The Saudi man suspected of carrying out a deadly car-ramming attack on a Christmas market in Magdeburg, Germany, held vehemently anti-Islam views and was reportedly angered by Germany’s migrant and asylum policies, officials revealed on Saturday.
Chancellor Olaf Scholz condemned the attack, which left five dead and 205 injured, just days before Christmas and eight years after the Berlin Christmas market attack. A nine-year-old child was among the victims.
The 50-year-old suspect, Taleb al-Abdulmohsen, a psychiatrist, is the main person of interest after an SUV ploughed through a crowded Christmas market on Friday. While Germany has faced numerous jihadist attacks in the past, investigators have said Abdulmohsen’s motivations were driven by his personal beliefs, as evidenced by his online posts.
Abdulmohsen, who described himself as an atheist in an interview with AFP in 2022, had also helped Saudi women escape the country, but expressed disdain for Germany’s refugee policies. German Interior Minister Nancy Fraser confirmed Abdulmohsen held Islamophobic views. A prosecutor suggested his discontent with how Saudi refugees were treated in Germany may have played a role in the attack.
In his social media posts, Abdulmohsen expressed frustration with German authorities and even hinted at violence. One post from August read, “Is there a path to justice in Germany without blowing up a German embassy or randomly slaughtering German citizens?… If anyone knows it, please let me know.”
Despite these warning signs, Abdulmohsen was assessed by German authorities last year, but no specific threat was identified.
Following the attack, Chancellor Scholz, joined by national and regional politicians, visited the site and laid flowers at Johanneskirche church, which has become a focal point for memorials. Scholz called for unity in a nation divided by debates on immigration and security.
World leaders, including US President Joe Biden and Pope Francis, offered condolences, with Biden expressing grief over the “despicable and dark event,” and Scholz acknowledging the global solidarity in response to the tragedy.
Surveillance footage from the attack showed a black BMW speeding through the crowd, with victims scattered across the Christmas market. The holiday fair has been cancelled in the aftermath, and security measures were heightened at other markets across Germany.
