Abdul B., a German-born citizen, had been convicted for acts of extremism, including attempting to join the so-called Islamic State. In May 2026, a Berlin court sentenced him to almost two years in prison, but released him on preliminary probation. On July 25, he allegedly drove a van into a crowd near Berlin’s Christopher Street Day celebrations and then attacked people with a blade, killing one person and injuring 29 others. A day later he was tracked down and shot dead by police.
DW’s Pablo Foley Elias spoke to Cornelia Lotthammer about Abdul B.’s case, the causes of extremism, and how it needs to be addressed.
These people get themselves into a hell of a mess with this because they don't understand the root of the problem: Islam! Forget Islamism! These so-called Islamists are in love with Islam and their prophet. A so-called "Islamist" is merely a devout, practising, fundamentalist Muslim following uncompromisingly the precepts and tenets of his faith. When will these people get it? How many more people will have to be killed before they give up on their airy-fairy notions? And of course, this person was unwilling to deradicalize, for to concede to deradicalization would be tantamount to giving up on his faith!
Germany is never going to be able to solve its problems of homophobia in the Muslim community with this 'artsy-fartsy' outlook and talk! Don't confuse and conjoin the radical problems found in other groups with the "Queerfeindlichkeit' found in the Muslim community, otherwise you will never find solutions to the problem. The radicalization caused by the so-called hyper-masculinity trend is something quite different, and has to be treated quite differently. — © Mark Alexander
