The knife-wielding man who carried out a vicious attack on an anti-Islamisation protest in Mannheim, Germany on Friday has been identified as an immigrant from Afghanistan who came to Germany 10 years ago.
be report from BuildAccording to Germany’s largest-circulation newspaper, Bayern Munich, the brutal knife attack that shocked the country was carried out by “Sulaiman A.”, a 25-year-old migrant who entered Germany in 2014.
Afghan migrants targeted a small rally against political Islamism in Germany organised by Michael Sturzenberger, a member of the “Civic Movement Pax Europe” campaign group.
Sturzenberger, a long-time opponent of Muslim immigration to Germany, was one of six people, including a police officer, injured in Friday’s violent knife attack.
After emergency surgery, Sturzenberger I have written He told Telegram: “Yesterday was a real close call. Four doctors just came rounds. The stab wound in the side of my chest went into my lung and could have been life-threatening.
“The stab wound in his thigh hit a vein and caused profuse bleeding. There was a second stab wound in his leg above the knee but thankfully no tendons were damaged. The injuries to his upper arm were relatively minor. The stab wound on his face was separate – there was a staple in the side of his jaw. His upper lip had stitches and he had an open wound down to his teeth.”
“I would like to express my sincere gratitude to all the doctors and facial surgeons who came, especially from the specialized clinics,” he said, adding: “What can one Afghan ‘refugee’ do with just a knife…”
The 59-year-old activist, who has faced multiple criminal charges for anti-Muslim comments, is currently under police guard in his hospital bed.
Forensic investigators stand behind a destroyed food stall in a market square in Mannheim, Germany, Friday, May 31, 2024. A knife-wielding assailant attacked and injured several people in the central square of the southwestern German city of Mannheim on Friday, police said. Police shot and killed the assailant, who was also wounded. (Uwe Anspach/dpa via AP)
During the attack, the Afghan immigrant also stabbed a police officer multiple times in the head from behind. The officer was reportedly placed in an artificial coma and a spokesman for the State Criminal Police Department said on Saturday that “his life remains at risk.”
Sulaiman A. was shot by police and underwent surgery after stabbing five people. The 25-year-old Afghan immigrant was not available for police questioning and a motive for the attack has not been determined.
according to To BuildThe migrant lived in the city of Heppenheim in Hesse, about a 40-minute drive from the scene of Friday’s attack in Mannheim.
Sulaiman’s neighbour told the paper: “He was a low-key guy and we used to exchange normal greetings. But recently, around last year, I noticed he had changed. He used to be friendly but suddenly he became cold. He suddenly became withdrawn and more aggressive.”
“In hindsight you have to be glad nothing happened to you,” said another. “He drives a VW Passat and attacks Germans with a knife. This is a contradiction.”
The attack sent shock waves throughout Germany. Chancellor Olaf Scholz Responded Responding to this barbarism, he said: “The images from Mannheim are horrific… My heart goes out to the victims. Violence has no place in our democracy. The perpetrators must be severely punished.”
