Even as Islamic bigots were carrying out dastardly terror attacks on innocent people in France, another bigot from Macedonia, claiming himself to be an Islamic State sympathizer, attacked people near a synagogue in Vienna, the Austrian capital on Monday evening.
Twenty-year-old Kujtim Fejzulai , who had spent time in prison, opened fire from his Kalashnikov rifle in a busy area of Vienna, killing four innocent persons before he was shot by security forces. On Tuesday, the Islamic State news agency Amaq claimed responsibility for the terror attack and named him Abu Dagnah Al-Albany. The IS described him as a “soldier of the Caliphate.”
The Chancellor of Austria Sebastian Kurz has called on the European Union to prepare a joint response to tackle what he called ‘political Islam’. He said, this radical Islamic ideology represented a danger to the model of the European way of life. Neighbouring Switzerland police has picked up two persons in connection with this attack.
In my show ‘Aaj Ki Baat’, we showed how the terrorist first fired at two persons, and even as one of them lay on the ground crying for help, the terrorist came back and shot him in cold blood. This gruesome murder is condemnable. Those four innocents killed included a waitress, a young passerby and an old man and woman.
Visuals of this terror attack have made us recall the horrors of 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks 12 years ago, when Pakistani terrorists caused mayhem in India’s financial capital. Vienna is famous as the music capital of the world, its citizens are peace loving and there has rarely been any terror attack in this quiet city. No Austrian could ever dream of such a horrendous attack by a terrorist. I have been to Vienna several times and had marveled at the way of life of its peaceful citizens. Vienna prides on having the best quality of life among the world’s top cities.
Till now, Austrian security forces have raided 18 locations in and around Vienna and have detained 14 persons in connection with this carnage. Police are looking for possible accomplices of the gunman. Police said, the terrorist was wearing a fake terrorist belt, and on his computer, he had posted his photograph carrying an automatic rifle and a machete, that were used during the attack.
Austria is among the twenty top countries of the world where the standard of living is very high, in terms of per capita income. The Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, signed in 1961, provides immunity to diplomats in all member countries. Austria is one of the cradles of universal human rights and now Islamic terrorism has struck in that country. This terror attack has caused worldwide outrage.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi condemned the attack in his tweet: “Deeply shocked and saddened by the dastardly terror attacks in Vienna. India stands with Austria during this tragic time. My thoughts are with the victims and their families.”
The French President Emmanuel Macron has said, his country “shares the shock and grief of the Austrian people…This is our Europe. Our enemies must know who they are dealing with. We will not give up.” On Monday, French air force Mirage jet fighters in Mali, Africa, carried out air strikes killing more than 50 Al Qaeda terrorists. The jihadis were going in a motorbike convoy when they were attacked by French missiles on the border of Burkina Faso and Niger.
France has faced several Islamic terror attacks in the last one week, including the brutal beheadings of two persons. The French government is now determined to crush Islamic terror in all its forms, and it has struck in faraway Mali.
It is heartening to find that world leaders have now accepted Islamic terror as a grave threat to world peace. The air strikes by the French army is reminiscent of Indian air force’s air strike in Balakot, Pakistan, where terror hideouts were wiped out. The credit goes to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who first ordered surgical strikes across the Line of Control to wipe out Pakistan trained terrorists in Kashmir, and then ordered the air strike after the Pulwama terror attack. It’s time that world leaders joined hands to stamp out Islamic jihadi terrorism.