Reader’s links for April 7 – 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.

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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

52 Replies to “Reader’s links for April 7 – 2016”

  1. Burka sales BOOM: Islamic dress on rise in UK town with third largest Muslim population (express, Apr 7, 2016)
    http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/658731/Burka-sales-islamic-dress-rise-blackburn-muslim-population

    “THE controversial Islamic full-veil dress known as the Burka is on the rise.

    Despite most muslims believing there is no requirement in the Koran for women to wear the burka, or the slightly less overwhelming niqab, sales are up and the prevalence of fully-covered women is increasing.

    Express… can reveal shopkeepers in Blackburn, the British town with the third highest Muslim population, are enjoying a boom in sales.

    The burka is the most concealing of all Islamic dress incorporating a usually black one-piece garment which covers the face and body with a mesh covering the wearer’s eyes.

    It is designed to effectively dehumanise the wearer in the interests of modesty by disguising all of her physical elements…”

  2. Finnish was the second language of Sweden for centuries. Now Arabic is overtaking it. (wapo. Apr 7, 2016)
    https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2016/04/07/finnish-was-the-second-language-of-sweden-for-centuries-now-arabic-is-overtaking-it/?

    “Officially, Sweden doesn’t keep a record of the languages its inhabitants speak. That fact was infuriating to Mikael Parkvall, a linguist at Stockholm University, so he decided to find out for himself. What is the most popular non-Swedish language in Sweden?

    After poring over various statistics and studies, Parkvall came to a conclusion: Arabic was very likely to now be the second most popular language in the Scandinavian country.

    Parkvall’s study focused on native languages rather than second languages, which he says are a better judge of what languages are actually spoken in a country (while English is widely spoken in Sweden, relatively few are native speakers). According to Sveriges Radio, in 2012 there were 200,000 people in Sweden who spoke Finnish as their native language, while 155,000 spoke Arabic.

    Parkvall told WorldViews that the influx of refugees and migrants from the Middle East has shifted the balance in favor of Arabic over the past few years. Given the lack of hard data it’s hard to say exactly when Arabic will take over Finnish, Parkvall said, but he offered an estimate: “Sort of now.”…”

  3. Pakistani Security Forces Kill 12 Militants Near Afghanistan (abcnews, Apr 7, 2016)
    http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/pakistani-security-forces-kill-12-militants-afghanistan-38213216

    “Dozens of suspected militants attacked a Pakistani security post along the Afghan border before dawn Thursday, sparking an hours-long gun battle in which 12 insurgents were killed, a local government administrator said.

    Several militants were also wounded in the attack that took place at Mangaro post in the northwestern Kurram tribal region, said the official, Javed Khan. He said security forces suffered no casualties, and that the attack was repulsed with the attackers fleeing toward Afghanistan…”

  4. Clashes in Kashmir After Indian Troops Kill 2 Local Rebels (abcnews, Apr 7, 2016)
    http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/clashes-kashmir-indian-troops-kill-local-rebels-38213267

    “An Indian official says Kashmiri protesters have attacked government forces with rocks and burned an armored vehicle during the funerals of two insurgents killed in a gunbattle in the disputed Himalayan region.

    Senior paramilitary officer Nalin Prabhat says the clashes erupted as police fired tear gas to disperse thousands of people protesting the killing of the rebels by Indian forces in the Shopian area early Thursday…”

  5. 4 Australians Detained in Lebanon on Kidnapping Suspicion (abcnews, Apr 7, 2016)
    http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/australians-detained-lebanon-kidnapping-suspicion-38213318

    “Lebanese police say authorities have detained four Australian citizens on suspicion they were involved in the kidnapping of two children.

    A police official said Thursday that the four are being questioned over the kidnapping of Noah and Lahela al-Amin.

    They are the son and daughter of a Lebanese man and an Australian woman.

    Police said Wednesday’s kidnapping in which the children were taken after an attack on their Lebanese grandmother near Beirut was part of a family dispute.

    The official who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media did not give the names of the Australians.

    Australian media though said that the Australian detainees include journalists working for Channel Nine’s 60 Minutes who were filming the child snatch operation in Lebanon.”

  6. First Syrians Arrive in US Under Surge Resettlement Program (abcnews, Apr 7, 2016)
    http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/syrians-leave-us-surge-resettlement-program-38188782

    “The first Syrian family to be resettled in the U.S. under a speeded-up “surge operation” for refugees left Jordan on Wednesday and arrived in Kansas City, Missouri, to start a new life.

    Ahmad al-Abboud, who is being resettled with his wife and five children, said he is thankful to Jordan, where he has lived for three years after fleeing Syria’s civil war. But the 45-year-old from Homs, Syria, said he was ready to build a better life in the U.S.

    “I’m happy. America is the country of freedom and democracy, there are jobs opportunities, there is good education, and we are looking forward to having a good life over there,” al-Abboud said.

    They have been living in Mafraq, north of Amman. Al-Abboud was unable to find work, and the family was surviving on food coupons…”

    • KC has had a large Iraqi population since Gulf War I and it is growing larger, the “refugees” and find a warm welcome there, and so will the jihadists who are hiding among them.

  7. Rocket launchers and anti-aircraft guns freely for sale on Facebook: Fears for new passenger jet terror attack as weapons stockpiled during Libyan civil war are sold on social media

    Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3528145/Rocket-launchers-anti-aircraft-guns-freely-sale-Facebook-Fears-new-passenger-jet-terror-attack-weapons-stockpiled-Libyan-civil-war-sold-social-media.html#ixzz4595ftXHG
    Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook

  8. Student who mocked Islamic extremists on Facebook is hacked with machetes and shot dead in Bangladesh
    Nazimuddin Samad, 26, was attacked by a gang on Wednesday night
    He had posted comments on Facebook criticising Islamic extremists
    Samad was attacked with machetes and finished off with a pistol shot
    ‘It is a case of targeted killing,’ said deputy police commissioner

    Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3527566/Secular-activist-hacked-death-Bangladesh.html#ixzz459BPRWuU
    Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook

  9. Christian NHS worker who prayed for Muslim colleague loses appeal over bullying ruling (express, Apr 7, 2016)
    http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/659035/Christian-NHS-worker-prayed-Muslim-colleague-loses-bullying-appeal

    “A CHRISTIAN NHS worker suspended for giving a religious book to a Muslim colleague has lost her appeal against a ruling that the decision to punish her was lawful.

    Victoria Wasteney, 39, was found guilty by her NHS employer in 2014 of “harassing and bullying” a work friend for giving her a book about a Muslim woman’s encounter with Christianity, praying with her and asking her to church.

    She was suspended for nine months and given a written warning, even though the woman had been happy to discuss faith with her and never gave evidence about her allegations to the NHS.

    Ms Wasteney, a senior occupational therapist, challenged the decision by East London NHS Foundation Trust at an employment tribunal last year, but it ruled that her employer had not discriminated against her…”

  10. ISIS militant captured after trying to ‘cross border’ while posing as woman in a BURKA (express, Apr 7, 2016)
    http://www.express.co.uk/news/world/658994/Burka-clad-Islamic-State-militant-captured-Egyptian-army

    “A MALE jihadist fighting for Islamic State (ISIS) in Egypt has been captured after posing as a woman in a BURKA.

    The shamed militant was paraded in front of government forces near Al-Arish, the capital of North Sinai province, 200 miles north-east of Cairo on the Mediterranean coast.

    An image posted on Twitter by terrorism monitoring group MEMRI showed the man dressed head-to-toe in black with Egyptian soldiers smiling for the photo…”

  11. Is he mad? Brussels chief unveils EU master plan to encourage MORE economic migration

    BRUSSELS’ migration chief has tonight unveiled jawdropping plans to encourage MORE economic migration to the continent despite the ongoing refugee crisis.

    Dimitris Avramopoulos urged EU nations to open up their borders to more migrants despite the current chaos, which has seen millions of migrants force their way across Europe.

    Even though the crisis has pushed the Schengen free movement zone to breaking point and seen asylum applications rocket Brussels is devising plans to take in MORE people.

    And the shock plans could have a direct impact on Britain, which may end up being forced to take in its share of the new arrivals.

    Today, official recommendations from the EU Commission were revealed showing how bureaucrats want to bring skilled migrants through borders, whilst making member states take set amounts of people.

    According to the bombshell document the Dublin Regulation, which allows Britain to send refugees back to the country they first registered in, could also be scrapped.

    The report sent to the European Parliament today admits the migrant crisis which has engulfed the main bloc has exposed ‘weaknesses’ in the current Common European Asylum System.

    This has led to a ‘disproportionate amount’ of refugees arriving certain countries – and Europe wants that to change.

    The document – know as a communication – shockingly points out that the EU wants to carve out more legal pathways for migrants to encourage them to come to Europe.

    It states: “European countries will continue to stand steadfast in meeting their legal and moral commitment to those who need protection from war and persecution.

    “And, as their own demographics evolve, they will need to take advantage of the opportunities and benefits of attracting foreign talents and skills.

    “Attracting innovative entrepreneurs to the EU would not only be part of the general approach to soften the impact of the demographic decline.”

    Two options for the reform of the Dublin Regulation are being considered which could take the decision over migrant influx out of Britain’s hands.

    The first would be adding a ‘corrective fairness mechanism’ to the current rules, meaning asylum seekers could be moved to other member states if a country has taken above and beyond the number they can reasonably house.

    The second option would mean migrants would be allocated using a ‘distribution key’ depending on the relative size, wealth and absorption capacities of the member states

    Under option two, most applicants would be directly allocated, on the basis of the distribution key, to another member state when they make an application anywhere in the EU.

    Another aim is to make the asylum process equal across EU countries so refugees go through the same process wherever they submit their application.

    The report states: “This would establish a single and centralised decision-making process, in first instance and in appeal, and would thereby ensure a complete harmonisation of the procedures as well as a consistent evaluation of the protection needs at EU level.

    “The distribution of asylum seekers among Member States based on a distribution key would in parallel ensure a fair sharing of responsibility for their care.

    “The experience of recent years has shown that, especially in situations of mass influx along specific migratory routes, the current system places responsibility, in law, for the vast majority of asylum seekers on a limited number of individual Member States, a situation which would stretch the capacities of any member state.”

    http://www.express.co.uk/news/world/658812/Brussels-chief-unveils-EU-master-plan-MORE-economic-migration

  12. Canada: Police station attacked during Montreal protest

    A demonstration against police brutality in Montreal North, on Wednesday evening, resulted in significant damage to property, with the windows of police station and bank being smashed and a car burnt out.

  13. Germany: Fire in asylum centre injures nine refugees in Regensburg

    Nine asylum seekers were injured after a fire broke out in a refugee shelter in Neutraubling in the Bavarian district of Regensburg, late on Wednesday.

    The fire started in the basement of the asylum house, which accommodates 15 asylum seekers. The blaze was quickly extinguished by the fire services, but is believed to have caused around €50,000 ($56,900) of damage.

    SOT, Andreas Korikis, Organisational chief of emergency service for Regensburg and wider region (German): “The operation began for me as the affected objects were exactly two houses next to mine and as such I gave the alarm to the fire brigade to start the operation. I also noticed the crying of the people from the street. This is why I looked out of the window and saw the smoke going up and then I directly overtook the lead of the operation.”

  14. Netherlands: Geert Wilders faces setback in trial for inciting hatred

    Dutch judges refused almost all of Party for Freedom (PVV) leader Geert Wilders’ requests regarding his trial for inciting hatred against the Netherlands’ Moroccan minority, in Schiphol’s courthouse, Thursday.

    SOT, Elianne van Rens, Judge (Dutch): “Just like anybody else in The Netherlands, Mister Wilders can expect an independent and impartial judgement from my side, being a judge. And that is the judgment he will get. So I did not withdraw as a judge in this trial.”

    SOT, Hendrik Steenhuis, Presiding Judge (Dutch): “We have announced our decisions here and today’s session can be closed. This means that the session will be postponed for a certain time, until May 26th at 09:30. We administer the documents to the examining magistrate, who is in charge of the treatment of criminal matters in the court of The Hague. He will conduct the examination as it was assigned by this court’s council chamber and will interview 20 arbitrary declarants, who will be chosen by the examining magistrate.”

  15. Belgium launches appeal to find ‘man in hat’ bombing suspect

    BRUSSELS (Reuters) – Belgian prosecutors appealed for help in finding a man suspected of leaving a bomb at Brussels Airport on March 22, saying they were eager to find a coat he had discarded and to speak to people who saw him on his hour-long walk back into the city.

    Federal prosecutors released new pictures of the suspect, dubbed the “man in the hat”, who appeared to arrive at the airport with two suicide bombers and left along with passengers after the first two bombs exploded.

    In a video to accompany their appeal, investigators indicate the route the man took, out of the airport, through the nearby town of Zaventem and along a main road into the city. His last appearance on security cameras was in the district of Schaerbeek almost an hour after the bombing.

    Along the way, he took off his light-colored coat and was then seen in a light blue shirt with dark patches. He was wearing a dark hat throughout.

    “It is especially the coat which interests us,” prosecutor Eric Van Der Sypt told a news conference, asking if anyone might have seen it along the suspect’s route.

    Prosecutors also want to people to come forward who might have filmed or taken a photograph of the suspect or may be able to determine where he went.

    Twin bombs at Brussels Airport and another on the city’s metro killed 32 people, excluding the suspected bombers. A controlled explosion destroyed a third bomb at the airport about six hours after the initial attack.

    http://ca.reuters.com/article/topNews/idCAKCN0X41QQ

  16. Turkey: No refugee deal if EU fails on ‘commitments’ – Erdogan

    Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that the EU must fulfill their “commitments” in regards to the EU-Turkey refugee deal, during an address to police officers in Ankara’s Bestepe Presidency Palace, Thursday.

    SOT, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkish President (Turkish): “There is a period and there are required conditions, which are needed to be followed regarding this agreement. If the European Union does not carry out its commitments pertaining to this agreement then Turkey will not implement the required process. I say, personally, if this kind of agreement process would be offered to me, I would not approve it. Because every step and detail has to be the same with the letter of the agreement. In this case, we are so sorry about being misled of realities with wrong information and manipulations. I hope Turkey will get over this period blamelessly and teach a lesson in humanity to rest of the world.”

  17. ALBANIA – “Recruitments for IS”, Prosecution demands 152 years of imprisonment for 9 Albanian imams

    Albanian Prosecution for Serious Crimes has demanded 152 years of imprisonment for nine people who are accused of preparing to send Albanian nationals in the military bases of the Islamic State in Syria.

    43 court sessions were held in the Court of Serious Crimes and yesterday, the prosecution made its request in relation to the sentencing of the group which according to the prosecution, recruited and sent Albanian nationals to participate in the fights in the Middle East.

    The Prosecution bases its case in an investigation carried out in cooperation with other law enforcement agencies. It said that it has secured sufficient evidence that the defendants, imams of the mosques and preachers of Islamic faith, have persuaded and sent to Syria several Albanian nationals, in order for them to join armed radical groups that operate in that area. According to the investigation, the recruitments mainly took place in 2013.

    The criminal charges that the nine defendants face are: “Recruitment of people for terrorist objectives or funding of Terrorism”, “Training for terrorist acts” and “Instigation of hate or conflict”.

    Before the ruling comes out, the defendants are expected to make their case. They have rejected the accusations and accused state authorities that this trial has the character of a religious attack against them.

    http://www.balkaneu.com/recruitments-is-prosecution-demands-152-years-imprisonment-9-albanian-imams/

  18. French police arrested a suspected gunman Thursday after shots were fired near Parisian cafes targeted in November’s attacks. No injuries were reported.

    http://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2016-04-07/gunman-arrested-police-deployed-near-site-of-paris-attacks

    France: Man detained after firing shots from Paris apartment

    A lone gunman put the Rue Bichat area of Paris on lockdown, Thursday, after he reportedly fired shots from his apartment window in the same area which was targeted in the deadly attacks in the French capital in November 2015.

  19. CANADA – Peterborough filmmaker produces short film on community response to arson at Masjid Al-Salaam

    A Peterborough filmmaker has made a five-minute documentary about how people rallied when the mosque was set ablaze.

    Matthew Hayes released his film, The Masjid, online.

    Hayes, 29, is a filmmaker and also a husband, a father of two small children and a PhD student at Trent University in Canadian studies.

    He said he’s a self-taught filmmaker who took up the craft as he studied for his undergraduate and then his Master’s degree in anthropology, also at Trent.

    When someone set fire to Peterborough’s only mosque in November, Hayes followed the story.

    In only 30 hours after the fire, a crowdsourcing site raised more than $110,000 to help repair the burned building.

    It was more money than the mosque needed – they had insurance to cover all repairs, save for a new security system.

    It meant the association that runs the mosque had $80,000 left over, once the repairs were done.

    It gave all that money to local charities for women and children: Five Counties Children’s Centre and the YWCA Crossroads Shelter.

    Hayes said he wanted to emphasize both the generous outpouring from the community and the way the mosque immediately paid it forward.

    “That embodied the story and the values,” Hayes said. “They could have kept that money but they didn’t – which is amazing.”

    Meanwhile Hayes said he’s now working on a much longer documentary on poverty in Peterborough.

    It focuses on the warming room, a shelter for the homeless that operates only in winter.

    Hayes expects that film to be as long as about 90 minutes.

    He and producer John Hedderwick plan to work on it for at least another six months before shopping it around to film festivals such as ReFrame and Hot Docs.

    http://www.thepeterboroughexaminer.com/2016/04/07/peterborough-filmmaker-produces-short-film-on-community-response-to-arson-at-masjid-al-salaam

    • Turks building a mosque in Amsterdam called “Hagia Sophia”

      With outrageous activityTurks are advancing in the building and opening of a mosque called “Hagia Sophia” in Amsterdam, which is an exact replica of the sacred symbol of Orthodoxy in Constantinople, reports Romfea.

      By these actions Turkey wants to prepare the global community for the realization of the dream of Recep Tayyip Erdogan who promised that he would turn “Hagia Sophia” in Constantinople into a mosque.

      The Turks are paying excessive attention to the opening of the new large mosque in Amsterdam (the Netherlands) with the stolen name of “Hagia Sophia.”

      The Sabah Turkish news agency reports: “The capital of Holland has dreamt for 20 years of opening a mosque named ‘Hagia Sophia’ in Amsterdam which will open its doors for believers. The first Friday prayers will be held in the mosque simultaneously with its opening. Turkish President R. T. Erdogan will be present at the opening ceremony during which over 2500 people will be praying.”

      The choice of name “Hagia Sophia,” which is a Christian one, along with the opening of the mosque by Erdogan symbolizes the next step of the Turkish President who wants to turn the symbol of Orthodoxy and Greek culture into a place of Muslim worship.

      http://www.pravoslavie.ru/english/92259.htm

    • ITALY – Florence plans ‘mega-mosque’ for Muslim worshippers

      Florence leaders are trying to find a new home for Muslim worshippers as the city’s central mosque can no longer cope with its 1,000-strong faithful.

      While Lombardy’s right-wing leadership attempted to limit the construction of new mosques, the Tuscan city of Florence has pledged to find premises for a “mega-mosque” in its historic centre to accommodate the Muslim community, who currently worship in a 400-metre square former garage.

      People are often forced to pray on the street outside the mosque, located in Borgo Allegri, during the most important weekly meeting in the Muslim church – the Friday prayer of Jummah.

      “It’s a pretty terrible situation – it’s bad for our image as a mosque and bad for the image of the city too,” Imam of Florence, Izzedin Elzir, told The Local.

      “We even do two prayer sessions on a Friday, but it’s not enough: people are still praying on the street. When it rains it’s a tragedy.”

      The current mosque is one of three Muslim places of worship in Florence and the only one in its historic centre. It also doubles up as a religious library and research centre.

      Members of Florence’s Muslim community met with city council leaders on Monday to discuss moving to a new 800-metre site in the centre.

      Feasibility studies are currently being carried out and the council has promised that the community will have new premises within a month.

      In addition to being granted a bigger and better mosque, the council also confirmed that it is still evaluating the long-term possibility of constructing a large Islamic cultural centre and place of worship – measuring up to 7,000 square metres – in the city.

      “In total, Florence is home to some 30,000 Muslims and it would be a great place to build the centre,” Elizir said.

      “But these plans have been around for a while and at the moment it’s a pretty sensitive issue.”

      Meanwhile, a bid by the Lombardy region to limit the construction of new mosques was rejected by Italy’s top court in February.

      The region’s right-wing leadership had previously approved regulations, which became known as “anti-mosque” laws, in January 2015, but Prime Minister Matteo Renzi later referred the new rules to the Constitutional Court for review.

      The region had sought to subject anyone wanting to build a mosque, or other place of worship for a faith not officially recognized by the state, to an exhaustive list of restrictions, effectively preventing any new construction.

      Islam is the only major religion that does not have official status in Italy, despite the country being home to an estimated one million Muslims.

      The court ruling fell in line with a government bid to better integrate the Muslim community and followed the announcement in January that a special council, made up of academics and experts in Islamic culture and religion, would be tasked with the job

      http://www.thelocal.it/20160407/florence-plans-mega-mosque-to-house-1000-strong-faithful

  20. GREECE : : Peaceful Muslims attempt to break through police line at Macedonian border

    A group of women and children entered the forbidden zone along the railway tracks, between the two borders, and attempted to break the fence between the camp and the rails, following which clashes with police broke out after a group of men tried to join them. Certain members of the group then attempted to tear down the border fence; then police drove them back with batons.

  21. Syria conflict: IS ‘abducts hundreds of factory workers’ (BBC, Apr 7, 2016)
    http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-35987667

    “At least 200 people are reported missing after a suspected attack by the so-called Islamic State (IS) on a cement factory near Damascus.

    Workers were reportedly taken from a dormitory where they were staying on the outskirts of the town of Dumeir.

    A factory administrator said no-one had been able to contact the workers since the assault on Monday.

    The area around Dumeir has seen fierce fighting between government forces and IS militants in recent days.

    The workers were employed at the Badiyah factory, just outside Dumeir, about 25 miles (40km) east of the capital.

    Syrian state television, quoting an unnamed industry ministry source, said 300 workers and contractors had been kidnapped from the factory by IS militants.

    The factory administrator had earlier put the number seized at 250, but rebel sources said it did not exceed 200.

    There was also confusion over who attacked the factory, with some sources suggesting it was a rebel group called Jaysh Tahrir al-Sham…”

  22. Pakistani Militants’ Charity Runs Islamic Court in Lahore (abcnews, Apr 7, 2016)
    http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/pakistani-militants-charity-runs-islamic-court-lahore-38222920

    “Pakistani authorities opened a probe Thursday into reports that a charity run by the militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba has established an Islamic court, separate from the regular judiciary in the eastern city of Lahore.

    Legal experts say such a Taliban-style system is illegal and unconstitutional. It is extremely rare in Pakistan’s heartland but in the lawless northwestern tribal regions along the Afghan border, the Taliban have been running courts that abide by Islamic law, or Sharia where they would conduct summary trials.

    Yahya Mujahid, a spokesman for the charity known as Jamaat-ud-Dawa, denied the court was a parallel judicial system, saying it worked as an arbitration service, with the consent of two rival parties to settle disputes. He said religious scholars, guided by Shariah, make the decisions….”

  23. BREITBART – GERMANY – Police Raid Apartments Over ‘Right-Wing’ Social Media Posts

    Police in Berlin have raided ten apartments because residents may have posted “anti-migrant” views online.

    Berlin Police completed a large scale raid on internet users Wednesday. The officers ransacked ten separate apartments in the German capital in the suburbs of Spandau, Tempelhof, Marzahn, Hellersdorf and Pankow.

    The force confiscated mobile phones, narcotics and weapons. Nine suspects were arrested, aged 22-58, and are accused of posting messages critical of migrants, migrant helpers and some anti-semitic slogans on social networks like Facebook, WhatsApp, and Twitter, reports Berliner Morgenpost.

    The Berlin police have told media that they already knew of the suspects and said that many of them have what they consider a “right-extremist” background. Police spokesman Stefan Redlich said that while many of the men shared anti-migrant views, “the men do not know each other according to previous findings,” and there was no evidence of any planned conspiracy to commit crime among them.

    In some of the homes searched police were forced to admit they hadn’t found anything at all, but Redlich justified the raids saying they were maybe, “people who just once expressed their hate-opinion.”

    One of the raids in particular was prompted by a Facebook comment to an article regarding an Afghani migrant who was shot dead at the Bulgarian border. The incident took place in October and according to Bulgarian officials it was an accident as a bullet was meant to be a warning shot but ricochet and hit him.

    The post responded to the article saying that it was unfortunate too few migrants met with a similar fate, as it might scare the rest of them from coming.

    Police announced that the raids show Germans that they are not as safe online as they might think. They say that anyone who says something xenophobic, spreads hate toward migrants, or shares what they consider to be xenophobic music, may be next on the list of apartments to be raided in the future.

    58 police were involved in the raids and some illegal items were found in a few of the apartments. Police found one revolver handgun, though it was not mentioned if it had any ammunition or whether or not is was deactivated. They also found an air soft gun, which requires a license to own in Germany and a stun gun that appeared to be camouflaged as a flashlight.

    Spokesmen Redlich also mentioned that they had found several unconstitutional symbols but did not divulge specifics. Banned symbols in Germany include Nazi era symbols like the swastika and various Nordic runes used by the Nazis during the era.

    Berlin has seen a rapid increase in prosecutions for speech on the internet. In 2014 there were 196 investigations into anti-migrant and xenophobic posts, while 2015 saw 289 cases. In the last six months there have been three raids prior to this one, but so far this has been the largest in scale. Investigators have set up a special task force who work with the organization Network Against Nazis (NAN), headed by ex-stasi agent Anetta Kahani, to monitor internet postings across Germany.

    Google and Facebook have been criticized for helping the German government crack down on speech that is critical of migrants and of the policies of German chancellor Angela Merkel. The policy led to the deletion of the Facebook account of a young girl who spoke out about the migrant crisis and how she no longer felt safe walking the streets of her town.

    Redlich says that the team is constantly searching YouTube, Twitter, WhatsApp and especially Facebook where most cases are pursued because users are forced to use their real names. He said the message of the raids is clear, “the internet is not above the law.”

    The raids come just days after British police issued an apparently menacing tweet, warning them not to get into trouble on-line. As reported by Breitbart London, the Greater Glasgow Police offered internet users this helpful advice: “Think before you post or you may receive a visit from us this weekend. Use the internet safely. #thinkbeforeyoupost”.

    http://www.breitbart.com/london/2016/04/07/police-raid-social-media-posts/

  24. Blasphemy Convictions Intensify in Sisi’s Egypt
    Sisi must start walking the walk and not just talking the talk

    Originally published by the Gatestone Institute.

    Raymond Ibrahim is a Shillman Fellow at the David Horowitz Freedom Center.

    Despite Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi’s many pluralistic words and gestures—which have won him much praise from the nation’s Christians and moderates—he appeases the Islamist agenda in one very clear way: by allowing the controversial defamation of religions law, colloquially known as the “blasphemy law,” to target Christians and moderates in ways arguably worse than under the Muslim Brotherhood and Morsi.

    Late last February, three Christian teenagers were jailed for five years for breaking the defamation of religions law. A fourth defendant, 15, was handed a juvenile detention for an indefinite period. Earlier they were detained for 45 days and subjected to “ill-treatment” said a human rights group.

    Their crime is to have made a 20-second video on a mobile phone mocking the Islamic State—which has been interpreted as mocking Islam. In the video, the boys appear laughing and joking, as they pretend to be ISIS members praying and slitting throats. The Egyptian Commission for Rights and Freedoms, an independent rights group, confirmed that the four teenagers were performing scenes “imitating slaughter carried out by terrorist groups.” Even so, according to their defense lawyer, Maher Naguib, the Christian youth “have been sentenced for contempt of Islam and inciting sectarian strife…. The judge didn’t show any mercy. He handed down the maximum punishment.”

    http://www.frontpagemag.com/fpm/262421/blasphemy-convictions-intensify-sisis-egypt-raymond-ibrahim

  25. Cover-up? Germans refuse to release full Panama Papers

    The so-called “Panama Papers” revealed the offshore dealings of powerful and dangerous figures with a history of retaliating against their enemies — including Russian President Vladimir Putin and members of organized crime groups.

    Now the German newspaper that first obtained the Panama Papers, a vast trove of documents on offshore companies, suddenly announced today that it will not publish all the files — and it’s left many wondering why.

    Sueddeutsche Zeitung received the documents from an unidentified source more than a year ago and shared at least parts of them with dozens of other media outlets around the world. Since the first reports were published Sunday, prominent politicians, celebrities and business people have had their offshore business dealings dragged into the spotlight, prompting a flurry of public outrage, official investigations and fierce denials from some of those named.

    At a press conference Thursday, Sueddeutsche Zeitung said the complete set of 11.5 million documents “won’t be made available to the public or to law enforcement agencies.”

    https://thehornnews.com/cover-germans-refuse-release-full-panama-papers/

    • Am I being cynical when the first thing that springs to mind is Blackmail and info that will prevent any government action on the paper or its employees?

  26. Muslim Brotherhood 101: Why the State Dept Should Ban Them
    Clarion Project launches a new campaign to demand the Muslim Brotherhood be designated a terrorist entity in the United States. Arab states already have.

    Clarion Project launches a new campaign to demand the Muslim Brotherhood be designated a terrorist entity in the United States.

    The Muslim Brotherhood (Al-Ihkwan al-Muslimun) is a Sunni, pan-Islamic organization based in Cairo, Egypt whose ultimate aim is the re-establishment of the global Islamic caliphate and the implementation of sharia as state law. Founded in Egypt in 1928 it is the oldest Islamist group in the world and along with Jamaat e-Islami in Pakistan and India, the most influential.

    During World War II they backed the Nazis against the British. They were provided with a printing press by the Third Reich to print Arabic copies of Hitler’s book Mein Kampf and the notorious anti-Semitic forgery Protocols of the Elders of Zion.

    https://www.clarionproject.org/analysis/muslim-brotherhood-101-why-state-dept-should-ban-them

  27. Top Iranian Commander: Readying for Major War With US
    Revolutionary Guards Commander Mohammad Ali Jafari also said if there is a military confrontation, the U.S. will not be able ‘to do a damn thing’ about it.

    Iran has been preparing its military for a war with the U.S. and America’s allies, according to Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) Commander Major-General Mohammad Ali Jafari.

    Speaking to a gathering of senior IRGC commanders in Tehran, Jarafi said the Islamic Republic has built its military structure proportionate to a war with world powers.

    “For years, we have been building power on the presumption of a widespread war with the US and its allies, and have developed all our capacities and capabilities for decisive victories over such enemies,” Jafari said.

    “Before political and diplomatic options, we have gotten prepared for a military option,” he continued.

    Jafari also made clear the IRGC will continue to develop and press ahead with its missile program, saying more accurate and destructive missiles will continue to be mass produced.

    If there is a military confrontation, the U.S. will not be able “to do a damn thing” about it, he reiterated.

    https://www.clarionproject.org/news/iran-preparing-major-war-us-ircg-commander

    • If they are going to attack us they need to do so while Obama is in office, however they might want to wait until after the election to see if Hillary wins.

      At this moment Russia is a greater danger to ISIS then the US and will remain so for several years even if we start a crash rebuild of our military.

      FYI during WWII 16 million + served in the US military, since the population of the US was 132 + million the equivalent percentage of the population would be 36 million people serving in the military. Since a lot of people weren’t allowed in the military because their civilian jobs were vital to the war effort we can add about another 10 million to that total because of automation. I am giving you these numbers so you can get a feel for what is coming if the US is attacked and we have to do a crash rebuild with unconditional surrender being our stated goal in the war. If ISIS or any other group uses a WMD on the US the politicians will be forced to go to a total war unconditional surrender type of war.

      • If I am rambling I have a very bad back ache and headache because of a weather front moving through, the pain medication makes me ramble and shift topics.

  28. Greece: Police clash with refugees and right-wing protesters in Chios

    Clashes erupted at the main port on the Greek island of Chios, Thursday evening, as police and municipal authorities attempted to remove around 300 refugees that have been occupying the port since last Friday.

    Right-wing supporters were also at the location, which created further tensions between the police, activists and refugees. 30 refugees were eventually transferred to the Souda detention centre.

  29. Refugees Expose ‘Rights Groups’

    Israel and its supporters have argued for years that many “human rights” organizations are far less concerned with human rights than with pushing a political agenda. But as long as that political agenda consisted mainly of attacking Israel, most Westerners remained convinced that these groups still deserved their credibility and moral haloes. Even initial forays into political issues unconnected with Israel – like Amnesty International’s controversial assertion last year that upholding human rights requires decriminalizing prostitution – didn’t destroy the halo. But by demanding that the European Union accept millions of Middle Eastern migrants rather than returning them to Turkey, these organizations have picked a political fight that millions of Europeans actually care about. And in so doing, they may be dealing their own credibility a long-deserved death blow.

    https://www.commentarymagazine.com/foreign-policy/refugees-expose-rights-groups/

  30. Saudi Arabia Mulls Executing Gays Who Come Out Online
    The kingdom already executes people for homosexual acts. It is now considering adding the death penalty for stating one’s orientation online.

    Saudi Arabia is reportedly weighing executing people who come out as gay online. Sex with someone of the same gender is already a capital offence.

    Saudis are arrested for promoting homosexuality either on or offline. Now an official from the Bureau of Investigation and Public Prosecution is considering upping the punishment to the death penalty.

    Prosecutors in Jeddah charged 35 people for homosexuality and “sexual perversions” over the last six months, Vocativ cited local newspaper Okaz as saying.

    Officials say this is a higher figure than usual and cite increased use of social media as the reason for the increase.

    https://www.clarionproject.org/news/saudi-arabia-mulls-executing-gays-who-come-out-online