In Germany, the night of August 23 ended in mourning. A 26-year-old man from Syria stabbed three people to death and injured eight others at a festival in the city of Solingen.
The attack was claimed by the Islamic State the next day, according to media linked to the terrorist group.
The perpetrator of the attack against a gathering of Christians in the city of Solingen is a soldier of the Islamic State. He acted to avenge Muslims in Palestine and everywhere else.
The German Bishops’ Conference and the Evangelical Church were quick to condemn the “inhumane” attack in a joint statement.
As churches, we mourn with the families of the victims and pray for the wounded and the dead. Nothing can justify this unbridled violence. The attack in Solingen allows us to peer into an abyss of evil and our solidarity extends to all those who have to mourn the loss of human life.
Both thanked the police and the emergency services for their work. Their words were clear: “No one should feel alone in the face of cold-blooded murder.”