The terrorist militia ‘Islamic State’ (IS) is continuing its murderous propaganda – and is targeting Central Europe. A new poster glorifies the knife attack in Villach and calls for further violence with the slogan ‘Let’s Slaughter’. In addition, an IS platform calls for car attacks – and names Vienna and Salzburg. Where are the politicians?
The terrorist Ahmad G. (23) is celebrated as a role model by the IS propaganda platform al-Saif Media. On February 15, the Syrian stabbed passers-by in Villach indiscriminately with a knife, killing a 14-year-old boy and injuring four people, three of whom later had to be treated in intensive care.
Now a new IS poster shows the perpetrator as a hero – combined with a call to fellow believers: ‘Let’s Slaughter’. IS is thus openly calling for imitation. Such messages are not marginal phenomena, but targeted glorification of terror that is intended to incite new perpetrators again and again.
The IS-affiliated medium al-Saif also spreads posters calling for attacks with vehicles – in Berlin, Munich, Frankfurt, Brussels, Antwerp, Vienna and Salzburg. One picture shows a car driver speeding into a crowd of people. ‘Run them over!’ is the bloody instruction. Such images are intended to motivate individual perpetrators to strike without much planning – a pattern that has already been seen in many attacks in recent years.
The terror propaganda is escalating. One question arises: Where is the decisive political response? While IS is openly calling for murder and also targeting Austrian cities, there is an alarming silence.
This al-Saif Media (Unofficial #IslamicState): 'Run Them Over' posters explicitly incite vehicular attacks in major #European cities, including Berlin, Munich, Frankfurt, Vienna, Brussel, Antwerp & Salzburg. It features a driver targeting a crowd. #Propaganda #Jihadist #Attack… pic.twitter.com/VAfDosMebP
— TRACTerrorism (@TracTerrorism) February 17, 2025
Authorities and politicians must not remain inactive in the face of these blatant threats against Austria and its citizens. So far, nothing has been said by Interior Minister Gerhard Karner (ÖVP).