Roth calls for suspect in Mannheim attack to face trial in Germany
One of the Green Party's Culture Ministers, Claudia Roth, has made her voice heard about the case of a police murderer from Mannheim. In the "Maischberger" talk show on ARD, she shared her thoughts on why the said individual, who is supposed to be an Islamist, should be dealt with in Germany.
She didn't hold back when she said, "Mannheim was terrifying. Mannheim was a terrible crime." It's difficult to argue against that.
The situation refers to an alleged Islamic act of terror targeting a police officer, Rouven L., in Mannheim. The suspect accused of the heinous act is Sulaiman A., who has lived in Germany since 2014. His asylum application was refused, but since Afghanistan is ruled by the Taliban, deporting him back home isn't possible. Sulaiman A. has allegedly integrated well into the community, though. On Friday, he injured six people at an event of the Islam-critical movement Pax Europa, which also included the police officer. This 29-year-old officer eventually passed away on Sunday in the hospital.
Claudia Roth has a personal connection to the case. Speaking on Tuesday at "Maischberger," she said, "Of course, I'm thinking of my thoughts and my grief for the relatives and the many police officers and policewomen who are now mourning a colleague, a friend, and a loved one, and who put themselves on the line for our safety every day."
She acknowledges the danger of Islamic terror, as shown by the attack at Breitscheidplatz in Berlin that occurred on December 19, 2016, which caused thirteen deaths. This event prompted discussions about how to combat Islamism in Germany. Now, the voice for deporting criminally convicted migrants is getting louder. Roth disagrees. She believes, "This crime happened in Germany. I think that a criminal who has committed a crime in Germany should be tried in a German court. He should be sentenced in Germany and serve his sentence here."According to Roth, the potential deportation could lead to the alleged murderer being hailed as a hero in Afghanistan, thus escaping punishment.
Despite the focus on the overburdening of the population due to Green Party policies in the show, the discussion briefly touched on climate change. Roth doesn't believe it's a problem for the population. The effects of a hundred-year flood in certain areas of Bavaria over the weekend became a point of concern for her. She also has personal ties to Babenhausen near Memmingen, and she called the situation there "a brutal disaster, a real catastrophe." She emphasizes, "The climate crisis is now and here."
Just a few weeks ago, the climate protection law was diluted by the traffic-light coalition, and an expert commission appointed by the government now fears Germany might not meet its climate target. Maischberger questioned Roth about this. She brought up the Federal Environment Agency, which contradicts the expert commission. The expert commission, however, predicts the goals can be achieved "if what has been agreed upon is done, and if the financing is right." There's a difference of opinion in the government, especially regarding the debt brake or the establishment of potential special funds.
Roth was disappointed by the weakening of the climate protection law. She stated, "If the Greens were the sole decision-makers in the government, it would be different." Instead, she thinks what's needed is more investments in climate protection, "If we don't do that, it's going to cost us a lot more."
