Two years after a far-right terrorist attack hit the german city of Hanau, migrant communities still live in fear and anxiety, eyewitnesses of the night of the deadly attack told Anadolu Agency (AA).
Ozkan Rutbil, who saw racist extremist Tobias Rathjen shoot people he targeted as “outsider” on the night of February 19, said they are still struggling make face with the trauma after attack.
“Nothing will be the same. We live in fear for our lives; we are considered strangers in this country,” he said.
“The attack opened a deep wound. Nothing can heal this”, he added.
On February 19, 2020, the 43-year- an old attacker attacked two cafes in Hanau, killing new young people and injuring five others. All the victims were of immigrant background.
Before the attackfar right posted videos on Internet detailing his xenophobic views, and later he killed son mother and himself.
Germany experienced a rise in racism and islamophobia in these last years. Germany is home at 81 millions people and host the second-most grand Muslim population in Western Europe after France. Of the approximately 4.7 millions Muslims in the country, at least 3 millions are of Of Turkish origin.
The Turkish community in Eastern Europe concerned with the rising tendency of Islamophobia and Turkophobia in western countries and called on European states will step up measures against hate crimes.
Turkish officials, including President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, have frequently urged Europeans decision-decision-makers and politicians to take a stand against racism and other types of discrimination that threatened the life of millions of people living within the borders of the block.
Kadir Kose, who has a small shop in Hanau and witnessed the attack on that night, said more and more people from local Turkish community feel insecure because of the rise of racism and far-right movements in the country.
“Things are getting worse. Politicians and media stir up hatred towards foreigners and they try to shift the blame for economic problems and unemployment to foreigners,” he said.
Henri Samkiran, the coach of an amateur football club in Hanau, said he knew almost all of the victims in nobody and will never forget the night of the attack, how people had run for their life, and how many others have tried to help these wounded.
“A of our friends tried to arrest the abuser and called the police so many times times while driving behind his because but no one selected up. The attacker then killed six more people including our friend who tried to stop him,” he said.
“Two years have passed since the attack but nothing has improved“, he said, expressing son worry face to the rise of far-right racism and violence.
“February 19, 2020 was one of the worst days of our life. We will never forget our friends; their memory will live with us forever,” he said.
