Magdeburg pinned on a map of Germany. A map with red pin-point of Magdeburg in Germany, where the horrific Magdeburg attack took place just before Christmas. The issues surrounding the attack are arguably being weaponised ahead of German elections.
Credit: Shutterstock, PredragLasica
Politicians and social media users are being accused of spinning lies for political gain.
The deadly attack in Magdeburg – carried out by a Saudi-born activist – is fast becoming a flashpoint for political gamesmanship as Germany inches closer to its federal elections. The tragic incident, where a car was used as a weapon for mass murder, and deliberately driven into a bustling Christmas market, killing six and injuring over 200, is being used to promote ideologies; played up by some, played down by others. It’s an ideological tug-of-war between populist movements at both extremes of the spectrum. Misleading claims are still being peddled by both internet users and politicians, sparking outrage and division.
Who is Abdulmohsen? The mystery behind the Magdeburg Christmas market attack suspect
The suspect, Taleb al-Abdulmohsen, a Saudi-born man who has lived in Germany since 2006, is now in police custody, but as the investigation unfolds, shocking details are emerging about the man behind the wheel.
Abdulmohsen, 50, is a psychiatrist who had been living in Bernburg, about 30 miles south of Magdeburg. On paper, he doesn’t fit the profile of a typical attacker.
Abdulmohsen has a long history of outspoken anti-Islam views. His social media profiles, full of conspiracy theories and anti-Muslim rhetoric, paint the picture of a man who had abandoned his faith to become a vocal critic of it. Abdulmohsen also, surprisingly, openly aligned himself with far-right groups, expressing sympathy for Germany’s controversial Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, known for its anti-immigration stance.
In 2013, he was fined for making threats, and by 2015, he was threatening to carry out acts of violence against judges. Despite this, he was granted asylum in 2016 on the grounds of ‘political persecution.’
German authorities had been aware of Abdulmohsen’s increasingly extreme views. Saudi officials even sent multiple warnings to Germany about his ‘very extreme views,’ but he was never considered a threat. German police said they had investigated him, but with no evidence of violent behaviour, they deemed any threat to be ‘too unspecific.’
But despite his vocal criticism of Islam, Abdulmohsen’s motivations for the Magdeburg attack remain unclear. While his anti-Islamic views were well documented, police have stated it’s still too early to determine whether the attack was politically motivated.
Fake news on the attack spreads like wildfire
One notorious video doing the rounds shows Berlin police allegedly arresting Muslim extremists the day after the Magdeburg attack. It’s a video that has been weaponised by some to stir up fear and hatred. But here’s the kicker: fact-checkers have already stepped in, revealing that this footage was actually filmed a day before the attack and shows police arresting pro-Palestine demonstrators at Berlin’s Central Train Station, not Islamic extremists. Yet, that hasn’t stopped the lies from circulating like wildfire.
Politicians jump on the bandwagon
Politicians have also found a way to politicise the tragedy. Alice Weidel, co-chair of the far-right AfD party, wasted no time in condemning the attack, labelling the perpetrator an “Islamist filled with hatred.” Standing before a vigil on December 23, Weidel declared: “An act beyond the imagination of all present. An act by an Islamist full of hatred for what constitutes human cohesion. On us humans. On us Germans. On us Christians.”
The attack has thrown immigration and security issues into the spotlight in the lead-up to Germany’s elections. Weidel’s far-right rhetoric has found an audience, and her party’s hardline stance on immigration is gaining momentum. The Christian Democratic Union (CDU), Germany’s largest opposition party, has jumped on the bandwagon, pushing for a more stringent immigration policy in its latest manifesto.
Bizarre contradictions- Is the suspect and Islamist or a far right extremist?
It’s hard to determine what the suspect’s motivation was, and German authorities are still piecing the puzzle together. While he published anti-Islam content on social media and professed his love for the far-right, his profile and background do not fit that of a far-right extremist either. Was this someone with deep mental health issues and no clear, coherent motive? Or was this a colder, more calculated move? Could the far-right extremist social media posts be a decoy? Security forces have many questions, but on thing is clear while they piece together the information they can find, politicians and social media users are using the issue to steer public opinion towards their own agenda.
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