21/2024December 21, 2024AfD says Magdeburg attack suspect not party memberAccording to the far-right populist Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, the alleged suspect in the Magdeburg Christmas market attack was not a member of the party. "We can rule out that the perpetrator from Magdeburg was a member of the AfD," a spokesman for party leader Alice Weidel told the Rheinische Post, adding that there had never been a membership application. Support for the AfD had been expressed in a post on an X account under the name of the suspect, who was arrested after the attack. The account describes him as a former Muslim. It is filled with tweets and retweets that focus on anti-Islamic themes and criticism of the religion. 12/21/2024December 21, 2024Bundesliga matches to hold minute's silence for Magdeburg victimsA minute's silence will be held at first and second-division football matches across Germany for the victims of the attack in Magdeburg the German Football League (DFL) said.  "German professional football is shocked by the attack on the Christmas market in Magdeburg," the DFL, which runs the Bundesliga, wrote in a statement.  "The DFL recommends wearing a black armband of mourning for this weekend's Bundesliga and second division... and supports a minute of silence in tribute to the victims." The German handball match between SC Magdeburg and Eisenach, scheduled for Sunday, was postponed. "Out of respect for those affected and their families, we have decided to request that the match be postponed. In such a difficult time, we would like to show our solidarity and sympathy," SC Magdeburg wrote in a statement. 12/21/2024December 21, 2024German states tighten security at Christmas marketsSeveral German states and cities said they are tightening security at Christmas markets in the wake of the Magdeburg attack that killed 5 people and injured 200 others In the capital, Berlin the state interior minister said police would "increase their presence at the city's Christmas markets" as a precautionary measure Rhineland-Palatinate and Schleswig-Holstein said they had also stepped up security measures The eastern city of Leipzig said its mountain parade would take place on Saturday alongside the Christmas market and that additional officers and vehicles have been deployed President of the German Association of Cities explained that the cities take "terror warnings from the authorities very seriously and regularly adjust the security measures on site." "[At the same time] despite the high level of effort protection can never be absolute," Lewe stressed Despite calls from some quarters for Christmas markets to be closed early president of the German Showmen's Association said it would send the "wrong signal." "The way we celebrate [Christmas with] them is a sign of living democracy and peaceful coexistence," Ritter told the Rheinische Post newspaper A minute's silence is planned at all Christmas markets in Germany on Saturday at 7 p.m The attack on the Magdeburg Christmas market, which left five people dead and over 200 injured - 40 in a critical condition - has sent shock waves through Germany But what this tragedy reveals is not just a moment of violence but a deep flaw in the West's understanding and response to ideologically driven violence He praised figures such as Alice Weidel, the leader of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, and kept ties with groups like the US-based RAIR Foundation an organisation notorious for spreading anti-Islam hate They gave him a platform to amplify his venomous rhetoric But it wasn't just about his views - it was about how he framed himself positioning his hatred and violence as a legitimate fight against what he called the "Islamisation of the West" found fertile ground in the West's own anti-Muslim narrative He didn't just align himself with the AfD's anti-Islam rhetoric; he wanted to join forces with them even to create an academy for ex-Muslims to further spread this toxic ideology we must ask: why did the system fail to see this man for what he truly was even when it so clearly echoed the dangerous ideologies of the far right The answer lies in the West's refusal to confront the normalisation of hatred which is allowed to grow and fester until it spills over into violence The official response to Abdulmohsen's attack reveals a glaring inconsistency that exposes the hypocrisy running through the veins of western society Even though this man's actions were clearly driven by an ideology of hate rooted in Islamophobia the authorities refused to call it what it was: terrorism we would have seen the word 'terrorism' slapped on this attack without hesitation they resorted to soft terms like "rampage" Bavarian Interior Minister Joachim Herrmann tried to minimise the threat to other Christmas markets as if this act of violence were just some isolated incident we would have seen the word "terrorism" slapped on this attack without hesitation We would have seen the media and the authorities rally behind their narrative of fear and suspicion when the violence is coming from someone whose hatred mirrors the very Islamophobic sentiment that is being normalised in western society was one of the few to recognise the root of Abdulmohsen's violence: Islamophobia the broader societal narrative continues to overlook this crucial element It's a perfect example of how ideologically motivated violence is treated with a double standard The violence against Muslims is never given the same weight This imbalance is a product of a system that doesn't want to confront the deep-seated hatred in its own heart It is a system that would rather silence the truth than face the reality of its own complicity Abdulmohsen's radicalisation and potential for violence were not some sudden his path to violence was marked by clear signs warnings that should have been acted upon long before he carried out his attack he reportedly threatened a medical association after they denied him the chance to take an exam A tip-off was sent to the Federal Criminal Police Office This wasn't the first time his violent tendencies had been flagged More recently, he made explicit threats against Germany's interior minister on social media These threats were not subtle - they were loud the authorities failed to take proper action They were obvious signs of extremism and potential violence It is a glaring example of how the system fails to protect its own people It's not a matter of not knowing - it's a matter of refusing to acknowledge the threat when it comes from certain ideological corners The authorities ignored the warning signs because they did not want to confront the fact that the danger was coming from within their own accepted narratives from within the very heart of the Islamophobic ideologies that have been allowed to thrive Why was Abdulmohsen's extremism overlooked The answer lies in his alignment with dominant western Islamophobic narratives His rhetoric mirrored state-endorsed narratives and mainstream discourse, exemplified by Austrian journalist and Falter newspaper chief editor Florian Klenk's provocative claim that "Islamophobia is a human right" The normalisation of anti-Muslim sentiment fuelled by far-right political forces and a complicit media has created a climate where violence against Muslims is not only tolerated but often ignored The genocide of Palestinians has only intensified this fire unleashing an Islamophobic rage that had been lying dormant and now it flows freely - without apology or restraint It's the result of a system that cultivates division and hatred While much of the western media has struggled to explain Abdulmohsen's motivations In a 1 December 2023 post on X he detailed his anger at Germany's alleged mistreatment of Saudi women seeking asylum: "Germany is the only country - other than Saudi Arabia - that chases female Saudi asylum seekers all over the world to destroy their lives I assure you 100% that revenge will come soon I will make the German nation pay the price for the crimes committed by its government against Saudi refugees Germany's alleged systemic discrimination against Saudi women epitomised broader patterns of racial injustice He framed his actions as retaliation against what he saw as state-sponsored oppression He made his reasoning unequivocally clear: he was driven by what he perceived as Germany's systematic mistreatment of Saudi women Abdulmohsen believed that Saudi female asylum seekers were not treated as equal human beings by German authorities and was reportedly convinced that the country was implementing a "secret plan for Islamisation" In support of this beliefs, he shared a cover from Der Spiegel on social media just days before the attack presenting it as supposed evidence of his claim This action underscores his deep conviction in conspiracy theories that framed his violent ideology Far-right groups, including the AfD, have tried to mislabel Abdulmohsen as an "Islamist" despite overwhelming evidence that he not only despised Islam but also rejected any identification as a Muslim condemned the Magdeburg attack as an "act by an Islamist full of hate for what brings people together" Abdulmohsen was an ex-Muslim and reportedly even supported the very political party now condemning him Weidel's comments are not just misleading; they represent a dangerous piece of disinformation aimed at furthering a political agenda that seeks to demonise Muslims by any means necessary This mislabelling reveals how the term "Islamist" has become a racialised slur a code word used to unjustly associate Muslims with violence and extremism Such tactics are designed to marginalise an entire community by falsely linking them to terrorism far-right Islamophobic critics have attempted to undermine Abdulmohsen's identity claiming he is neither an ex-Muslim atheist nor a supporter of the AfD or Elon Musk Even mainstream German media outlets such as Focus Online have controversially suggested that taqiyya cannot be ruled out in Abdulmohsen's case contributing to the spread of misinformation and fuelling harmful stereotypes The Magdeburg attack is a clear example of the dangers of ideological blind spots rooted in racism within western societies By ignoring the growing normalisation of Islamophobic extremism individuals like Abdulmohsen - Islamophobes operating quietly in the shadows - remain unnoticed until their actions explode into devastating violence Muslims must be recognised as equal human beings a tragic reminder that societies are failing to address the deeply ingrained hatred that fuels such violence The answer is not in avoiding the uncomfortable truth but in confronting it head-on Governments and institutions must adopt a consistent and fair approach to identifying and combating all forms of extremism regardless of the perpetrator's identity or ideology Failing to do so will result in a continuous cycle of violence and denial The views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Middle East Eye Copyright © 2014 - 2025. Middle East Eye Only England and Wales jurisdiction apply in all legal matters Middle East Eye          ISSN 2634-2456                      told reporters that the death toll rose to five from a previous figure of two and that more than 200 people in total were injured.MAGDEBURG are now known to have been killed in the vehicle-ramming attack on a Christmas market in the German city of Magdeburg on Friday The four other victims killed in the attack were adults At least 200 more people were injured when a car plowed into festive market-goers in the eastern German city around 75 miles west of the capital Berlin according to Minister President of Saxony-Anhalt Reiner Haseloff The Magdeburg Christmas market will be closed for the remainder of the season At least 41 of those injured in the attack are in serious condition Their lives are still thought to be in danger A suspect -- a doctor from Saudi Arabia aged around 50 -- was arrested He will be charged with 5 counts of murder and grievous bodily harm The first emergency call came in at 7:02 p.m local time and the driver was stopped within three minutes of the attack Police believe the suspect entered via the space left open for emergency vehicles to access the area The prosecutor said they are still clarifying the motive behind the attack but said that it's possibly linked to "dissatisfaction with the treatment of refugees from Saudi Arabia and how they've been treated in Germany," but they will "need more time" to determine this Police said the suspect has undergone physical and psychological exams but police do not yet have the results a huge crowd gathered on Saturday inside and outside for a memorial service to the victims a smaller crowd held an anti-immigrant protest with a sign that said "Remigration" and waved German flags as well as flags of Imperial Germany and ones reading "Homeland." law enforcement sources told ABC News that German authorities are treating the attack as a terrorist incident "We send our deepest condolences to the families and loved ones of those killed and injured and to all those affected by this terrible incident," State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said in a statement "We stand in solidarity with the people of Germany in grieving the loss of life The United States is ready to provide assistance as recovery efforts continue and authorities investigate this horrible incident," Miller's statement continued Scholz offered his condolences to those affected "My thoughts are with the victims and their families," Scholz said in a statement "We stand by their side and by the side of the people of Magdeburg My thanks go to the dedicated rescue workers in these anxious hours." Friday's ramming incident came almost exactly eight years after a similar terror attack at a Christmas market in the German capital a man drove a truck into a crowd at a market in Berlin law enforcement officials have warned of similar vehicle-ramming attacks on American soil A joint threat assessment about New Year's Eve in New York City's Times Square noted the use of vehicle-ramming alone or in conjunction with other tactics "has become a recurring tactic employed by threat actors in the West." will surge resources to similar areas around the city according to NYPD deputy commissioner for counterterrorism Rebecca Weiner and we are going to make sure that all of our holiday markets all of our holiday activities are protected by our counter weapons teams our critical response command," Weiner told ABC New York station WABC Frank-Walter Steinmeier seeks to convey message of healing four days after the brutal attack in Magdeburg killed five people and injured more than 200 A deadly car-ramming attack on a Christmas market in Germany has cast a “dark shadow” over this year’s celebrations as he urged people not to be driven apart by extremists In his traditional Christmas address German president, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, sought to issue a message of healing four days after the brutal attack in the eastern city of Magdeburg killed five people and left more than 200 wounded. “A dark shadow hangs over this Christmas,” said the head of state, pointing to the “pain, horror and bewilderment over what happened in Magdeburg just a few days before Christmas”. He made a call for national unity as a debate about security and immigration is flaring again: “Hatred and violence must not have the final word. Let’s not allow ourselves to be driven apart. Let’s stand together.” Read moreHis words came a day after the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) held what it called a memorial rally for the victims in Magdeburg where one speaker demanded that Germany “must close the borders” Nearby an anti-extremist initiative was held under the motto “Don’t Give Hate a Chance” Steinmeier recognised that there was a “great deal of dissatisfaction about politics” in Germany but insisted that “our democracy is and remains strong” was arrested on Friday at the scene of the attack in which a rented SUV ploughed at high speed through the crowd is being held in police custody on suspicion of murder Questions are mounting in Germany about whether Friday’s attack in Magdeburg, which killed five people, might have been preventable. Reports have emerged about lapses in security, questionable immigration decisions and attempts by police to confront Abdulmohsen over threatening behaviour that were allegedly not followed through. Days after Germany’s deadliest attack in years, a motive remains unclear. A source close to the Saudi government told Agence France-Presse that Saudi authorities had previously requested the extradition of Abdulmohsen, who arrived in Germany in 2006 and had permanent residency. The source did not give the reason for the request, but added that Riyadh had warned he “could be dangerous”. the head of Germany’s federal criminal police office told German television that Germany received a warning from Saudi Arabia last year but an investigation found it too vague to act upon Police attempted to approach Abdulmohsen for a so-called “threat analysis” discussion but apparently let the opportunity go after failing to find him at home Abdulmohsen has in his many online posts voiced strongly anti-Islam views, anger at German authorities and support for far-right conspiracy narratives on the “Islamisation” of Europe. The attack has fuelled an already bitter debate on migration and security in Germany, two months before national elections and with the far-right AfD party riding high in opinion polls. Read moreGerman Christmas markets have been specially secured since a jihadist attacker rammed a truck through a Berlin Christmas market in 2016 The Magdeburg event too had been shielded by barricades but the attacker managed to exploit a five-metre gap where a sea of flowers and candles have been left at the site of the attack the city of 240,000 residents is trying to come to terms with what happened Steinmeier offered his condolences for relatives of those injured and killed “in such a terrible way” – when the attack killed a nine-year-old boy and four women aged 45 to 75 “The people throughout our country feel for you and mourn with you.” six people were killed and 299 injured when a car was driven into crowds at a Christmas market in Magdeburg the capital of the east German state of Saxony-Anhalt The modus operandi and target were reminiscent of the 2016 Islamist extremist terrorist attack in Berlin but the alleged attacker’s beliefs would turn out to be quite different Reporting since the attack has revealed there were 105 instances in which local authorities police and intelligence services were alerted about the alleged Magdeburg attacker It has been suggested that his supposed lack of a clear ideology was part of the reason for this the investigation into the Southport attacker Axel Rudakubana who killed three young girls at a Taylor Swift dance class in July 2024 showed that despite risk assessments from authorities Rudakubana’s case had likewise not been escalated over the years as he did not show clear signs of ideological radicalisation Despite the AfD’s attempt to use the Magdeburg attack as further evidence to support its anti-migration policies the alleged attacker had supported the far-right party since 2016 “I and the AfD were fighting the same enemy in order to protect Germany.” In December 2017 he even shared a post by Alice Weidel in which she blamed Islam for security threats to Christmas markets He also supported international far-right figures promoting counter-jihad ideology he retweeted a post in which Wilders justified revoking Muslims’ freedom of religion he shared multiple tweets by Wilders that said “Stop Islam” or “Stop Muhammadanism” al-Abdulmohsen also expressed support for the British far-right and anti-Muslim activist Stephen Yaxley-Lennon the founder and former leader of the English Defence League who goes by the name Tommy Robinson he retweeted Robinson stating that “using the word Islamism let’s [sic] Islam off the hook he shared a tweet by Robinson promoting his new book which he claimed provided “all the evidence of the replacement of Europeans by the oligarchy” Given the remarkably consistent beliefs in the alleged attacker’s online activity over nearly nine years why were authorities in Germany seemingly unable to link him to the far right Confusion about his ideology appears to stem partly from his identity as a Saudi citizen who left Islam While this is an unusual background for a violent extremist attacker our analysis strongly suggests he was deeply immersed in an ideological online ecosystem promoting far-right and anti-Muslim views Some may wonder why the alleged attacker would target a traditional Christmas market in an AfD stronghold with no substantial Muslim community if he had such ideological views But indiscriminate attacks by far-right perpetrators on German festivals are not unprecedented a far-right extremist attacked the Oktoberfest the alleged attacker increasingly directed his anger towards Germany accusing the German state of supporting Islamist extremism while persecuting ex-Muslim asylum seekers The alleged attacker expressed his violent fantasies more and more overtly threatening politicians and German society at large While mixed and inconsistent ideologies deserve greater attention from policymakers the mislabelling of poorly understood but internally consistent ideologies as mixed or incoherent—simply because they do not fit the “usual” mould—is a significant risk to security Clear ideological currents—notably proliferating far-right and anti-Muslim ideologies— continue to pose serious security threats The horrific attack in Magdeburg highlights the danger of such extremist views and the importance of more definitive ideological categorisations in limiting the risk of violence Jakob Guhl is a senior manager of policy and research at the Institute for Strategic Dialogue an international counter-extremism thinktank The horrific attack that left five people dead and more than 200 injured at the Christmas market in Magdeburg on December 20 is being exploited by German politicians to expand the powers of the police and intelligence services and establish a police state This response is no way related to the attack itself because it emerged that the perpetrator who drove a car at top speeds into the crowded Christmas market had previously come to the attention of the German state Taleb al-Abdulmohsen had come into conflict with the law on several occasions He had already been sentenced to a fine in 2013 after he threatened to attack the Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Medical Association in a dispute over the recognition of his status as a specialist doctor he has repeatedly attracted attention with a series of wild threats reported that its members had been subjected to slander ended with him threatening the judge in a “fit of rage” and being led out of the courtroom by security personnel Al-Abdulmohsen also left a broad trail on social media hinting at an attack in Magdeburg and his careful preparations for the deed The Saudi secret service had warned the German authorities about him he received visits from the police under suspicion of being a potential terrorist If the security authorities allowed al-Abdulmohsen to remain free despite the various incidents announcements of violent acts and tips from foreign intelligence services this was primarily due to the fact that he did not fit the stereotype of an Islamist but rather was a sympathizer of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) and a hater of Islam he fit into the political climate created by all of Germany’s main political parties which have adopted the AfD’s anti-immigrant policy and agitated strongly against refugees of Islamic background Although his personal behaviour was already conspicuous the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung and the Frankfurter Rundschau published interviews with al-Abdulmohsen in 2019 in which they presented him as someone who assisted women being persecuted by Islamic forces The British BBC also reported on al-Abdulmohsen and his website at the time the German parliament (Bundestag) held a special session of its Internal Affairs Committee to report on the status of the investigation into the Magdeburg rampage A comprehensive analysis of the entire incident and the events leading up to it is pending This concerns possible errors in the security concept for the Christmas market and the question of why information from security authorities about the perpetrator was not effectively collated At the same time numerous internal affairs politicians are using the attack to call for extended powers for the security authorities and tougher action against refugees Politicians from the Social Democratic Party (SPD) and Christian Democratic Union (CDU) are already essentially in agreement on creating new means for mass surveillance by the police and intelligence services A more stringent version of the security package presented by the governing parties in October is to be launched before the general election due to take place in February Interior Minister Nancy Faeser (SPD) argued in favour of passing new and announced the legal possibility of biometric mass surveillance Faeser called on CDU-governed states to stop blocking the “security package” passed by the government in October in the Bundesrat “All of our draft laws could be passed immediately if the CDU/CSU and FDP (Free Democratic Partv) give the go-ahead,” said the SPD politician In order to protect the people in Germany from major acts of violence “our security authorities need all the necessary powers and more personnel.” Faeser’s legislative initiative from October is “a further step towards a police state.” The so-called “security package” further restricts the right of asylum and residence tightens gun laws and grants more powers to the federal police and the domestic intelligence service via the expansion of biometric surveillance Artificial intelligence-supported data analysis of images published on the internet and the systematic use of biometric procedures to analyse video surveillance in public spaces effectively mean the end of privacy and the complete surveillance of the entire population The government has not commented in detail on the technologies to be used The fact that the use of biometric procedures is to be used only for the prosecution of “particularly serious offenses,” as stated by the Ministry of the Interior serves to obscure the real nature of the measure Biometric procedures for criminal prosecution are based on mass surveillance Law enforcement agencies then gain access to extensive data collections and can analyse them or use commercial AI providers for this purpose The public sphere and internet provide a wide array of data classified according to biometric characteristics and stored—and know nothing about it The databases created in this way are then analyzed with the help of artificial intelligence The technologies used for this are not transparent and the results cannot be effectively traced The CDU has blocked the security package in the Bundesrat not because it rejects the aim and scope of the surveillance measures It is demanding that data retention without cause be extended should be stored even without indication of a criminal offence (committed or planned)—i.e. another building block in the comprehensive mass surveillance of the population This corresponds to the demands for “more operational leeway,” as the President of the Federal Intelligence Service (BND) Bruno Kahl and other top representatives of the German secret services have been formulating for some time Positively disguised as a reduction in bureaucracy control over the activities of the intelligence services is to be reduced BND employees state in the right-wing Springer press claiming a “turning point” for the practices of the intelligence services particularly in the area of online surveillance The Greens have also taken up the term “domestic turning point” in a recent party document the Green Party chairman of the Parliamentary Control Committee (which is supposed to monitor the intelligence services) calls for more powers for the security authorities—including undercover investigations into social networks and better dialogue between the police and intelligence services The security authorities need more personnel and technology and these resources would have to be procured via a special fund is entirely in line with the demands of the police union more staff and better equipment and technology The CDU and CSU explicitly welcome the use of biometric procedures but the ruling coalition’s security package did not go far enough when it came to extending the powers of the police Sahra Wagenknecht has also attacked the proposed legislation from a right-wing carried out by an AfD supporter and Islamophobe has now been seized upon by the government and opposition parties as a pretext to agree on a tightened security package with sweeping powers for the police and secret services in the Bundestag-Bundesrat mediation committee controls at Germany’s external borders are to be extended beyond March The “security package” is directed against the entire population—against refugees and migrants as well as against all those residents in Germany for generations It massively expands police state surveillance on a new legal basis The state is preparing not only for further wars but also to combat growing political and social resistance to the war economy and social cuts Germany’s proclaimed “turning point” and “readiness for war” cannot be reconciled with liberal and democratic rights The right to move freely and without being watched—in public spaces and on the internet—is a fundamental democratic right The governing and opposition parties in the Bundestag are united in pursuing mass surveillance and repression It is up to the working class to defend democratic rights and link this to the fight against war and social inequality Authorities in the German city of Magdeburg say at least two people were killed and dozens were injured after a car plowed into a busy Christmas market in a suspected attack Injured people were seen being carried away on stretchers after a car drove into shoppers at a Christmas market in the eastern German city of Magdeburg on Friday Forensics work on a damaged car sitting with its doors open after a driver plowed into a busy Christmas market in Magdeburg The car that was crashed into a crowd of people at the Magdeburg Christmas market is seen following the attack in Magdeburg A police officer guards at a blocked road near a Christmas market after an incident in Magdeburg A view of the cordoned-off Christmas market after an incident in Magdeburg A policeman is seen at the Christmas market where an incident happened in Magdeburg A police officer speaks with a man at a cordoned-off area near a Christmas Market after an incident in Magdeburg makes a statement after an incident at the Christmas market in Magdeburg special police forces attend an incident at the Christmas market in Magdeburg Emergency services attend an incident at the Christmas market in Magdeburg A police officer guards at a blocked road near a Christmas Market Minister of the Interior and Sport of Saxony-Anhalt at a press conference after a car plowed into a busy outdoor Christmas market in Magdeburg The driver was arrested at the scene shortly after the car barreled into the market at around 7 p.m. when it was teeming with holiday shoppers looking forward to the weekend It also prompted several other German towns to cancel their weekend Christmas markets as a precaution and out of solidarity with Magdeburg’s loss The suspect is a 50-year-old Saudi doctor who moved to Germany in 2006 the interior minister for the state of Saxony-Anhalt He has been practicing medicine in Bernburg so that as far as we know there is no further danger to the city,” Saxony-Anhalt’s governor “Every human life that has fallen victim to this attack is a terrible tragedy and one human life too many.” German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser said late last month that there were no concrete indications of a danger to Christmas markets this year the wail of sirens clashed with the market’s festive ornaments Magdeburg resident Dorin Steffen told dpa that she was at a concert in a nearby church when she heard the sirens The cacophony was so loud “you had to assume that something terrible had happened.” She called the attack “a dark day” for the city also in the hope that nothing has happened to our relatives The attack reverberated far beyond Magdeburg with Haseloff calling it a catastrophe for the city He said flags would be lowered to half-staff in Saxony-Anhalt and that the federal government planned to do the same “It is really one of the worst things one can imagine particularly in connection with what a Christmas market should bring,” the governor said German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier said the attack interrupted the anticipation of a peaceful Christmas Chancellor OIaf Scholz posted on X: “My thoughts are with the victims and their relatives We stand beside them and beside the people of Magdeburg.” the European Commission’s president and U.S Vice President-elect JD Vance also expressed their condolences on X “Our prayers go to the people affected by this terrible attack on a Christmas market in Germany What a ghastly attack so close to Christmas,” Vance wrote Saudi Arabia’s foreign ministry also condemned the attack on X but did not mention the suspect’s connection to the kingdom said officials plan to arrange a memorial at the city’s cathedral on Saturday A man drove a car into a crowd at a Christmas market in the eastern German city of Magdeburg on Friday evening including a 9-year-old child and injuring over 200 others Authorities arrested the 50-year-old driver at the scene and took him into custody for questioning a Saudi national who has lived in Germany for nearly 20 years Several German media outlets have identified the suspect as Taleb A. withholding his full name due to privacy regulations Reports indicate he is a specialist in psychiatry and psychotherapy No motive has been established yet for why the suspect drove into the crowd The alleged perpetrator has been sharing Islamophobic views online for years German media has identified an account on X "Saudi Military Opposition • Germany chases female Saudi asylum seekers to destroy their lives • Germany wants to Islamise Europe" Taleb Abdulmohsen described himself as "the most aggressive critic of Islam in history."  He founded an online platform to help Saudi Arabian citizens apply for asylum in Germany claiming that the state was giving asylum to "Syrian jihadists."  He also accused German authorities of not adequately addressing what he called the “Islamism of Europe.” The suspect is also a supporter of businessman Elon Musk He was also described as an activist who assisted Saudi women fleeing their country has publicly expressed support for the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party and recently appeared to focus on a theory that German authorities were targeting Saudi asylum seekers German terrorism expert Peter Neumann remarked on the unusual profile of the suspect you think nothing could surprise you anymore But a 50-year-old Saudi ex-Muslim living in East Germany loves the AfD and wants to punish Germany for its tolerance towards Islamists — that wasn’t on my radar,” said Neumann director of the International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation and Political Violence at King’s College in London has lived in Germany since 2006 and resides in Saxony-Anhalt the federal state where Magdeburg is located confirmed the state's governor Reiner Haseloff Taleb reportedly left Saudi Arabia to escape the country’s restrictions finding it impossible to express his atheist views openly in a nation where Islam is the sole legally recognised religion Saudi Arabia’s foreign ministry condemned the attack on X but has yet to mention the suspect's ties to the kingdom Saudi Arabia has reportedly issued charges against Taleb A for alleged terrorism and facilitating the smuggling of women from Gulf countries to Europe Germany granted him asylum in 2016 and refused to extradite him to Saudi Arabia Germany’s Federal Intelligence Service reportedly received a prior warning from Saudi authorities about Taleb A. referencing a social media post hinting at something "big." It is uncertain whether this information was shared with the relevant authorities in Saxony-Anhalt or how they acted upon it German journalist Tim Rohn from Welt also shared on X what he claimed to be an email from a Saudi woman to security officials last year we at @welt have the original email that a woman from Saudi Arabia intended to send to the police in Berlin on September 26 she mistakenly sent it to a police station in the 7,500-person community of Berlin What happened to it there remains unclear." A firestorm of far-right fury ignited around Europe on Friday night after a driver crashed into festive revelers killing at least five people at a Christmas market in eastern Germany Leading right-wing figures from Geert Wilders in the Netherlands to Nigel Farage in Britain to Marine Le Pen in France seized on the harrowing smash to push an anti-immigrant and anti-Islam agenda as hard-right parties gather momentum around the continent Elon Musk — the tech billionaire and key adviser to U.S president-elect Donald Trump — weighed in with withering criticism of German authorities urging Chancellor Olaf Scholz to resign.   Magdeburg police reported late Friday that the suspect was a man from Saudi Arabia (German authorities had neither confirmed the violence was terrorism nor tied the suspect to any terror groups at the time of publication.) chair of Germany’s anti-immigrant Alternative for Germany (AfD) party pointedly asked “When will this madness end?” while expressing her condolences for the victims of the attack The surging AfD, whose anti-immigrant message has in the past galvanized voters is seeking to beef up support in the run-up to Germany’s Feb The far-right party is currently running second in polls and scored strongly in state elections earlier this year the far-right Dutch politician who has pushed an anti-Islam and hardcore anti-migration message for years called the incident “barbaric” and called for closed borders in Europe “Another barbaric attack in Europe — this time by a man from Saudi Arabia,” Wilders said Once again politicians crying crocodile tears I’ve been saying it for over 20 years: stop with those open borders.” French far-right figurehead Le Pen, who is eyeing her own chance to snatch power in Paris also took aim at Islamism following the attack.  Islamist barbarity is sowing terror in the heart of Europe This act of war against a symbol of our civilisation is heartbreaking,” Le Pen said adding: “Our thoughts this evening are with the victims and families of this carnage perpetrated in the middle of the Christmas market in Magdeburg one of the leading backers of Brexit and a longtime immigration critic who has been a thorn in the side of the ruling center-left Labour Party also blamed the violence on border policies saying: “We have allowed people who hate us and our values into Europe X owner Elon Musk, who has been increasingly vocal in support of European far-right figures and endorsed Germany’s far-right AfD earlier Friday Musk separately noted: “[German Chancellor Olaf] Scholz should resign immediately envoy Steve Witkoff held “indirect” negotiations with his Iranian counterpart on Saturday The Trump adviser appears uninhibited in sharing his opinions — and that seems to be just fine with the president and Iran are the first publicly known talks since Trump took office Elon Musk’s SpaceX is one of the agency’s largest contractors 2016 file photo Christmas decoration sticks in the smashed window of the cabin of a truck which ran into a crowded Christmas market Monday evening killing several people in Berlin People fly into the air as a vehicle drives into a group of protesters demonstrating against a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville police secure the area on the south side of Westminster Bridge close to the Houses of Parliament in London authorities investigate a truck after it plowed through Bastille Day revelers in the French resort city of Nice 2016 file photo the trailer of a truck stands beside destroyed Christmas market huts in Berlin Forensic officers move the van at Finsbury Park in north London where a vehicle struck pedestrians in north London Monday police stand near a damaged van after a van mounted a sidewalk crashing into pedestrians in Toronto (Aaron Vincent Elkaim/The Canadian Press via AP 2017 after a white van jumped the sidewalk in the historic Las Ramblas district crashing into a summer crowd of residents and tourists There have been a spate of such attacks over the past decade some committed by groups but most by individuals The motives – where they could be established – have varied widely Some were inspired by Islamic militant groups such as al-Qaida and ISIS which encouraged followers to carry out low-cost What law-enforcement authorities term “vehicle as a weapon attacks” have reshaped cities around the world as planners erect concrete barriers around public spaces and build anti-vehicle obstacles into new developments 2024 — At least five people are killed and more than 200 injured when a car slams into a Christmas market in eastern Germany is a 50-year-old doctor originally from Saudi Arabia who had expressed anti-Muslim views and support for the far-right AFD party 2009 – Former security guard Karst Tates drives a car into parade spectators in an attempt to hit an open-topped bus carrying members of the Dutch royal family Six people are killed and Tates dies of injuries the next day 2006 — University of North Carolina graduate Mohammed Taheri-Azar drives an SUV into a crowd at the university in a self-professed bid to avenge Muslim deaths overseas candles and wide offerings of mourning in front of St close to the Christmas market where a car drove into a crowd on Friday evening People lay flowers and candles in front of the Johannis church close to the Christmas market where a car drove into a crowd on Friday evening Co leader of German far right party AfD Alice Weidel,center attends an AfD election campaign in front of the cathedral in Magdeburg Co leader of German far right party AfD Alice Weidel attends an AfD election campaign in Magdeburg but it’s possible there was some double-counting A picture has emerged of someone who had come to authorities’ attention for threatening behavior and been the subject of tipoffs but wasn’t known to have committed any violence The interior minister of Saxony-Anhalt state told lawmakers Monday that police had contacted him in September 2023 and again in October this year his political statements were so confused that none of the security authorities’ patterns fitted him,” German Justice Minister Volker Wissing was quoted as telling the Funke newspaper group He said that Germany may have to “draw consequences for our security architecture” and that a serious debate about that will be needed “but it’s still too early for that” as facts and questions remain open “There is still a lot we don’t know and a lot is unexplained including the exact motive,” Habeck said in a video posted Sunday foreigners and people with a history of immigration will entrench itself deeper in society.” You don't have permission to access the page you requested What is this page?The website you are visiting is protected.For security reasons this page cannot be displayed either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content Mourners on Monday left flowers at the scene of Friday's deadly Christmas market attack as investigators grappled with the suspect's motives a church located just a short distance from where the attack unfolded has emerged as the focal point for mourners since Friday evening's tragedy when a car plowed into the bustling Christmas market The sidewalk outside the church is now blanketed with a sea of flowers Prosecutors revealed that the number of injured in the Christmas market attack has climbed to as many as 235 as more victims continue to seek medical attention they cautioned that some cases may have been inadvertently counted more than once The suspect has been identified as a 50-year-old Saudi Arabian psychiatrist who has lived in Germany for more than two decades German media are referring to him as Taleb A Officials noted that he deviates from the typical profile of those behind extremist attacks the man described himself as an ex-Muslim and a vocal critic of Islam frequently sharing posts supportive of far-right ideologies which left more than 200 people injured and killed four women and a 9-year-old child An investigation into the attack and the suspect's motive is ongoing Prosecutor Horst Walter Nopens said on Saturday that investigators are considering that a potential motive for the attack "could have been disgruntlement with the way Saudi Arabian refugees are treated in Germany." Justice Minister Volker Wissing said: "The Magdeburg perpetrator had repeatedly attracted attention by threatening crimes his political statements were so confused that none of the security authorities' patterns fitted him." He suggested that Germany might need to reevaluate its security framework in light of the attack emphasizing that a meaningful debate on the issue will be necessary he cautioned that it remains "too early for that" as key facts and questions have yet to be resolved Germany's Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck expressed concerns that the attack could amplify online misinformation in the lead-up to the national election anticipated in late February He urged the public to "take time for the truth" and cautioned against succumbing to the spread of hatred saying: "Don't let yourselves be infected by hatred." "There is still a lot we don't know and a lot is unexplained foreigners and people with a history of immigration will entrench itself deeper in society." Police in Bremerhaven announced late Sunday that they had detained a man who allegedly posted a TikTok video threatening violence at a local Christmas market the man claimed he would target and stab individuals of Arabic appearance on Christmas Day This article includes reporting from The Associated Press Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground Newsletters in your inbox See all