Reader’s Links for September 16, 2020

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.

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 September 16, 2020”

  1. U.N. Appoints ‘Child Sex Autonomy’ Advocate to Top Health Spot

    The United Nations appointed South African doctor Tlaleng Mofokeng, a/k/a Dr. T, was recently named Special Rapporteur on the Right to Health.

    According to the U.N. Human Rights, the Special Rapporteur is responsible for the following:

    He/She communicates with States and other concerned parties with regard to alleged cases of violations of the right to health (See Individual complaints) and other issues related to his/her mandate;
    He/She promotes the full realization of the right to health through dialogue with relevant actors by participating in seminars, conferences, expert meetings.

    https://insidescooppolitics.com/archives/2610

  2. Protesters Cross The Line At Trump Rally – Police Are Investigating Men Throwing Eggs At Children
    By Adam Casalino|September 15, 2020

    What’s Happening:

    Since the lockdowns ended, President Trump has brought back his historic rallies, but there are already allegations that they are being disrupted.

    As Trump supporters gathering airfields and arenas, it seems that protesters have been targeting them.

    An incident occurred in the past few days that should have all law-abiding citizens concerned.

    Police are investigating people who allegedly threw eggs during a Trump rally—and hit children:

    Delaware State Police on Monday told TheBlaze that “during a Republican Political Rally” Sunday outside the Crossroads Restaurant in Wilmington, three males between the ag

    https://thepatriotjournal.com/trump-rally-protesters-police-eggs/?utm_source=gap&utm_medium=email

  3. When a person has no affection in their lives and just wants to masurbate-sex with any stranger while wearing a mask to hide behind…

    …there’s always the miserable getting off on this by calling it equality.

    “Because being yourself…” (is in reality, the last place you are).
    https://youtu.be/A8DdXgF20ho

  4. Self-censorship in the US

    by Judith Bergman
    September 16, 2020 at 5:00 am

    A recent survey of 2,000 Americans by Cato Institute/YouGov found that 62% of Americans say “the political climate these days prevents them from saying things they believe because others might find them offensive”. This is up from 2017, when 58% agreed with this statement. “Majorities of Democrats (52%), independents (59%) and Republicans (77%) all agree they have political opinions they are afraid to share”.

    People who defined themselves as staunch liberals self-censored considerably less:

    https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/16337/self-censorship-in-the-us

  5. The New Middle East

    by Sara Al Nuaimi
    September 16, 2020 at 4:00 am

    The United Arab Emirates and Bahrain have taken a serious step in moving out of the draconian shackles of mindless and mumbling caliphate fantasies that some extremists mention as wiping out the Jewish people in a final conquest for the globe.

    The UAE’s groundwork to weed out this hogwash began five years ago. In 2015, the UAE passed a law against religious discrimination by creating ministries of tolerance, happiness and youth to develop an enlightened community — everyone included. A year later, schools in the UAE started teaching students peace and tolerance.

    By 2019, we were open and receptive to a memorable year in our national history — it was named the Year of Tolerance. It was then that the construction of the Abrahamic Family House was announced. It will include in one place a synagogue, a church and a mosque. That same year, Pope Francis made an epic visit to the UAE where, in the capital’s sports stadium, the first Papal Mass in Abu Dhabi was held, attended by close to 180,000 people.

    https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/16515/the-new-middle-east

  6. Chinese Regime ‘Weaponizing’ Tibet’s Rivers, Choking Asia’s Water Supply: Expert

    The Tibetan plateau, which serves as the source for 10 major rivers in Asia, provides water to hundreds of millions across the continent. But the Chinese regime has weaponized these waters to fuel its own industrialization, starving downstream Asian countries of this precious resource, China analyst and Tibetan activist Maura Moynihan says.

    She sounded the warning as water management has gained importance in China, which has experienced its worst flooding in decades. Over the past few months, tens of millions of people were displaced across central and southwestern China, and billions of dollars have been wiped from China’s economy.

    The flooding has also renewed concerns about the structural integrity and environmental effects of the world’s largest hydroelectric project, the Three Gorges Dam on the Yangtze River. In August, water flowing into the dam’s reservoir reached record highs and approached maximum capacity. Critics have argued that the dam has limited ability to control flooding, and that its presence may exacerbate problems in the long run. Should the dam collapse, millions of lives would be in danger.

    https://www.theepochtimes.com/chinese-regime-weaponizes-tibets-rivers-choking-asias-water-supply-expert_3501234.html?utm_source=CCPVirusNewsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=2020-09-15

    • India cheats its little neighbors on water - no offense intended! Maybe this is just dirty MB/British media.

      (When India becomes your BBF, you’re loyal. Look how they defend and praise Russia, no matter what. That seems to be an Indian trait.)

      Why water war has broken out in India’s Silicon Valley

      Violence has broken out in India’s technology hub Bangalore in Karnataka state over a long-running dispute about water. Protesters are angry at a Supreme Court ruling ordering Karnataka to share water from the Cauvery river with neighbouring Tamil Nadu.

      https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-37346570

  7. CDC director: Scientific integrity not altered

    The director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention told Senate lawmakers that his agency has not altered its scientific publications on the coronavirus.

  8. zero hedge – Facebook Censors Tucker Carlson’s Interview With “Rogue” Chinese Scientist

    After “rogue” Chinese scientist Dr. Li-Meng Yan was silenced by Twitter yesterday over her claims that the coronavirs was “created in a lab”, Tucker Carlson had her on his show last night to try and give her message – which has been condemned as fraudulent by the press – a broader airing.

    After telling Tucker and his audience that the CCP is trying to “disappear” her, Dr. Mong said SARS-CoV-2 was a “frankenvirus” designed to target humans, and that it was “intentionally released.”

    “It could never comes from nature,” she said, at one point, referring to COVID-19. Of course, the mainstream press reports that there’s no evidence to suggest that the virus was cooked up in a lab. They insist that science has established the “official story” (zoonotic transmission, the same route most deadly viruses attack humans), and that anything questioning that narrative is dangerous propaganda released by foreign adversaries and Trump-aligned media.

    After Tucker’s social media managers shared a clip from Tuesday night’s show, however, Facebook immediately jumped on the censorship bandwagon, blocking the clip and imposing a label reading “false info”

    In the face of growing popular backlash and antitrust scrutiny, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has largely caved to critics on the left insisting that Facebook was facilitating the downfall of democracy by allowing for the spread of dangerous lies and “false” – some might say “unproven” – rumors. The company recently said it would bar new election ads during the final week of the campaign to prevent a last-minute devolution into brutal mudslinging.

    A similar post shared on the show’s Facebook page, with more than 2.5 million followers, was also censored.

    https://www.zerohedge.com/political/facebook-censors-tucker-carlsons-interview-rogue-chinese-scientist

  9. Strzok: History Will See Me as a Patriot Defending America Against a Russian Attack on Our Elections

    Former FBI agent Peter Strzok said on Wednesday’s broadcast of MSNBC’s “Live,” that history would see him and all the government agents that worked on the counterintelligence investigation into possible links between the Russian government and Trump campaign officials as “patriots.”

    Tur asked, “25 years from now, how does history see you?”

    Strzok said, “I think it sees all of us as patriots who were working as hard as we could to defend America against a Russian threat, against a Russian attack on our elections that helped elect the 45th president of the United States.”

    https://www.breitbart.com/clips/2020/09/16/strzok-history-will-see-me-as-a-patriot-defending-america-against-a-russian-attack-on-our-elections/

    MSNBC – Peter Strzok: Trump Associates Had ‘Pervasive Pattern Of Contact’ With Russians

    Former FBI Agent Peter Strzok speaks out on his warning about potential ties between Russia and the Trump administration, defends the text messages that ultimately ended his career at the FBI and speaks on the current state of the Department of Homeland Security. Aired on 9/16/2020.

  10. US to Lose Snapback Bid: Iran’s President
    https://www.tasnimnews.com/en/news/2020/09/16/2350044/us-to-lose-snapback-bid-iran-s-president

    “President Hassan Rouhani congratulated the Iranian nation in advance on the country’s victory at the UN Security Council as the US’ push to trigger the snapback mechanism of the JCPOA for reinstating the sanctions on Iran is going to end in failure.

    In an address to a cabinet session on Wednesday, Rouhani said the US government is going to suffer another defeat at the UNSC after its recent failure to extend the UN arms embargo on Iran.

    He said Washington’s upcoming failure to activate the snapback mechanism of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action would mark another major and historic victory for the Iranian nation.

    The Iranian nation may rest assured that the US will suffer another humiliating defeat on Saturday and Sunday, the president said, stressing that the US has no right to resort to the snapback mechanism since it has withdrawn from the 2015 nuclear deal and has been encouraging others to scrap the accord as well.

    Last month, 13 countries of the 15-member council rejected the US push to trigger the so-called snapback provision in the 2015 nuclear deal, leaving Washington isolated on the issue.

    UNSC Resolution 2231, which enshrined the JCPOA, states that if no council member has put forward a draft resolution to extend sanctions relief on Iran within 10 days of a non-compliance complaint, then the body’s president shall do so within the remaining 20 days.

    The document, however, says the Security Council would “take into account the views of the states involved.”

    US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has claimed that all UN sanctions against Iran will be reinstated on September 20 after the US “activated the snapback mechanism.”

    However, the claim was strongly condemned by other signatories of the nuclear deal including the EU, Russia and China.”

  11. Islamic Awakening Assembly Condemns Normalization of Ties with Israel
    https://www.tasnimnews.com/en/news/2020/09/16/2350449/islamic-awakening-assembly-condemns-normalization-of-ties-with-israel

    “The Supreme Council of the World Assembly of Islamic Awakening condemned the UAE and Bahrain’s move to establish ties with the Zionist regime, calling on all Islamic nations and governments to support the cause of Palestine until ultimate victory against Israel.
    The 13th session of the Supreme Council of the World Assembly of Islamic Awakening was held as an extraordinary meeting via videoconference at the central office of Tasnim News Agency in Tehran on Wednesday.

    The webinar, attended by more than 50 experts from various Islamic nations, was held as an extraordinary meeting to discuss the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain’s recent decision to normalize ties with the Zionist regime of Israel.

    The final statement of the online meeting has condemned the US-initiated deal of the century and the plans for normalization of relations with the Zionist regime, calling on all Muslim, freedom- and justice-seeking people, groups, parties, currents and governments in the world to provide full support for the cause of Palestine and help the oppressed Palestinian people until ultimate victory against the usurping, cruel and child-murdering Zionist regime.

    The governments of Abu Dhabi and Manama have agreed to normalize ties with Israel as part of a diplomatic push by US President Donald Trump.

    The following is the full text of the final statement:

    In the Name of God

    Final Statement of the 13th Consultative Meeting of the Supreme Council of the Islamic Awakening Assembly;

    With the help of God Almighty and simultaneously with the days of mourning of Head and fellow martyrs, the 13th session of the Supreme Council of the Islamic Awakening Assembly was attended by more than 50 scholars, jurists, thinkers, elites and intellectuals of the Islamic world at the invitation of the World Assembly of Islamic Awakening. It was held on Wednesday, September 16, 2020, coinciding with the 27th of Muharram, 1442 AH, which was held in a virtual and webinar.

    The scholars and intellectuals that were present in this webinar, while expressing satisfaction with the success of the regional resistance front, considering the time and situation in which was the seriousness and crucial issues for the advancement of the Islamic world, emphasized the following points:

    1. Palestine is the number one issue of the Islamic world. The Palestinian movements have made great efforts over the past 70 years by adopting negotiation and resistance approaches to realize their rights and determine the fate and independence of Palestine. In the approach of long negotiations, no tangible achievement has been achieved for the oppressed Palestinian people, except for the neglect, concessions, burning opportunities and development of settlements and the comprehensive support of the global arrogance for the occupying regime in Jerusalem.

    But in recent decades, and in the approach of resistance, relying on the enlightened rules of the Qur’an especially in the verse [Therefore stand firm (in the straight Path) as thou art commanded,- thou and those who with thee turn (unto Allah.; and transgress not (from the Path): for He seeth well all that ye do (Hood: 11)] we have witnessed profound changes in the political, security and military stages and the oppressed nation of Palestine against oppression.

    Displacement, forced migration, house demolition, destruction, killing, etc. In which they have no choice

    but to fight rationally as the only way and the best method of resistance.

    2. Unfortunately, in recent weeks, we have witnessed the normalization and revelation of the deplorable relations between the reactionary Arab states of Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates and the fictitious Zionist regime.

    The heinous and power hungry America, with the coordination and pressure of international Zionism and the cooperation of some Arab sheikhs, seeks to implement the treacherous deal of the century.

    Recognition of the transfer of the capital from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, acceptance of the Golan Heights as part of Zionist territory by the United States Internationalization in Bahrain and Europe, and ultimately the normalization of relations between reactionary rulers, is part of the implementation of the Plan for the Deal of the Century.

    The 13th Assembly of the Supreme Council of the Islamic Awakening Assembly, while condemning the deal of the century and the normalization of relations between the states affiliated with the usurping Zionist regime, calls on all peoples, groups, parties, Islamic governments, libertarians and justice seekers to fully support, from the Palestinian cause to the complete victory over the eradication of the usurper, oppressive, 3 child-killing Zionist regime, and rush to the aid of the oppressed people of Palestine.

    3. Passivity and hypocrisy of some mercenary rulers in normalizing relations with cancer, usurper Israel, will only result in nothing but humiliation and disgrace among the freedom-seekers and awakening nations of the region, and the collapse and annihilation of the rulers who have tied their destiny to the spider web of the Zionist regime like their tyrannical ancestors.

    On the other hand, the only way to escape and save is to resist and respond to the bullying of the Zionist regime, which is given with perseverance and reliance on the fulfillment of God’s promise and unseen help, which was written the holy verse [and surely Allah will help him who helps His cause; Hajj: 40] victory and Triumph are promised to those who prevail, If God Will in the near future, we will witness the liberation of Holy Quds and its return to its original owners and the complete eradication of its brutal regime and the tyrant occupying Quds.

    4. Certainly, the reliance of Muslim countries on the discourse of resistance and spiritual capacities that are derived from the immutable promises and traditions of God have turned threats into strategic opportunities for the Islamic world and by promoting the Islamic Awakening movement with the spirit of self-confidence, dignity and The honor of Muslims has set a new model of struggle for the advancement of other nations.

    5. Insolence in the presence of the Great and Holy prophets and The Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) is part of the Islamophobia project and a corner of the cultural, 4 religious and religious terrorism of international Zionism, which is being implemented by the enemies of Islam in recent weeks.

    Therefore, it is obligatory on all Muslims and freedomseekers of the world, especially the scholars and thinkers of the Islamic world, to condemn such a movement with unity, cohesion and enlightenment, religious insight and with a smart and coordinated movement from the highest official levels to the strata of Islamic societies.

    And to take a clear and bold stance against these sinister people, So that we will not give the enemy any opportunities to have more power, the same power that were given to the hearts of billions of the arrogant and freedom-loving people around the world.

    6. The nations of the region have potential and unique capabilities such as the geostrategic position of Islamic countries, underground resources, motivated, brave, creative and future-making youth, fields of science and thought production, infrastructure and distinct cultural position and the possibility of establishing a strategic link between the components of the Islamic world against the oppressors in which the exploitation of this movement will lead to the rule of the oppressed Muslim nations over their destiny.

    7. Now that the sworn enemies of Islam have used all their power and capacities in the perversion and exploitation of the nations of the region and are ostensibly in their wrongdoing, it is clear to all Muslims and freedom-seekers of the world by using all the above-mentioned capacities and presenting clear positions, they should carry out their plans and actions against the 5 scandal of the enemies and their puppets and prevent the breaking of the ugliness of normalization of relations with the usurping Zionist regime.

    And reduce all its efforts in cases such as severing all overt and covert relations with the Zionist enemy, boycotting the goods, products and artifacts of American-Zionist companies and institutions, severing and limiting cultural, social and political relations with treacherous reactionary states.

    And lessen the implementation for the level of formal and informal relations, the ban on communication with the citizens of the Zionist regime, the treacherous marches and anti-compromise demonstrations.

    At the end of the webinar, the participants thanked for the plan to hold such meetings in cyberspace, praising the noble, deep ideas and support of Ayatollah Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution in the unity of Muslims and continuing the line of support for the oppressed world in which they appreciates and thanks for the efforts of the Secretary General of the World Assembly of Islamic Awakening, authorities, elites, thinkers and intellectuals of the Islamic Awakening.”

  12. Iraqi Intelligence Officers Arrest 10 Daesh Terrorists in Nineveh
    https://www.tasnimnews.com/en/news/2020/09/16/2350222/iraqi-intelligence-officers-arrest-10-daesh-terrorists-in-nineveh

    “The intelligence service of the Iraqi Ministry of Interior announced on Wednesday that it had arrested ten Daesh militants in Nineveh province.

    “Through continuous monitoring of ISIS gangs in Nineveh Governorate, the intelligence represented by Nineveh intelligence arrested 10 terrorists in separate areas of the governorate,” according to a statement by the ministry, Shafaq News reported.

    It explained that “the terrorists worked in the so-called Diwan al-Jund, the state of Dijlah, the state of Nineveh, and Askar in the Dabiq army, using with different names.”

    “Through preliminary investigations, they admitted their affiliation with ISIS and their participation in several terrorist operations against the security forces and citizens,” it added, noting that “they were referred to the judiciary to be punished fairly”.

    In recent months, suspected Daesh militants have stepped up attacks, particularly in the area between Kirkuk, Salahuddin (north), and Diyala (east), known as the “Triangle of Death”.

    In 2017, Iraq declared victory over Daesh by reclaiming all of its territory – about a third of the country’s area – invaded by the terrorist group in 2014.

    However, the terrorist group still maintains sleeper cells in some areas of Iraq and periodically launches attacks.

    The Iraqi army and popular forces continue to carry out frequent operations against the terror group in these parts of the country.”

  13. Portugal Migrant Arrivals Prompt Negotiations with Morocco
    https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/2512006/portugal-migrant-arrivals-prompt-negotiations-morocco

    “Lisbon and Rabat are negotiating a deal that would allow an agreed number of citizens from Morocco to work legally in Portugal, a senior Portuguese official said Wednesday.

    The announcement came amid fears that undocumented migrants seeking a way into the European Union are increasingly targeting Portugal.

    On Tuesday, a wooden boat carrying 28 African migrants arrived on the southern Portuguese coast. It was the sixth boat known to arrive this year, bringing the total of captured migrants to almost 100.

    That trend has started a debate on whether traffickers are testing Portuguese border controls amid a European crackdown in the Mediterranean Sea and high fatalities on the sea route between Africa and Spain’s Canary Islands.

    Interior Minister Eduardo Cabrita told reporters that Portugal and Morocco are weighing a proposal on legal migration. He said Portugal is short of workers, especially in construction and farming.”

  14. Sudan seizes explosives large enough to ‘blow up the entire capital’
    https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/sudan-seizes-explosives-enough-blow-up-capital

    “Sudan’s public prosecutor said on Wednesday that authorities arrested 41 people and seized an amount of explosives large enough to destroy the capital Khartoum.

    According to the Public Prosecutor Taj Eldin al-Sirr, “the seized explosives are very dangerous, including materials similar to the ones that destroyed Beirut port.”

    “We seized huge quantities of ammonium nitrate in raids in the east of the Nile,” Sirr told a press conference.

    “The Rapid Support Forces set up 12 ambushes, which resulted in the arrest of 41 people, and the confiscation of dangerous explosive materials that could blow up the entire capital”.

    The prosecutor added that those arrested are currently being investigated.

    According to the official Sudanese News Agency, the captured explosive materials “pose a security risk to Sudan and its neighbouring countries”.

    Sirr urged citizens to be alert and “to report anything suspicious”.

    Ammonium nitrate is an industrial chemical commonly used for fertilisers, but can also be used as an explosive, often in mining.

    Lebanon’s government has attributed the enormous blast that hit the capital Beirut on 4 August to the 2,700 tonnes of the chemical compound ammonium nitrate, which had been left lying in a warehouse in the port since 2013.

    The blast killed at least 190 people and injured 6,500, while the World Bank has estimated that it caused up to $8.1bn in damage and economic losses in the cash-strapped country.

    Meanwhile, Brigadier General Jamal Jumaa Adam, the official spokesman for the RSF, warned during Wednesday’s press briefing of the transfer of large quantities of explosives to neighbouring countries.

    “We are afraid that we will be classified once again as a state sponsor of terrorism,” he said.

    The materials confiscated in recent operations include 3,594 detonating capsules, a detonation cord, and four sacks containing nitrate, according to the spokesman. The seized quantity of the chemical compound was small.

    Adam added that citizens deal with the detonating capsules as a trade, where they are supplied for 3,000 Sudanese pounds ($54) then sold for 15,000 pounds ($271).

    He also said his forces have been monitoring “cells” trading in explosives since 19 August and that a large part of these groups has been dismantled.”

  15. Millions in Yemen could lose telecoms access in Houthi areas
    https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20200916-millions-in-yemen-could-lose-telecoms-access-in-houthi-areas/

    “Thousands of Yemenis could soon lose access to telecommunications and internet services in the capital, Sanaa, due to a lack of fuel needed to operate the corporation’s facilities, Yemen’s Saba news agency reported.

    The agency quoted a corporation source saying that the telecommunications corporation’s stock of fuel is about to run out which could cause the switchboards and other stations to stop operating.

    “Large segments of Yemenis will be deprived of communication and internet service, and most economic and banking activities that depend on telecommunications services and the internet to conduct their business will cease,” the source said, adding that the activities of vital sectors that depend on fuel to produce energy and operate their equipment as well as transportation could also stop.

    The Houthis have recently closed Sanaa International Airport to the UN and other humanitarian aid flights claiming that the internally recognised Yemeni government and Arab coalition have prevented the entry of oil derivatives needed to operate the airport.

    However, the internationally-recognised Yemeni government accuses the Houthis of taking advantage of the suffering of civilians to cover up their theft of more than 50 billion riyals ($0.2 billion) of oil derivatives revenues from Hudaydah port, designated to pay the salaries of public sector employees.

    Moreover, the government says the fuel crisis in the Houthi-controlled areas is “fabricated”, explaining that the country has received fuel that covers the Yemeni people’s needs for at least seven months.”

  16. 16,000 African migrants detained under ‘hellish’ condition in a single Saudi detention centre
    https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20200916-16000-african-migrants-detained-under-hellish-condition-in-a-single-saudi-detention-centre/

    “Further details have emerged of the horrific treatment meted out to African migrants by Saudi officials in the second report in a month by the Telegraph exposing the “slave” like treatment of thousands of Ethiopians stranded in the kingdom.

    About 16,000 migrants are being held in just one Saudi centre, Ethiopia’s Consul General in Jeddah Abdo Yassin said adding that it was “just the tip of the iceberg”.

    “Jeddah has over 53 prisons. Ethiopians are held in every one of them,” Yassin is reported saying in the Telegraph. “If you take the one at Al Shumaisi…located around 60km from Jeddah, there are about 16,000 Ethiopians kept in the prison and the holding cells.” Al Shumasi detention centre is near the holy city of Makkah.

    Yassin’s comments shed further light on the gruesome treatment of African refugees in Saudi Arabia, which was exposed earlier this month. Hundreds, if not thousands of black African migrants are locked up in squalid conditions in Saudi Arabian coronavirus detention centres, reminiscent of Libya’s slave camps, according to an investigation by the Sunday Telegraph.

    There has been mounting pressure ever since for the Ethiopian government in Addis Ababa to repatriate the migrants stuck in the centres. Last week, nearly 150 women and children are said to have been repatriated to Ethiopia from Saudi Arabia.

    However, details uncovered by the Telegraph have shown that migrants had to purchase their own one-way tickets home from Ethiopian Airlines: something that the vast majority of impoverished migrants cannot do.

    To make matters worse, the Ethiopian embassy in Riyadh announced on Monday that Saudi immigration authorities had voided the agreement, leaving Ethiopian migrants with no remaining avenues to escape the kingdom.

    “It is shocking to hear that up to 16,000 Ethiopian migrants might be languishing in detention in the Al Shumaisi facility. Human Rights Watch and the Telegraph documented horrific conditions in two other centres in Jazan Saudi Arabia where thousands more Ethiopian migrants may also reside,” said Nadia Hardman, a researcher at the NGO Human Rights Watch.”

  17. German minister defends decision to take refugees from Greek islands
    https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20200916-german-minister-defends-decision-to-take-refugees-from-greek-islands/

    “Interior Minister Horst Seehofer on Wednesday defended Germany’s decision to take a further 1,553 refugees from camps in Greece, saying the country could be proud of its role in Europe’s migration crisis, Reuters reports.

    On Tuesday, Germany announced it would take in 408 families, mostly children and their parents, after a fire devastated the overcrowded Moria refugee camp on the island of Lesbos, leaving almost 13,000 migrants homeless.

    But the decision drew criticism, especially from the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party which surged in popularity following Chancellor Angela Merkel’s 2015 decision to let in more than a million refugees, some of them fleeing conflicts in the Middle East.

    The latest move was not comparable in scale, Seehofer told German legislators, adding that, unlike in 2015, Germany knew exactly who it was taking in and all of them had already been confirmed to be genuine asylum seekers.

    The total number of asylum seekers Germany would admit this year would not exceed 100,000, he added.

    The decision to admit the asylum seekers followed pressure from regional politicians who said their cities and regions were prepared to take in refugees, and from activist groups who protested outside parliament under the slogan “We Have Space”.

    The federal government is still hoping to negotiate a Europe-wide solution under which refugees can be dispersed throughout the European Union.

    “I am the only interior minister in Europe so far who has put forward a proposal for solving this issue,” Seehofer told legislators. “Germany can be proud of that.”

    German society is divided on the issue. While 47% of people want to take in refugees from Moria, 39% do not, according to a YouGov poll for Die Welt.”

  18. US designates Al Jazeera affiliate as foreign agent
    https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20200916-us-designates-al-jazeera-affiliate-as-foreign-agent/

    “In what is seen as a highly political move, the US Justice Department has ordered Al Jazeera’s affiliate youth channel AJ+ to register as a foreign agent. The decision has sparked controversy, with the Qataris suggesting that the move was one of the demands made by the UAE before normalising relations with Israel.

    AJ+ – a network that primarily produces short videos for social media in English as well as Arabic, French and Spanish, the US justice Department said in a letter obtained by the New York Times had engaged in “political activities” on behalf of Qatar’s government and should therefore be subject to the Foreign Agents Registration Act.

    Explaining its determination, the letter claimed that Qatar provides AJ+ funding and appoints its board of directors and that the channel was seeking to influence US perception. “Journalism designed to influence American perceptions of a domestic policy issue or a foreign nation’s activities or its leadership qualifies as ‘political activities’ under the statutory definition,” said the letter, “even if it views itself as ‘balanced.’”

    Al Jazeera Media Network, AJ+’s parent organisation, insisted that AJ+ was independent and therefore should not have to register as a foreign agent, and that it was “considering our options”.

    Al Jazeera has suggested that the move was politically motivated, coming as it did at the same time as the UAE had normalised relations with Israel and in light of Abu Dhabi’s deep hostility towards its Gulf neighbour.

    “The U.A.E. has confirmed it presented the United States with preconditions prior to announcing the Abraham Accords, and we received D.O.J.’s letter the day before the U.A.E. signed the Accords,” said Al Jazeera’s statement, referring to the agreement signed at the White House yesterday. “Hobbling Al Jazeera was one of the top conditions of the U.A.E.’s blockade against Qatar and the Justice Department just gave the U.A.E. what it wanted.”

    Denying the allegation, Emirates’ Ambassador to the United States, Yousef Al-Otaiba, said in an email to the Times: “At no point in our discussions was Al Jazeera or even Qatar raised.” He added, of Al Jazeera, “they’re really not as important as they think they are.”

    Al Jazeera has been a major target in the UAE and Saudi led cold war with Qatar, which saw the gas rich Gulf Kingdom put under a blockade in 2017. One of the 13 demands made by the blockading countries, which include Egypt and Bahrain, is the closure of Al Jazeera before relations return to normal with Qatar.”

  19. 964 assets of banned JuD, JeM frozen
    https://tribune.com.pk/story/2264284/964-assets-of-banned-jud-jem-frozen

    “The government has frozen 964 properties of proscribed outfits Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) and Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), the interior ministry informed the Senate on Wednesday.

    In response to Jamaat-e-Islami Senator Mushtaq Ahmed’s query, the ministry told the upper house of parliament that 907 of the frozen properties belonged to JuD and 57 to JeM.

    Submitting the ministry’s written reply to the Senate, Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Ali Muhammad Khan elaborated that the provincial home departments had frozen the properties of proscribed organisations under the United Nations Security Council (Freezing and Seizure) Order, 2019 issued by the foreign affairs ministry.

    A total of 611 properties of JuD were frozen in Punjab, followed by 108 in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, 80 in Sindh, 61 in Azad Jammu and Kashmir, 30 in Balochistan and 17 in Islamabad Capital Territory.

    Similarly, eight properties of JeM were frozen in Punjab, 29 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 12 in Azad Jammu and Kashmir, four in Islamabad Capital Territory, three in Sindh and one in Balochistan.

    The frozen properties of the JuD include 76 schools, four colleges, 330 mosques and seminaries, 186 dispensaries, 15 hospitals, 262 ambulances, a funeral bus, three disaster management offices, 10 boats, 17 buildings, a plot, an agricultural land and two motorcycles.

    The properties of the JeM frozen by the government include 53 mosques and seminaries, two dispensaries and two ambulances.

    Earlier this year, an anti-terrorism court had sentenced JuD chief Hafiz Muhammad Saeed to five-and-a-half years in prison in two cases after finding him guilty of terror financing and affiliation with an outlawed group.

    In July last year, 13 top leaders of the banned outfit, including its chief Hafiz Saeed and Naib Emir Abdul Rehman Makki, were booked in nearly two dozen cases of terror financing and money laundering under the ATA. Hafiz Saeed was later arrested by the CTD on July 17 while he was travelling between Gujranwala and Lahore.

    The CTD, in a major crackdown against terror financing, registered 23 cases against Saeed and 12 aides for using five trusts to “funnel funds to terror suspects”.

    The CTD said it had registered cases under the ATA in Lahore, Gujranwala and Multan against the leadership of banned outfits JuD, Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Falah-e-Insaniyat Foundation (FIF)

    The accused were raising funds using five trusts — Dawatul Irshad Trust, Moaz Bin Jabal Trust, Al Anfaal Trust, Al Madina Foundation Trust and Alhamd Trust.

    The government had placed the JuD in its list of banned outfits in February last year and decided to launch a crackdown on the JeM, which was banned in 2002 by then military ruler General Pervez Musharraf.

    The decision was made to take action against the individuals and organisations banned by United Nations Security Council. The LeT too is among the list of proscribed outfits since 2002.”

  20. Nearly 800 illegal migrants try to cross Hungary’s border every week
    https://rmx.news/article/article/nearly-800-illegal-migrants-try-to-cross-hungary-s-border-every-week-police

    “Hungarian police say they are dealing with between 600 and 800 illegal entry attempts into Hungary every week since the end of May, when Hungary lifted its coronavirus restrictions, with most attempts coming from the Serbian border to the south and the Romanian one to the east.

    According to police statistics, last week alone, Hungarian border guards and police prevented the entry of 147 illegal immigrants and caught another 605 migrants who crossed over, who were then sent back to the country they entered Hungary from.

    Migrants are also operating with the help of people smugglers, some who come from neighboring European countries. For example, in the early hours of Monday morning, Hungarian police, acting on information from the International Crimes Department, detained two vehicles carrying 13 illegal migrants all who claimed to be Syrian, the National Police announced on its official site.

    The two cars, one with Romanian and one with Austrian registration, had been stopped on the M1 motorway linking Budapest to Vienna.

    Both cars were driven by Romanian nationals. Police said that all involved persons are currently being held at the Gy?r-Moson-Sopron County police in northwestern Hungary. After questioning, the illegal migrants will be deported to Romania while the two drivers — pending the outcome of questioning — are expected to be charged with people smuggling.

    If convicted, they face one to five years in prison or — if it turns out they were part of an organized network — five to fifteen years.

    Hungary has accused the European Commission of waging a systematic fight against Hungary’s attempts to protect its border, but has vowed to keep its border fence and defend its borders.

    “The [European] Commission is working systematically on weakening European border defense and taking away the means to effectively acting against illegal migration from the member states, chief among them being Hungary,” Hungarian government spokesman Zoltán Kovács said in June of this year.

    Kovács said that the previous European Commission launched a political attack against the border fence Hungary built in the summer of 2015 to stem the migration inflow and is constantly working together with NGOs which “unequivocally support and even organize migration”.

    He also referenced a European Court of Justice (ECJ)’s ruling on Thursday that found Hungary illegally held asylum seekers at the Röszke transit zone on the border with Serbia, with Hungarian officials saying that Europe’s top court is putting border defense capabilities of nation states at risk.”

  21. VIDEO: Swedish woman randomly punched in the face by migrant youth
    https://rmx.news/article/article/video-swedish-woman-randomly-punched-in-the-face-by-migrant-youth

    “A video of what appears to be a man of Middle Eastern descent striking a White woman in Sweden has been shared widely on social media. In the video, the perpetrator can be seen striking the woman with full force while the perpetrator’s friend who is filming laughs after she falls to the pavement.

    Swedish media outlet Samhällsnytt reported that the video began spreading on social media this weekend, but it is unclear when the incident occurred.

    The original video featured the username “ALIBALOTELLII” embossed on the video, which was connected to an Instagram account that of the same name. Once the video gained widespread attention, the person who owned the account deactivated the Instagram page.

    Sources told Samhällsnytt that the man seen in the video is a 20-year-old man named “Ali” who lives in a no-go neighborhood in Rosengård in Malmö, which has recently experienced riots from Muslim men after right-wing Danish activists burned a Quran in the city.”

  22. Bergoglio worried about Antarctic glaciers

    Bergoglio launches an appeal to take care of the environment and actively safeguard the planet, during his weekly audience at the Vatican.

  23. Libya: GNA head Fayez al-Sarraj announces resignation

    The UN-backed Government of National Accord’s Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj, the head of Libya’s Presidential Council, announced his intention to step down during a televised address to the Libyan people, in Tripoli, on Wednesday.

    “I announce my sincere desire to hand over my duties to the Executive Authority which will be formed no later than next October. By that time, we hope the dialogue committee has already completed its works and selected a new presidential council along with a new Prime Minister, wishing them success,” al-Sarraj said.

    “The social and political milieu was – and continues to be – in a state of acute polarisation and division, which made all attempts to reach peaceful solutions to prevent bloodbath and maintain our vulnerable social fabric, very challenging.”

    Libya has been torn by conflict since the ousting of former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011. More recently the country has been split into areas controlled by the GNA in Tripoli and the northwest, and territories held by the eastern-based Libyan National Army in Benghazi, led by Khalifa Haftar.