Reader’s Links for October 11, 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

84 Replies to “Reader’s Links for October 11, 2020”

  1. Yemen Admires Iran’s Support
    https://www.tasnimnews.com/en/news/2020/10/11/2367396/yemen-admires-iran-s-support

    “The Foreign Minister of the Yemeni National Salvation Government praised Iran for providing political and humanitarian support for the people of Yemen amid the Saudi-led military aggression.

    In a videoconference with senior assistant to the Iranian foreign minister, Ali Asghar Khaji, Hisham Sharaf Abdullah expressed gratitude to the Islamic Republic for its political support and humanitarian aids for the Yemeni people.

    He also gave a report on the latest measures the Yemeni National Salvation Government has taken in the international arena and its contacts with the United Nations to condemn the Saudi-led coalition’s crimes in Yemen, including the continued aggression and seizure of ships carrying fuel and foodstuff to Yemen amid the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic.

    For his part, Khaji reiterated Iran’s principled policy of supporting political settlement of the crisis in Yemen.

    The Islamic Republic of Iran will use all of its capacities to defend the oppressed people of Yemen through constant regional and international consultations, he added.

    Saudi Arabia waged a devastating military aggression against its southern neighbor in March 2015 in collaboration with a number of its allied states, and with arms support from certain Western countries.

    The purported aim was to return to power the Riyadh-backed former regime of Abdrabbu Mansour Hadi and defeat the Houthi Ansarullah movement that took control of state matters after the resignation of the then president and his government.

    The UN refers to the situation in Yemen as the world’s worst humanitarian crisis, with more than half of hospitals and clinics destroyed or closed.”

  2. Four Iranians Face Trial Before Belgian Judiciary
    https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/2558511/four-iranians-face-trial-belgian-judiciary

    “This November will witness the trial of an Iranian group charged with planning an attack on a rally of the Paris-based National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) at the end of June in Villepinte.

    The meeting was attended by some 25,000 individuals including international prominent figures.

    The rally was also attended by leading US figures, including President Donald Trump’s personal lawyer, former New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, and other close allies of Trump.

    Assadolah Assadi is the central figure in this case. This 49-year-old man was a diplomat in Iraq from 2003 to 2008, before being appointed third secretary at the Iranian embassy in Vienna, in 2014. According to State Security, he mainly acted on behalf of the “Department 312”, a service of the Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS) which appears on the list of organizations classified as terrorist by the European Union.

    During his military training, Assadi was notably introduced to the manufacture of explosives and his main mission was to collect information on Iranian opponents, in liaison with the foreign ministry.

    In case the charges were confirmed, the four will be handed over a life-imprisonment sentence.

    Assadi was arrested while on holiday in Germany and handed over to Belgium, where two of his suspected accomplices had been arrested with 500 grams (one lb) of TATP, an explosive, as well as a detonation device.

    Le Mond reported that Assadi showed no cooperation with the Belgium investigation. Not only that, but he also warned authorities of possible retaliation by unidentified groups in Iraq, Lebanon, Syria, and Yemen if he is found guilty.

    Assadollah’s lawyer, Dimitri de Beco, denied his client was making threats.

    “It is absolutely not a threat of retaliation and if it’s understood that way it’s a misinterpretation,” he told Reuters. “He will explain the sense of his remarks to the court.”

    Jaak Raes, head of the Belgian State Security Service, revealed on Feb. 20 that the terrorist attack wasn’t a personal initiative by Assadi but was pushed by Iran.”

  3. OIC Condemns Failed Houthi Attempts to Target Saudi Arabia
    https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/2559096/oic-condemns-failed-houthi-attempts-target-saudi-arabia

    “Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Dr. Yousef bin Ahmed Al-Othaimeen has condemned the failed attempts by the Iran-backed Houthi militias to target civilians in Saudi Arabia.

    Al-Othaimeen praised the forces of the Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen, which have managed to intercept and destroy an explosive-laden drone launched by the Houthis towards the Saudi city of Najran.

    The Coalition has reported repeated Houthi drone or missile attack attempts recently.”

  4. NCB, Samba merge to create Arab world’s third largest lender
    https://saudigazette.com.sa/article/598999/SAUDI-ARABIA/NCB-Samba-merge-to-create-Arab-worlds-third-largest-lender

    “Saudi Arabia’s biggest lender National Commercial Bank (NCB) and Samba Financial Group have signed a binding agreement to create a combined entity with SR837 billion ($223 billion) in assets.

    The deal will make NCB the Arab world’s third-biggest banking entity and the first in the Middle East in terms of net income. It will become a leading bank in the Middle East region with SR171 billion ($46 billion) in market capitalization.

    At a local level, it will become the Kingdom’s largest bank, serving approximately 25 percent of the retail and wholesale banking market. The merged bank will leverage NCB and Samba’s leading retail banking franchises, serving 26 percent of the market in retail loans and 29 percent of the market in retail liabilities…”

  5. Most Arab citizens do not earn enough to live on: Survey
    https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/arab-opinion-index-citizens-do-not-earn-enough-live

    “The majority of citizens in Arab countries believe they do not earn enough for their family’s needs, according to a survey across 13 countries in the Middle East and North Africa.

    A quarter of people surveyed said they lived “in a state of need,” while 46 percent said their income was just enough to cover basic costs but not to save for emergencies.

    The results from the annual Arab Opinion Index come as many countries face serious economic pressures from the Covid-19 pandemic, which has caused job losses and damaged small businesses…”

  6. At least 11 die as migrant boat sinks off Tunisia
    https://www.reuters.com/article/us-tunisia-migrants/at-least-11-die-as-migrant-boat-sinks-off-tunisia-idUSKBN26W0WG

    “At least 11 migrants from Africa died when their boat sank off Tunisia on Sunday, as they tried to cross the Mediterranean to the Italian island of Lampedusa, a Tunisian security official said.

    Tunisia’s coast guard recovered the bodies of eight women and three children off the coast near Sfax late on Sunday, he said.

    About 30 people had set out on the boat, aiming to reach Italy, officials said.

    The coast guard is searching for the other missing people.

    Last year, about 90 African migrants drowned after their boat capsized enroute to Europe from Libya, one of the worst such accidents in Tunisian waters.”

  7. Saudi Arabia: Father prosecuted for beating daughter, filming torture, posting on social media
    https://gulfnews.com/world/gulf/saudi/saudi-arabia-father-prosecuted-for-beating-daughter-filming-torture-posting-on-social-media-1.1602390816322

    “A man arrested for shackling his daughter, beating her, filming the offence and posting a video clip of it on social media was moved to Mecca Prosecution, local media reported.

    The dad, in his 40s, allegedly confessed that he assaulted his 11-year-old daughter after tying her with ropes and tortured her with a whip severely.

    The Burmese man reportedly said his act was blamed on his sister, who ran away from the house after she cut his daughter’s hair without his permission. He added he forced her mother to film the clip to be sent to his sister to return home. It was not immediately known what he planned to do to his sister.

    This video may be disturbing to some readers…”

  8. 2 suspects arrested for murder of minor
    https://tribune.com.pk/story/2267875/2-suspects-arrested-for-murder-of-minor

    “Chaman Levies force arrested two suspects in connection with the rape and murder of a minor boy in Balochistan’s Qilla Abdullah district. Deputy commissioner of the district has confirmed custody of the suspects, saying the force arrested them through the help of eye witnesses.

    “We will send their DNA to Quetta for confirmation,” he said, adding the police were in the process of interrogating the suspects related to the cold-blooded murder of the boy.

    Besides, the investigation team of Levies inspected the site of the incident and collected evidence.”

  9. Face masks ‘helping criminals to evade arrest’ in Islamabad
    https://tribune.com.pk/story/2267930/face-masks-helping-criminals-to-evade-arrest-in-islamabad

    “As wearing face mask in public places has become a new normal in pandemic era, criminals are misusing this as a tool to hide their identity and evade arrest.

    Before the Covid-19, the people at shops or bank counters used to be on alert seeing a person with covered face, but in current scenario, it has become a troubling reality for the people as well as the law enforcement agencies.

    The criminals easily blend in with typical customers at malls or banks and face masks also help them avoid being captured in CCTV footage.

    “If it were a pre-Covid time, I could have averted the happening by finding veiled people chasing me. But now it is normal. They looted me and sped away. One had face mask while other wore a helmet,” said APP senior reporter Ishtiaq Ahmed who was robbed of Rs800,000 in Islamabad’s I-8/1 area on September 23 in broad daylight.

    He said the mask provided a perfect cover to the robbers…”

  10. Six pilgrims kidnapped near Pak-Iran border
    https://tribune.com.pk/story/2267945/six-pilgrims-kidnapped-near-pak-iran-border

    “Armed men on Sunday kidnapped at least six Shia pilgrims near the Pak-Iran border. The incident took place in Balochistan’s Panjgur district when the pilgrims, belonging from Karachi, were arriving from Iran.

    As per the initial investigation, unknown kidnappers chased and stopped the pilgrims when they were only 3km away from Panjgur city.

    The pilgrims abducted near the border included Habibullah son of Raees, Hussain son of Habib, Sikandar son of Ghulam Sakhi, Mehdi Raza son of Ghulam Sakhi and Imran son of Manzoor…”

  11. Turkey hopes Baghdad-Arbil deal will eradicate ISIL, PKK in Sinjar
    https://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/turkey-hopes-baghdad-arbil-deal-will-eradicate-isil-pkk-in-sinjar-159032

    “Turkey expressed hope that a deal between the Iraqi central government and regional government in Arbil for cooperation in the field of security and administrative issues will yield the eradication of ISIL and the PKK in the Sinjar region.

    “We hope this agreement is carried out in a way that would enable the reinstatement of the control of the Iraqi authorities in Sinjar, the eradication of DAESH and PKK terrorist organizations and their extensions in the region and ensure the safe return to their ancestral lands of Yazidis and the other people of the region who have been subject to grave oppression and persecution of first DAESH and then of the PKK,” read a written statement issued by the Foreign Ministry over the weekend, using another acronym for ISIL.

    The ministry recalled that the Iraqi central government and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) announced that an agreement on security and administrative issues in Sinjar district is signed between the two.

    Years-long dispute between Baghdad and Arbil over the governance of Sinjar had paved the way for the terror organizations’ use the area as a safe haven, especially ISIL and the PKK. Turkey has long been urging both Baghdad and Arbil over the growing influence of the PKK which was trying to use Sinjar as a passage from northern Iraq to Syria…”

  12. Turkey: Soldier martyred in clash with terrorists
    https://www.aa.com.tr/en/turkey/turkey-soldier-martyred-in-clash-with-terrorists/2002476

    “A Turkish soldier has been martyred in a clash between security forces and terrorists in Turkey’s eastern Agri province, according to security sources.

    The clash on Saturday in the rural area in Dogubeyazit district injured another solider, the sources said on condition of anonymity due to restrictions on talking to the media.

    Injured soldier was hospitalized in Agri.

    The sources added that the operation against the terrorists continues in the region.

    Although the statement did not mention any specific terrorist group, Turkish forces have been conducting operations against the PKK terrorist organization in the region for a long time.

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

  13. EU report does not reflect real picture in Turkey: Official
    https://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/eu-report-does-not-reflect-real-picture-in-turkey-official-159024

    “A senior official of Turkey’s ruling party has criticized the European Commission’s report on Turkey, saying it “does not reflect the real picture regarding the developments in Turkey.”

    Cevdet Y?lmaz, deputy chairman of the Development and Justice Party (AKP), said on Oct. 10 in a written statement, adding that the report is based on assumptions irrelevant to the realities of the country.

    The European Commission on Oct. 7 published its 2020 Enlargement Strategy and country reports.

    Stressing that Turkey is an EU candidate country which has been committed to accession process despite “political blockages created by the EU,” Y?lmaz said: “The EU has brought Turkey’s accession process to a standstill by unfairly bringing the Cyprus issue before Turkey and by overlooking the political obstructions placed by certain Member States.”

    Y?lmaz also pointed out that the EU did not pay attention to the July 15 defeated coup in Turkey and other security issues.

    “Turkey is making intense efforts to ensure the balance between freedom and security despite all threats faced,” he said.

    Y?lmaz added: “We expect our European friends and allies support Turkey, rather than criticize our efforts to safeguard the democratic order, the rule of law, and the fundamental rights and freedoms of citizens as well as to preserve social peace.”

    “In the report, the EU, ignoring the Greek Cypriot administration’s actions, criticizes Turkey’s activities of exploration for hydrocarbon resources in the Eastern Mediterranean. Exploring hydrocarbon resources in the Eastern Mediterranean is a legitimate right for Turkey which stems from the international law.

    “Turkey defends its own rights and the rights of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, respects the rights of others and invites the countries in the region to negotiate for the common interest of all,” he added.

    Y?lmaz also stressed that “strong, stable, prosperous, and democratic Turkey is for the benefit of the EU and vice versa. Turkey and EU have the potential to create solutions in many areas such as refugee issues, security, energy and economy.””

  14. CBC – COVID-19 study on surface spread inconsistent with real-world scenarios, expert says

    An Australian study on COVID-19 transmission via surfaces says viable traces of the virus could still be detected on some surfaces after 28 days.

    Infectious disease specialist Dr. Isaac Bogosh says the researchers’ laboratory test results may not be replicable in real-life settings.

  15. An old story but also a common story

    CBC
    Botched Handling Of Gangster Refugee Claimant Exposes Canada’s Screening Weakness

    Abdullah’s Hashi Farah’s candid confession about his gangster past clearly impressed the Immigration and Refugee Board officer who presided over his detention hearing on November 1, 2017.

    Caught while crossing the border illegally near Emerson, Manitoba, the 27 year old Somali citizen readily told the Canada Border Service Agency officers he had an extensive criminal record, had been a Somali Outlaws gang member in Minneapolis and was fleeing an arrest warrant on parole violation.

    Farrah insisted, however, that he had only been a gang member for 2 years, and had quit the criminal life 8 years earlier.

    At the detention hearing, CBSA strongly recommended Farrah be detained a few more days until it received his full criminal record from the US. but Immigration and Refugee member, Trent Cook clearly placed more weight on Farah’s admission about his background than on the agency’s suspicion about the degree of his criminality.

    “One of the biggest factors that play in your particular situation is you character” Cook said. “In my estimation, you are probably one of the most honest detainees that I have ever come across”, noting Farrah had acted “ contrary” to his own interests by offering up his criminal history and gang ties. “ What this indicates to me is that you are based on your character and behaviour, very likely to peruse all of the immigration matters in Canada with the same diligence and honesty as you have demonstrated in your interview”.

    Had Cook heeded the Canadian Border Service Agency recommendation and waited to obtain his entire US criminal record, he would have learned, Farrah used 8 aliases, 2 different birth dates and had convictions in 4 US states including felony gun conviction.

    But Cook didn’t heed the CBSA, and after a Federal Court judge denied the agency’s challenge of Cook’s decision the next day Farrah was released in Winnipeg.

    7 months later, Farrah was arrested in Edmonton. On June 11, 2018, police arrested him in a Walmart parking lot in North Eastern Edmonton. Overdosing and badly beaten from 2 previous fights, he struggled with police and paramedics before becoming unresponsive.

    Police found a dumped get a way car that had been used in a string of armed robberies of convenience stores. Farrah became a suspect when CBSA officers in Winnipeg picked him out of robbery photos taken from a security camera footage.

    Police won’t say why Farrah is no longer a suspect in the armed robberies. But he remains in Edmonton Remand Center awaiting deportation to Somalia after exhausting all legal avenues to stay in Canada.

    Mount Royal University criminologist and associate professor, Kelly Sundberg said Farrah clearly slipped through the cracks of the immigration process, something he said is becoming more common.

    6 days after Farrah was first released he breached his conditions and was rearrested. The same day on Nov. 8, 2017 the CBSA gained access to Farah’s cellphone, it contained photos of Farrah playing with a hand gun, doing cocaine, concealing cocaine and flashing wads of cash. There were also front and back photos of a credit card that was not his.

    Farrah was on parole and was prohibited from possessing a firearm. The phone also contained Tinder chats, photos of Farrah having sex with women and photos of women in various stages of nudity.

    There was no evidence of homosexual activity. Farah’s asylum claim was based on his contention that he as a gay Muslim would be killed if he was deported back to Somalia. The IRB again released Farrah on March 14, 2018.
    The hearing transcripts doesn’t mention the damning phone report.

    American court, police, FBI records show Farrah’s criminal record and his gang membership was far More extensive and serious that he disclosed.

    Farah had wilfully refused to abide by release conditions for years. he had at least 30 instances in the US and failed to abide by his release conditions several more time in Canada.

    Farrah was a key witness against his own gang in a major sex trafficking case in Nashville, Tenn. that involved girls as young as 12 years of age and reneged on testifying and was imprisoned for contempt of court and obstruction of justice.

    Retired Homeland Security agent, Tony Langeland burst out laughing when he read the statement about Farrah being one of the most honest detainees the IRB officer had ever encountered. He described Farrah as a self-serving liar and a recalcitrant criminal. “ He is manipulative. He is never, never going to go beyond what is best for him in any circumstance”.

    Farrah testified in one American court case, he joined the Somali Outlaws in Southern Minneapolis when he was 13 or 14.

    While still in juvenile he and 3 other gang members were stopped by police in Minneapolis, they were all wearing bulletproof vests and had a gun.

    He broke into homes and business, stole safes and figured how to open them.

    From 16 on, he racked up charges and convictions for possession of burglary tools, lurking with intent, theft and receiving stolen property.

    At 18 he was jailed for burglary, at 19 he was charged with possession of a hand gun.

    Farrah’s criminality finally caught up with him and he was classed as a deportable alien. in February 2010, in return for restricted freedom he agreed to work for the prosecutors in Nashville. He agreed to testify against gang members. He reneged was found in contempt and imprisoned for 15 months.

    After he got out on parole, he repeatedly breached his release conditions, failed drug tests, was busted for drunk driving and refused to report to his probation officer. a nationwide warrant was issued for his arrest and deportation on October 23, 2017, and four days later he walked into Canada at Emerson, Manitoba.

    Trent Cook acknowledged his previous credulity. “ You present very well, you’re articulate, you’re somewhat educated, people are inclined to believe you when you make your representations. but the actions you have demonstrated, while on release hold a lot more weight in my view, than your words and Promises. because you haven’t been capable of fo wolfing conditions in the past, I simply don’t have faith that you’re going to be able to do so in the future”.

    Farrah told the IRB hearing he has hired a US lawyer to try to get his felony convictions expunged. “I won’t be inadmissible anymore”, he said. “So I can come back.”.

    Right now in Canada Somali drug gangs are operating from coast to coast.

    The Nigerian Black Axe gangs are responsible for large numbers of stolen vehicles.
    How much money has Farah cost Canadian taxpayers? Why was he allowed into Canada in the first place?

  16. Korean-Americans endorse Trump; Trump admin tightens H-1B visa rules; Hundreds of NYC schools closed

  17. Iran’s Foreign Minister Travels to China After U.S. Imposes New Sanctions

    Iranian foreign minister Javad Zarif arrived in China on Friday, just a day after the United States imposed new sanctions on Iran’s entire financial sector.

    Zarif’s trip to China highlights the deepening relationship between Beijing and Tehran, which has found an ally in the Communist regime as the Trump administration continues to tighten the noose on Iran’s economy. The trip will include “close consultations” between Zarif and top Communist Party members, including CCP foreign minister Wang Yi, according to Iran’s state-controlled press.

    Beijing has served as a critical ally for the Iranian regime as it faces further isolation in the international community. The United States sanctioned 18 Iranian banks on Thursday, effectively cutting off Tehran’s financial sector from the global economy. China, however, has repeatedly disregarded Washington’s sanctions and increased its economic relationship with Iran. The Communist regime, along with Russia, balked at U.S. efforts at the United Nations earlier this year to reimpose an international arms embargo on Iran. U.S. leaders warned at the time that China is standing by to sell Iran potentially billions of dollars’ worth of sophisticated weapons.

    https://freebeacon.com/national-security/irans-foreign-minister-travels-to-china-after-u-s-imposes-new-sanctions/