The attack in the German city of Hanau is associated with a “poisoned climate” in society, said Wolfgang Schäuble, president of the Bundestag, commenting on the incident.
“An open society can never be completely protected from murderous attacks, as in Hanau. But such crazy actions do not take place in a vacuum, they appear in a poisoned social climate where xenophobia and the most absurd conspiracy theories are ignited until minorities are perceived as threat, and discrimination turns into rampant hatred”, – Schäuble stated.
“We should not ignore the problems and conflicts that accompany them, but the way we discuss them politically in order to find ways for human coexistence certainly helps prevent such manifestly racist actions. If this does not work, we become accomplices”, – he added.
On Thursday night, an unknown assailant attacked two hookahs and a bookmaker’s office in Hanau in the federal state of Hesse in central Germany, according to recent reports, nine people were killed and four more injured. Later, the alleged offender was found dead in his house, and the body of the shooter’s mother was found nearby. Suspect Tobias R. allegedly held right-wing views. German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier called the incident “a terrorist act of violence”.