All Saints’ Day 2018: Together with her husband, Mrs. S. walks along the street Sonnleithnergasse in Vienna’s Favoriten district. In front of a mosque there is a group of young people. As if from nowhere, says Mrs. S., a then 18-year-old kicked her husband in the stomach. The 67-year-old pensioner fell with his head on the edge of the pavement so unhappily that after several weeks in a coma he finally died of his injuries. Now his widow and daughter talk about the attack – the day when the husband and family man disappeared from their lives forever. Both have left their former home district of Favoriten forever. All that remains are family albums, memories, cemetery visits and much pain.It took a long time for Mrs. S. and her daughter to get over the worst time of their lives.Since the attack, both are in psychological care, slowly learning to enjoy life again. Mother and daughter are caring for each other, stand together, comfort each other. Again and again during our conversation both need a short break: handkerchiefs for tears, a glass of water for their nerves.Ms. S. remembers the traumatic events of three years ago: “He only had gasping breath, I screamed like a banshee. For three weeks it was an eternal feeling of fear and hope. Then he died. He would never have woken up again, his brain was completely destroyed. He was brain dead. Actually, “Thank God, he didn’t notice, he didn’t suffer.”Another youth was prevented from further attacking: “As if one wasn’t enough,” said N. “It’s birthdays, Christmas and anniversaries, they hurt very, very much. Daddy is extremely absent,” says daughter N., as she bursts into tears. She wears a ring which connects her with her father, “He is looking at us”, Mrs. S. replies to her daughter.”When you kick someone in the stomach, you know that the person can’t breathe, no matter how strong and vigorous you are, you fall over.Otherwise, daddy would have been able to resist,” says N.Since the mosque is monitored by several cameras, the suspected perpetrators could be investigated three hours later. “You go out and a few hours later your life is completely different. It will never be the same again. Nobody can imagine that. Unfortunately, people today should be warned and told: “Please be quiet and don’t say anything, just try to avoid people.”For Ms. S., the fact that the young people appeared in a group is a sign of “what cowards they are”. “Going after little children, animals or elderly people is so rotten and incomprehensible.” She is sure that if the main perpetrator had been alone, it would never have happened. “The problem is they always travel in packs.”Both had insisted on not meeting the perpetrators in court. “Five years imprisonment for one human life, that’s ridiculous to me. “But even if he had gotten eight or ten years, my husband is dead. That’s a fact and doesn’t change anything. Life will punish this man.”The future will be difficult “but we are on a completely new path”, said daughter N. “The perpetrator was a special needs student, has learned nothing, but has practiced martial arts. And: “One must not practice any martial arts, except in (sports) combat!” Bitter detail: As the offender was also unemployed at the time of the incident, the family did not even receive compensation.For years Mrs S. had said to herself: “If I wasn’t that old, I’d move away from here.” The conditions around the Favorite District would have gotten worse and worse. “As a native, you were almost an exotic. I always said: I live in Little Anatolia! It’s really bad.” They immediately sold the family home in Favoriten. The pain was too much.Daughter N: “I was afraid of young men on the street when I was clearing out the apartment. This also happened to my husband. You just become very careful, you get respect”, says S. “The perpetrators lived only a few houses away from ours.Mrs. S. lived in Favoriten for many years, went to gymnastics there, visited the beautician. “That’s no longer possible. Never again Favorites, I swore to myself!”, that “I can’t”. Daughter N. now lives in the country: “I won’t set foot there again, I just can’t.”I wonder if they still think about the perpetrators and their motives. That’ s her answer. “I don’t want to think about them, they’re non-existent people. You’re not supposed to deal with that kind of stuff.” The daughter also says, “I don’t want to think about them. I’d rather think about daddy.” “We are people who say you have to look ahead. That’s our motto. That’s the way we live now.” Sometimes things get better, sometimes worse. N.: “Our life is relatively okay.” “Sure,” answers Mrs. S. and looks up as if the inner strength is coming from there.
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Antisemitism, Antizionism, Jihadism and the Reunited Germany. News by Fred Alan Medforth