Wikipedia

Taleb Al-Abdulmohsen

Taleb Al-Abdulmohsen[a] (born 5 November 1974)[1] is a Saudi Arabian psychiatrist known for his extreme anti-Islam[2][3] and far-right[4] activism. He is accused of perpetrating the 2024 Magdeburg car attack, which killed five people and injured over 200.[5][6][7]

Taleb Al-Abdulmohsen
طالب العبدالمحسن
Born
Taleb bin Jawad bin Hussein Al-Abdulmohsen

(1974-11-05) 5 November 1974 (age 50)
Hufuf, Saudi Arabia
NationalitySaudi Arabian
OccupationPsychiatrist
Years active2006–2024
Known for

Early life and education

Talib Al-Abdulmohsen was born in Hufuf, Saudi Arabia. He hailed from a Shiite family in the largely Shiite Al-Ahsa Governorate.[8]

He pursued medical studies and specialized in psychiatry. In 2006, he relocated to Germany to further his career and applied for political asylum.[9][10]

2024 Magdeburg car attack

Main article: 2024 Magdeburg car attack

On 20 December 2024, Abdulmohsen allegedly drove a vehicle while under the influence of drugs[11] into a crowded Christmas market in Magdeburg, Germany, killing at least five people, including a child, and injuring over 200 others.[12][13] He was arrested at the scene.[14]

Views

In media appearances, Abdulmohsen presented himself as an ex-Muslim activist against Islam.[2] In 2019, Abdulmohsen gave interviews to the Frankfurter Rundschau and the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, in which he was presented as an escape/migration helper.[15][16] In these he says about himself: "I am the most aggressive critic of Islam in history. [...] There is no good Islam".[16]

Der Spiegel reported on him in the same year; that he would – through his web forum wearesaudis.net and X (then known as Twitter) – help others to escape from Saudi Arabia to Germany.[17] Also in the same year, Abuldmohsen appeared on the BBC showcasing his website intended to help asylum seeking apostates, "especially from Saudi Arabia and the Gulf region".[18] The Saudi monarchy is said to have warned German security authorities about Abdulmohsen at least three times.[19]

Abdulmohsen shared pro-Israel content on the Internet: on his X profile, he also published a post claiming that "Parts of Syria were lucky enough to join Israel", retweeting a post made by Benjamin Netanyahu which celebrated the fall of Assad.[20][21]

On X, Abdulmohsen posted an AR-15–style rifle (Juggernaut Tactical JT-15) with a US flag as a profile picture and conspiracy theories such as "Germany is persecuting Saudi asylum seekers inside and outside Germany in order to destroy their lives" and "Germany wants to Islamize Europe."[b] Several well-known officials of the German far-right party Alternative for Germany (AfD) and its right-wing extremist youth organization Junge Alternative followed his X account.[24] Furthermore, he expressed his sympathy on X for the AfD and dreamed of a joint project with the far-right party: an academy for ex-Muslims.[25] He also made a website that tried to help ex-Muslims gain asylum in other countries, and he considers himself an atheist as of 2019.[3]

In a 45-minute video interview that appeared on the anti-Islamic US blog, the RAIR Foundation,[26] eight days before the attack, Abdulmohsen spread theories that the German state is conducting a "covert secret operation" to "hunt and destroy the lives" of Saudi ex-Muslims around the world, but at the same time Syrian jihadists are receiving asylum in Germany.[24] In the interview he describes himself as a leftist.[27]

Abdulmohsen also shared similar right-wing ideological content, including content from German politician Alice Weidel of AfD,[28] Alex Jones, and Elon Musk.[24] He also shared a video by German right-wing influencer Naomi Seibt.[29] In an X post from 5 December 2024, Abdulmohsen declared that Angela Merkel deserved the death penalty for "her secret criminal project of Islamizing Europe".[29]

A few minutes before the attack, he posted more videos on his social media profile on X. In one of them, Al-Abdulmohsen said: "Another reason why I hold German citizens responsible for the persecution I experience in Germany is the story of a USB stick stolen from my mailbox."[30][31] He also said: "The police themselves are the criminals. In this case, I hold the German nation, I hold the German citizens responsible for what is in store for me'.[30][29]

According to information from several public broadcasters and private media in Germany, people have reported to the police several times because of threats of violence from Al-Abdulmohsen. According to public broadcaster ARD, Al-Abdulmohsen was sentenced in 2013 by the Rostock District Court to 90 daily rates of 10 euros each for threatening criminal offenses.

The Foreign Intelligence Service of Germany received a report from Saudi Arabia that Al-Abdulmohsen had announced something big in Germany as early as 2023. The responsible state authorities are said to have followed up on this tip.[32] In the fall of 2023, a woman who had been in contact with Al-Abdulmohsen via the Internet tried to warn the police in Berlin that Al-Abdulmohsen wanted to kill 20 Germans. However, she sent her email to the police in Berlin, New Jersey.[33]

According to India Today, Abdulmohsen is wanted by Saudi Arabia on charges related to terrorism and human trafficking, specifically allegations of facilitating the trafficking of individuals from Saudi Arabia and Gulf states to the European Union. Despite Saudi Arabia's extradition request, Germany granted him political asylum in 2006, citing concerns over his safety and rights if he was returned to Saudi Arabia. The German government refused to extradite him, citing a lack of due process in Saudi Arabia.[34] Furthermore, a Saudi source told Reuters that Saudi Arabia had warned Germany about the attacker after he posted extremist views on his X account threatening peace and security.[35]

References

  1. ^ Arabic: طالب العبدالمحسن or Taleb Al-Abdalmuhsin
  2. ^ [2][22][23]
  1. ^ Vasudev, Amit (21 December 2024). "Who Is Taleb al Abdulmohsen — Ex-Muslim, Doctor, Anti-Immigration Activist Arrested In Germany Car Attack?". Oneindia. Retrieved 21 December 2024.
  2. ^ a b c "Anschlag auf Weihnachtsmarkt: Arzt, Islamgegner, seit 2006 in Deutschland – Das wissen wir über den Attentäter von Magdeburg" [Doctor, anti-Islam activist, in Germany since 2006 – This is what we know about the Magdeburg attacker]. Die Welt (in German). Retrieved 21 December 2024.
  3. ^ a b "Report: German Xmas market attacker is Saudi anti-Islamist who shared pro-Israel content | The Times of Israel". www.timesofisrael.com. Retrieved 21 December 2024.
  4. ^ Aboubakr, Sara (21 December 2024). "What we know about the suspect behind the German Christmas market attack". National Post.
  5. ^ "BBC World Service - Trending, The Emirati women fleeing their faith and family, The website helping ex-Muslims flee the Gulf". BBC.co.uk. 6 July 2019. Retrieved 21 December 2024.
  6. ^ "Who is Taleb A.? The suspect behind Germany Christmas market car ramming attack: Video - World News". Wionews. Retrieved 21 December 2024.
  7. ^ "German Christmas market attack toll rises to five dead, over 200 injured". The Washington Post. Retrieved 21 December 2024.
  8. ^ "The 'atheist' Saudi refugee suspected of Germany attack". France 24. 21 December 2024. Retrieved 21 December 2024.
  9. ^ KnowInsiders. "Who is Al Abdulmohsen, Saudi Arabian Doctor Behind the German Christmas Market Attack?". KnowInsiders. Retrieved 21 December 2024.
  10. ^ "Who is Taleb Al Abdulmohsen, the Saudi doctor behind the German Christmas market car attack?". Indiatimes. 21 December 2024. Retrieved 21 December 2024.
  11. ^ "Große Anteilnahme nach Anschlag auf Weihnachtsmarkt Magdeburg mit fünf Toten". www.mdr.de (in German). Retrieved 21 December 2024.
  12. ^ "LIVE Magdeburg Christmas market attack LIVE updates as death toll rises to five including child, 9". The Mirror. 21 December 2024. Retrieved 21 December 2024.
  13. ^ "Two dead, dozens injured in car attack on German Christmas market". BBC News. Retrieved 21 December 2024.
  14. ^ "Magdeburg: Police arrest suspect after attack at German Christmas market". Sky News. Retrieved 21 December 2024.
  15. ^ ""Das Asylsystem ist ein Weg in die Freiheit"" ["The asylum system is a path to freedom"]. Fr.de (in German). 13 March 2019. Retrieved 21 December 2024.
  16. ^ a b "Fluchthelfer gegen Saudi-Arabien: Sie verfolgen jede einzelne Frau" [Escape helpers against Saudi Arabia: They persecute every single woman]. FAZ.NET (in German). 14 June 2019. Retrieved 21 December 2024.
  17. ^ Röhlig, Marc; Rothe, Yannick von Eisenhart (13 February 2019). "Saudi-Arabien: Männer überwachen Frauen mit "App – die diese nun nutzen, um zu fliehen". Der Spiegel (in German). ISSN 2195-1349. Retrieved 21 December 2024.
  18. ^ "How one website helps hundreds seek asylum". BBC News. Retrieved 21 December 2024.
  19. ^ Brüggemann, Thore; Heise, Thomas; Khan, Miriam; Kistler, Florian; Lehberger, Roman; Petter, Jan; Pütz, Florian; Röbel, Sven; Schmitt, Alexander (21 December 2024). "Magdeburg – News: Saudi-Arabien soll deutsche Sicherheitsbehörden dreimal vor Taleb A. gewarnt haben". Der Spiegel (in German). ISSN 2195-1349. Retrieved 21 December 2024.
  20. ^ "Report: German Xmas market attacker is Saudi anti-Islamist who shared pro-Israel content | The Times of Israel". www.timesofisrael.com. Retrieved 21 December 2024.
  21. ^ "Parts of Syria were lucky enough to join Israel" (in Arabic).
  22. ^ https://x.com/drtalebjawad
  23. ^ "Saudischer Islamkritiker, Fan von AfD und Elon Musk: Verstörende Details zum Täter von Magdeburg" [Saudi Islam critic, fan of AfD and Elon Musk: Disturbing details about the perpetrator of Magdeburg attack]. Der Tagesspiegel Online (in German). ISSN 1865-2263. Retrieved 21 December 2024.
  24. ^ a b c Bahlmann, Henrik; Höfner, Roman; Janevska, Aleksandra; Kiran, Ayla; Lehberger, Roman; Maxwill, Peter; Milatz, Marvin; Müller, Ann-Katrin; Ruhnow, Evelin (20 December 2024). "Magdeburg – News: Autofahrer fährt in Menschenmenge – Behörden gehen von Anschlag aus" [Magdeburg – News: Driver drives into crowd – authorities suspect attack]. Der Spiegel (in German). ISSN 2195-1349. Retrieved 21 December 2024.
  25. ^ "Anschlag auf Weihnachtsmarkt in Magdeburg: Was ist bekannt? | tagesschau.de". Retrieved 21 December 2024.
  26. ^ RAIR Foundation (15 December 2024). "Update: Interview With Saudi Psychiatrist Suspected of Driving Into German Christmas Market (Video)". rairfoundation.com. Retrieved 21 December 2024.
  27. ^ RAIR Foundation (15 December 2024). "Update: Interview With Saudi Psychiatrist Suspected of Driving Into German Christmas Market (Video)". rairfoundation.com. Retrieved 21 December 2024.
  28. ^ "+++ 01:35 Veranstalter reagieren: Weihnachtsmärkte in Sachsen-Anhalt schließen frühzeitig +++". n-tv.de (in German). Retrieved 21 December 2024.
  29. ^ a b c Decker, Jan; Sternberg, Felix; Huesmann, Markus (21 December 2024). "Magdeburg nach Todesfahrt: Verdächtiger offenbar Islamfeind – Rätsel um Motiv" [Magdeburg after fatal drive: Suspect apparently Islamophobe – mystery about motive]. rnd.de (in German). Retrieved 21 December 2024.
  30. ^ a b "Profile of Taleb Al Abdulmohsen on X.com".
  31. ^ "Anschlag in Magdeburg: „Keine konkrete Gefahr" – BKA und LKA erstellten 2023 Gefährdungsbeurteilung von Tatverdächtigem - WELT". DIE WELT (in German). Retrieved 21 December 2024.
  32. ^ WDR/NDR, Manuel Bewarder, Florian Flade, Martin Kaul, Amir Mussawy, Sebastian Pittelkow und Katja Riedel. "Das wissen wir über den Tatverdächtigen von Magdeburg". tagesschau.de (in German). Retrieved 21 December 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  33. ^ "Tat eines Ex-Muslims mit AfD-Nähe - Fünf Fragen, die sich Deutschland nach der Todesfahrt beantworten muss". FOCUS online. Retrieved 21 December 2024 – via www.msn.com.
  34. ^ "Ex-Muslim, doctor, pro-far right: Many shades of man behind Germany market attack". India Today. 21 December 2024. Retrieved 21 December 2024.
  35. ^ "German Christmas market attack kills five, injures 200". A Saudi source told Reuters that Saudi Arabia had warned German authorities about the attacker after he posted extremist views on his personal X account that threatened peace and security.
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