Summary

The suspect in the deadly Christmas market car attack in Magdeburg, Germany, has been identified as Taleb A., a 50-year-old Saudi doctor and ex-Muslim who voiced Islamophobic views and supported the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party.

The attack killed five people and injured 200.

Authorities believe Taleb was motivated by anti-Islam sentiment, criticizing German tolerance toward Islamists and claiming the government targets Saudi asylum seekers.

German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser confirmed his Islamophobia but said further investigation is ongoing.

Taleb has also faced prior legal disputes over defamation.

  • Optional@lemmy.world
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    1 day ago

    Neumann, the terrorism expert, wrote: “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 towards Islamists — that really wasn’t on my radar."

    Propaganda works. It’s that simple.

  • FourPacketsOfPeanuts@lemmy.world
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    2 days ago

    I’ve got to say, even Islamic terrorism makes more sense as an ideology than whatever this guy is on about… Terrorising your fellow citizens else Islam will get them. How does that even make sense?

    • b161@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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      1 day ago

      In general right wingers / fascists are completely non-sensical and contradictory in their ideology and actions.

      • FourPacketsOfPeanuts@lemmy.world
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        19 hours ago

        The first two that spring to mind that committed acts of terrorism had at least some “logic”. Anders Breivik attacked government building and a political youth camp to punish the Labour Party which he blamed for immigration. Thomas Meir killed Jo Cox because she was pro immigration. Etc. I’m struggling to think of an act of right wing terrorism as nonsensical as what’s just happened in Germany…

        • jonne@infosec.pub
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          1 day ago

          Apparently he was wanted in Saudi (for actual violent crimes, not the benign stuff people usually get in trouble for like apostasy and drinking alcohol), and Germany denied extradition. So now he attacked the country that actually protected him. If they actually acted like he wanted immigration wise he would’ve been sent back.

          • FourPacketsOfPeanuts@lemmy.world
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            22 hours ago

            Look, I try to not say this, so as to not sound like making excuses for non-islamic terrorists, but this guy sounds really mentally unwell…

            • jonne@infosec.pub
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              21 hours ago

              That’s basically the case for all of these guys, there’s always a mental health element to this.

              • FourPacketsOfPeanuts@lemmy.world
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                19 hours ago

                I disagree I’m afraid. I don’t think Anders Breivik was mentally ill, he was just wrong. Like Osama bin Laden, thinking quite clearly, but wrong.

    • Suzune@ani.social
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      2 days ago

      The only explanation would be a false flag, but at the moment, we don’t know much about what happened.

      • apfelwoiSchoppen@lemmy.world
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        2 days ago

        Or that prolonged exposure to right wing media rots brains to the point that they make you lose any sense in reality.

      • yesman@lemmy.world
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        1 day ago

        Oh come on. The strangeness of this story makes it credible.

        Being surprised is an opportunity to examine your assumptions, not cosplay as Q.

      • FourPacketsOfPeanuts@lemmy.world
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        1 day ago

        It does seem strange a refugee from Saudi would suddenly be so passionately pro German he kills innocent people to… protect them from Islam. I mean… maybe? If it turned out to be a false flag that would also be strange. Weird and tragic either way tbh…