Germany: Muslim stabbing victim fined for inciting hatred against migrants

Image: Jihad Watch

Michael Stürzenberger, a German political activist who was the victim of an Islamist knife attack during a rally in Mannheim in May, has been fined for allegedly inciting hatred against Muslim migrants.

The 60-year-old activist was fined this week by the Hamburg Regional Court after being found guilty of inciting hatred against Muslims and refugees. Stürzenberger, a long-time critic of political Islam in Germany and Europe, had previously been sentenced to six months in prison for the offense. However, his sentence was reduced to a €3,600 fine, as reported by the Berliner Zeitung.

In Germany, where free speech protections are more limited than those in First Amendment countries, individuals convicted of incitement to hatred can face up to five years in prison.

Stürzenberger’s appearance in court marked his first public appearance since the May attack. He was one of six people stabbed by Sulaiman Ataee, a suspected Islamist and failed asylum seeker from Afghanistan, during a rally organized by the Citizens' Movement Pax Europa in Mannheim. The attack, which was livestreamed, left Stürzenberger and five others injured, including a police officer who later died from a neck wound.

The stabbing shocked Germany's political landscape and contributed to the pro-migration government of Olaf Scholz introducing stricter border controls and resuming deportations to Afghanistan and Syria.

Despite the attack, Stürzenberger has continued to speak out against Islamic ideology, stating: "Political Islam is the greatest threat to our security and freedom. If politicians and the media do not acknowledge this, there will likely be many more victims."

(This Article was originally published by Jihad Watch)