CAIRO — Authorities have yet to officially disclose the identity of the individual responsible for the tragic car attack in Magdeburg, which resulted in a minimum of five fatalities and left many others injured. It has been revealed that the suspect is a Saudi physician who has resided in Germany for close to twenty years and is believed to have acted independently.
Local news outlets have identified him as 50-year-old Taleb A, a professional in psychiatry and psychotherapy. He was apprehended at the scene after driving a black BMW into a Christmas market bustling with shoppers on Friday evening.
Taleb’s social media account features posts indicating he identifies as a former Muslim, filled with commentary that targets anti-Islam narratives and critiques of the religion, along with expressions of support for Muslims who have converted away from Islam.
He has openly criticized the German government, stating they have not done enough to tackle what he terms the “Islamism of Europe.” Additionally, he has shown support for the far-right political group, the Alternative for Germany (AfD), known for its anti-immigrant stance.
Some sources describe Taleb as an activist who aided Saudi women in escaping their country. Recently, he seemed to concentrate on a theory alleging that German authorities were discriminating against Saudi asylum-seekers.
Peter Neumann, a noted expert on terrorism in Germany, shared on social media that he had never encountered a suspect in a mass violence case with such a unique background, stating, “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 toward Islamists — that really wasn’t on my radar.”
German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser informed the media on Saturday that it is clear the attacker displayed evident Islamophobic sentiments, stating, “At this point, we can only say for sure that the perpetrator was evidently Islamophobic — we can confirm that. Everything else is a matter for further investigation and we have to wait.”
An organization based in Germany, Atheist Refugee Relief, stated that the alleged perpetrator was not affiliated with them and accused him of making several false claims about the group and its former board members. They noted that a cooperative effort to provide assistance to atheist refugees from Saudi Arabia did not materialize.
The organization emphasized its disassociation from Taleb in the strongest possible terms and confirmed that some members took legal action against him in 2019 due to severe slander and verbal attacks.