On Christmas Eve, the police, the authorities in Magdeburg and the citizens of the East German city are looking for an answer to one fundamental question: Why?
On the evening of December 20, a 50-year-old man was arrested after he drove his car into a Christmas market in the city. Two people died, including a small child, and dozens were injured.
There is no evidence that the perpetrator is an Islamist
Taleb Al A. is a doctor and was born in Saudi Arabia. He has lived in Germany since 2006, and in 2016 he received political asylum.
Over the years, he has been an activist in support of those seeking protection, especially women. His profile on the social network X has over 40 thousand followers. According to the authorities, there is no evidence that the man is an Islamist, in fact, on the contrary. His social media profiles indicate that he felt persecuted and feared the Islamization of Germany, ARD said. He was in contact with former Muslims who had renounced Islam and converted to Christianity, as well as with atheists, the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ) reported.
The man, who worked as a psychiatrist, posted a long video a few days ago. In it, he made conspiratorial claims, including that Germany was conducting a "secret covert operation" to "search for former Muslims all over the world and destroy them". At the same time, Syrian jihadists were being granted asylum in Germany.
Eight years since the Berlin attack
Eight years ago - on December 19, 2016 - An Islamic terrorist drove a truck into a Christmas market on Berlin's Breitscheidplatz square. Thirteen people were killed and more than 70 injured. The attacker fled to Italy, where he was shot dead by police.
Police in Germany are now stepping up surveillance around Christmas markets during the holiday season.