Reader’s Links for October 8, 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

94 Replies to “Reader’s Links for October 8, 2020”

  1. US Seizes Iran ‘Propaganda’ Websites
    https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/2552816/us-seizes-iran-propaganda-websites

    “The US has seized 92 web domains used by Iran, including four which purported to be genuine English language news sites, the Justice Department announced Wednesday.

    The sites were identified first with intelligence from Google and then also with help from Twitter and Facebook, the department said.

    Four of them, with the domain names “newsstand7com,” “usjournalnet,” “usjournalus,” and “twtodaynet,” were “operated by or on behalf” of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps to influence United States domestic and foreign policy, the Department said.

    The other 88 domains also included purported news sites “to spread Iranian propaganda” targeted at Western Europe, the Middle East and Southeast Asia.

    Visitors to the websites Wednesday could see a statement saying “This domain has been seized by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.”

    “We will continue to use all of our tools to stop the Iranian Government from misusing US companies and social media to spread propaganda covertly, to attempt to influence the American public secretly, and to sow discord,” said Assistant Attorney General John Demers.

    “Fake news organizations have become a new outlet for disinformation spread by authoritarian countries as they continue to try to undermine our democracy,” Demers said.”

  2. US Blacklists All of Iran’s Financial Sector
    https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/2553966/us-blacklists-all-irans-financial-sector

    “Washington has hit virtually all of Iran’s financial sector with sanctions, dealing another blow to an economy that is already reeling under US sanctions.

    Thursday’s move hits 18 Iranian banks that had thus far escaped the bulk of re-imposed US sanctions and, more importantly, subjects foreign, non-Iranian financial institutions to penalties for doing business with them. Thus, it effectively cuts them off from the international financial system.

    “Today’s action to identify the financial sector and sanction eighteen major Iranian banks reflects our commitment to stop illicit access to US dollars,” said Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin. “Our sanctions programs will continue until Iran stops its support of terrorist activities and ends its nuclear programs. Today’s actions will continue to allow for humanitarian transactions to support the Iranian people.”

    The action targets 16 Iranian banks for their role in the country’s financial sector, one bank for being owned or controlled by another sanctioned Iranian bank and one military-affiliated bank, Treasury said in a statement.

    Some of them had been covered by previous designations but Thursday’s move places them all under the same authority covering Iran’s entire financial sector.

    The targeted banks are the Amin Investment Bank, Bank Keshavarzi Iran, Bank Maskan, Bank Refah Kargaran, Bank-e Shahr, Eghtesad Novin Bank, Gharzolhasaneh Resalat Bank, Hekmat Iranian Bank, Iran Zamin Bank, Karafarin Bank, Khavarmianeh Bank, Mehr Iran Credit Union Bank, Pasargad Bank, Saman Bank, Sarmayeh Bank, Tosee Taavon Bank, Tourism Bank and Islamic Regional Cooperation Bank.

    Foreign companies that do business with those banks were given 45 days to wind down their operations before facing so-called “secondary sanctions.”

    In response to the new sanctions, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif accused the Trump administration of targeting Iran’s “remaining channels to pay for food and medicine” in the midst of a pandemic.

    “Amid Covid 19 pandemic, US regime wants to blow up our remaining channels to pay for food & medicine,” Zarif said on Twitter. “But conspiring to starve a population is a crime against humanity.””

  3. EU Parliament condemns Saudi Arabia over treatment of Ethiopian migrants
    https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/saudi-arabia-ethiopian-migrants-eu-parliament

    “The European Parliament condemned Saudi Arabia for holding tens of thousands of Ethiopian migrants in cramped detention camps where many are reportedly dying of heatstroke, disease, or by suicide.

    The European body said in a statement on Thursday that it “strongly condemns the ongoing ill-treatment of Ethiopian migrants and the violations of their human rights in Saudi Arabia, notably in detention centres”.

    The measure was voted through by a large majority, with 413 votes in favour and 49 against, and 233 abstentions.

    “MEPs urge the Saudi authorities to immediately release all these detainees, prioritising those in the most vulnerable situations, including women and children.

    “The Saudi side must also ensure that every person entering the country from neighbouring war-torn Yemen is allowed to do so safely and is transferred to an appropriate reception centre that meets international standards.”

    The EU’s condemnation comes after an investigation by the Telegraph found that thousands of Ethiopian migrants, including men, women, and children, had been locked up in detention centres to stop the spread of the coronavirus…”

  4. Egypt using special terror courts to silence dissent, UN experts say
    https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/egypt-terrorism-courts-jail-activists-un-experts

    “UN experts have accused Egypt of using special terrorism courts to imprison human rights defenders and silence dissent, with the government of President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi “gravely endangering” activists’ lives by imprisoning them during the pandemic.

    The UN Human Rights Council said in a statement on Friday that Cairo was treating free speech as terrorism.

    “Terrorism charges and exceptional courts are being used to target legitimate human rights activities, and have a profound chilling effect on civil society as a whole,” according to 10 international specialists, including the UN rapporteurs on counter-terrorism and extrajudicial killings.

    “The use of terrorism courts to target and harass civil society is inconsistent with the rule of law.”

    The statement came days after Egypt executed 15 political prisoners who had been in detention since 2014…”

  5. US senators call for sanctions on Turkey over Russian missile system
    https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/senators-call-us-sanctions-against-turkey-over-russia-s400

    “A Republican and a Democratic US senator are calling on the Trump administration to sanction Turkey amid reports that Ankara is due to test its Russian-made S-400 missile defence systems as early as next week.

    Republican James Lankford and Democrat Chris Van Hollen wrote to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo asking about the report, saying that Washington’s failure to act more decisively about the S-400 purchase had “emboldened” Ankara.

    Turkey acquired the S-400 batteries from Russia last year despite warnings from the US and Nato that the purchase would see Ankara ejected from the F-35 stealth fighter jet programme and potentially exposed to damaging sanctions…”

  6. Nobel Laureate slams Macron’s remarks about Islam
    https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20201008-nobel-laureate-slams-macrons-remarks-about-islam/

    “A prominent Yemeni human rights activist and Nobel Peace Laureate has slammed statements by French President Emmanuel Macron about Islam.

    “Macron’s attack on Islam reveals intolerance and hatred which is shameful for the head of a state like France,” wrote Tawakkol Karman on Twitter. She added that it is not Macron’s concern to reform religion, least of all Islam. “Muslims alone are concerned with that, and they will do that.”

    Karman called on the French leader to speak about Islam with respect and acceptance, instead of inciting against a significant proportion of his citizens who follow the faith.

    “Macron has delivered his irresponsible inflammatory speech against Muslims and their religion to satisfy a group of fanatics so that they will vote for him,” she added.

    Last Friday, Macron caused controversy when he said that, “Islam is a religion that is in crisis all over the world today [not only in France].””

  7. Syrian imprisons his pregnant wife in torture chamber in Turkey
    https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20201008-syrian-imprisons-his-pregnant-wife-in-torture-chamber-in-turkey/

    “A Syrian man locked his 28-year-old wife in a room in the apartment where they lived and tortured her for five days in the eastern Turkish city of Sanliurfa, according to Ihlas Haber Agency.

    The husband, who fled the war in Syria nine years ago, beat his wife, who was 40 days pregnant at the time, with a stick and a metal chain and pulled off her fingernails with pliers.

    Neighbours called the police after they heard the lady’s screams. Police found the mother of three half-naked and covered in blood. She was transferred to hospital for treatment where she was placed in intensive care.

    Her husband has been arrested.

    This is not the first time the victim has reported being abused by her husband, according to the Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Services’ provincial office in Urfa. She has on numerous occassions been transferred to a women’s shelter but asked to return to her home with her husband. She has now asked to be moved to the women’s shelter.”

  8. Erdogan: ‘Turkey’s presence in Qatar serves Gulf stability’
    https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20201009-erdogan-turkeys-presence-in-qatar-serves-gulf-stability/

    “Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan confirmed that his country would not stay in Syria indefinitely, pointing out that the Turkish military presence in Qatar “serves the Gulf stability.”

    In statements made on Thursday to the Qatar-based newspaper The Peninsula, the Turkish leader avowed: “Turkey will not remain in Syria forever, and will end its presence in this country as soon as a permanent solution to the crisis is reached.”

    Anadolu Agency quoted Erdogan stating that: “Turkey will maintain cooperation with the US in the fields of combating terrorism, supporting democracy and ending conflicts.”

    The Turkish president pointed out that his country’s military presence in Qatar serves stability and peace in the Gulf region.

    He continued: “No one should be disturbed by the presence of Turkey and its soldiers in the Gulf, except the parties seeking to spread chaos in the region.”

    Regarding developments in the eastern Mediterranean, Erdogan insisted that: “Those who saw our resilience, and realised that they could make us retreat, are forced today to listen to our calls for dialogue.”

    Last Saturday, Erdogan declared that his country: “Will pursue terrorists in their hideouts in Syria if the agreements and pledges made in this regard are not implemented.”

    Turkey’s parliament ratified a motion on Tuesday to extend the deployment of Turkish troops in Iraq and Syria for an additional year.”

  9. Morocco intercepts more than 200 migrants at sea
    http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/8/387949/World/Region/Morocco-intercepts-more-than–migrants-at-sea.aspx

    “Morroco’s coastguard has intercepted 231 migrants from sub-Saharan Africa who were trying to reach Europe using kayaks and other makeshift crafts, official media reported on Thursday.

    Quoting a military source, MAP news agency said the migrants intercepted since Tuesday were safely taken to various ports across Morocco after being given first aid.

    Morocco is a key transit route for migrants from sub-Saharan Africa attempting to reach Europe and only 15 kilometres (about nine miles) separate it from Spain in the Strait of Gibraltar.”

  10. Two-year-old sexually assaulted, tortured to death in Charsadda
    https://tribune.com.pk/story/2267492/two-year-old-sexually-assaulted-tortured-to-death-in-charsadda

    “In a yet another horrific case of sexual violence against a child reported in the country, a two-and-a-half-year-old girl was first abducted, raped and then killed in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa on Thursday.

    The girl was identified as Zainab, who was abducted a day ago.

    Hospital sources said that according to the girl’s medical, the minor was raped 18 hours ago, after which the girl’s upper and lower torso were slashed with a knife.

    DNA samples of the girl have been sent to the Khyber Medical College, Peshawar and NADRA has also sought help from other agencies in this regard…”

  11. Turkey neutralizes senior PKK terrorist in N.Iraq
    https://www.aa.com.tr/en/turkey/turkey-neutralizes-senior-pkk-terrorist-in-niraq/2000403

    “Turkey neutralized a senior member of the PKK terrorist organization in northern Iraq, security sources said on Thursday.

    Mazlum Demir was neutralized in a joint operation conducted by the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) and National Intelligence Organization (MIT) on Tuesday in the Gara region, the sources said, requesting anonymity because they are not allowed to speak to the media.

    Turkish authorities use the word “neutralized” in statements to imply the terrorists in question surrendered or were killed or captured.

    The sources added that Demir, sought with a red notice by Interpol, was preparing to take explosives and ammunition to Turkey for use in an act of terror.

    He was remanded in custody in 2011 while preparing to carry out a bomb attack against security forces in Turkey’s southeastern province of Hakkari.

    After being released, Demir, codenamed Jir, took part in terrorist acts in Turkey against security forces between 2013 and 2019, after which he began operating on behalf of the terror group in northern Iraq.

    PKK terrorists often use northern Iraq as a base to plan cross-border terrorist attacks on Turkey.

    In its more than 30-year terror campaign against Turkey, the PKK — listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the US and the EU — has been responsible for the deaths of 40,000 people, including women, children and infants.

    The terrorist YPG is PKK’s Syrian offshoot.”

  12. Migrants: 400 NGOs appeal ‘never another Moria’
    http://www.ansamed.info/ansamed/en/news/sections/politics/2020/10/08/migrants-400-ngos-appeal-never-another-moria_73f13566-4e60-488a-b1ec-15dbc3eb4d95.html

    “Doctors Without Borders, together with over 400 NGOs, is appealing to Europe one month after the fire that destroyed the Moria refugee camp in Greece, to keep its promise of “no more Morias”. In the appeal, the NGOs denounce the miserable conditions in other camps without essential services, including the new camp in Lesbo, which it said “was built quickly on a former shooting range and recalls the misery of the former one: people wash themselves and their children in the sea because there are no showers, there are few outhouses, and food is distributed once a day”. They said it is also impossible to respect even the most basic anti-Covid rules.

    “Over 7,500 people are still trapped in inhumane conditions” in the new camp, the appeal said. “And other thousands, including 7,000 children, continue to live in other unworthy and dangerous camps on the Aegean Islands,” it said.

    Taking a cue from other entities’ and civil society’s numerous criticisms and requests for changes to the Migration Pact under examination by the European Commission, the NGOs reiterated that the Pact “doesn’t respond to these requests but reaffirms the European governments’ and institutions’ commitment to the same policies that caused the fires”.”

  13. Denmark announces youth crime plan aimed at people with immigrant backgrounds
    https://www.thelocal.dk/20201008/denmark-announces-youth-crime-plan-aimed-at-people-with-immigrant-backgrounds

    “The Danish government says it wants to crack down on crime and antisocial behaviour by youths and has specifically pointed its finger at young people from minority ethnic backgrounds.

    People from immigrant backgrounds who are tempted by crime must make a choice about their part in society, immigration minister Mattias Tesfaye said as the Danish government outlined its plan to tackle antisocial youth behaviour.

    The issue was named specifically by Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen in her speech at the opening of parliament this week.

    Frederiksen has also previously accused young people with immigrant backgrounds (indvandrerunge in Danish) of being the most common perpetrators of antisocial behaviour at places such as train stations or on metropolitan trains (S-tog).

    Tesfaye elaborated on the government’s position, putting in blunt terms the “choice” faced by young people within the demographic.

    “That choice does not need more well-meaning integration projects. The choice takes five minutes, and it is yours,” Tesfaye said at a briefing reported by DR.

    The minister said that young people should choose to find work such as supermarket checkout jobs instead of turning to petty crime.

    “And don’t say Danish companies are racist. I hear that all the time. I’ve also applied for internships with a weird name and it didn’t make things easier, but it can be done,” said Tesfaye, who is the son of an Ethiopian immigrant but has a traditionally Danish first name.

    A 2019 report by the Danish Center for Social Science Research (VIVE) found that children and young people from underprivileged housing areas commit crime more often than their peers, but the difference fell between 2011 and 2017.

    In 2011 there were almost four times more suspicions against 10-14-year-olds in underprivileged housing areas compared to the national average. In 2017, that had fallen by 27 percent, to almost three times more. Social initiatives were cited as a possible factor in the improvement.

    The study also found that parents with criminal records more often have children who commit crime.

    The government presented four specific measures it said were aimed at tackling youth crime and antisocial behaviour.

    These include making it easier for landlords to evict tenants convicted of crime; nightlife curfews on people with convictions for violence; assembly bans in specified areas for set periods of time; and on-the-spot confiscation of valuables from persons with unpaid debt to the state.

    Minister of Justice Nick Hækkerup noted that the size of the debt and whether it is in arrears would be taken into account and that people “carrying around an SU debt and paying it off” will not be the target of the proposed law.

    “I know that there are also ethnic Danes who commit serious crimes, but the statistics on young people with Middle Eastern backgrounds do not lie to us. We have a problem and we need to tackle it, and no, it’s not society’s fault,” Tesfaye said.

    People from ethnic minority backgrounds in Denmark are more likely to live in underprivileged areas. However, Denmark also uses ethnic demographics in its official criteria for classing an area as a ‘ghetto’.

    Tesfaye also had strong words for parents of young people who commit antisocial crimes, as he sought to justify enabling families to be evicted from social housing on the basis of the criminal conviction of a single member.

    “Your kids are ruining their youth by wandering around and acting out down by the kebab place or at the station. They risk a future behind bars. Where are you? Turn off the TV, draw the curtains and take some responsibility for the community you live in,” he said.”

  14. Sweden: Local politicians attempt to stop refugee settlements in Sölvesborg
    https://rmx.news/article/article/sweden-local-politicians-attempt-to-stop-refugee-settlements-in-solvesborg

    “The local government in Sölvesborg, Sweden, wants to stop refugees from moving to their municipality again, and have thus decided to defy the Settlement Act, the SVT reported. The municipality wants to be prepared for a possible new wave of refugees.

    Already a year ago, the governing politicians in Sölvesborg raised the question of whether a municipality should be able to say no to receiving designated refugees. Then, the coronavirus pandemic hit and the question lost its priority, however, the issue is now relevant again and is expected to be raised during the city council meeting in November.

    For Sölvesborg’s part, it has received 16 refugees that were assigned to the municipality this year. Paul Andersson, municipal councilor, still has not solved their placement problems, but the current joint board’s proposal is about future placements and whether they can be rejected.

    “We want the issue resolved before a new refugee crisis,“ said Andersson.

    When asked about what other laws the municipality can defy, he answered that he could not think of any, adding he had no plans to break any law but rather challenge it.

    The Swedish government has two conflicting laws
    Sölvesborg believes that the municipal self-government laws conflict with the national settlement law. Although municipalities should in theory have the right to decide how many migrants they accept, up until now they have been unable to resist due to the Settlement Act, which states that municipalities are obliged to accept new arrivals based on instructions from the Swedish Migration Board.

    “We want to get it properly investigated so that we know what applies,“ added Andersson.

    The current distribution between municipalities takes into account the municipality’s labor market conditions, population size, total reception of newly arrived and unaccompanied children, and the extent of asylum seekers staying in the municipality.

    Moreover, asylum seekers can now choose to arrange accommodation on their own according to the so-called EBO Act. Since last summer, around 30 municipalities, including Malmö and Eskilstuna, have had to make exceptions from the EBO Act by pointing out areas that are considered particularly vulnerable.

    The asylum seekers who choose to move to these areas will lose their daily benefit allowance. The purpose is to steer asylum seekers towards different areas in order to improve integration efforts.

    The municipality attempt comes after recent news about radical change in the Swedish asylum policy. At the beginning of October, although the country agreed to provide material aid to Greece, it has decided not to accept any refugees from the burned Moria camp or other Greek islands.”

  15. Sweden: Immigrant gang beats young woman in Stockholm metro as 50 people watch on
    https://rmx.news/article/article/sweden-immigrant-gang-beats-young-woman-in-stockholm-metro-as-50-people-watch-on-and-do-nothing

    “On Friday night, Natalie was traveling by public transport in Stockholm when an immigrant gang of men spotted her. They started harassing Natalie by sitting on her, and when she asked for space, she was told, “What did you say you little whore?”

    The gang then turned violent and attacked Natalie (pictured above) in front of about 50 metro train passengers who just watched without intervening.

    The incident happened around 9:00 p.m. Natalie described the man who attacked her as three Arabs and one African in their 20s and 25s.

    The Samhällsnytt online daily spoke to Natalie on Sunday, when she was still visibly shaken by what happened to her.

    “I stepped on the metro, and just when I sat down, someone came and sat on me. I asked the person to move because he was literally sitting on half my hip. The person said, ‘Huh, what did you say?’ I said, please, can you move. Then the person said, ‘What did you say you little whore?’and slapped me in the face while laughing,” Natalie describes the incident.

    Natalie says that she was shocked and withdrew to have more space. The person who started harassing her was then encouraged by his fellow friends who surrounded Natalie. She thought that they were about to rob her, but instead, they started humiliating Natalie and groping her.

    “Then a dark-skinned guy came and sat down opposite me, and another guy opposite him. There were a total of three more guys. When I tried to get out of there, they blocked my way, and then the dark-skinned man started hitting me too. They kept calling me a whore, and I was just trying to protect myself from the beating. I screamed for help and tried to pick up my phone to call 112, and that was when they became fully aggressive. They took my phone and threw it away,” continued Natalie.

    When the metro train arrived at Mariatorget station, Natalie tried to get out of the carriage and finally succeeded. She grabbed her bag and her phone and then left the metro train.

    “I do not know how I even managed that, but I tried to take a picture of them. But then they came and tried to take the phone away from me. Then, two of the men pulled me down to the ground where they hit and kicked me while I was in the fetal position,” Natalie recalls.

    The gang members kept kicking her in the head and ribs while repeating rape and murder threats.

    But despite the gang’s harassment in a metro car full of passengers, no one intervened.

    “There were about 50 people just watching. No one, absolutely no one, helped me,” says Natalie.

    Later, a Swedish man stepped forward and handed over his business card to Natalie, saying that he would testify against the men at a trial.

    Natalie also tried to save herself by pointing out the surveillance cameras to the migrants. Then, one of the attackers pointed a finger to the camera and shouted, “Fucking whore”, while laughing.

    Natalie said she does not know why no one intervened, but added that more and more people in Sweden are being attacked. The chance that the attacker is a foreigner is quite great, Natalie added, a fact supported by statistics which have tied Sweden’s rising crime rate with its growing migrant population.

    “Things that happened to me would not happen ten years ago. I see much more sick and brutal things happening now and, unfortunately, all the foreigners who have entered the country are to blame. You can call me a racist or whatever you want, but I check statistics and take the metro every day. Not that I will continue to take the metro after this, but I see what happens,” says Natalie.

    The Samhällsnytt daily has spoken with the regional command center (RLC) in Stockholm, which confirmed that they were notified about an incident in Mariatorget’s metro station after 9:00 p.m. but could not comment on it further. According to the police, no one has been arrested.

    The case of Natalie is reminiscent of an incident in July involving three migrant men who beat a Swedish mother in central Uppsula.

    As the Swedish public sours on migration to the country, the government, in a radical change in policy, recently joined countries like Austria and Hungary in rejecting migrants from the burned down Moria Camp in Greece.

    strong that integration is no longer successful, we risk further problems,” said Prime Minister Stefan Löfven on the topic of accepting refugees.”

  16. I just heard of the bc communist party as there is a candidate for it near my area

    http://cpcbc.ca/?p=766

    SOCIALISM IS THE FUTURE!
    The profit-driven capitalist system is killing the planet. We call for socialism – a world without poverty and war, where working people democratically own and control the economy.

    • Also this

      http://cpcbc.ca/?page_id=307

      The Communist Party of Canada condemns the escalation of activities by racist and neo-fascist movements across the country, such as the anti-Muslim rally called by the “Worldwide Coalition Against Islam” at Vancouver City Hall on August 19. These groups play upon the fears of working people who face the impact of capitalist economic crisis, unemployment, and austerity social cuts, to promote their true agenda of white supremacy.

      The current wave of racist and fascist threats in Canada has been fanned by recent events in the US, including the murderous gathering of neo-Nazi and white supremacist forces in Charlottesville, Virginia. But it is also true that the Canadian capitalist state itself was founded on the basis of colonial genocide against indigenous peoples, brutal exploitation of immigrant workers, and the racist goal of creating a “white man’s country.”

      Seen in this historical context, Islamophobic rallies are not “exercises in free speech” – they are part of the pattern of violence against racialized communities, as seen by the murder of six Muslim men by a white supremacist in Quebec, and the growing numbers of arsons, bomb threats, physical assaults against women wearing the hijab, xenophobic graffiti and acts of vandalism, the attempt to break up this year’s rally in Vancouver marking the International Day Against Racial Discrimination, etc. Far-right violence also targets other immigrant groups, Indigenous peoples and land defenders, the LGBTQ+ community (especially trans people at this time), the organized labour movement, advocates for women’s equality and reproductive rights, the Jewish community, and the political left – not least the Communist Party and the Young Communist League, which have been the most consistent anti-fascist and anti-racist political voices in this country since the 1920s.

      Communists stand in solidarity with all those who are under attack at this critical moment. We extend our full support to the counter-protests against racist, fascist and Islamophobic actions, and we condemn all attempts by far-right elements to use provocations to divide and weaken the anti-racist forces. We will continue to work with others to make this resistance movement a broad-based powerful force, including trade unions and all other democratic and people’s organizations. We also call for greater efforts to expose and counter racist and neo-fascist ideologies, through letters to the editor, participation in social media debates, public meetings, etc.

  17. Oct 9 2020 Sophie Pétronin released in Mali after nearly four years in captivity
    A French aid worker who was kidnapped in the West African country of Mali has been released after almost four years in captivity, the Malian president’s office announced Thursday.
    https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/sophie-p%C3%A9tronin-released-in-mali-after-nearly-four-years-in-captivity/ar-BB19PWyv?OCID=ansmsnnews11
    Armed Islamist extremists kidnapped Sophie Pétronin in the city of Gao in December 2016. Pétronin, now 75, was running a charity for children suffering from malnutrition.
    Malian politician Soumaïla Cissé was also released after being held for nearly seven months, the country’s president’s office said in a tweet.
    France’s President Emmanuel Macron was “immensely relieved” to learn of Pétronin’s release, according to a statement issued by the French government.
    “The President of the Republic especially thanks the Malian authorities for this release,” the statement said. “He assures them of France’s entire will to support Mali in the fight it is waging with perseverance against terrorism.”
    Pétronin’s nephew, Lionel Granouillac, told CNN affiliate BFM TV on Tuesday that his aunt had been released after being held captive for 1,381 days. It was only on Thursday that the governments of Mali and France officially confirmed she and Cissé had been freed.
    Pétronin’s son, Sébastien Chadaud-Pétronin, was in the country’s capital, Bamako, ready to greet his mother. He told France 24 on Tuesday that he was fearful about what state he would find her in.
    “I expect to find someone sick, very weak. I hope she can still see, I don’t think she can stand,” he said. “No matter what state she is in, I know she is still lucid. I am looking forward to seeing her again.”

    Mali hostages: Sophie Pétronin and Soumaïla Cissé freed in prisoner swap
    https://www.yahoo.com/news/mali-hostages-sophie-p-tronin-062745725.html?guccounter=1

    French hostage freed in Mali: Ordeal was ‘spiritual retreat’
    https://apnews.com/article/bamako-reunions-archive-mali-france-dc15ee43500d688a8cbbe2147d81b202

  18. July 20 2020 Swedish mother of three brutally attacked by migrants, slams Swedish prime minister
    Swedish woman posts on Facebook about how she and her sister were called “twats” and brutally beaten in central Uppsala, Sweden by migrant men
    https://rmx.news/article/article/swedish-mother-of-three-attacked-by-migrants-posts-emotional-message-on-facebook
    While trying to enjoy a night out with their husbands, 24-year-old Rebecca Andersson and her sister were brutally beaten by a gang of immigrants in
    central Uppsala on Saturday night when they were on their way home from a restaurant.
    The young mother of three described the incident on Facebook and shared photos of her battered body in a post that has been shared tens of thousands of
    times. In the message, she also mocked the Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Löfven, writing, “Please share [my post], so maybe it will reach Löfven how
    safe Sweden is.”
    On Friday night, Rebecca Andersson said she and her husband Fredrik hired a babysitter so that they along with Rebecca’s sister and her husband could go
    to a restaurant for a night out. After playing shuffleboard for a couple of hours, they were all heading home when they were brutally attacked by an
    immigrant gang.
    “My friend and I went a little behind and talked and the girls went a bit ahead,” told Fredrik Andersson told Swedish newspaper Fria Tider.
    In Rebecca Andersson’s Facebook post, she said out of the blue, one member of a group of young men called her and her sister “twats”.
    When her and her sister asked why he would say something like that, the attacker became aggressive.
    “I beat girls and I come from Gottsunda,“ the man answered.
    The aggressive man then launched a furious attack against the women whose husbands were still too far behind to immediately intervene.
    “I remember blows and kicks against me and my sister’s head,” Rebecca wrote on Facebook.
    Fredrik and the other man immediately hurried forward to defend their spouses against the violent man, but then the attacker had a number of men join
    him in attacking the the women.
    “Suddenly, three or four people pulled up in a car and were coming, taking off their belts. They started beating on us instead of our spouses,“ said
    Fredrik Andersson.
    According to Fredrik, the gang of immigrant men who attacked them were in their 20s and looked like they came somewhere from the Middle East.
    They were not totally dark-skinned, but of some foreign descent for sure,“ he added.
    The abuse was stopped fairly quickly thanks to the fact that security guards saw what was happening and came out running to help.
    The police confirmed that they were alerted to an assault in central Uppsala on Saturday night involving two women beaten by a gang.
    “As far as we know, the police detained three. They also told my husband that we were lucky we weren’t stabbed, so they obviously had knives with them,“
    concluded Rebecca Andresson on Facebook.
    Responding to Rebecca’s post on Facebook, a number of women voiced outrage over the incident in the comments section.
    “Disgusting, f**king disgusting… I hope they get what they deserve, and I mean Sweden’s cowardly legal system and hope someone doesn’t take the law
    into their own hands! Get well soon,” said Denise Hallen.

  19. September 16 2020 VIDEO: Swedish woman randomly punched in the face by migrant youth
    A video of what appears to be a random attack has spread across social media
    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.