Reader’s links for October 1, 2017

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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

106 Replies to “Reader’s links for October 1, 2017”

      • The young boys have been desensitized toward self mutilation, violence, bloody clothing ….Islam should be banned in all civilized countries.

        I am seeing the spread of blood disease using same knives: Hepatitis B, HIV, virus, bacterial, parasites…

        Unbelievable. Innocent kids.
        Thanks Martin.

        • “The young boys have been desensitized toward self mutilation, violence, bloody clothing ….Islam should be banned in all civilized countries.”

          Please pardon the frank terminology, but what about all of the Western youth who “have been desensitized toward self mutilation” when it comes to piercing their tongues, lips, faces, nipples, penises, clits, labia, and just about any other anatomical feature imaginable?

          As in, what does it say that an entire generation willingly mutilates some of the most sensitive and, yes, even erogenous, parts of their bodies? What message is being sent about authentic pleasure and respect for one’s own corporeal body?

          I find it difficult to distinguish between these Ashura self-mutilators and Western types with their tattoos and piercings.

          To be perfectly clear, tattooing your body is just like scratching your initials into the paint job of your Ferrari.

          The human body is one of the most magnificent and miraculous organisms there is. Those who fail to realize this are utterly benighted.

    • Lebanon: Hezbollah chief warns Israel of war in Ashura speech

      The leader of the militant group Hezbollah marked the Shiite religious holiday of Ashoura with a speech warning Israel is pushing the region to war.

      In a televised speech Sunday, Hassan Nasrallah, said Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is working with U.S. President Donald Trump to sabotage the Iran nuclear deal and start a new war in the region.

      SOT: Hassan Nasrallah, Secretary-General of Hezbollah (Arabic) “The current Israeli government, led by Netanyahu, is leading your people into destruction and ruin, because they are planning only for war, and only looking for it. He worked previously to prevent a nuclear deal with Iran and failed, and is currently working with Trump to sabotage it and push towards a new war. If Trump and Netanyahu push the region into a new war, it will be at your expense. You will pay the price dearly, and I assure you that they do not have a clear picture of what is awaiting for them if they went to this folly war……..and I call on all those who came to occupied Palestine as the land of milk and honey to leave and return to the countries they came from so as not to be the fuel for any war that the foolish government of Netanyahu would them to … because if he starts a war in this region they may not have time to leave Palestine. They would not have any safe place in occupied Palestine“

    • Australia: Sydney’s Shia Muslims join worldwide Ashura celebrations

      More than 5,000 people marched through the centre of Sydney, Sunday, to celebrate the Shia Muslim festival of Ashura.

    • Afghanistan: Hundreds partake in bloody Ashura procession

      Hundreds of Afghani Shiite Muslims partook in a mass self-flagellation to commemorate the Shia festival of Ashura, on Sunday, in Kabul.

      Ashura, which takes place on the 10th day of Muharram in the Islamic Hijri calendar, is a day of mourning which commemorates the killing of Husayn ibn Ali, the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad, as well as his family and companions at the Battle of Karbala on 10 Muharram, 61 AH (10 October, 680 AD).

    • Greece: Shia Muslims self-flagellate to mark Ashura in Piraeus

      Members of the Shia community in Piraeus celebrated the Shia Muslim festival of Ashura with a traditional self-flagellation ceremony, Sunday. The men chanted, beat their chests and whipped themselves with chains bearing blades, often until they bled.

    • Iran: Thousands gather to commemorate Ashura festival in Tehran

      People sang, raised flags and tents, and danced in the streets of Tehran to mark the important day in the Islamic Hijri calendar.

    • Germany: Shia Muslims commemorate Ashura in Cologne

      The Shia community of Cologne celebrated the Shia Muslim festival of Ashura, Sunday. They held a service at a local mosque before parading through the city streets.

      • Even without all the blood they look like psychos. This shit has gotta stop. It is a plague.

    • DAILY MAIL – Shia Muslim pilgrims shed their own blood as hundreds of thousands gather in Iraqi shrine city to mark death of Prophet Mohammed’s grandson

      WARNING – GRAPHIC CONTENT: Festical of Ashura is marked by Muslims drawing blood with swords in Iraq

      The procession has previously been attacked by ISIS, leading to 25,000 security staff being sent to Karbala

      Pilgrims chanted against Kurdish independence after referendum vote in northern Iraq backed the move

      Believers wail and beat their chests to mourn the martyrdom of Mohammed’s grandson during the festival

      Millions in Lebanon, Iran, Greece and across South Asia have also marked the annual commemoration

      http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4938922/Shiite-Muslim-pilgrims-shed-blood-mark-Ashura.html

      • I carefully selected two photos, and not the bloodiest ones, that I emailed with Vlad’s link for more, if they desire so. Reaction was swift, some people even called me.

        I wrote a note that after the ceremony, they would be cutting open the neck of an animal to feast on.

  3. Edmonton police investigate ‘acts of terrorism’ after officer stabbed and vehicle rams pedestrians

    ?A man who attacked a police officer with a knife and deliberately plowed into pedestrians on Edmonton’s busiest downtown strip is being investigated for acts of terrorism, police said at a press conference early Sunday morning.

    The man is in custody following a high-speed chase just before midnight through streets filled with bar-goers and local football fans. The chase ended only after the white U-Haul van struck four pedestrians and crashed over on a side street.

    The condition of the four pedestrians is unknown. Knecht said the officer who was attacked was not critically injured.

    “We believe the individual acted alone,” Knecht said early Sunday, but added that police would also investigate the possible involvement of others. Knecht confirmed that an ISIS flag had been seized from the vehicle initially connected with the attack on the police officer.

    That officer was working routine traffic control near Commonwealth Stadium around 8 p.m. on Friday.

    Thousands had gathered at the stadium to watch a CFL game. Knecht said the officer was standing behind a barricade when a Chevrolet Malibu crashed into it and hit the officer, sending him flying 15 feet into the air.

    Then the man jumped out of his vehicle and stabbed the officer with a knife. The suspect stabbed the officer “several times” before fleeing the scene, Knecht said.

    The officer was taken to hospital but his injuries are not critical.

    Several hours later, police held a press conference at the scene near the football stadium and said that a manhunt was underway, but that there was no threat to the public.
    ‘Just a loud bang’

    Then, just before midnight, a white U-Haul van approached a checkstop on the north side of town. When a police officer checked the driver’s name, he recognized it as being similar to the name registered the car that struck the police officer.

    The U-Haul immediately sped off toward downtown Edmonton.

    The streets downtown were filled with the Saturday night bar crowd and football fans who were drinking away the loss of the hometown Eskimos. But the normal Saturday night scene was interrupted when a van barreled west down Jasper Avenue, with up to 20 police vehicles following right behind.

    “The police cars just kept coming. They just kept coming,” said Jaylene Ellard, who was out with a friend on the crisp fall night.

    Another witness to the downtown chase said the vehicles were all travelling at speeds of 70 to 80 km/hr.

    “That high-speed chase should have never, ever in a million years have happened downtown,” said Brian McNeill, who was in a parking lot with a group of friends when the vehicles sped past.

    Police searching for suspect after officer injured in altercation near Eskimos game

    Knecht said the chase was not called off “due to the seriousness of the offence — or the believed offence.”

    Another press conference will be held at 3 p.m. Sunday. Edmonton police are working with the RCMP’s Integration National Security Enforcement Teams on the investigations.

    http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/jasper-downtown-edmonton-pedestrians-struck-1.4315545

    • Canadian PM Praises Diversity after Latest Islamist Attack – Won’t Say Radical Islam

    • Politicians call for unity as Edmonton terror attack investigation continues

      Edmonton Mayor Don Iveson described the officer as being “relatively unscathed,” and urged residents not to be “intimidated by violence” and to go about their daily activities. He said it appears to have been “a lone-wolf attack.”[…]He said he reached out to leaders of the Muslim community Sunday morning, who are as “upset and appalled as we are,” and urged Edmontonians to turn out for a vigil being planned for Sunday evening to support their fellow citizens regardless of cultural orientation or faith.

      […]The name of the suspect has not yet been released. Chief Knecht said he is known to police

      In a statement on Sunday morning, Ms. Notley said […] extremism in all its forms must be condemned and rooted out.

      https://beta.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/edmonton-attack-terrorism-truck-isis/article36449925

      ==================================================

      Globe and Mail _ Solidarity is the best response in the face of terror attacks

      […]All democracies must embrace a “carry on” spirit and solidarity in the wake of terrorist violence – the best way to defeat terrorism’s desire to terrify.[…]

      […]terrorist violence stretching back before the 9/11 era, most gruesomely in the destruction of Air India Flight 182 by Sikh terrorists[…]

      […]We have a Muslim community that rejects the hateful ideology of terrorist jihad,

      […]although an Islamic State flag was found in the alleged attacker’s possession.

      The Islamic State’s caliphate will be choked off.

      […]Harder is the business of confronting the ideology and the message, carried over the unstoppable medium of the Internet. Our best investment there is in helping ensure Muslim communities continue to remain impervious to such an ideology.

      https://beta.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/solidarity-is-the-best-response-in-the-face-of-terror-attacks/article36450957/

      ===================================================
      Edmonton attack: Premier Notley statement

      Premier Rachel Notley has issued the following statement after a suspected terrorist attack in Edmonton overnight:

      “The horrific events last night in downtown Edmonton have left us shocked and angry. It’s left us shocked at the indiscriminate cruelty and angry that someone might target their hatred at places where we gather with our families and friends.

      “Our first responders are incredible people. Thank you to each and every one of our police officers, paramedics and firefighters who put their lives on the line to keep us safe. Thank you, also, to the women and men who dropped everything to help their fellow Albertans. Your bravery in moments of fear and your compassion in moments of chaos are what’s very best about us.

      “Our thoughts and prayers are with the injured and their loved ones, and with everyone who witnessed last’s violence.

      “As we learn more about what happened last night, I encourage everyone to remain vigilant and to listen to law enforcement authorities.

      “Hatred has no place in Alberta. It’s not who we are. We are in this together and together we are stronger than any form of hate.”

      www(dot)alberta(dot)ca/release.cfm?xID=4869677472C0B-E67F-3508-486E235B90DB42B4

      • London, Edmonton…losing track…just another weekend in the wild west…nothing to see here…keep moving…

  8. Spanish riot police crack down on banned Catalan vote

    Barcelona (AFP) – Spanish riot police fired rubber bullets and forced their way into activist-held polling stations in Catalonia on Sunday as thousands flooded the streets to vote in an independence referendum banned by Madrid.

    “Spanish democracy faces its greatest challenge,” headlined top-selling El Pais daily just hours before police moved in en masse to seal off polling stations and seize ballot boxes, sparking scuffles as they sought to block the vote.

    https://www.yahoo.com/news/crunch-time-catalonia-holds-independence-vote-043806211.html

    • Catalan referendum: ‘Hundreds hurt’ as police try to stop voters (BBC, Oct 1, 2017)
      http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-41461032

      “Catalan emergency officials say 761 people have been injured as police used force to try to block voting in Catalonia’s independence referendum.

      The Spanish government has pledged to stop a poll that was declared illegal by the country’s constitutional court.

      Police officers prevented some people from voting, and seized ballot papers and boxes at polling stations.

      In the regional capital Barcelona, police used batons and fired rubber bullets during pro-referendum protests.

      The deadline for voting was 20:00 local time (18:00 GMT), but a Catalan government spokesman said that anyone in the queue at that time would be allowed to vote.

      Speaking soon after the deadline, Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy said he did not acknowledge the vote, adding that Catalans had been fooled into taking part in an illegal vote…”

  9. Riot police fire rubber bullets at voters and smash into polling stations with AXES as Catalonia’s illegal independence referendum descends into ugly violence

    Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4937860/Riot-police-clash-voters-Catalonia.html#ixzz4uGGs0B4h
    Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook

    Riot police have been deployed on the streets this morning as polling stations opened across Catalonia for the region’s controversial independence referendum.

    Officers were seen storming buildings across the northeastern Spanish region before walking out with seized ballot boxes.

    Footage captured in the village of Sarria de Ter in the province of Girona showed authorities using an axe to smash down the doors of a polling station where Catalan’s president Carles Puigdemont was due to cast his vote.

    And in Barcelona, the region’s capital, officers fired rubber bullets at thousands of protesters demonstrating against their votes being denied.

    Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4937860/Riot-police-clash-voters-Catalonia.html#ixzz4uGH3rUhz
    Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook

  10. Riot police have been deployed on the streets this morning as polling stations opened across Catalonia for the region’s controversial independence referendum.

    Officers were seen storming buildings across the northeastern Spanish region before walking out with seized ballot boxes.

    Footage captured in the village of Sarria de Ter in the province of Girona showed authorities using an axe to smash down the doors of a polling station where Catalan’s president Carles Puigdemont was due to cast his vote.

    And in Barcelona, the region’s capital, officers fired rubber bullets at thousands of protesters demonstrating against their votes being denied.

    Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4937860/Riot-police-clash-voters-Catalonia.html#ixzz4uGH3rUhz
    Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook

  11. NBA suggests to teams unity ideas, reminds of anthem rule

    NEW YORK (AP) — The NBA is recommending teams address fans or show videos expressing themes of unity before their first home games, while reminding them of the rule that players must stand for the national anthem.

    A memo was sent to teams Friday, a day after Commissioner Adam Silver said he expected players would stand for the anthem .

    https://apnews.com/de8b63c5ac194bb6b2de982da2cc530e

  12. Paris bans all cars from the whole city for a day

    Pedestrians are being encouraged to stroll the City of Light as the French capital banned cars throughout the city for a day.

    Paris has experimented in the past with car-free days, but Sunday marked the first time the entire city was handed over to ramblers, cyclists and roller-bladers.

    Only emergency vehicles, buses and taxis allowed on the streets from 11 a.m. (1000 GMT; 0400 EDT) until 6 p.m. (1700 GMT; 1300 EDT)

    Thousands reclaimed the boulevards, and many like Maxime Denis were thrilled to experience the city without the combustion engine.

    As he walked near Place de la Republique in the city center, Denis told the Associated Press that it was nice to walk “without any risk to be run over.”

    http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/paris-bans-cars-city-day-50208953

  13. Norway agrees to host Israeli nuclear whistleblower

    Oslo (AFP) – Norway has agreed to host former Israeli nuclear technician and whistleblower Mordechai Vanunu, his Norwegian wife has told local television.

    “We made a request for family reunification as that’s exactly the case here, for spouses and a family to be able to live together,” Kristin Joachimsen told TV2 late Saturday.

    “So even if I know the affair is controversial in some circles, it’s the family values that won over,” she said.

    But she said she did not know when her 62-year-old husband could join her in Norway.

    Karl Erik Sjoholt, an official with Norway’s immigration agency, confirmed the request had been approved.

    https://www.yahoo.com/news/norway-agrees-host-israeli-nuclear-whistleblower-082009487.html

  14. Fed-up Illinois homeowners consider moving: ‘It’s not just the property taxes on my home; it’s all of them’

    Even after watching Hurricane Irma wreak havoc on Florida, Rik Mallin is sticking to his plan.

    Mallin is fixing up his Villa Park home so that he can sell it, move to the Florida Panhandle and escape Illinois’ rising taxes.

    “I’m getting out,” said Mallin, 67. “It’s not just the property taxes on my home; it’s all of them.” He figures his taxes in Florida, where there is no personal income tax, will be about a quarter of what he’s paying now.

    Mallin’s not the only one leaving the state. In 2016, Illinois lost 37,508 people, putting the state’s population at its lowest level in nearly a decade, according to U.S. census data. It was the third consecutive year the state lost more residents than any other state. The state’s population count for 2017 won’t be released until December.

    http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/ct-biz-homeowners-leaving-illinois-20170919-story.html

  16. Egypt “hunting down” gays, conducting forced anal exams – Amnesty

    CAIRO (Reuters) – Six Egyptian men arrested for “promoting sexual deviancy” and “debauchery” on social media will be subjected to anal examinations ahead of their Oct. 1 trial, Amnesty International said on Saturday.

    Their arrest is part of a wider crackdown against homosexuality that started last week when a group of people were seen raising a rainbow flag at a concert, a rare public show of support for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights in the conservative Muslim country.

    http://www.reuters.com/article/us-egypt-rights/egypt-hunting-down-gays-conducting-forced-anal-exams-amnesty-idUSKCN1C50D3?il=0

  17. (LEAD) U.S. aircraft carrier Reagan due in Korea this month

    SEOUL, Oct. 1 (Yonhap) — The United States is expected to send the USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76), a forward-deployed aircraft carrier, to waters near the Korean Peninsula this month for a combined exercise with South Korea’s Navy, a defense official here said Sunday.

    “We are in consultations (with the U.S.) on a plan for the aircraft strike group led by the nuclear-powered USS Ronald Reagan to operate in the East Sea around Oct. 15,” the official said on condition of anonymity.

    The Reagan will likely be accompanied by several other warships belonging to the strike group, such as an Aegis destroyer, a guided-missile cruiser and a nuclear-powered submarine.

    The two sides plan to conduct joint drills to detect, track and intercept the North’s ballistic missiles in addition to anti-submarine warfare training, according to the official.

    http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr/news/2017/09/29/0200000000AEN20170929008951315.html

  18. Trump resists media war, with response to angry blast from Puerto Rican mayor
    By J.E. Dyer September 30, 2017

    We can start by saying that DHS’ acting Secretary Elaine Duke could probably have chosen her words better in a statement on Thursday.

    Speaking outside the White House, Duke said that what has been accomplished so far in the challenge of getting aid to the people of Puerto Rico is “really a good news story.”

    Compared to how bad it could be, that may be true. But it would surely ring hollow in the ears of people with no shelter scrabbling for food and water on an island where all electrical power has been lost, and most home structures have been devastated. There was probably a better way to say this.

    http://libertyunyielding.com/2017/09/30/trump-resists-media-war-response-angry-blast-puerto-rican-mayor/

  19. WSKQ-FM Mega 97.9FM radio station broadcast a phonecall from Puerto Rico pleading for the US military to step in to distribute water, food, and fuel because San Juan mayor refuses to.

  20. In energy policy speech, Interior Sec Zinke tells hecklers America ‘will not kneel to anyone’
    By LU Staff September 30, 2017

    Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke said Friday that the Trump administration will protect the dominant position of the U.S. in the global energy markets and not surrender to other forces.

    “Our decisions will be guided by our flag and not kneel to anyone,” Zinke told an audience during a speech at the Heritage Foundation. He leaned in to the crowd, which included several activists heckling the agency for supporting fossil fuels, and reiterated the phrase: “not kneel.”

    There are “two visions” for the country’s future, Zinke said.

    “One side believes we should retreat into a fortress of regulation and red tape, where foreign nations take the lead as America drowns itself in process and procedure,” he said, directing his comments at the hecklers. “This is not the vision of President Trump.”

    http://libertyunyielding.com/2017/09/30/energy-policy-speech-interior-sec-zinke-tells-hecklers-america-will-not-kneel-anyone/

  21. DAILY MAIL – FRANCE – Two passengers are killed as attacker shouting ‘Allahu Akbar’ slits a woman’s throat with a butcher’s knife and stabs another at Marseille station before soldiers shoot him dead

    Attacker stabbed two female passengers at Gare de Marseille-Saint-Charles
    He was shot dead by the French army who swarmed the area this afternoon
    Reports claim he was heard shouting ‘Allahu Akbar’ before stabbing passengers
    Both victims were women, one of whom was left ‘with a sliced neck’

    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4938248/Police-shoot-dead-knife-wielding-man-Marseille-station.html

    • Knifeman kills two women in Marseille railway station ‘terror’ attack (skynews, Oct 1, 2017)
      http://news.sky.com/story/amp/knifeman-shot-dead-at-marseille-train-station-after-attack-11062961

      “A witness says she saw a man take a knife from his sleeve and stab a young girl and a second woman before shouting “Allahu Akbar”.

      Two women have been killed by a knifeman in a suspected terror attack at Marseille’s main train station.

      The man was then shot dead by soldiers who were patrolling inside the Saint Charles railway station.

      The victims were reportedly aged 17 and 20. One had her throat cut while the other was stabbed in the stomach, it is believed.

      The scene has been sealed off and police have asked people to avoid the area.

      France’s interior minister, Gerard Collomb, was travelling to the location following the attack at 11.45am (GMT) on Sunday.

      A witness said she saw a man take out a knife from his sleeve and then stab a young girl and then a second woman before shouting “Allahu Akbar” (God is Greatest)…”

  27. DAILY MAIL – UK – ‘White girls are filthy’: Wives of Asian men jailed for raping vulnerable British girls reveal why they blame the victims

    Top Muslim writer persuaded the families of jailed rapists to share their stories
    But behind their veils, the wives say they blamed the girls and their parents too
    One woman described victims as ‘filthy’ and said they dressed without respect

    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4936754/Wives-men-jailed-rape-blame-victims-too.html

    • ‘Filthy’ White Girls to Blame for Their Abuse, Says Wife of Muslim Groomer (breitbart, Oct 1, 2017)
      http://www.breitbart.com/london/2017/10/01/filthy-white-girls-to-blame-for-abuse-says-wife-of-muslim-groomer/

      “The wives of convicted Muslim rape gang groomers have said that the young white girls targeted by their husbands are “filthy” and to blame for their own abuse.

      Suju, the wife of a jailed groomer, explained that she was afraid of her husband, but said of his white victims: “Filthy. How they dress. They have no shame, no fear of Allah.”

      In an interview with the Mail on Sunday, she was asked if it was ever okay to hurt young girls. She said: “No. You can’t hurt people. Allah does not want that.”

      However, she then added: “But it is the girls who should be careful. They did something to him, maybe bad magic. I am now alone, no money, no life.”

      Three other wives and a daughter of convicted groomers also took interviews, revealing their twisted understanding of sex, rape, and consent.

      Two of the wives were described as “virgin brides” from Pakistan, while one was born in the United Kingdom. All told of how they had been frequently abused by their controlling husbands, but despite this, only two were prepared to condemn outright the rape of white girls.

      “Muslim women must give husband,” said one in broken English. “He want, she don’t like but must give,” she explained.

      “He did it hard, it hurt,” said another. “It was always painful. He say I am his toy. I say no, he pushed me down, made me cry. He was like a dog.”

      “My dad is in prison because he was with others raping small white girls,” said the daughter.

      “I hate him. He made my mum pregnant eight times even when she didn’t want to do it. I heard her crying. Six babies died. He did that to her for so long. But never went to prison.”

      When asked how they would feel if their children had been drugged and raped, they agreed it would upset them. But, one added: “It can’t happen to our children because they are not in the streets. We look after them.””

  28. PC gone mad: Schools scrap BC and AD to avoid offending non-Christians (express, Oct 1, 2017)
    http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/860954/political-correctness-PC-gone-mad-BC-AD-terms-schools-religious-education

    “CRITICS have slammed a move in which schools are dropping terms BC and AD in religious education lessons to avoid offending non-Christians.

    In some educational institutions, BC (Before Christ) and AD (Anno Domini) have been replaced with terms BCE (Before Common Era) and CE (Common Era).

    The new terms still indicate the periods before and after the birth of Christ, but have been put into use as local authority committees say the old terms may upset minorities and atheists.

    But critics blasted the move as a “capitulation to political correctness”, while non-Christian religious leaders said the move was unnecessary, according to the Mail on Sunday…”

  29. World Food Program seeks 75 million dollars for Rohingya crisis (reuters, Oct 1, 2017)
    http://www.reuters.com/article/us-myanmar-rohingya-bangladesh-wfp/world-food-program-seeks-75-million-dollars-for-rohingya-crisis-idUSKCN1C61IB

    “The World Food Program (WFP) appealed on Sunday for 75 million dollars in emergency aid over the next six months to help alleviate the suffering of Rohingya Muslims fleeing violence in Myanmar.

    Since August 25th, hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslims have fled their homes in majority Buddhist Myanmar, overwhelming aid agencies in neighbouring Bangladesh.

    “The bottom line? This is a deplorable situation. This is as bad as it gets. We need 75 million for the next six months,” David Beasley, WFP executive director, told reporters after visiting refugee camps in Bangladesh near the Myanmar border.

    “I say we can end world hunger with a few billion dollars. I tell donors, if you can’t give us the money, stop the wars,” added Beasley, whose U.N. agency is the main humanitarian organisation battling hunger worldwide.

    The United Nations is currently seeking 200 million dollars from donors to help tackle the crisis among the Rohingya Muslims.”

  30. Turkey no longer needs EU membership but won’t quit talks – Erdogan (reuters, Oct 1, 2017)
    http://www.reuters.com/article/us-eu-turkey/turkey-no-longer-needs-eu-membership-but-wont-quit-talks-erdogan-idUSKCN1C61CL

    “Turkey no longer needs to join the European Union but will not unilaterally abandon the stalled EU accession talks, President Tayyip Erdogan told parliament on Sunday.

    “We will not be the side which gives up. To tell the truth, we don’t need EU membership any more,” Erdogan said.

    Turkey’s 12-year-long accession talks have ground to a halt, with the EU especially critical of Ankara’s crackdown following a failed coup last year. Tens of thousands of people including teachers and journalists have been detained.

    Erdogan’s government says EU states failed to appreciate the gravity of the threat which Turkey faced, and did not respond to requests to extradite coup suspects.

    “The EU failed us in a fight against terrorism,” Erdogan said on Sunday, though he also suggested the bloc still needed Turkey.

    “If the EU is going to leap forward, there is only one way to do so. And it is to grant Turkey membership and start an action of cultural and economic growth,” Erdogan said.

    German Chancellor Angela Merkel said in an election debate last month it was clear Turkey should not join the EU and entry talks should end, despite it being a crucial NATO ally.”

  31. Yemen Houthis say have shot down U.S. surveillance drone – state news agency (yahoo, Oct 1, 2017)
    https://www.yahoo.com/news/yemen-houthis-shot-down-u-surveillance-drone-state-110153437.html

    “Yemen’s Houthi forces shot down a U.S. surveillance drone in the capital Sanaa on Sunday, the Houthi-controlled state news agency SABA reported.

    The Houthi movement and its ally former president Ali Abdullah Saleh control much of northern Yemen, including Sanaa, and are battling a Saudi-led coalition that is trying to restore the internationally recognized government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi.

    The United States backs the Saudi-led coalition by providing it with intelligence and weapons.

    “A military source said (Houthi) air defense shot down a U.S. MQ-9 surveillance drone in Jader area in the Sanaa province,” SABA reported.

    A Reuters photographer said the drone came down at around 11 am local time in a crowded area on the outskirts of the capital, but there were no reports of any casualties…”

  32. UAE begins collecting ‘sin’ taxes on tobacco, energy drinks (abcnews, Oct 1, 2017)
    http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/uae-begins-collecting-sin-taxes-tobacco-energy-drinks-50206957

    “The United Arab Emirates has begun collecting new “sin” taxes on tobacco products, energy drinks and soft drinks.

    Beginning Sunday, tobacco and energy drinks will be taxed at 100 percent and soft drinks at 50 percent. Shoppers could be seen stocking up the day before.

    The new tax push comes as the UAE and other oil-rich Gulf nations have struggled with low global energy prices. The UAE will start collecting a 5-percent value-added tax on certain goods in January.

    All six members of the Gulf Cooperation Council have agreed to begin collecting so-called VAT taxes, though others may begin later than January. The GCC includes Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE.”

  33. Qatar Airways acquires 49 percent stake in Italy’s Meridiana (abcnews, Oct 1, 2017)
    http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/qatar-airways-acquires-49-percent-stake-italys-meridiana-50208057

    “Qatar Airways says it has completed the acquisition of a 49 percent stake in Italy’s AQA Holding, the new parent company of Italy’s second largest carrier Meridiana.

    Qatar Airways, one of the Middle East’s biggest carriers, said Sunday that previous sole shareholder Alisarda will keep a 51 percent share in the company. Meridiana was set up in the early 1960s by the Aga Khan, a business mogul and the spiritual leader of Ismaili Muslims.

    Qatar Airways already has a strong presence in Italy, with more than 40 flights a week from its base in Doha. The airline has a fleet of 200 aircraft, while Meridiana says it has 16.

    Italy’s largest carrier remains Alitalia, which is partly owned by Qatar Airways’ regional competitor Etihad Airways, based in Abu Dhabi.”

  34. Pope presses migrant campaign, urges leaders to work for all (abcnews, Oct 1, 2017)
    http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/pope-presses-migrant-campaign-urges-leaders-work-50208310

    “Pope Francis pressed his campaign for Europe to open its doors migrants Sunday, visiting a migrant center in northern Italy, breaking bread with refugees and insisting that politicians work for the most marginalized — not special interests.

    During a busy day in Bologna, Francis spent an hour meeting with hundreds of migrants, patiently posing for selfies under drizzling skies. He later hosted a luncheon for asylum-seekers and prisoners in Bologna’s St. Petronius basilica.

    He drew cheers when he ad-libbed that he knew the migrants were desperate to have identification documents, and again when he insisted that each one had a name and a story of the tragedies endured to arrive in Italy. He led hundreds in silent prayer for those who died in the journey.

    “I hope your hope doesn’t become delusion, or worse, desperation,” he said.

    Francis, the son of Italian immigrants to Argentina, urged European countries open humanitarian corridors to let refugees in more quickly. And he pressed local leaders to take up the charge, integrating them into their communities and working for the common good.

    The visit to the migrant center was the highlight of a day that saw Francis pressing some of his top priorities: migrant welcome, dignified work for all and ethics-based political leadership. It was a message that went over well in a region famous for its food, culture of welcome and left-leaning politics.

    At his first stop in Cesena, Francis spoke to thousands in the main square about the importance of “piazza” in the life of a city, a place where people of all stripes come together and where the sense of community and belonging is borne.

    “This piazza, like all the other piazzas of Italy, recalls the need for good politics in the life of a community, not one that serves individual ambitions or the power of factions or interests,” he said.

    It was the third time this week that Francis has emphasized the role of the public square, both physical and ideological, as a place of dialogue as Europe as a whole struggles to welcome and integrate migrants and refugees.

    On Wednesday, he threw his arms open in an embrace mimicking the open-armed embrace of the colonnade of St. Peter’s Square to urge politicians to welcome in migrants. And on Saturday, he urged local mayors to not focus on “building taller towers, but bigger piazzas.”

    Francis has demanded wealthy countries welcome in migrants fleeing conflicts, natural disasters and poverty, saying it’s a Gospel-mandated duty of all Christians to welcome the stranger.”

    • Pope urges Europeans to embrace unity, reject nationalism (abcnews, Oct 1, 2017)
      http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/pope-urges-europeans-embrace-unity-reject-nationalism-50213011

      “Pope Francis is urging Europeans not to fear unity and to put aside nationalistic and other self-interests.

      Francis didn’t mention the police violence during Catalonia’s independence referendum Sunday on his visit to Bologna. But in a speech to university students, Francis recalled that the European Union was borne out of the ashes of war to guarantee peace.

      He warned that conflicts and other interests were now threatening those founding ideals.

      Francis said: “Don’t be afraid of unity! May special interests and nationalism not render the courageous dreams of the founders of the European Union in vain.”

      The Vatican has indicated it doesn’t support the independence effort in Catalonia, denying a Catalan cleric’s claim earlier that it would immediately recognize an independent Catalonia. Spain’s bishops have urged dialogue in the dispute.”

    • WaPo -Pope in Bologna breaks bread with migrants, urges hope

      […]spent over an hour meeting with hundreds of migrants, greeting them one-by-one and patiently posing for selfies under drizzly skies. He hosted a luncheon of lasagna and turkey for asylum-seekers and prisoners in Bologna’s basilica, sitting down at a table in front of the altar.

      […]he pressed local leaders to integrate migrants into their communities.

      […]He told students they had a right to culture, hope and peace — and said recent populist and nationalist movements in Europe were threatening that peace.

      […]he urged Europeans to put aside nationalistic and other interests for the sake of unity.

      “Don’t be afraid of unity!” he said. “May special interests and nationalism not render the courageous dreams of the founders of the European Union in vain.”

      https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/pope-presses-migrant-campaign-urges-leaders-to-work-for-all/2017/10/01/c9a48554-a69b-11e7-9a98-07140d2eed02_story.html

  35. Despite failure, EU calls migrant relocation plan a “proven success”. Now plans to ‘airlift’ in 50K more migrants

    […]The EU unveiled plans Wednesday to take at least 50,000 refugees directly from Africa, the Middle East and Turkey to discourage migrant boats from making the risky Mediterranean crossing.

    The proposal involves admitting refugees to European Union countries over the next two years under the bloc’s resettlement progress, which was introduced during the migration crisis that hit the continent in 2015.”[…]

    more :

    https://theoldcontinent.eu/relocation/

  39. Statement by Minister Joly on the 10th anniversary of Canadian Islamic History Month

    OTTAWA, October 1, 2017

    Today, we celebrate the 10th anniversary of Canadian Islamic History Month.

    Enacted by the Parliament of Canada in 2007, this month offers Canadians an unprecedented opportunity to honour our large Muslim-Canadian community and recognize their valuable contributions in shaping and building our country.

    This year, as we mark Canada 150, we have the opportunity to celebrate our country’s diversity and spirit of openness. We are committed to maintaining an inclusive and welcoming society that promotes respect for everyone, regardless of faith or ethnic origin.

    As Minister of Canadian Heritage and Minister responsible for Multiculturalism, I invite Canadians of all backgrounds to participate in the events and activities that celebrate Islamic History Month.

    https://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/news/2017/09/statement_by_ministerjolyonthe10thanniversaryofcanadianislamichi.html

    Ashura 2017 Toronto

  40. Canaries in a Coal Mine: How Islamophobia Threatens All Americans

    Jonathan Brown, Ph.D., Alwaleed bin Talal Chair of Islamic Civilization in the School of Foreign Service, Director of the Alwaleed bin Talal Center for Muslim Christian Understanding, Georgetown University, Director of Hadith Research, Yaqeen Institute for Islamic Research

    The portrayal of Muslims and other minorities has led many to be confused about Muslims, Islam, and other minority groups, who are at the receiving-end of discrimination and prejudice in this country. However, discrimination not only affects marginalized groups, but affects all Americans whether or not we realize it, and only perpetuates fear and misunderstandings of the ‘other’.

    Brown’s presentation addresses not only Islamophobia, but other forms of discrimination that takes place–whether it is at your local grocery store or on campus–and how education alone will not work to change the current situation. Brown’s talk sheds light unto how Islamophobia–or any other type of marginalization — is detrimental to a pluralistic society and in addressing broader issues plaguing our society. Brown speaks on how, especially as Americans, it is essential that we have the same fervor our Founding Fathers envisioned towards respecting and ensuring our inalienable rights and freedoms — for all.

    Recorded Sept. 7, 2017, in Mayser Gymnasium.

  41. Washington Post: Saturday Night Liveprefers Alec Baldwin’s impersonation of Trump over Darrell Hammond’s: http://www.washingtonpost.com/sf/style/2017/09/27/darrell-hammond-was-snls-best-donald-trump-and-its-best-impressionist-ever-so-what-went-wrong/
    One big difference between the two is how they feel about Trump. Baldwin, a noted Democrat, has called the president “a senile idiot” and mocked him after winning an Emmy this month. Hammond … believes Trump is highly intelligent and a kind of “genius empath.” He has studied him in person, has texted with Ivanka, and was impressed by his work ethic when he hosted SNL for the first time in 2004.- “Read Sun Tzu, y’all,” Hammond says…. “I knew that guy could see things. How else do you go through 17 seasoned political opponents? How do you find that one phrase, say it, and they are off their game.”

    It wasn’t Hammond’s fault. Just as [SNL producer Lorne] Michaels … wanted to capture the new Trump — the nasty-tweeting, “Access Hollywood” bully. …“I needed another force, on an acting level, to have the power that Trump was embodying then,” Michaels says. “The Darrell Trump .?.?. it wasn’t the Trump that had gotten darker. It was the Trump from ‘The Apprentice.’?”
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YwqklRh2irA 2004 Trump as host and 1989 in the audience

  43. Iran recruited Afghan boys as young as 14 for the Syria conflict: HRW (khaama, Oct 1, 2017)
    http://www.khaama.com/iran-recruited-afghan-boys-as-young-as-14-for-the-syria-conflict-hrw-03552

    “The Human Rights Watch in its latest report has revealed that young Afghan boys as young as fourteen years old have been recruited by Iran to fight in Syria.

    According to a new report by the Human Right Watch, the children have been recruited y the Revolutionary Guard of Iran and several of them have been killed and buried in the Iranian soil.

    Afghan children as young as 14 have fought in the Fatemiyoun division, an exclusively Afghan armed group supported by Iranthat fights alongside government forces in the Syrian conflict,” the report said.

    The report further added that the researchers of the organization have reviewed photographs of tombstones in Iranian cemeteries where the authorities buried combatants killed in Syria, and identified eight Afghan children who apparently fought and died in Syria.

    Sarah Leah Whitson, Middle East director at Human Rights Watch said “Iran should immediately end the recruitment of child soldiers and bring back any Afghan children it has sent to fight in Syria.”

    “Rather than preying on vulnerable immigrant and refugee children, the Iranian authorities should protect all children and hold those responsible for recruiting Afghan children to account,” she added.

    Citing the ministry of interior estimates, HRW said there were 2.5 million Afghans in Iran, many of them without residency papers.

    Human Rights Watch previously documented cases of Afghan refugees in Iran who “volunteered” to fight in Syria in the hopes of gaining legal status for their families.

    According to the rights organization, since 2013, Iran has supported and trained thousands of Afghans, at least some of them undocumented immigrants, as part of the Fatemiyoun division, a group that an Iranian newspaper close to the government describes as volunteer Afghan forces, to fight in Syria.

    In May 2015, Defa Press, a news agency close to Iran’s armed forces, reported that the Fatemiyoun had been elevated from a brigade to a division.”