The suspect in what authorities are calling a terror attack has been identified as Taleb Al-Abdulmoshen. Abdulmoshen had a dispute with a charity organization in Germany that he said harassed Saudi women seeking asylum in Germany and complained that Angela Merkel's refugee programs in 2015 was intended to "Islamize" Germany, per The Telegraph.
The 50-year-old man in the attack reportedly traveled to Germany from Saudi Arabia in 2006, according to the New York Post. It has been reported that Abdulmoshen was an asylum seeker. The Telegraph reports that Abdulmoshen was an "exiled Saudi doctor who praised far-Right politicians for combatting to 'Islamisation' of Europe and pledged to take 'revenge' for the 'harassment' of female refugees."
After arriving in Germany, he claimed to be an ex-Muslim and offered concern about women's rights in Saudi Arabia. Women's rights scholar Nora Abdulkarim, however, offered concern about Abdulmoshen in 2017, saying that he had "issues" and cautioned others away from working with him. She said that when she was "looking into the case of Saudi asylum-seeker Dina Ali Lasaloom" in 2017, she encountered Abdulmoshen and "wasn't comfortable" with his "style."
"I noted ego, paranoia, aggressiveness, unclear and at times suspicious access to information, questionable ethics in terms of activist methods, and emotional instability," Abdulkarim said.
Saudi authorities also offered caution to German authorities about Abdulmoshen. Saudi political commentator Salman Al-Ansari posted on X about Abdulmoshen's relationship to Saudi authorities, saying that in 2006, "Saudi Arabia formally requests his extradition, but Germany denies the request, citing human rights concerns despite clear evidence of his criminal activities."
Al-Ansari further states, "After arriving in Germany, Abdulmohsen reinvents himself as a dissident, publicly declaring himself an atheist and ex-Muslim. This move appeared strategic, likely aimed at securing full asylum protection in Germany by portraying himself as a victim of persecution rather than a fugitive from justice."
On Abdulmoshen's reported X account, in the days leading up to the attack, Abdulmoshen posted a video claiming that Germany was at fault for the death of ancient Greek thinker Socrates in 399 BC. He claimed that a USB drive was stolen out of his mail. Abdulmoshen also said "the Germans are responsible for what I am facing."
Al-Ansari said that "In 2023-2024: Abdulmohsen makes explicit threats against Germany, which authorities dismiss as 'freedom of expression.' He was active on social media, repeatedly tweeting and posting voice recordings where he made explicit threats against Germany.
"He openly considered the German government his enemy, claiming that Germany was conspiring against him and against all Saudi asylum seekers. These posts were publicly accessible and alarming, yet German authorities failed to respond or investigate further.
"These paranoid claims and repeated threats were clear indicators of a dangerous mindset, yet they were ignored by authorities. Despite being warned by many X users who tagged the German police, in case they were not doing their job."
It was also reported by Die Welt that "A Saudi woman tried to alert police to Abdulmohsen’s plan to kill 'random German citizens' in September 2023, but mistakenly emailed the police in Berlin, New Jersey, rather than in Germany."
While the New York Post reported that the suspect is an anti-Islam activist, Maral Salmassi, a German entrepreneur and producer, has claimed that Abdulmoshen participated in a practice known as "Taqqiye," which she said is the "Islamic doctrine that permits lying and deception to advance Islamic objectives." Salmassi linked to multiple posts from Abdulmoshen's X account.
In one post cited by The Telegraph, Abdulmoshen said, "I have to admit that I was deceived by western Leftists. I thought they welcome refugees because they care for human rights. But my experience in Germany showed me that they welcome refugees because they want to Islamise Europe." He also praised Dutch politician Geert Wilders for saying "Islam is a lie. Mohammed is a criminal. The Koran is poison."
In another post, he said "Revenge will come soon. Even if it costs me my life. I will make the German nation pay the price of the crimes committed by its government against Saudi refugees."
Abdulmoshen has been taken into custody after he allegedly rammed the vehicle into the crowd after running through the barrier surrounding the Christmas market. Magdenburg is just west of Berlin. Chancellor Olaf Scholz said that the death toll from the attack is likely to rise in coming days, “The reports from Magdeburg suggest something terrible is to come. My thoughts are with the victims and their families. We stand by their side and by the side of the people of Magdeburg. My thanks go to the dedicated rescue workers in these anxious hours."
