SOCIAL MEDIA USERS CLAIM DOUBLE STANDARD OVER GERMAN ATTACK

People gather in Hanau to mourn the victims and take a stand against radical violence. Photo: DPA

Fri 21 February 2020:

Condemnation of the attack would have been more stark had the shooter been Muslim, say social media users.

A deadly shooting in the German city of Hanau on Thursday by a far-right gunman sent shock waves around the world.

At least nine people were killed in a shisha bar, with foreign and German citizens among the dead. The suspect, identified as Tobias R, a 43-year-old white male, was found dead at his apartment along with his mother, according to officials.

Germany’s federal prosecutor said the suspected perpetrator’s 24-page manifesto and video messages pointed to “deeply racist views”.

Despite strong reactions from world leaders, including German Chancellor Angela Merkel, some social media users pointed out that response to the story was somewhat muted – suggesting it would’ve gained more traction had the attacker been a Muslim.

Another white supremacist terrorist murders at least 10 in Germany, yet people won’t flinch because he didn’t shout Allahu Akbar https://t.co/EDbKyf48Zm

— Omar Suleiman (@omarsuleiman504) February 20, 2020

Others pointed out why some news outlets had chosen to simply refer to the assailant as a “deranged gunman” and not a “terrorist” – or refused to describe the incident as a case of “Islamophobia”.

So a white supremacist, islamaphobe, eugenicist, incel kills mainly Kurdish Muslims in a Shisha Bar in #Hanau Germany & guess what, he’s a “deranged gunman”

No, he’s a Far Right TERRORIST

His enablers & radicalisers please note

— nazir afzal (@nazirafzal) February 20, 2020

Try imagine an attack in Germany on the Jewish community and the BBC not mention the faith of the victims or “antisemitism”?
A far right gunman (terrorist) has just attacked Shisha bars popular with Muslims. This is islamophobia and terrorism. Don’t be shy BBC.

— Steve Brookstein (@stevebrookstein) February 20, 2020

Hello @DailyMailUK – I can’t think why this individual has been described as a gunman not a terrorist…. I just can’t put my brown finger on it? pic.twitter.com/IbuNIDzAH4

— Vikas Shah MBE (@MrVikas) February 20, 2020

United States President Donald Trump, who has been criticised in the past for his noticeably more vocal condemnation of attacks committed by Muslims, rather than those targeting Muslims, was yet to comment on the incident at the time of publication.

‘Hated non-whites’

Peter R Neumann, a professor at King’s College London, analysed the suspect’s 24-page manifesto in which he revealed that “he hated foreigners and non-whites”.

“Although he doesn’t emphasise Islam, he calls for the extermination of various countries in North Africa, Middle East and Central Asia (which all happen to be majority Muslim).”

THREAD: What the #Hanau attacker’s manifesto reveals about his motivation. @ICSR_Centre … (Thanks to @BILD + @jreichelt for sharing the document with me.)

— Peter R. Neumann (@PeterRNeumann) February 20, 2020