New Delhi: A 25-year-old man of Afghan descent attacked multiple people with a knife in Germany’s Manheim Friday, injuring seven people including a police officer and Michael Stürzenberger, a prominent figure in the far-Right political scene, known for his anti-Islam activism.
The attack took place in the southwest city of Manheim where Stürzenberger was preparing to hold a rally, and was live streamed on YouTube, showing the assailant stabbing multiple individuals before being shot at by the police.
According to reports, the police officer, who was reportedly stabbed several times while trying to intervene, has succumbed to his injuries. Meanwhile, Stürzenberger, 59, shared images from his hospital bed on his Telegram channel, with a bandaged face and said he had suffered blood loss in his legs.
The assailant has been identified as a man of Afghan descent and residing in Germany since 2014, though his name has not yet been made public. The motive remains unclear, with authorities stating that the suspect is undergoing treatment, is unable to be questioned and has no prior record, AP reported.
Investigations are ongoing, with police having searched the suspect’s residence for evidence.
The organization hosting the rally, Pax Europa, describes itself as dedicated to raising awareness about the perceived dangers of political Islam.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz described the incident as “terrible” and said that “Violence is absolutely unacceptable in our democracy”. He also condemned the death of the “brave” police officer.
Die Bilder aus Mannheim sind furchtbar. Mehrere Personen sind von einem Attentäter schwer verletzt worden. Meine Gedanken sind bei den Opfern. Gewalt ist absolut inakzeptabel in unserer Demokratie. Der Täter muss streng bestraft werden.
— Bundeskanzler Olaf Scholz (@Bundeskanzler) May 31, 2024
Es bestürzt mich zutiefst, dass der mutige Polizeibeamte nach dem furchtbaren Angriff in #Mannheim seinen schweren Verletzungen erlegen ist. 1/2
— Bundeskanzler Olaf Scholz (@Bundeskanzler) June 2, 2024
Germany’s Interior Minister Nancy Faeser too condemned the incident in a post on social media platform X, saying: “If the investigation reveals an Islamist motive, then that would be further confirmation of the great danger posed by Islamist acts of violence that we have warned about.”
In another post, she wrote: “Our security authorities have the Islamist scene firmly in their sights and are continuing to intensify this fight.”
Die Ermittlungen werden die Hintergründe dieser Tat aufklären. Wenn die Ermittlungen ein islamistisches Motiv ergeben, dann wäre das eine erneute Bestätigung der großen Gefahr durch islamistische Gewalttaten, vor der wir gewarnt haben.
— Nancy Faeser (@NancyFaeser) May 31, 2024
Michael Stürzenberger, known for his controversial views on Islam, is the author of an Islam-critical blog and is affiliated with the Citizens’ Movement Pax Europa (BPE), an organization staunchly opposed to what it perceives as the “Islamisation” of Germany. He also co-authored content for the anti-Muslim platform PI-News and has drawn the attention of Bavarian domestic intelligence services.
Having previously led the now-dissolved right-wing populist party Die Freiheit, Stürzenberger’s political career has been marked by affiliations with conservative parties such as the Christian Social Union (CSU), from which he was later expelled.
(Edited by Gitanjali Das)
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