The fatal knife attack in Mannheim is causing a lot of political controversy. It is now known that the perpetrator, a 25-year-old Afghan, once sought protection in Germany as a teenager and received it. Now he ‘thanks’ for this hospitality by committing a cold-blooded act of murder on a police officer. It is not only in Germany that issues such as migration, integration and Islamism are now coming to the attention again.
Mannheim striker Sulaiman A. was born in Herat, Afghanistan, in 1999 and came to Germany in 2014. He is an Afghan citizen, married and has two children. The man is unknown to police state security and the Office for the Protection of the Constitution in Germany, so he has not yet been spotted with extremist views or crimes.
Valid residence permit in Germany
According to research by SWR, he apparently has a valid residence permit for Germany. Initially, identifying the man was difficult because he had no identity documents or personal items with him and was taken to hospital after being shot by the police. He’s still not fit for questioning.
Police officer died from his injuries
The attack injured six men, including a police officer, who has since died, on the market square in central Mannheim on Friday morning during an event organized by the right-wing populist and Islamist movement Pax Europa (BPE). . BPE board member Michael Stürzenberger is among the injured.
A memorial service is also planned for the slain police officer. A police spokeswoman said Monday that no date has yet been set. The 29-year-old’s family must first be given space to grieve. “We still need some time,” the spokesperson said.
Planned action or spontaneous attack?
Meanwhile, the Baden-Württemberg State Police says numerous questions remain unanswered and are under investigation. ‘What kind of knife is that? Where does that come from? Did he buy the knife?” The answers to this would also be used to find out whether the arrested person had planned the crime or whether it was a spontaneous attack.
Crime scene photos:
The state security service of the Karlsruhe Public Prosecutor’s Office, which is responsible for political crimes, is investigating. On Friday evening, police and special units searched the apartment of the suspected perpetrator in Heppenheim, Hesse. Data carriers have been seized and are now being investigated.
Political explosive power
The fact is: the case is politically explosive and discussions are already in full swing. Conservative parties are calling on the state to take tough measures against Islamists. Others simply try not to allow any debate about Islamism. There were also clashes between right-wing and left-wing groups with police on the streets of Mannheim on Sunday.
Photos of the clashes in Mannheim on Sunday:
German historian and political expert Andreas Rödder told the newspaper ‘Bild’: ‘The more problems related to migration become visible, the greater the number of parties promising relief. I doubt that the centrist parties have understood what is happening here.”
Can the AfD benefit politically from the attack?
The big question: what are the political consequences of the attack so close to the EU elections? According to German foreign policy expert Thomas Jäger, the AfD, rocked by scandals, could benefit from the last few yards. “The attack in Mannheim helps the party because suddenly one of the most important issues is back in the spotlight,” he told Bild. Because this is “an issue that has allowed her to repeatedly inflame the anger of her voters.”
AfD leader apologizes to Interior Minister: “Fake caught”
The AfD leadership switched to the election campaign immediately after the attack. Party leader Alice Weidel distributed a fake quote from Interior Minister Nancy Faeser (SPD) in which she blamed right-wing extremism – fake. When Weidel was caught, she admitted the mistake but explained: “The tenor remains correct…”
Clear words also from Austria
Austrian politics is also not unaffected by the attack in Mannheim. Chancellor Karl Nehammer (ÖVP) called the images of the knife attack in ‘Bild am Sonntag’ a sad testimony of what extremism leads to. “We will never accept violence, regardless of whether it comes from the left, the right or from the Islamist environment,” the chancellor said.
Interior Minister Gerhard Karner of the ÖVP said on Sunday evening that “such cowardly and underhanded attacks must be fought with all consistency and seriousness, with all the means of the rule of law.” For FPÖ Secretary General Christian Hafenecker, the attack in Germany is the result of a “failed asylum policy”. Gun ban zones and other show measures would achieve nothing, Hafenecker explained.
Source: Krone
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
