Lord Mayor Dr. Felix Schwenke and Abdelkader Rafoud commemorate the victims of the racist attack in Hanau
16.02.2023 – Gökhan Gültekin, Sedat Gürbüz, Said Nesar Hashemi, Mercedes Kierpacz, Hamza Kurtović, Vili Viorel Păun, Fatih Saraçoğlu, Ferhat Unvar and Kaloyan Velkov. It was three years ago on February 19 that a racist right-wing extremist shot and killed nine men and women within six minutes in Hanau. In cold blood and planned, because they did not fit into his world view. He then killed his mother and himself. To this day, a committee of inquiry is investigating the events.
On the occasion of the anniversary, Offenbach's Lord Mayor Dr. Felix Schwenke emphasizes what he considers to be the most important point in all clarity: "Everyone must be able to live safely, regardless of where their parents come from." According to Schwenke, racism unfortunately remains a problem and the path to radicalization is sometimes not far away. "Hanau could have happened anywhere. Since then, the hashtag #saytheirnames has commemorated the dead and reminded us to listen carefully every day and to resolutely counter marginalizing tendencies whenever they are expressed. We are all human beings," Schwenke continued. Abdelkader Rafoud, Chairman of the Foreigners' Advisory Council, also emphasized: "Three years after the crime, many questions remain unanswered for the relatives. The hatred that underlies such an act is unimaginable and has shaken us all. Germany has become a home for many people who have fled violence, war or oppression. Many people with a migration background also live in Offenbach, they contribute and are part of the city's society. Such an act is unimaginable, which makes it all the more important to continuously promote tolerance and peaceful diversity."