The Karlsruhe Public Prosecutor’s Office today issued an arrest warrant for the Afghan Sulaiman A., who attacked and stabbed six people in Mannheim’s central market yesterday – including well-known critic of Islam Michael Stürzenberger. The policeman is still in an “extremely critical” condition, who, in his attempt to immobilize the assailant, was stabbed in the back and neck. The motives of the attacker are unclear, circles of Islamists on social media are nevertheless celebrating the strike “at the heart” of Germany.

According to German public broadcaster ARD, Mr. Sturchenberger, the attacker’s original target, underwent emergency surgery yesterday and is recovering normally, while the police officer who tried to protect him has been placed in an induced coma and doctors describe his condition as ” extremely critical”. The rest of the wounded are men aged 25 to 29, among them three Germans, one German-Kazakh and one Iraqi. Police have struggled to identify the attacker as he did not carry identification and the investigation into his motives remains at an early stage, with the 25-year-old Afghan man not yet in a position to give a statement.

During yesterday’s operation, another police officer who shot him while trying to immobilize him was injured and underwent surgery.

Today, however, a video on the “TikTok” platform is making the rounds of the Internet, with the well-known Islamist “Imam Meta” celebrating the attack: “Guys, finally, good news. This Sturchenberger was stabbed. Inshallah (God willing), the young man who stabbed him will get the highest level in heaven. I swear to Allah, I will send you money, my friend. I will send you money, food, everything. Inshallah… every critic of Islam, anyone who criticizes Islam…” Imam Meta says among other things in his message and makes a knife-like gesture. “Bam, bam, bam”, he shouts in a state of exasperation and then goes against the secular Turks as well: “And this Turk with his fez, with his sk…Ataturk… wait and see you too, stinking Turk…. Islam, anyone who hates Islam, this will happen with a knife … Boom, boom, boom (repeats the movement). I swear, he’s my role model. He even stabbed a police officer in the neck.”

According to BILD newspaper, this particular TikTok user is known to the authorities as he often spews hatred against non-Muslims, threatens to kill known ex-Muslims, attacks the state of Israel and insults Kemalist Turks.

“The glorification of the murderous attack is disgusting and inhumane. Anyone who does this should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the criminal law,” said Federal Interior Minister Nancy Feser and assured that the relevant authorities are already conducting the relevant investigation. Bundestag Vice President Wolfgang Kubicki (FDP) noted that “unfortunately this is no longer a surprise” and spoke of “parallel societies and Islamist imports for decades”. “Any proposal for a political solution to the problem immediately ends up in the trash and is often labeled as ‘right-wing’ and therefore deserving of condemnation, in the thinking of many journalists. All politicians and journalists should watch these hate videos. They have been part of our reality for a long time!” added Mr. Kubiki. “Anyone who publicly celebrates such a barbaric act must immediately feel the serious consequences. This behavior cannot be accepted and must lead to swift criminal proceedings,” commented the Greens’ head of internal affairs, Constantin von Notch. Christian Social Union (CSU) parliamentary group leader Alexander Dobrid called for a tougher policy against Islamists, including the cancellation of social benefits, the revocation of residence permits and preventive detention or deportation. “In Germany we have the rule of law and not the rule of God,” said Mr. Dobrid.

However, BILD reports that the Federal Anti-Crime Service and the Federal Service for the Protection of the Constitution have already taken action. The Spokesperson of the first in Baden-Württemberg assured that there have been pointed out by some who are reminded on the Internet of yesterday’s attack and added that when there are credible acts, the prescribed criminal procedures are followed.