Immigrant Doctor Kills German Christmas Revellers

What Happened?

A 50-year-old doctor from Saudi Arabia drove through a crowded Christmas market in the German city of Magdeburg.

The doctor had lived in Germany since arriving from Saudi Arabia in 2006.

According to reports, he was a trained psychiatrist, working to help rehabilitate criminals.

He drove his black BMW through the busy market, ultimately killing five people, and injuring hundreds.

Why it Matters

Your correspondent has just returned from three weeks in Europe. Of that, we spent two weeks in Germany — in the cities of Munich, Berlin, and Hanover.

We saw first-hand just how busy it is at the Christmas markets, especially after sunset (around 4.30p.m. or so).

Locals and tourists flock to the markets, where they can buy festive gifts, eat hearty German food, and drink the traditional gluhwein — a warm alcohol-based drink similar to mulled wine.

So what was the motive for the doctor’s alleged actions?

This is where it gets murky.

The reports say that the doctor (only known as ‘Taleb A’ right now) was an ‘Islamophobic atheist’. The claim is he self-described himself as such, and Germany’s authorities have repeated the claim.

However, there is reason to be skeptical. As news reports have noted, the Saudi Arabian government had previously requested extradition of Taleb A back to Saudi Arabia. Yet the German authorities either ignored or refused the extradition request.

Considering the use of corporal and capital punishment in Saudi Arabia, Western countries are often reluctant to extradite.

This is where the suggestion arises that Taleb A’s atheism may have been a ruse to prevent extradition. That’s because atheism, according to Amnesty International, is illegal and punishable by death in Saudi Arabia.

Knowing that, it’s almost certain Germany would refuse to extradite.

But the story gets even murkier. According to his X account, he showed support for the German AfD political party, a conservative party that aims to disrupt the current political set-up in Germany.

Taleb A had apparently expressed support for the party, and said that the German public were guilty of allowing the country to lose its way… hence his decision to drive into the crowded market.

The After Effects

The claims reportedly made by Taleb A and reported in the mainstream press could be true.

It could be true that he is a Saudi Arabian who has turned his back on religion — an apostate. And it could be that he supports the conservative AfD political party.

And it could be that he wanted regular Germans to suffer for their actions.

However, we would suggest caution. It all seems too convenient. As is often the case with mass murder, whether with a gun, knife, or car, the cause of the action is often due to mental issues and/or drug use.

We would be skeptical about the claim of his links and support of a conservative political group. To us, it all seems a little too convenient… and has been too eagerly grasped by the German establishment.

Don’t be surprised if more clarity emerges from this story in the days ahead.