Each day at just after midnight Eastern, a post like this one is created for contributors and readers of this site to upload news links and video links on the issues that concern this site. Most notably, Islam and its effects on Classical Civilization, and various forms of leftism from Soviet era communism, to postmodernism and all the flavours of galloping statism and totalitarianism such as Nazism and Fascism which are increasingly snuffing out the classical liberalism which created our near, miraculous civilization the West has been building since the time of Socrates.
This document was written around the time this site was created, for those who wish to understand what this site is about. And while our understanding of the world and events has grown since then, the basic ideas remain sound and true to the purpose.
So please post all links, thoughts and ideas that you feel will benefit the readers of this site to the comments under this post each day. And thank you all for your contributions.
This is the new Samizdat. We must use it while we can.
Turkey Pushing 130,000 Refugees From Temporary Camps Towards Greece – Russian Defence Ministry (sputniknews, Mar 3, 2020)
https://sputniknews.com/world/202003031078465045-turkey-pushing-130000-refugees-from-temporary-camps-towards-greece—russian-defence-ministry/
“The Turkish authorities are pushing about 130,000 refugees towards the Greek border, forcing them to leave the country, the commander of the Russian centre for Syrian reconciliation said Tuesday.
“Currently, the authorities of the Republic of Turkey are moving about 130,000 refugees, who were previously in temporary camps, towards the Greek border. Two-thirds of them are not Syrian citizens. They are Afghans, Iraqis, African citizens. Turkey is pushing these people into the Greek Republic,” Rear Admiral Oleg Zhuravlev said at a daily briefing.
Earlier in the day, the European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced that a Frontex rapid intervention team would be deployed to the Greek border to ensure order in the area. She also said that the bloc would allocate €700 million, half of it immediately, to help manage the refugee situation on the Turkey-Greece border.”
As Iran Becomes Ground Zero for Coronavirus Pandemic, Israel Becomes Ground Zero for Cure
A telling lesson on democracies versus theocracies.
On Monday, Iran’s Ministry of Health released new data concerning the coronavirus. It said that 66 people have died from the virus while 1501 have been infected. But given the Health Ministry’s propensity for lying, the figure for those dead and infected is likely much greater.
The rampant spread of coronavirus in Iran was a problem largely the result of the Islamic Republic’s own making. In early February, Iranian officials were aware of a potential problem in the city of Qom, where a shrine holy to Shia Muslims served as a breeding ground for the transmission of the virus. Yet authorities took no action to quarantine the city or even warn residents to take safety precautions. The shrine still remains open to visitors and video has recently emerged showing people licking the shrine.
By the time health officials began taking action, it was a case of too little too late. Iran’s Deputy Health Minister, Iraj Harirchi, downplayed claims made a city lawmaker that deaths from COVID-19 had reached 50 and said that he would resign from his post if that assertion was accurate. A day later, Harirchi became a victim of COVID-19 and was under quarantine but not before he was observed coughing on those adjacent to him during the previous day’s press briefing. Several other Iranian diplomats and parliamentarians have since been infected, and at least two have died including a senior adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
https://cms.frontpagemag.com/fpm/2020/03/iran-becomes-ground-zero-coronavirus-pandemic-ari-lieberman
1776 Project Vs. 1619 Project
Black Americans fight the lies of the Racism-Industrial-Complex.
March 3, 2020
Jack Kerwick
In order to combat the narrative of the Racism-Industrial-Complex (RIC) which argues that America is and has always been a cauldron of unrelenting White Supremacy—a narrative that pervades our cultural institutions and which was recently manifested in the so-called “1619 Project”—a group of mostly black scholars, writers, educators, activists, journalists, and entrepreneurs have assembled to promote a decidedly different vision of America embodied by their “1776 Project.”
Shelby Steele, Robert Woodson, Carol Swain, Clarence Page, and John McWhorter are among the more prominent of the black contributors to this endeavor.
The 1776 Project’s Mission Statement is as follows:
https://cms.frontpagemag.com/fpm/2020/03/1776-project-vs-1619-project-jack-kerwick
VIDEO: Campus security guard roughs up Trump supporter at Bernie Sanders rally
College Fix Staff •March 3, 2020
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In a now-viral video, a security guard at Virginia Wesleyan University can be seen attempting to take a Trump supporter’s “Trump” flag, and then tackling the guy when he objects.
Campus Reform reports the Trump supporter, Markus Gohring, was present (with flag) at a campus Bernie Sanders rally when VWU security guards approached and informed him that he’d have to leave.
The guard who (allegedly) ultimately tackled Gohring tells him “Leave! I’m not gonna tell you again,” “You are not following my instructions,” and “Nobody gotta tell me to tell you to leave.” The guard adds “You’re on my property. This is private property. (VWU is a private college; however, the Sanders event was advertised as “free and open to the public.”)
Shortly after these exchanges, Gohring begins walking away. However, the security guard follows him, and as a closer video shows, the guard then gets physical:
https://www.thecollegefix.com/video-campus-security-guard-roughs-up-trump-supporter-at-bernie-sanders-rally/
Note: So, this happened January 11th…still wonder why Italy and Iran have the two big COVID19 outbreaks?
Italy and Iran sign $6 billion investment agreement – Italy economy ministry
1 Min Read
ROME (Reuters) – Italy and Iran on Thursday signed a framework credit agreement to fund investments worth up to 5 billion euros ($6.02 billion) in Iran, Italy’s Economy Ministry said.
The deal was signed between two Iranian institutions, Bank of Industry and Mine and Middle East Bank, and the investment arm of Italian state-owned holding Invitalia, the ministry said in a statement, confirming a Reuters report on Wednesday.
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-italy-iran-investments/italy-and-iran-sign-6-billion-investment-agreement-italy-economy-ministry-idUSKBN1F01ZJ
Coronavirus emergency: Iran builds field hospital in Qom
An emergency field hospital has been created in the Qom province of Iran on Tuesday.
Footage shows hospital staff and workers unpacking boxes of medical equipment in preparation for the opening of the field hospital.
The 190-bed facility is designed to help contain the spread of the coronavirus which so far has claimed the lives of 77 people in Iran, according to the latest numbers from state officials
IRAN – QOM
twitter @Joyce_Karam
Horrific thread of BBC obtained Videos from Iran shows bagged bodies in Qom from moment of death till burial.
If these are confirmed to be from Corona as videos claim, death toll is higher than Gov. claims (77):
https://twitter.com/Joyce_Karam/status/1234869785386717184
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twitter @bbcpersian
https://twitter.com/bbcpersian/status/1234860450413674497
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twitter @bbcpersian
https://twitter.com/bbcpersian/status/1234860381715288064
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twitter @howroute
A new video with translation, a dire situation in Iran (Video by @HeshmatAlavi), Translated by my friend, an Iranian journalist, can’t publish journalist’s name due to concerns for safety of her family in Iran. There’s no freedom of press in that country.
https://twitter.com/howroute/status/1234690297839439872
Iran – Women workers producing isolation surgical gown, Qom
US President Donald Trump’s 2020 election campaign has filed a libel lawsuit against The Washington Post for publishing “false and defamatory statements” against the campaign, including that they “tried to conspire with” a “sweeping and systematic” attack by Russia during the 2016 elections.
“Today the President’s re-election campaign has filed suit against The Washington Post for false statements contained in two published articles, including defamatory claims that the campaign ‘tried to conspire with’ a ‘sweeping and systematic’ attack by Russia against the 2016 US presidential election and ‘who knows what sort of aid Russia and North Korea will give to the Trump campaign, now that he has invited them to offer their assistance?” Jenna Ellis, Senior Legal Adviser to Donald J. Trump for President, Inc., said in a Tuesday press release.
https://sputniknews.com/us/202003031078465282-trump-campaign-files-libel-suit-against-washington-post-over-russia-conspiracy-stories/
AOC Thinks Bloomberg Is WORSE Than HITLER!
Man…
What would the Left do without their ability to blame all the ills of the world on the Nazis?
For some reason, this is their go-to strategy whenever people disagree with them.
If you’re against higher taxes, you’re a Nazi. If you’re in favor of a border wall, you’re a Nazi. If you wear a red hat (even one that doesn’t say “Make America Great Again”), you’re a Nazi.
In fact…
If you disagree with them in the slightest way, you’re probably a Nazi.
Now, we’re not going to talk about how incredibly disgusting it is to compare ANY 21st Century American to a Nazi (other than the 500 or so ACTUAL self-processing Nazis in the US), as it belittles the struggles of the people that actually had to live under and fight against that authoritarian regime…
https://freedomwire.com/aoc-thinks-bloomberg-is-worse-than-hitler/?utm_source=FRW-Newsletter&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=Daily-Article-Traffic
Sit-down interview with Gavin McInnes after being kicked out of CPAC
The BBC produced a brilliant Piece around the 1980-1990’s when the BBC actually produced good reporting. Yes I know.. It was not always this way.
The point of this thread is a plea to Americans to start archiving these documentaries, that the BBC and other sources does not make available to the public anymore. The Salman Rushdie affair is as a momentous time in history in impact, as 9/11. (Yet today, they are replacing the original real time documentation… With a snub piece called ‘Rushdie’ 30 years on, with no original footage included of the time)
It was about Salman Rushdie and the author who produced ‘the stanic verses’. This book of science fiction was based on a very real historical report that is condemned to talk about in the Islamic world.
I will provide the links to the only version of it I found on youtube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wwgMswh7cIQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rFZGyYWMoi4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5NwWQnQunI8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aWO5jZu8yBM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_0ltGpfcwa8
The Quran claims that it is the direct word of Allah himself. (Not stories like the bible). This direct word of Alah, was recited to Prophet Mohamed, and he wrote it down illiterate as he was.. By miracle.
In any case, there is rumor and some texts that claim that he mistakenly was tricked in some parts by Satan. This theory immediately destroys the pretext, in the Islamic faith that the Quran is ‘infalible’… In fact Rushdie originally being from a UK citizen from a muslim family himself, surely saw the significance of this, as it was the only way to ‘secularise’ Islam. Ofcourse Islam would have none of that.
The book sparked protests across the world. Marches of violence IN WESTERN NATIONS trying to execute, stone and kill Rushdie by political order, A death sentence to him. Eventually Iranian supreme leader declared a fatwa on the authors life (Means he was sentenced to death Within the UK all the way from Iran). Islamists across the world mobilised to kill him in the UK for years and years. Millions were spent of keeping Rushdie safe and hidden. International UK political prisoners were put in jeopardy. International relations across the world were on edge. 37 christians killed in Turkey burning a building. Translators of the book in Japan, Holland and other places, were killed. To get a full grasp, one must watch the above attached documentary.
So my plea to Americans, is to make sure half the worlds history and intellectual property is not wiped off the internet, because a ‘European’ once uploaded it. This is the cultural significance of the burning down of Alexandria Library and the vast Ancient Greek and Roman works lost to the world.
The BBC, who owns the documentary could care less about its existence or the ethicacy of maintaining history.. Rather they push towards new narratives.
So this is a plea to the contentious people of America, to stay alert at this time. Article 13 is a completely totalitarian ruling. Defend your free speech at all costs. But try to preserve the truth.
It will be harder for European’s to host such content now. But make no mistake, they will still be able to access a lot through VPN.. The rise of TOR. (I need it rather often just to see pages around the world due to article 13 and GDPR).
https://www.reddit.com/r/DoubleSpeak1984/comments/fc093k/eus_article_13_means_that_a_lot_of_the_internet/
Peel police officers discriminated against a six-year-old black girl when they handcuffed her wrists behind her back and kept her restrained for nearly half an hour at a Mississauga, Ont., school, Ontario’s Human Rights Tribunal says.
In a decision issued late last month, the tribunal ruled that race was a factor in the Sept. 30, 2016 incident. That morning, two white Peel Regional Police constables attended the public school after administrators requested assistance with the girl, who they said was acting violently.
CBC Toronto is not identifying the family or the school to protect the girl’s identity.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/human-rights-tribunal-peel-police-girl-handcuffed-1.5483456
Spanish actor and activist Willy Toledo did not offend religious sentiment when he published two Facebook posts in which he said that he “defecated on God and the Virgin Mary.” That was the ruling announced on Friday by Madrid Judge Sonia Aguda Torrijos, who acquitted the actor of the charges brought against him by the Spanish Association of Christian Lawyers.
The ruling, which can be appealed, marks a turning point in a legal process that began in 2017. The case stems from a Facebook message that Toledo posted on July 5, 2017, which said: “I shit on God and have enough shit left over to shit on the dogma of the holiness and virginity of the Virgin Mary. This country is unbearably shameful. I’m disgusted. Go fuck yourselves. Long live the Insubordinate Pussy.”
https://english.elpais.com/spanish_news/2020-03-02/spanish-actor-willy-toledo-acquitted-of-offending-religious-sentiment.html
Trudeau goes to a mining conference (sponsored by Teck): Attendees LOVE his climate change speech!
https://www.iheart.com/content/2020-03-02-18-year-old-suv-driver-deliberately-runs-over-four-teens-on-sidewalk/
Has this been covered here yet?
San Francisco passed a law that makes theft under $950 a misdemeanor. This is the inevitable result:
https://twitter.com/stillgray/status/1234704596276137985
Denver Democrat faces backlash after tweeting ‘solidarity’ for spreading coronavirus at Trump rallies
Democratic Denver City Councilwoman Candi CdeBaca faced conservative criticism Tuesday after sharing a meme on Twitter suggesting she stands in “solidarity” with the idea of spreading coronavirus at President Trump’s campaign rallies.
“These people are sick,” Donald Trump Jr. tweeted.
Whoops! We couldn’t access this Tweet.
CdeBaca, apparently posting in jest, had retweeted a meme that said: “For the record, if I do get the coronavirus I’m attending every MAGA rally I can.”
CdeBaca commented: “#solidarity Yaaaas!!” with laughing emojis.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/denver-democrat-faces-backlash-after-tweeting-solidarity-for-spreading-coronavirus-at-trump-rallies
Trudeau’s negotiators are lost
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=178&v=pmfngsQcumw&feature=emb_logo
The closing remark is a real zinger!
PICS – ARMENIA – Yerevan
1. –
https://varlamov.ru/3811298.html
2. –
https://varlamov.ru/3806553.html
First one is pretty terrible. Heavy on the brutal architecture.Venezuela’s Broken Political System
he Consequences of Going Woke
Migrant fires light machine gun during NYE in the south of Rotterdam, the Netherlands:
https://www.dumpert.nl/item/7854457_b7d66f63
Video was found on a phone and released by police. They investigated and found more automatic weapons, two suspects arrested. The shooter in the video turned out to be in prison already for a different crime.
Btw caliber is 7.62, according to one of the comments.
A Chinese Airport Takes Strict Measures to Inspect Passengers from South Korea
(Richard: NTD stands for New Tang Dynasty and is suppose to be owned by Falan Gong)
Wuhan resident, on the brink of collapse | NTD
China doesn’t do itself favors shutting down independent media. The space is filled by those most desirous of their ruin: Falun Gong, Taiwan, Chinese expatriate oligarchs (crooks).
Totalitarian boomerang.
Boris Johnson reveals coronavirus plans – as disease spreads in UK
Chinese Man Calls For Non-Cooperation Movement to End the Chinese Communist Party
Sarah Abdallah
@sahouraxo
President Bashar-al-Assad explains how ISIS has been smuggling and looting #Syria’s oil since 2014 with assistance from Turkey’s Erdogan and the CIA.
Remember this the next time Erdogan dares claim the illegal Turkish invasion of #Idlib is merely for “humanitarian” reasons.
https://twitter.com/sahouraxo/status/1234969592671412224
Censorship is more than Slightly Offensive, It’s Un-American
Iran Tries Two French Academics Over Security Charges
https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/2160771/iran-tries-two-french-academics-over-security-charges
“Two French academics jailed in Iran for over half a year on national security charges went on trial Tuesday in a case that has raised tensions between Tehran and Paris, their Paris-based support group said.
Fariba Adelkhah and Roland Marchal were detained in June on charges of conspiring against national security that rights groups and fellow academics have denounced as outrageous.
Their support group and the French foreign ministry have sounded the alarm over their health — 60-year-old Adelkhah went on hunger strike for 49 days and 64-year-old Marchal’s health is said to be deteriorating — with the coronavirus outbreak only adding to the concern.
“A closed-door ‘trial’ took place this morning in Tehran,” the support group said, denouncing a “masquerade of justice”.
Adelkhah appeared to be present, it said, although Marchal was not in attendance for reasons that are currently unclear. It added that Adelkhah did not appear to have her lawyer present at the hearing and neither were any French diplomats present.
The hearing was adjourned to a later date, it said…”
Iran Says to Execute ‘CIA Spy’ Soon
https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/2160651/iran-says-execute-%E2%80%98cia-spy%E2%80%99-soon
“A website linked to Iran’s judiciary carried a statement on Tuesday saying a man convicted of reportedly spying for the CIA would be executed soon.
The video statement from spokesman Gholam-Hossein Esmaili, marked “live” on the screen, was similar to a statement he gave on February 4.
It was not clear if Esmaili would address the topic at a press conference on Tuesday…”
0:00 / 4:55
After Hours: Rep. Steve Watkins (Coronavirus)
UAE Closes Schools, Universities for 4 Weeks over Coronavirus
https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/2161111/uae-closes-schools-universities-4-weeks-over-coronavirus
“The United Arab Emirates announced on Tuesday that schools and higher educational institutions will be closed for four weeks starting on Sunday to avoid the spreading of coronavirus.
The statement from the education ministry, posted by the state news agency (WAM), added that the spring holidays, which were due to start March 29 to April 12, will now start on Sunday.
The UAE reported six new coronavirus cases on Tuesday. They are two Russians, two Italians, one German and one Colombian. The patients were connected to the two previously announced cases associated with the cycling event, the UAE Tour, said WAM.
“The total number of coronavirus cases has reached 27,” the Health Ministry said, adding that five of the total number of cases were previously reported to have fully recovered.
Kuwait’s civil aviation authority said on Tuesday passengers from 10 countries including India, Turkey and Egypt must produce certificates saying they are coronavirus free.
Moreover, Port Authority manager Sheikh Yousef Abdullah al-Nasser al-Sabah said that Doha port was closed to avoid interacting with ship crews coming from Iran.
He added that “the security of Kuwait and the safety of its people is a red line”, and the closure is because Iran is classified as an infested country.
There are now over 2,540 cases of the new virus across the Middle East, with 2,336 in Iran alone. Of those outside Iran in the region, most link back to the country.
Qatar’s Health Ministry said on Tuesday it had recorded a new case of coronavirus, a Qatari national who was among a group evacuated from Iran on Feb. 27. This brings the number of infections in Qatar to eight.”
David Starkey on Islam in Britain
‘A show of force’: Muslim-Americans plan to get the vote out on Super Tuesday
https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/us-election-2020-muslim-americans-plan-get-vote-out-super-tuesday
“Data on Muslim-American voters is scarce and their voting patterns have hardly been studied, but according to a leading political action group, the Muslim vote could make a major difference on Super Tuesday.
Voters in 14 US states and one US territory will head to the polls on Tuesday, the largest day of voting in the primary season.
Voting will take place in heavily-populated states such as California and Texas, as well as key swing states such as Colorado, Minnesota, and Virginia.
Among them, California, Texas and Virginia have sizeable Muslim populations. Emgage PAC, an organisation that encourages political participation from Muslims, says followers of the faith could play a decisive role.
In Virginia, there are 214,000 registered Muslim voters – 80 percent of whom reside in Northern Virginia. In the 2016 election, the state was decided by just 212,000 votes.
“If our voter turnout is high, we could easily carry the winner for the nominee in regards to Virginia,” Mohamed Gula, Emgage’s Virginia executive director, told Middle East Eye.
‘We are united’
While Muslims make up a small percentage of the overall US population, just over one percent, there has been a steady rise in political engagement over the past few years.
Voter registration jumped by 13 percent between 2016 and 2019, standing at 73 percent last year.
“I think this is going to be the first year ever that we as a community, in regards to organisation, come together to make sure that we are united and that our community gets out the vote,” Gula said.
“We’re making sure that we as a community are coming out and that there will be a show of force – that’s one of the most important things for us moving forward into 2020.”
Efforts to get the vote out on Tuesday are being overseen by a number of different Muslim groups, including Emgage PAC, Jetpac, the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) and MPowerChange.
“I saw what it looked like for our community to retreat, to try to go into isolation to figure out how to lay low and really survive in this country,” Linda Sarsour, activist and co-founder of MPowerChange, said in a nationwide call last week.
“Just watching what we’ve been able to accomplish in the last 20 years, going from a place of fear and a place of isolation, to really being at the highest echelons of politics,” Sarsour said.
Abdul El-Sayed, an Egyptian American who ran for the Michigan governship in 2018, said on Tuesday that the Arabic word for voting translates to “using your voice”, encouraging everyone to participate in the election.
“We have a real responsibility to step up because this is a make or break, frankly, America defining election in 2020,” he said in a conference call hosted by MPowerChange last week.
‘This election is going to be about us’
Despite constant demonisation from right-wing media and conservative politicians, Muslims have made strides in politics since the 9/11 attacks.
Keith Ellison, the first Muslim congressman, was elected in 2007 and served Minnesota’s 5th district until 2019 when he pivoted and was elected as the state’s attorney general.
And last year, the first two Muslim congresswomen were sworn into office – Ilhan Omar, who succeeded Ellison in Minnesota, and Rashida Tlaib, a Palestinian-American who was elected in Michigan.
And then there’s the current wave of Muslim candidates running for Congress.
Still, Sarsour said there is a lot more work to be done, and that the rhetoric of “radical Islam” used in the 2016 election cycle has damaged a lot of the community’s political engagement since 9/11.
“One of the things I really committed to in 2020 is that we will no longer have conversations about us without us,” she said.
“This conversation, this election, is going to be about us. And it’s going to be with our voices and we’re going to use our voices.”
Bernie inspires us
Ahead of Super Tuesday, several Muslim groups have endorsed Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, who is currently leading in the latest polls.
Sanders has received endorsements from prominent Muslim-American figures, including Congresswomen Omar and Tlaib, and several Muslim rights groups.
Abrar Omeish, Sanders’ co-chair for Virginia and a school board member in Fairfax County, said the reason many Muslims were supporting Sanders’ campaign was because they were “tired of hypocrisy and special interests from those in power”.
“Muslims, like all Americans, want to be heard and represented. They want to know that their president cares and is responsive to their needs,” Omeish told MEE.
“Bernie’s campaign has been about an inclusive movement that will fight for every one of us, and his integrity has stood the test of time. He inspires us toward an elevated sense of citizenship.”
According to data published by the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding (ISPU), since President Donald Trump was elected to office, Muslims’ satisfaction with the country has tanked.
“We know that since 2016, American Muslims’ satisfaction with the direction of the country has declined from 63 percent in 2016 to 33 percent in 2019,” Erum Ikramullah, ISPU’s Research Project Manager, told MEE.
Ikramullah said that this may be why “American Muslims are seeking to take an active role in bringing about a country they are satisfied with.””
Abortion case before Supreme Court could deal serious blow to Roe v. Wade and give pro-lifers a huge win
Aaron Colen
The United States Supreme Court will hear a case out of Louisiana on Tuesday that could significantly increase states’ ability to enact laws restricting abortion and make it harder for doctors or clinics to challenge them in court, CBS News reported.
June Medical Services v. Russo is a case that challenges a 2014 Louisiana law known as the Unsafe Abortion Protection Act. That law requires doctors and abortion clinics to have admitting privileges to a nearby hospital in order to operate. Pro-abortion advocates view the law as a backdoor way to severely restrict abortion access, while the stated intent of the law is to ensure the safety of patients at abortion clinics.
https://www.theblaze.com/news/abortion-case-before-supreme-court-could-deal-serious-blow-to-roe-v-wade-and-give-pro-lifers-a-huge-win?utm_source=theblaze-breaking&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=20200303Trending-SCOTUSAbortion&utm_term=TheBlaze%20Breaking%20News
Ilhan Omar among 8 US Congress members raising concern for Egypt political prisoners
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20200303-ilhan-omar-among-8-us-congress-members-raising-concern-for-egypt-political-prisoners/
“Eight members of Congress including Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib have written a letter to the Egyptian ambassador to the US expressing their concern for human rights defenders in the north African state.
The letter “urges” the Egyptian government to make prisoners a priority.
“As Representatives of the American people,” the letter states, “we have a duty to ensure that American taxpayer dollars are not being used to violate the human rights of American citizens and / or the United States’ treaty obligations.”
“For years the United States has been a strong supporter of Egypt, and Congress has routinely appropriated over $1 billion per year in bilateral assistance.”
In September last year there was outrage after the US state department released $1.3 billion in military aid despite continuous human rights violations on the ground.
In 2018 the US announced it was blocking $290 million annual aid to Egypt citing human rights violations.
Rights groups have continually called on politicians to condition aid on Egypt’s adherence to human rights.
In Egypt there are 60,000 political prisoners who are systematically tortured and denied medical assistance.
In January the first US citizen died in an Egyptian prison after being denied medical care for his diabetes and heart condition. Moustafa Kassem was on hunger and thirst strike in protest against the conditions he was being kept in.
The State Department’s 2018 Egypt Human Rights Report notes a number of “extremely concerning ongoing human rights issues in Egypt” including arbitrary killings and life-threatening prison conditions.
“We are particularly concerned with the conditions faced by prisoners in Egyptian custody.”
The letter goes on to mention American citizens Reem Desouky and Khaled Hassan who continue to be detained in Egypt.
Also mentioned in the letter are Alaa Abdel Fattah, the well-known blogger was arrested as part of the September crackdown, and dual Egyptian-Palestinian citizen Ramy Shaath whose pre-trial detention has been consistently renewed. Along with lawyers Mohamed El-Baqer, Mahienour El-Massry and researchers Ibrahim Ezz El-Din and Patrick George Zaki.”
Surrey landlord must pay Indigenous former tenant $23,300 for not letting her smudge
So ordered the British Columbia Human Rights Tribunal
Tom ZytarukMar. 2, 2020 2:39 p.m.Local NewsNews
A Surrey landlord has been ordered to pay an Indigenous former tenant $23,300 for not letting her smudge in the basement suite she rented from him, with $20,000 of that in compensation for “injury to her dignity, feelings and self-respect.”
Crystal Smith, of the Tsimshian and Haisla First Nations, lodged a human rights complaint against her landlord Parminder Mohan, claiming in 2017 he discriminated against her based on her ancestry, race, place of origin and ancestry.
British Columbia Human Rights Tribunal member Pamela Murray, in finding the complaint “justified,” also ordered Mohan to pay Smith an additional $1,500 to cover lost wages for time she missed from work for having to move, “because of stress from the situation,” and $1,800 for expenses “incurred as a result of the contravention,” namely obtaining “expert evidence,” for a total penalty of $23,300.
“Overall, I find the nature of the discrimination serious and favours a fairly significant reward,” Murray concluded.
She also ordered Mohan to pay interest on the amounts until they are “paid in full, based on the rates in the Court Order Interest Act.”
https://www.surreynowleader.com/news/surrey-landlord-must-pay-aboriginal-former-tenant-23300-for-not-letting-her-smudge/#
Note: her lease specified ‘no smoking’
Canada’s terrorism offenders are coming out of prison still radicalized
At Suliman Mohamed’s 2016 sentencing for trying to join ISIS, the Ottawa judge presiding over his case did not hold back, scolding those aligned with the terrorist group for “embracing the devil.”
Mohamed got seven years.
But three years later, he was already out of prison on statutory release, although his parole report said he had not abandoned extremist ideology and remained a “significant” risk.
He was one of five terrorism offenders released from Canadian prisons in 2019, despite concerns raised by parole boards that four of them still posed a risk to public safety.
At least three more could be released this year.
https://globalnews.ca/news/6574722/terrorism-in-canada-deradicalization-programs-parole/
Libya shifts flights from Tripoli to Misrata amid heavier bombing
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-libya-security/libya-shifts-flights-from-tripoli-to-misrata-amid-heavier-bombing-idUSKBN20Q340
“The only functioning airport in the Libyan capital said late on Tuesday that it was shifting all flights to the town of Misrata due to shelling in the area following an escalation in fighting over recent days.
Rocket fire and shelling towards the airport ramped up late last week as a United Nations effort to bring the warring sides together in Geneva failed to make headway. On Monday, the U.N. special envoy Ghassan Salame said he was resigning.
The latest bout in Libya’s violence since the 2011 uprising that overthrew longtime ruler Muammar Gaddafi began last year, when the eastern-based military commander Khalifa Haftar launched a push to capture the capital.
Haftar’s forces are backed by the United Arab Emirates and Egypt, while the Tripoli-based Government of National Accord (GNA) is supported by Turkey, which sent forces this year.
Mitiga airport has been closed by rocket fire repeatedly in recent days and flights were suspended for much of Tuesday, with a military source in the eastern forces saying Turkish installations there were being targeted.
On Sunday, the GNA’s Interior Minister Fathi Bashagha told Reuters it would soon shift from defense to attack in order to push Haftar’s forces further from the capital.”
This is good.
40,000 imported surgical masks seized in Karachi
https://tribune.com.pk/story/2168663/1-40000-imported-surgical-masks-seized-karachi/
“Authorities have seized 40,000 surgical facemasks imported by a private firm during a raid at the Port Qasim, officials told The Express Tribune.
The raided was conducted by sensitive agencies based on a tip-off that a container shipped from abroad had a huge quantity of surgical facemasks, the officials said. The raid was authorised by the Sindh government.
The provincial government decided to purchase the consignment at market price from the private firm which officials feared was planning to sell the imported facemasks at an inflated price.
The police took the consignment into custody and later handed it over to the Provincial Health Department, which will distribute them to different state-run hospitals for the use of healthcare providers.
Surgical facemasks have disappeared from the Karachi market after the confirmation of first novel coronavirus cases in Pakistan which set off a mask-buying frenzy by panicking public. Taking benefit of the situation, pharmacies started selling their stocks at 10 and 20 times higher prices.
On Feb 29, the drugs inspectors had confiscated another consignment of N95 category facemasks at the Port Qasim. “We have taken a shipping container into custody, which carried a total of 80,000 N95 masks,” said chief drug inspector Shoaib Ansari.
He clarified that the firm had imported the masks legally by following all rules, but the provincial government has decided to control the trade of protective masks to overcome shortages at the state-run hospitals.
The importer was paid for the consignment and no penalty or fine was imposed on the firm.”
Trump, Mullah Baradar discuss Afghan peace deal over telephone
https://tribune.com.pk/story/2168780/3-trump-mullah-baradar-discuss-afghan-peace-deal-telephone/
“KARACHI: Afghan Taliban’s chief negotiator Mullah Baradar Akhund held a phone call with US President Donald Trump a few days after the two sides signed a troop withdrawal agreement in Doha, the Taliban’s spokesman said on Tuesday.
“The President of the United States Trump @realDonaldTrump held a phone conversation with the Political Deputy of the Islamic Emirate, the respected Mullah Baradar Akhund. Details later,” Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said on Twitter, adding in an emailed statement the call lasted more than 30 minutes.
The landmark deal signed in Doha, Qatar on Feb 29 lays out a timetable for a full troop withdrawal from Afghanistan within 14 months.
The agreement is expected to lead to dialogue between the Taliban and the Kabul government, seeking an end to the armed conflict that began in 2001.
The Taliban agreed to halt attacks in the war-torn country in return for a prisoner swap and the US lifting sanctions against them.
“In the presence of a number of members of the negotiation team and [US pointman on Afghan peace process] Zalmay Khalilzad, Mullah Baradar welcomed the first contact of the US president,” Mujahid said in a statement.
Baradar assured the US president of “positive future bilateral relations” if the United States honoured the recently-inked agreement.
Mullah Baradar said: “Mr. President! Take determined actions in regards to the withdrawal of foreign forces from Afghanistan and do not allow anyone to take actions that violate the terms of the agreement thus embroiling you even further in this prolonged war”.
The chief Taliban negotiator further said that “national sovereignty and establishing a government of our own choosing in our homeland is the legitimate right of Afghans therefore terms of the agreement must immediately be implemented, comprehensive peace established and the Afghan people given their basic rights”.
Baradar, the political deputy of the Islamic Emirate, also sought “complete rehabilitation assistance” for the war-torn country, telling Trump that “this appropriate action shall positively affect the status of the United States”.
Calling the Taliban “a tough people”, the US president said the withdrawal of foreign forces from Afghanistan was in everyone’s interest.
“It is a pleasure to talk to you. You are a tough people and have a great country and I understand that you are fighting for your homeland. We have been there for 19 years and that is a very long time and withdrawal of foreign forces from Afghanistan now is in the interest of everyone,” he was quoted by Mujahid as saying.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo would soon speak with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani in order to remove all hurdles facing the intra-Afghan negotiations, Trump told Baradar and assured him of taking “complete part in the future rehabilitation of Afghanistan”.
“Extensive discussions were also held about the implementation of the agreement concluded by both sides,” Mujahid conluded.”
Migrants: Turkey has violated agreement with EU, Mitsotakis
http://www.ansamed.info/ansamed/en/news/sections/politics/2020/03/03/migrants-turkey-has-violated-agreement-with-eu-mitsotakis_780b5fd4-316d-423c-8703-13cd19af793d.html
“Greek Premier Kyriakos Mitsotakis on Tuesday told a joint press conference with the presidents of EU institutions, who visited the border between Turkey and Greece where thousands of migrants are stranded after being rejected by Turkey, that ”what happened here over the past few days is painfully obvious to everybody”. ”Turkey, in full violation of the agreement with the EU, has encouraged and assisted in a systematic way tens of thousands of migrants and refugees to enter Greece. He has failed and he will continue to fail if he continues to pursue this strategy”.
The current one is ”not a problem of refugees anymore, it is a clear attempt by Turkey to use desperate” people to ”promote his geopolitical agenda and to distract attention from the horrible situation in Syria. The tens of thousands of people who have tried to enter Greece over the past few days were not coming from Idlib, they have long been in Turkey, safe, and many of them spoke Turkish”, the Greek premier said.
Mitsotakis also stressed how in the past the EU was not up to the challenge of dealing with migration, expressing the hope that this instead will be ”a wake up call for Europe”.
”Those who are trying to undermine Europe’s unity will be disappointed. We will maintain the line and our unity will be preserved. Turkey is not an enemy and people are not tools to reach an objective. Thanks to Greece for being our shield”, said the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, in a joint press conference at the Greek-Turkish border.
”Greece’s concerns are our” concerns, continued von der Leyen. ”The fact that we are here is a clear declaration of solidarity and support of the EU to Greece”, she continued, describing the situation at the border as ”very tense”. Von der Leyen said she is ready to ”mobilize resources” to support Athens, announcing financial assistance worth 700 million euros, the activation of a mechanism of civil protection and strengthening EU border agency Frontex.
”We have come here to express support for what you have done with your security services, with your teams and your government over the past few days. The Greek borders are Europe’s borders, this is fundamental and must be remembered,” said the president of the European Council Charles Michel.
”Greece is the EU’s shield and guarantees the stability of the entire continent” and as the rotating presidency of the EU Council ”we have come here to express solidarity to the Greek government as well as to demonstrate our common determination to help Greece give a response to this new potential migration crisis”, said Croatian Premier Andrej Plenkovic. ”The good relations between the EU and Turkey depend on each of us”, he added. ”We will try to find a political and diplomatic solution to ease this situation”.”
Erdo?an refuses to meet with Greek PM after refugees die
https://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/erdogan-refuses-to-meet-with-greek-pm-after-refugees-die-152641
“Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdo?an has refused to attend a meeting with the Greek prime minister in Sofia on March 6 upon the initiative of Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov after reports that the Greek police killed two Syrian refugees on the Turkish-Greek border.
Borisov on March 2 said that he suggested to host a trilateral summit in Sofia with the participation of Turkey and Greece, yet President Recep Tayyip Erdo?an turned down his offer after Greek police killed two refugees on the border.
Erdo?an and Borisov met on March 2 with the recent migration crisis on their agenda, as well as bilateral relations and cooperation.
Speaking at a joint news conference, Borisov said that no one is able to see “the huge humanitarian crisis at the door” and called on the EU to abide by the deals.
“I cannot understand why Turkey is not given resources [for the care of migrants]. One of the main principles of the EU is sharing the burden,” he said.
In the meantime, Erdo?an once again criticized the EU, accusing it of not fulfilling its commitments under the 2016 deal for migrants. He said that Turkey’s call for “fair burden and responsibility sharing” was left without a response…”
Italy’s coronavirus crisis: Foreign Office tells Britons NOT to travel to infected areas – as four more die and number of new Italian cases leap 45% in one day
Four more people have died from coronavirus in Italy, bringing the total number of fatalities to 11 as 322 cases were confirmed across the country.
The total number of cases in Italy rose to 322 from 229 on Monday, with the vast majority from Lombardy and Veneto, the economic powerhouse of the country that include the financial capital Milan and the tourist hotspot Venice.
Four new deaths were announced in the two regions – two men, aged 91 and 81, and two women, aged 83 and 76.
The spike in cases has sparked the UK Foreign Office to advise against all but essential travel to the 11 northern towns in Lombardy and Veneto.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8041467/Coronavirus-spreads-SOUTH-Italy-infected-tourist-north-visits-Sicily.html
UNICEF Urgently Needs $64Mln for Humanitarian Aid in Yemen – Regional Spokesperson
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/202003041078466891-unicef-urgently-needs-64mln-for-humanitarian-aid-in-yemen—regional-spokesperson/
“UNICEF is in urgent need of $64 million to assist the children in need in conflict-torn Yemen, fund Middle East and North Africa communications chief Juliette Touma said.
“We urgently need $64 million”, Touma said on the sidelines of a humanitarian forum in Saudi Arabia. “It is so important that something continues to come to organizations like UNICEF because the money we use to deliver lifesaving assistance to kids, to families in need, it really makes the situation a little bit better for poor families”.
Touma said, however, that this will not help bring the Yemeni crisis to an end.
“The solution is not humanitarian”, she said. “We do want to continue to deliver assistance to children… but really the solution here, like the situation in Syria and Libya, is a political solution. We do hope that the parties to the conflict go back to the political track… and that the efforts of the UN special envoy yield fruit to basically to bring a peaceful end to this carnage and to this war in Yemen”.
Touma also added that almost every child in Yemen now needs humanitarian assistance, with the number of children requiring aid reaching some 11 million. She noted that the situation in Yemen is especially dire for children because the current conflict in the country comes on the heels of decades of economic stagnation and poverty.
“All I would say is it could have been much, much, much worse if the UN was not on the ground delivering assistance to kids, the families, to old men, to old women, to men and women in general. The situation is quite desperate. It’s really unacceptable that we have children dying of hunger in the 21st century”, she said. “It is time for the guns to go silent in Yemen , for Yemen to be able to get back on its feet, for Yemen to rebuild bit by bit for the sake of children in Yemen”.
In the meantime, Juliette Touma noted that there are no coronavirus cases currently in Syria and Yemen but the fund is carrying out awareness-raising programs.
“I could only imagine how catastrophic it would be if we have this virus coming into these countries like Syria, like Yemen”, Touma said. “But thankfully, until now, we don’t have any cases, and hopefully with the awareness-raising campaigns that we’re doing on the ground… especially for hygiene, for washing hands – the virus would not come to these countries”.
The Saudi capital plans to host an international Yemen pledging event on 2 April, which the UN hopes will bring it more money to fund relief efforts in the war-torn country, where 80 percent of the population requires some kind of humanitarian assistance.
Yemen has been facing a severe humanitarian crisis since 2015, caused by the ongoing military conflict between the government headed by President Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi and the Houthi rebel movement, which controls the country’s north, including the capital of Sanaa.”