Christmas market attack in Germany tonight😥 article linked

[Treetops11]

https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2024/dec/20/germany-christmas-market-madgeburg
I have attended many Christmas markets over the years. They are so crowded especially at the moment as German children finished school for the Christmas holidays. Frightening, my prayers are with all the victim's 🙏

If there was an attack on a Diwali or Eid Festival, the protests would be off the scale. But, of course, these festivals always pass of peacefully. It's just the Christmas markets that seem to attract unwanted attention, year after year, after year. Is there ever a year when they've either never been attacked or there aren't numerous plots against them foiled? Eh? Name me one.

Germany is only 50% Christian, almost 40% have no religion. I have no idea why people are trying to equate this to Christianity rather than he picked a crowded place. It seems like a huge stretch to me.

In what sense is a Christmas market a Christian festival? It's a market.

You just ignore ppls responses anyway so why should we.

@cakeorwine

"I am just trying to understand the reasoning of people who say that Christians are being targetted because of this tragic event."

The actual motive of the attacker will probably never be truly known. However it is fair to say that a Christmas (and a Christmas market) is part of a Christian festival and as such the majority of the people attending (and the victims) would have been of a Christian background (of varying degrees of religious commitment).

To be clear if there was a similar at a Diwali festival (and where the true motive was never known) would you say that this was predominantly an attack on Hindu people or would you claim that the majority attending a Diwali festival are not Hindu?

Most people there aren't Christians.

How about the word ‘Christmas’.

It's not religious to most people I'm afraid.

a Christmas market is related to Christianity,
obviously as you'll usually see Christian related things at a Christmas market such as advent calendars, nativity scenes, stores selling gifts for us to buy for loved ones (like the 3 wise men did for Jesus, this is where the tradition comes
from)
To say Christmas markets aren't Christian is like saying the Diwali celebrations aren't Hindu.

They're secular. It's a secular holiday to most people.

Do you think everyone who celebrates Halloween is an actual witch?

deep sigh

Silly goose.

Just to repeat. The Saudis wanted to extradite him on alleged rape offences. He was a member of the Shia minority community so had a grudge. The Saudis warned Germany 3 times that he was a dangerous man and should face justice in SA. They ignored the Saudis. Now they have at least 5 dead, 70 or 80 injured of which many will have life changing injuries. Who was right about this? Not a fan of the Saudis but...... we are being lied to.

@Begsthequestion

"In what sense is a Christmas market a Christian festival? It's a market."

FFS the clue is in the fucking title!!

Christmas is a Christian festival. The Christmas market is linked to Christmas otherwise it would just be a normal market selling fruit and veg and some dodgy towels.

Absolutely the majority of people attending are not particularly religious being more interested in Gluhwein and stollen cake. But this doesn't mean it's not associated with Christmas (a Christian festival) and the majority attending are of a Christian background even if they aren't particularly religious.

Santa claus originates in western Christian culture but is hardly religious for many. In northern hemisphere also mid winter pagan origins etc

www.britannica.com/topic/Santa-Claus

The Christmas market's roots stretch back to Vienna in 1296, when Duke Albrecht I authorized 14-day fairs in the month of December. Despite the timing of these festivities, the fairs weren't directly connected to Christmas and did not appear to be religious in nature.

However - why do you think that Christians are being targetted?

Clearly you seem convinced in your opinion. If you had to argue that it was just a crowded place that was being targetted, could you do that - to persuade people that it wasn't Christians being targeted but German people being targeted?

Swearing at me isn't going to make you more right.

It may be a Christian festival to you, but for most people it's a secular holiday.

So you seem less confident now in your opinion that Christians are being targetted but you now seem to be saying that people with a Christian background, even if they aren't religious are targeted?

On the information currently available, it seems the attacker was a supporter of the AfD, which is a far right populist party. Of course, AfD supporters and the far right generally are now trying to disown him.

I would like to prosecute the politicians and judges who allowed this dangerous terrorist into the country who could kill and maim children and innocent people. Of course this isn't going to happen and there will be many more cases like this in Germany and the UK.

And just like to repeat: does anyone know why bollards are put around Christmas markets? I imagine it's an opportunity for artists to express themselves with abstract sculpture for everyone to appreciate. Or perhaps it's to protect attendees from being mown down by high speeding vehicles. I hope that clears things up for everyone 🙏 🙂

Why do you think security exists at airports?
Why do you think bags are checked at concert venues?
Why are we asked to "See it, sort it"?

People could argue that crowded places are terrorist targets.

@Begsthequestion

"It may be a Christian festival to you, but for most people it's a secular holiday."

Regardless of how people choose to celebrate it or their level of religious commitment if any - are you seriously suggesting that Christmas has absolutely nothing to do with Christianity?

You are being deliberately disingenuous.

Yes, there may have been lots of people of differing faiths at that Christmas market, but Germany is a predominantly Christian country. So the crowd would have been predominantly Christian. Which he would have known.