Reader’s links for Jan. 18 – 2016

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In order to preserve the flow of conversation about various posted items, and also in order to make it easier for visitors to find the list of related links being shared by other readers, regulars and interested parties in one place, each day a post is automatically created at a minute past midnight ET.

This way, under the various posts of the day, conversation can take place without as much ‘noise’ on the various links and articles and ideas in the main posts and all the news links being submitted can be seen under these auto-posts by clicking on the comments-link right below these ones.

Thank you all for those that take the effort to assist this site in keeping the public informed. Below, typically people can find the latest enemy propaganda, news items of related materials from multiple countries and languages, op-eds from many excellent sites who write on our topics, geopolitics and immigration issues and so on.

About Eeyore

Canadian artist and counter-jihad and freedom of speech activist as well as devout Schrödinger's catholic

126 Replies to “Reader’s links for Jan. 18 – 2016”

  1. Hillary Clinton’s Potential Indictment Leads Google Searches

    The American public wants to know: is Hillary Clinton going to be indicted?

    That was the most googled question during the Democrat Party debate last night.

    Hillary Clinton’s legal future hangs over the 2016 election like a Sword of Damocles, threatening to immediately change the race. It’s a question not only of interest to Republicans but also Democrats who are trying to decide who they might vote for in the primaries.

    The Clinton campaign strategy in the beginning was pretty simple: claim there is nothing to see here. But as evidence mounts that there is quite a bit to see in the ethical conduct of Hillary Clinton, Team Clinton has switched to a new tact: if there is something to see here, let American voters decide not law enforcement. In other words, law enforcement should not intervene in an election and determine whether the matters in question really matter.

    But, of course, that is not how our criminal justice system works. (At least not for the rest of us.)

    The American public wants to know: is Hillary Clinton going to be indicted?

    That was the most googled question during the Democrat Party debate last night.

    Hillary Clinton’s legal future hangs over the 2016 election like a Sword of Damocles, threatening to immediately change the race. It’s a question not only of interest to Republicans but also Democrats who are trying to decide who they might vote for in the primaries.

    The Clinton campaign strategy in the beginning was pretty simple: claim there is nothing to see here. But as evidence mounts that there is quite a bit to see in the ethical conduct of Hillary Clinton, Team Clinton has switched to a new tact: if there is something to see here, let American voters decide not law enforcement. In other words, law enforcement should not intervene in an election and determine whether the matters in question really matter.

    But, of course, that is not how our criminal justice system works. (At least not for the rest of us.)

  2. Merkel stands firmly on side of refugees as unrest rises

    BERLIN (AP) — Chancellor Angela Merkel’s migrant troubles have reignited in the new year but the German leader is sticking to her guns, insisting her country will manage the challenge and that diplomacy can bring solutions.

    Germany registered nearly 1.1 million asylum-seekers last year, and 2,000 to 3,000 are still arriving daily even in mid-winter.

    A surge of robberies and sexual assaults on New Year’s Eve in Cologne — and the fact that some of the suspects were asylum-seekers — have highlighted the difficulty of integrating so many newcomers. With pressure mounting for the government to manage the influx, Merkel’s Bavarian allies are once again pushing for a cap on asylum-seekers.

    Public opinion toward refugees has been souring for months in Germany, although polls suggest political support for Merkel’s conservatives is down only slightly. While Germany doesn’t hold a national election until late 2017, smaller votes this year — starting with three state elections in March — will offer a test of the mood.

    “The events of New Year’s Eve have again shone a spotlight on the challenges we face, made them clear from a new side we had not viewed so far,” Merkel acknowledged. Within days, her government proposed legislation to make it easier to deport criminal foreigners.

    On the refugee influx itself, however, Merkel is standing firm — sticking to her much-criticized mantra that “we will manage it.”

    http://www.gopusa.com/?p=4163?omhide=true

  3. Pakistan Arrests Imam After Boy Cuts Off Own ‘Blaspheming’ Hand
    An Imam has been arrested for inciting a 15-year old boy to cut off his own hand after a misunderstanding led to accusations of blasphemy.

    Police in Pakistan have arrested an imam after a 15 -year old boy in his congregation cut off his own hand after a misunderstanding that led the boy to think he had blasphemed.

    Imam Shabbir Ahmed told his congregation at his mosque five days ago “those who love the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be Upon Him) always say their prayers,” according to the Pakistani newspaper Dawn.

    Ahmed then asked, “Who does not love the Prophet?” adding the words, “raise your hand.” The boy, Anwar Ali, raised his hand after misunderstanding the question.

    The iman then roared from the pulpit that the boy was a “blasphemer who was liable to be killed.”

    Ali ran straight home, cut off his hand, then returned and presented the severed hand to Imam Ahmed on a plate, police officer Nausher Ahmed said.

    http://www.clarionproject.org/news/pakistan-arrests-imam-after-boy-cuts-own-blaspheming-hand#

  4. Three Americans Kidnapped in Baghdad
    In other news, two men in Virginia have been arrested for charges in connection with trying to join the Islamic State in Syria.

    Three Americans have been kidnapped in Baghdad. The kidnappings have been confirmed by the U.S. embassy in Iraq, who said they are “working in full cooperation with Iraqi authorities to locate the missing Americans.”

    The Americans were kidnapped in the southern neighborhood of Dora on January 17. The three were working with an interpreter, who was kidnapped as well. A number of news outlets reported that the Americans are contractors.

    Speaking to the Daily Mail Online, State Department spokesperson John Kirby said, “The safety and security of American citizens overseas is our highest priority.? We are working with the full cooperation of the Iraqi authorities to locate and recover the individuals.”

    Kirby was not at liberty to disclose any more details.

    After speaking to a police colonel in Baghdad, the Washington Post reported three — two men a a woman — were working at the Baghdad International Airport. The Post also reported that the three were kidnapped by Shiite militiamen who raided the second-floor apartment.

  5. Rape Culture Threatens European Women
    With over a million refugees entering Europe, European women find themselves having to deal with the rape culture of North Africa.

    New Year’s Eve in Cologne, Germany saw an unprecedented number of sexual assaults against German women. This, of course, is just one example of a trend occurring across Europe after an influx of Middle Eastern and North African refugees.

    Vienna Police Chief Gerhard Purstl warned, “Women should in general not go out on the streets at night alone, they should avoid suspicious looking areas and also when in pubs and clubs should only accept drinks from people they know.”

    While Purstl’s advice has been met with backlash, mainly from feminists who reject the initial stance that women should need to be more careful, the question remains, why is this happening?

    The origin of these exceedingly violent sexual attacks, known as taharrush–gang gropings and rapes–can be traced back to the Egyptian Revolution, which followed the fall of then Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak.

  6. U.S. Imposes New Sanctions on Iran Over Ballistic Missile Tests
    The sanctions came just hours after a dramatic prisoner exchange and the freeing of Iran’s international assets.

    Just hours after a prisoner release that saw five Americans swapped for 7 Iranians as well as the lifting of international sanctions against Iran, the U.S. Treasury Department imposed new sanctions on Iran’s ballistic missile program.

    The new penalties target 11 individuals and companies for their role in facilitating Iran’s illegal ballistic missiles, made public by the Islamic Republic in two separate missiles tests last year. Both tests were conducted after Iran agreed to a deal with the world powers in the summer to curb their nuclear program.

    Specifically, the assets of Mabrooka Trading, a company based in the United Arab Emirates were blocked for providing components for the missiles. Other companies that were sanctioned are based in Hong Kong and Iran.

    According to the terms of the sanctions, U.S. and foreign companies are prohibited from doing business with the companies named. In addition, any assets being held in America belonging to the

    http://www.clarionproject.org/news/us-imposes-new-sanctions-iran-over-ballistic-missile-tests

  7. Bill to Designate Brotherhood as Terror Org. Gains Support
    U.S.Brotherhood entities named in the bill are CAIR, the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) and the North American Islamic Trust (NAIT)

    Ten more members of Congress have agreed to cosponsor the Muslim Brotherhood Terrorist Designation Act of 2015 since our last update. The legislation identifies three U.S.-based groups — including the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR)– as part of the Brotherhood network linked to financing Hamas.

    If passed, the bill would state that Congress believes the Muslim Brotherhood fits the State Department’s criteria of a Foreign Terrorist Organization. The Secretary of State would be required to designate the Brotherhood within 60 days or to provide a detailed report explaining why it does not. Three U.S.-based Brotherhood entities named in the bill are CAIR, the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) and the North American Islamic Trust (NAIT).

    The House version of the bill (HR3892) was introduced by Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart (R-FL) with Reps. Louie Gohmert (R-TX), Randy K. Weber (R-TX), Diane Black (R-TN) and Mike Pompeo (R-KS) as original cosponsors. They are now joined by Reps. Steve King (R-IA); Steven Palazzo (R-MS); Kay Granger (R-TX); Jim Jordan (R-OH); Steve Stivers (R-OH); Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA); Ilena Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL); Charles W. Dent (R-PA); Bill Johnson (R-OH) and David A. Trott (R-MI).

    http://www.clarionproject.org/analysis/bill-designate-brotherhood-terror-org-gains-support

  8. American tourist gang-raped on Papua New Guinea jungle trek

    An American woman hiking in Papua New Guinea with her London-based boyfriend was gang-raped and three of her fingers slashed in a brutal attack along a famous World War II trail, a report said Wednesday (Jan 13).

    PNG police said the pair, both aged 31, were on the Kokoda Track which runs through the jungles of the island state off Australia’s northeastern tip when they were attacked and stripped of their belongings including mobile phones, shoes, backpacks and 15,000 kina (US$5,000) in cash.

    “Two expatriate tourists, a male and a female, both 31, were trekking the Kokoda Track and heading towards Templeton Two (a campsite) when they were ambushed by armed men,” local assistant Police Commissioner Sylvester Kalaut told The National newspaper of the Monday ambush.

    “The male trekker was tied to a tree and the female tracker was repeatedly raped before three of her fingers were chopped. The incident took

    http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asiapacific/american-tourist-gang/2422600.html

    • Now why would well-heeled tourists risk trekking in a notorious hellhole?

      There are endemic levels of domestic violence against women in the Pacific region, with a 2013 United Nations study finding that 80 per cent of men surveyed in PNG reported physically or sexually abusing their partners.

      Two years ago, a US academic was gang-raped by an armed mob in the country while conducting research on birds and the impact of climate change in a remote forest on Karkar Island in Madang province.

      In the same year, a group of eight Australian and New Zealand trekkers were violently attacked by bandits, with three of their porters killed, while hiking on the remote Black Cat track. Four of the eight tourists were also hurt, including one who was speared in the leg.

      • They are liberals who are believing their own propaganda, they think that if they smile and show love nothing bad will happen.

  9. ISIS massacres 300 and kidnaps at least 400 including women and children during attack on government-held city

    Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3403413/ISIS-kidnapped-400-civilians-Syria-including-women-children-attack-government-held-city.html#ixzz3xdYRCAcj
    Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook

    ISIS have abducted at least 400 civilians including women and children after capturing new territory in an assault on Syria’s eastern city of Deir Ezzor.

    Activists from the London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said they believed ISIS rounded up the civilians following an attack on the north of the city.

    ‘After their attack on Deir Ezzor yesterday, IS abducted at least 400 civilians from the residents of the Al-Baghaliyeh suburb it captured and adjacent areas in the northwest of the city,’ the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

    Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3403413/ISIS-kidnapped-400-civilians-Syria-including-women-children-attack-government-held-city.html#ixzz3xdYdJHN6
    Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook

  10. Where Are Germany’s ‘Right-Wing Hooligans’?
    avatar
    Pamela Geller
    on 18 January, 2016 at 11:00

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    When thousands of Muslim “refugees” descended on New Year’s Eve celebrations across Europe and set off explosives and sexually attacked hundreds of girls, the police were scarce and unresponsive. The media ignored it for days.

    Juxtapose that with the overwhelming police force/army, armed with water cannons, at an anti-jihad demo the following day. And the media mob followed up with smear reports about those rational anti-rape jihad protests.

    That was not happenstance. That was not accidental. Reports of violent right-wing riots appear to be manufactured by the Angela Merkel-media to induce the left to spring into action.

    The media reported that in Germany, “hundreds of masked hooligans” rioted – but where are these alleged right-wing hooligans? I’ve been looking for actual footage of “right-wing hooligans” vandalizing and rioting in Leipzig and elsewhere, as they were reported as having done, but to no avail. There doesn’t appear to be any such footage

    http://barbwire.com/2016/01/18/where-are-germanys-right-wing-hooligans/

  11. BOMBSHELL Report: Rescue Team on Way to Benghazi Ordered to Turn Back – See more at: http://www.teaparty.org/bombshell-report-rescue-team-on-way-to-benghazi-ordered-to-turn-back-139369/?promocode=tpo-2304872&utm_source=newsemail&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=tpo-2304872#sthash.D9YaycGI.dpuf

    They could have gotten there before the last 2 Americans died’

    (PJ Media) – The evidence is overwhelming that the United States had several rescue teams ready to go during the 2012 Benghazi attacks, but someone — possibly the president himself — prevented them from acting. So said Emmy Award-winning journalist Sharyl Attkisson to talk show host Steve Malzberg in an interview on Wednesday.

    This week on her show, ”Full Measure,” Attkisson looked into the aborted rescue mission in an in-depth two-part report, “Rescue Interrupted,” which you can watchhere and here. She spoke with a Green Beret commander who told her that there were actually Special Forces on their way to Benghazi who were turned back.

    Col. Andrew Wood had once commanded a Special Forces anti-terrorism team protecting Ambassador Chis Stevens and other diplomats in Libya. In October of 2012, Woods told Congress that one month before the attacks in Benghazi, his team had been removed from Libya by the Obama administration, despite the numerous warnings of impending terrorist attacks. Wood told Attkisson that Special Forces (the ones mentioned in the “spinning up” email from Jeremy Bash) were on their way to Benghazi, but were ordered to turn back.
    – See more at: http://www.teaparty.org/bombshell-report-rescue-team-on-way-to-benghazi-ordered-to-turn-back-139369/?promocode=tpo-2304872&utm_source=newsemail&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=tpo-2304872#sthash.D9YaycGI.dpuf

    • This is the woman who uncovered and exposed the Fast and Furious program giving weapons to drug smugglers. She ended up leaving CBS because she wasn’t allowed to report on Obama’s scandals.

    • RT -Netherlands: Violence erupts at mass anti-immigration demo over refugee centre

      Anti-immigration protesters hurled fireworks and missiles at riot police during a far-right rally against the planned opening of a refugee centre in the Dutch town of Heesch, Monday.

      After police attempted to disperse an estimated 1000 protesters who had marched on the local town hall, violence erupted, with anti-immigration demonstrators letting off flares and fireworks, targetting law enforcement. Police have yet to release the number of those arrested and injured.

      The protest was organised after town officials called a meeting on Monday over plans to accommodate some 500 refugees in the town, spread out over next ten years. The rally also followed a statement by populist far-right politician Geert Wilders of the Freedom Party (PVV) called for all Muslim male refugees to be locked up in asylum centres. Wilders has been sued several times for inciting racial hatred.

  12. Germany: Police on high alert as PEGIDA rally in Munich for Monday march

    Hundreds of PEGIDA protesters rallied in the streets of Munich, Monday, to protest German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s refugee policies and what they see as the so-called Islamification of Germany. Several minor scuffles broke out during the protest as counter protesters attempted to block the far-right group’s regular Monday march.

  13. Terror dampens vital tourism to parts of North Africa (BBC, Jan 18, 2016)
    http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-35342281

    “Attacks by the Islamic State group have led to a dramatic fall in tourism in parts of North Africa, where millions rely on the trade to make a living.

    New figures from the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) show that visits to North Africa fell by 8% in 2015, bucking a global upward trend.

    International tourism grew by 4.4% overall, to reach a total of 1.18bn arrivals, according to the UNWTO.

    But countries such as Tunisia, Egypt and Morocco have been hit hard…”

  14. Pakistan unblocks access to YouTube (BBC, Jan 18, 2016)
    http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-35345872

    “Pakistan has unblocked the video sharing site, YouTube, more than three years after it was banned for posting a video deemed insulting to Islam.

    Pakistan’s telecoms regulator said the ban was no longer necessary because Google, which owns YouTube, had now launched a Pakistan-specific version.

    YouTube has denied claims that the authorities can filter content.

    Many young Pakistanis have welcomed the lifting of the ban but some activists want details of the deal with Google.

    They say there should be greater transparency of the terms agreed between Google and the government.

    A Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) official confirmed to the BBC that all internet service providers had been directed to open access to YouTube…”

    • Germany targets North African migrants in crackdown (BBC, Jan 18, 2016)
      http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-35342818

      “The German government says North African countries cannot expect German development aid if they are unwilling to take back failed asylum seekers.

      Vice Chancellor Sigmar Gabriel said he was sending that message to North African leaders. Migrants from North Africa were blamed for many attacks on women in Cologne on New Year’s Eve.

      Germany may soon list Algeria and Morocco as “safe countries of origin”…”

      • Asylum applications from Algeria and Morocco nationals on special track (DW, Jan 18, 2016)
        http://www.dw.com/en/asylum-applications-from-algeria-and-morocco-nationals-on-special-track/a-18988231

        “Conservative politicians are calling for Algeria and Morocco to be treated as safe countries of origin. How realistic is this?

        The German government wants to make it easier to deport people back to Algeria and Morocco. The Ministry of the Interior has instructed the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees to prioritize asylum applications from the two countries.

        The idea is that new arrivals from those two countries who do not have the right to asylum can be returned to their homelands more swiftly. Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg have already started to accommodate Algerian and Moroccan asylum seekers in “repatriation centers,” where they will stay until a decision is made about their application…”

  15. Yemen crisis: Deadly air strike on Sanaa police HQ (BBC, Jan 18, 2016)
    http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-35348018

    “At least 25 people have been killed in a Saudi-led coalition air strike on a police headquarters in Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, medics and security sources say.

    More victims were said to be trapped in the rubble of the collapsed two-storey building, which was hit overnight.

    Most of those killed were policemen and members of the Houthi rebel movement, which the coalition has been bombarding in support of Yemen’s government.

    One report said rebels sometimes used the building as an assembly point…”

  16. Indonesia: The Muslim country ISIS considers un-Islamic (CNN, Jan 18, 2016)
    http://edition.cnn.com/2016/01/18/asia/indonesia-isis-analysis/index.html

    “… In fact, counter terror experts here say ISIS only attracts a fringe minority of support in the world’s most populous Muslim country.

    And yet, law enforcement authorities warn ISIS represents a new generation of terrorists that could be more lethal than their al Qaeda predecessors.

    “ISIS is more dangerous in the case of Indonesia…because they perceive Indonesia as not Dawla Islamiya, not an Islamic country,” said Jakarta police chief Tito Karnavian in an interview with CNN.

    Unlike al Qaeda, Karnavian says ISIS legitimizes the murder of fellow Muslims.

    “I know some ISIS supporters personally,” said Harits Abu Ulya, an expert on Islamist extremism and founder of the Community of Ideological Islamic Analysis.

    “They are quick to declare that other people are infidels,” he explained. “They accuse opponents of acting incorrectly to such an extreme level to justify killing them.”…”

    • Do you establish and practice Islam or do you not. If you claim to be Muslim but you dont establish and practice Islam as mandated by the Quran, sunnah and so on, then you are hypocrites. Surely the hypocrites are considered the worst of the worst or so according to the Quran and traditions and so deserve at least harsh treatment in this world and “definitely” the lowest depths of hell in the “hereafter.”

      Quran verses 9:73, 4:145 come to mind, so does Bukhari 9.84.64… I am pretty sure there is more and a whole case against these somewhat liberal “cultural Muslims” can be constructed (i.e. from a traditional Muhammadan perspective) and that “totally legitimately.”

  17. Andy Burnham blames MEDIA for Islamist radicalisation and says Cameron is ‘fuelling ISIS’ (express, Jan 18, 2016)
    http://www.express.co.uk/news/politics/635879/Andy-Burnham-Labour-Corbyn-media-Islamist-radicalisation-Britain-UK-Cameron-ISIS

    “LABOUR heavyweight Andy Burnham has blamed the “Islamophobic” media for the radicalisation of young British Muslims in a controversial TV interview tonight.

    The Shadow Home Secretary said stories in the British press are making young Muslims “feel radicalised” and even blamed David Cameron for “fuelling” Islamic State (ISIS) with his anti-terror policies.

    His controversial remarks further demonstrate Labour’s radical lurch to the left and echo the rhetoric of Jeremy Corbyn, who has previously sparked fury by blaming Britain for the rise of the jihadi terror group.

    And the former Labour leadership frontrunner appeared to be actively courting his leader’s approval as he reacted to a proposal by the Prime Minister to deport women who do not learn to speak English.

    Mr Corbyn has repeatedly railed against the media, who he has blamed for “demonising” migrants recently linked to a spate of sex attacks in Germany.

    In an announcement today Mr Cameron linked a lack of language skills to possible radicalisation as he unveiled a new programme to roll out extra English classes to Muslim communities.

    But in a furious attack on the Prime Minister tonight Mr Burnham – who kept his job in the Labour leader’s recent ‘revenge reshuffle’ which saw moderates purged from top positions – said such rhetoric just acts to “demonise” young Muslims…..”

  18. Donald Trump debate: Ban risks making tycoon a ‘martyr’ (BBC, Jan 18, 2016)
    http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-35345279

    “Stopping Donald Trump from coming to the UK risks turning him into a martyr, a Labour MP has claimed during a three-hour House of Commons debate.

    Paul Flynn said Mr Trump’s call to ban Muslims from the US was “extremely dangerous” but barring him from the UK risked being seen as anti-American.

    However, SNP MP Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh said a ban would be justified on the grounds of “religious harmony”.

    A petition advocating a ban has attracted 574,000 signatures.

    Monday’s debate, which took place in a packed Westminster Hall committee room, ended without a vote.

    Home Office minister James Brokenshire said the government had the power to exclude people who would “do harm” but the US was the UK’s most important ally and the UK should “engage” with presidential candidates even when it “profoundly disagreed” with their views…”

  19. Photo of Reza Gul, Mutilated Woman, Provokes Revulsion in Afghanistan (nbcnews, Jan 18, 2016)
    http://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/photo-mutilated-woman-provokes-revulsion-afghanistan-n498966

    “The gruesome photograph of a bloodied young woman whose nose was sliced off has prompted outrage in Afghanistan, a country hardened by decades of violence.

    Reza Gul, 20, was mutilated by her husband in a Taliban-controlled area in northern Faryab province and taken to a local hospital by relatives on Monday, said Police Chief Gen. Sayed Aqa. Her husband had not been captured by police, he added.

    The Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission, which circulated Reza Gul’s photo on Twitter, immediately condemned the incident as a “disgrace.” It also demanded the government bring the perpetrator to justice.

    In parts of Afghanistan, slicing off a person’s nose is meant to shame them and show they have brought disgrace to their family or clan.

    Afghanistan is thought to have one of the highest rates of domestic violence in the world, although most incidents are not reported to officials. Recent attacks have sparked street demonstrations and online protests….”

  20. Police Shoot Man Dead at Sydney Police Station (abcnews, Jan 18, 2016)
    http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/police-shoot-man-dead-sydney-police-station-36366944

    “Police shot dead a man armed with a knife in a Sydney police station on Tuesday, an official said.

    The man was shot once by a police sergeant with 24 years of experience during a brief confrontation in the foyer of the Quakers Hill police station in northwest Sydney, Assistant Police Commissioner Denis Clifford said.

    Police had yet to identify the man, who appeared to be aged in his 40s, or establish a motive for the confrontation.

    “There is no indication that this is terrorist-related, but why the man came there and why the confrontation occurred, at this stage we just don’t know,” Clifford told reporters.

    Police officers have been identified as targets of terror attacks inspired by the Islamic State group.

    A 15-year-old boy was shot dead by police soon after he fatally shot a civilian police employee outside the state police headquarters in Parramatta in western Sydney in October.

    An 18-year-old man was shot dead after he stabbed two policemen outside a police station in the city of Melbourne in September 2014. Both attacks have been blamed on Islamic State followers.

    A police statement said no police officer was injured in the latest incident.”

  21. Bank ejects Muslim woman over full-face veil (thelocal, Jan 18, 2016)
    http://www.thelocal.de/20160118/muslim-woman-thrown-out-of-bank-for-wearing-niqab

    “The case of a woman who was not allowed to enter a Sparkasse bank branch because of her face-covering niqab has sparked debate in western Germany.

    The woman went to the Sparkasse bank in Neuss, North Rhine-Westphalia, last Wednesday to make a transfer, but an employee would not let her enter, reported the Neuss-Grevenbroicher Zeitung.

    The 20-year-old woman said the bank employee stood in her way, blocking her from entering and asked her to leave.

    She offered to remove the veil from her face in order to identify herself, but this apparently did not resolve the situation and it escalated into a loud confrontation.

    The woman said the employee pushed her, leaving a mark on her body because she was carrying heavy shopping bags.

    By the time police arrived, the woman had already left, but she later filed a complaint alleging bodily harm.

    A spokesperson for Sparkasse Neuss denied the woman’s version of events and said that the employee had simply tried to explain that the niqab – which covers the face and head, except for the eyes – violated the bank’s ban on masks….”