Germany and Europe are falling back into the nightmare of terrorism. The traditional Christmas markets are once again the scene of attacks: yesterday a Magdeburg a car plowed into people who were visiting the local Christmas market: a crazy race of about 400 meters which caused the death of at least two people, including that of a small child, as reported by the governor of Saxony-Anhal . The number of injured remains at 60, some of them serious. The perpetrator of the attack has been stopped: it is a 50-year-old from Saudi Arabia who works as a doctor in a private facility and has a permanent residence permit.
Returning to the Magdeburg attack, the Saudi – also defined as a lone wolf by the authorities – rented the car shortly before throwing himself into the crowd. There should be no accomplices, based on initial reconstructions. No explosive device was found in the attacker’s car: the confirmation came from the local police after the suspicions arose due to a suspicious baggage on the passenger seat, so much so that the authorities were forced to cordon off the area around the car . According to information from security circles, the suspect he was not previously known to German authorities as an Islamist. In a video found on social media, the attacker accused Germany of “hunting the Saudis” and spoke for almost an hour about conspiracy theories against the Berlin government, which in his opinion was conducting a “secret operation” to give the hunt and “destroy the lives” of ex-Saudi Muslims around the world, while at the same time Syrian jihadists are granted asylum in Germany.”
While waiting for the developments of the investigations by the German authorities, it is impossible not to return to thinking about danger of terrorism. Spotlight on failed integration policies both in Germany and in the rest of Europe, as witnessed daily in the news pages. Germany has to deal with critical issues of a different nature, but often attributable to the religious component. Just think of the Muslim presence, which is increasingly strong: the estimate is 5 million Muslims, or 6 percent of the total population. A growth that has contributed to shaping an increasingly multicultural society but also one with integration difficulties.
Underestimating the alarm bells would be a huge mistake. A few days ago, Europe put its concern on paper in a statement that accompanied the political decision to strengthen cooperation in the fight against terrorism both among the twenty-seven member countries and with third countries. The main source of concern is Islamic terrorism: “The Council notes with great concern that the capacity of the Daesh Khorasan province (ISKP) to inspire and conduct external operations, including in Europe, is growing”, as reiterated by the ministers of Foreign Affairs at the end of the meeting held in Brussels. Possible dangers from Afghanistan but also from the Middle East, thanks to the current crisis.
The attack recorded in Germany cannot make us sleep peacefully, especially during the days of the Christmas markets, a religious symbol but also of sociality, therefore a more than concrete objective for the bad guys. Lowering our guard would be an unforgivable boomerang: less talk and more action.
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