20. October 2021
Solingen
Sibel İ. moved to Solingen in 1994. Her three children K. İ. 1995), D. İ. (1996) and S. İ. (2003) were born in Solingen. It was not until April 2021 that Sibel İ. and her children moved into their new apartment in Solingen-Mitte, where an arson attack was carried out on their balcony on 20 October 2021.
Sibel deliberately refrains from attending a public memorial service in Solingen as she fears that she will be attacked again. She is worried that something could happen to her children or that another arson attack could be carried out on her home. Despite these fears, she is actively involved in the nationwide and NRW-wide solidarity network for survivors of right-wing, racist and anti-Semitic violence. She has been in contact with the Genç family since the arson attack. She publicly recalls the events in speeches, panel discussions and as an author and is part of the “29 May 1993 – Solingen arson attack” campaign group.
This memorial chronicle addresses right-wing, racist and anti-Semitic violence, including specific incidents, backgrounds and consequences. The content may contain incriminating descriptions of violence, discrimination and suffering.
The following fold-out section “Description of the offence” describes specific acts of violence. We would therefore like to point out to those affected and readers that dealing with this content can have a re-traumatising effect. Before accessing the content, please check whether you feel mentally and emotionally able to deal with such topics and, if necessary, do not do so alone.
On 20 October 2021, the balcony of Sibel İ. was the target of an arson attack with a Molotov cocktail. Thanks to Sibel’s vigilance around 2 a.m. and her quick intervention, she was able to put out the fire together with her children. The following day, a mask was discovered near her house, smeared with swastikas and SS runes. The attack was so traumatic for her daughter that she left Solingen.
A 15-year-old suspect, Maurice K., was arrested two days later. However, Sibel and her lawyer were not given access to the files due to the protection of minors and she was only able to testify as a witness in court. To this day, Sibel does not know whether Maurice K. was convicted or whether others may have been involved.
Sibel İ. (2023): “Erste Hilfe für Betroffene nach rassistischer und extrem rechter Gewalt.” In Birgül Demirtaş / Adelheid Schmitz / Derya Gür-Şeker / Çağrı Kahveci (Hg.). Solingen, 30 years after the arson attack – racism, assismus, right-wing extremist violence and the scars of a neglected appraisal process. transkript Verlag.
Sibel İ. (2024): Speech by Sibel İ. on 26 August 2023 on the occasion of the commemoration of the murdered people in Duisburg in 1984. In Ali Şirin (ed.). “Erinnern heißt Kämpfen – Kein Schlussstrich unter unsere Stimmen” (Remembering means fighting – No end to our voices). Unrast Verlag.