Reader’s Links for October 30, 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

133 Replies to “Reader’s Links for October 30, 2020”

  1. Danish Right-Wing Party Seeks to Reprint Charlie Hebdo’s Controversial Prophet Muhammad Cartoons (sputniknews, Oct 30, 2020)
    https://sputniknews.com/europe/202010301080931900-danish-right-wing-party-seeks-to-reprint-charlie-hebdos-controversial-prophet-muhammad-cartoons/

    “Earlier, the use of the cartoons by French schoolteacher Samuel Paty during a lesson on freedom of speech led to his brutal murder by 18-year-old Muslim man Abdullah Anzorov.

    Denmark’s Nye Borgerlige (New Right) party has announced a fundraising campaign aimed at republishing the scandalous cartoons of the French satirical weekly magazine Charlie Hebdo illustrating the Prophet Muhammad. The party, which holds four out of 179 seats in the parliament, linked the campaign to the recent attacks in France over the controversial cartoons, which are deemed as blasphemous by Islam due to violating a ban on depicting the prophet.

    “The killing of Samuel Paty triggered the campaign, we want to show our support for his family and for freedom of speech”, leader of Nye Borgerlige Pernille Vermund said, referring to the French teacher, who was beheaded by an 18-year-old Muslim man on 16 October for showing the cartoons to pupils during a class on the importance of freedom of speech.

    Nye Borgerlige, which opposes open border policies, seeks to raise the money to “publish advertisements with the drawings of Charlie Hebdo” in the country’s media outlets, without specifying the nature of the advertisements. Vermund said that it was her “obligation” to ensure that Danish society “goes towards more freedom of speech not less”, but noted that she is “not at all certain” that the idea of reprinting Charlie Hebdo’s cartoons “will be possible”.

    Vermund’s concerns are not without basis, as a representative of at least one of the country’s tabloids, Ekstra Bladet, expressed uncertainty in an interview with the AFP regarding whether it would print the ads or not. The outlet’s editor, Poul Madsen, said that Ekstra Bladet condemns terrorism and supports France and the freedom of speech, but will make a decision on printing Nye Borgerlige’s advertisements containing the cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad when it sees them.

    Beheading Attacks Shake France
    The Danish New Right party’s campaign comes a day after a tragic attack in Nice, France, where a 21-year-old Tunisian migrant, Brahim Aoussaoui, killed two worshippers and a sacristan at the Notre-Dame de Nice basilica, practically beheading one of his victims. Aoussaoui was shouting “Allahu Akbar” when police arrived. The assailant was shot by the officers during the arrest and is currently in hospital. Later the same day, at least two more people armed with knives were arrested in France on suspicion of plotting more stabbing attacks.

    The spate of knife killings comes two weeks after an 18-year-old Muslim, Abdullah Anzorov, beheaded schoolteacher Samuel Paty after the latter had shown cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad during a class on the importance of free speech. The tragic incidents have been condemned by French President Emmanuel Macron as “attacks” against France for its “values [and] taste for freedom” and vowed that the country will never “give in to any terror”.”

  2. India Arrests 2,000, Including Lawmaker, in Anti-French Muslim Mobs (breitbart, Oct 30, 2020)
    https://www.breitbart.com/asia/2020/10/30/india-arrests-2000-including-lawmaker-anti-french-muslim-mobs/

    “Thousands of Muslims throughout India took to the streets Friday to protest French President Emmanuel Macron’s refusal to criminalize cartoons, resulting in about 2,000 arrests in Madhya Pradesh alone.

    The largest Madhya Pradesh protest occurred in the large city of Bhopal, and resulted in the arrest of lawmaker Arif Masood. Muslims in Mumbai also assembled in protest, lining the roads with photos of Macron’s face so that cars would have no choice but to run them over.

    As Friday is traditionally the day of the week when Muslims attend prayers at their local mosques, many convened around the world after the prayers to protest the French. In Islamabad, the capital of neighboring Pakistan, thousands attempted to storm the French Embassy, prompting police to use tear gas to hold back the crowd…

    According to the Press Trust of India (PTI), police arrested 2,000 people for violating Chinese coronavirus social distancing measures to participate in calls for boycotting French products. India’s News18 added that many demanded an apology from Macron for condemning radical Islamic terrorism. Masood, the lawmaker, was among the march’s leaders. He used his time to speak to “urge[…] the Central government to snap all financial ties with France.”

    In Mumbai, the protests were reportedly more subdued than in Bhopal and largely consisted of plastering the streets with photos of Macron.

    “Muslims in Mumbai pasted Macron’s photographs on roads. People, cars, dogs, cats are walking over the posters,” Maulana Abbas Rizvi, who participated in the event, told the Times of India. “He (Macron) had the audacity to under his government. He must be punished like this only. I congratulate Mumbai for punishing this wrongdoer like this.”

    The protests across the border in Islamabad turned violent despite the nation being largely Islamist and the election a prime minister who supports global blasphemy laws enforced through the United Nations. While local reports suggest no major injuries, a crowd of about 3,000 men organized a failed effort to break through Islamabad’s red zone to reach the French embassy, demanding the expulsion of the nation’s ambassador. Many appeared on video attempting to climb over large shipping containers placed around the fortified area to keep mobs out; mob violence is not uncommon in Pakistan. Some hung Macron in effigy over a bridge…”

  3. *** WILFRED WONG: SATANISM, SAVILE & BATTLING DARKNESS
    video – 120 mins
    Wilfred Wong has investigated Satanic Ritual Abuse for 27 years.
    Wilfred Wong’s Website on SRA: http://casra.org.uk

  4. DR SIMONE GOLD: THE OBSESSION WITH MASKS & LOCKDOWNS – HELPFUL OR HYSTERIA
    video – 8 mins 3 secs

  5. China: Existential Threat to America

    by Gordon G. Chang
    October 30, 2020 at 5:00 am

    This is a crucial time in the history of our republic.

    UN Secretary?General Antonio Guterres, speaking to the General Assembly on September 22, said the world must do everything to prevent a new Cold War. “We are headed in a very dangerous direction,” he said.

    We can agree with that dangerous-direction assessment, but we might not agree with his recommendation. Guterres recommended that the world embrace multilateral cooperation.

    We can, of course, cooperate with a China that is a partner or a friend. We can even cooperate with a China that is a competitor; all nations to some degree compete. The question is this: Is China just a competitor? Can we, for instance, cooperate with a China that is an opponent or an enemy?

    We have to remember that Guterres was speaking at the event marking the 75th anniversary of the formation of the United Nations. It was a rather somber event, because multilateralism, the core ideology of the UN, is failing. Countries are bypassing the UN because they realize it cannot provide security. Countries are defending themselves.

    https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/16705/china-existential-threat

  6. DOJ Expands Probe of COVID-19 Deaths in New York Nursing Homes
    By Ivan Pentchoukov
    October 28, 2020 Updated: October 29, 2020

    The Department of Justice demanded detailed data from hundreds of private facilities in New York state on Oct. 28, as part of an expanding investigation into whether the state is undercounting nursing home deaths from the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) virus, commonly known as the novel coronavirus.

    Gov. Andrew Cuomo has faced criticism for months about the state’s official tally of 6,722 nursing home deaths, which may be off by thousands because the state is one of only a handful that count only people who die at long-term care facilities. The method enables Cuomo to claim that New York has a lower percentage of nursing home deaths than other states.

    The governor has repeatedly denied lawmakers and the media access to the relevant data. Cuomo signed an executive order on March 25 sending thousands of recovering CCP virus patients into nursing homes at the peak of the pandemic.

    https://www.theepochtimes.com/justice-department-expands-probe-of-new-york-nursing-home-deaths_3557052.html?utm_source=CCPVirusNewsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=2020-10-29

  7. Belgian teacher is suspended for showing pupils cartoon of Prophet Mohammed while discussing teacher murdered for showing same image in France
    The teacher from Brussels was suspended after showing pupils the cartoon
    The teacher showed the image to children in the school in Molenbeek, Brussels
    The mayor of Molenbeek decided to suspend the teacher after the incident
    The Molenbeek area has a large Muslim population and a centre of radicalism
    https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8898599/Belgian-teacher-suspended-showing-pupils-cartoon-Prophet-Mohammed.html
    A Brussels district has suspended a teacher who showed a caricature of the Prophet Mohammed while discussing the murder of a French teacher who had used the same image, its spokesman said Friday.
    The Belgian teacher, who works in the Brussels district of Molenbeek, showed one of the cartoons previously published by French magazine Charlie Hebdo while explaining Samuel Paty’s death.
    ‘Our decision is uniquely based on the fact that these are obscene images. If it had not been of the Prophet we would have done the same thing,’ said a spokesman for Molenbeek’s mayor.
    In the image in question, the subject’s genitals are visible as he crouches, nude. The school pupils were aged between 10 to 11. ‘Two or three parents complained,’ the spokesman said.
    The French teacher Paty was killed and beheaded on October 16 in Conflans-Sainte-Honorine, outside Paris, by a Chechen radical after he was denounced for having shown the cartoons to a class on freedom of expression.
    Some Muslims regard any image of the prophet as blasphemous and a caricature as an offence against their faith. French law is strictly secular and religious belief receives no special protection.
    The magazine that originally published the images, Charlie Hebdo, was the target of an extremist attack in 2015 that killed 12 people.
    Following 47-year-old Paty’s murder, French President Emmanuel Macron mounted an impassioned defence of free expression, including a cartoonist’s right to lampoon religious figures.
    Neighbouring Belgium has, like France, seen a number of attacks in recent years and Molenbeek, which has a large Muslim population, has become notorious as a radical hotbed.
    The mayor’s spokesman stressed the suspension was not a punishment, but to preserve good order while a disciplinary procedure is carried out, after which the teacher could face administrative measures.

  8. Iranian MPs Urge Harsh Diplomatic Reaction to French Insult to Islam
    https://www.tasnimnews.com/en/news/2020/10/30/2379597/iranian-mps-urge-harsh-diplomatic-reaction-to-french-insult-to-islam

    “The Iranian Parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Commission called on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to show serious reaction to the French president’s backing for the insults to the Prophet of Islam, a lawmaker said.

    Speaking to Tasnim on Friday, the spokesperson for the Iranian Parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Commission said members of the commission have sent a letter to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

    Abolfazl Amoee said the lawmakers have asked the Foreign Ministry to show serious reaction to the recent comments from the president of France, who has supported an offensive move by a satirical magazine to publish defamatory cartoons of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).

    Denouncing Emmanuel Macron’s anti-Islamic move as an attempt to whitewash the domestic problems in France, Amoee said the French officials are trying to draw the public attention away from the political problems that have plagued their country.

    In recent weeks, French President Emmanuel Macron has attacked Islam and the Muslim community, accusing Muslims of “separatism” and claiming that “Islam is a religion in crisis all over the world.”

    Macron has also approved the publication of blasphemous cartoons of Prophet Muhammad and stressed that his country would not give up the insulting cartoons despite harsh criticisms from Muslims.

    Moreover, French teacher Samuel Paty raised controversy and provoked anger over showing defamatory cartoons of the holy Prophet to his students. Paty was decapitated by an 18-year-old assailant, identified as Chechen Abdullakh Anzorov, who was shot dead by police soon after the killing.

    The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has censured attempts by French politicians to link Muslims and Islam with terrorism, amid growing anti-Islam sentiment due to hostile policies adopted by the European state.

    The French interior ministry said a total of 73 mosques, private schools, and workplaces had been shut down since January “in the fight against radicalization.”

    Last week, French police stormed a mosque in a densely-populated suburb in the northeast of Paris, as part of a crackdown on Muslims in the wake of the French teacher’s beheading.”

  9. Rashida Tlaib urges voters to elect Joe Biden, then hold him accountable
    https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/rashida-tlaib-joe-biden-donald-trump-michigan

    “Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib wants people in Michigan to vote for Joe Biden like their lives depend on it.

    Still, a Biden-Harris administration wouldn’t be a “finale” for those seeking social justice; the struggle for better policies on health care, the environment, Palestine and other issues would continue.

    “Our call to my neighbours across the state, no matter their background, [is] that they need to come out and vote – if not for themselves, then for their communities, for your neighbour who lost someone to Covid,” the Palestinian-American congresswoman said.

    “If not, for you, then show up for that little girl who is so scared of what’s going to happen if her mother loses her job, or the number of folks that have been falling into the traps of the do-nothing nothing politics.”

    In a phone interview with Middle East Eye, Tlaib underscored the need to vote Trump out of office, saying that the country could not afford four more years of him.

    “There’s a wall around the White House right now, where we can’t have a conversation with the administration on the systemic issues, on how to address this pandemic and how to take care of our families,” she said.

    “And we can’t continue to do it that way because more lives are lost, and we’re not making sure that the government is taking care of its people.”

    Still, she stressed that electing former Vice President Biden and his running mate Senator Kamala Harris would not be the end of the progressive movement for an equitable future. She said a Biden presidency would be a vital step in the right direction, not the end of the road…”

  10. Algeria inaugurates the world’s third largest mosque
    https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20201030-algeria-inaugurates-the-worlds-third-largest-mosque/

    “Algeria’s Grand Mosque, the third largest in the world after the holiest sites in Makkah and Madinah and the largest in Africa, was inaugurated on Wednesday evening on the occasion of the Mawlid, Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him)’s birthdate. The opening ceremony was attended by Prime Minister Andelaziz Djerad and other government officials…”

  11. 180 Migrants die off coast of Mauritania, Senegal (memo, Oct 30, 2020)
    https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20201030-180-migrants-die-off-coast-of-mauritania-senegal/

    “Over 180 refugees have died off the coasts of Mauritania and Senegal in recent botched migration attempts, local authorities said yesterday.

    At least 140 migrants drowned after a vessel carrying more than 200 refugees sank off the coast of Senegal, the United Nations (UN) migration agency announced yesterday.

    Naval personnel from Senegal and Spain as well as local fisherman rescued 59 of those on board, according to the International Organisation for Migration (IOM).

    Rescuers also managed to recover the remains of 20 migrants who had drowned.

    Meanwhile, 43 refugees died off the coast of Mauritania after their boat, which was carrying 80 people, ran into trouble earlier this week.

    The refugees set off from Senegal heading for the Canary Islands two weeks ago, the Mauritanian News Agency reported.

    The report added that: “The boat faced many difficulties while sailing in international waters, which caused the loss of dozens of those on board due to loss of supplies and climate disturbances during the voyage.”

    A further 37 individuals were rescued from the beleaguered boat near the Mauritanian coast and were taken to the northern city of Nouadhibou.

    The city has become a hotspot for African migrants seeking to cross into Europe because of its proximity to the Canary Islands, an autonomous region of Spain.

    The IOM estimated that approximately 11,000 migrants from West Africa have successfully reached the Canary Islands this year, up from 2,557 arrivals in the same period last year.

    In light of the rising number of migration attempts, Bakary Doumbia, the IOM’s chief of mission for Senegal, said: “We call for unity between governments, partners and the international community to dismantle trafficking and smuggling networks that take advantage of desperate youth…”

    “It is also important that we advocate for enhanced legal channels to undermine the traffickers’ business model and prevent loss of life.”

    The IOM said that in September alone, 26 per cent of boats leaving West Africa for the Canary Islands had been shipwrecked or experienced some other incident.

    While at least four other boats attempting to reach Europe from the Central Mediterranean, and one in the English Channel, were shipwrecked last week.

    Earlier this week, a family of four Iranian Kurds, including two children aged nine and six, died in the English Channel when their boat capsized. Their 15-month-old boy, Artin, is still missing.”

  12. Former UFC fighter praises Chechen teen who beheaded French teacher
    https://www.bloodyelbow.com/2020/10/19/21523149/ufc-fighter-praises-chechen-teen-beheaded-french-teacher-decapitation-prophet-mma-news
    A former UFC fighter took to social media to praise the decapitation of a French teacher last week.

    Zelim Imadaev, who competed in the UFC’s welterweight division, referred to the assailant — a teenage Chechen refugee — as “hero of Islam” in an Instagram story and asked that “Allah approve your jihad.”

    Imadaev’s comments come in the wake of a recent attack where an 18-year-old Chechen refugee beheaded a high school history teacher in Conflans-Sainte-Honorine on Friday. The suspect was shot dead by police shortly thereafter.

    French anti-terrorism prosecutor Jean-François Ricard said a text claiming responsibility and a photograph of the victim were found on the suspect’s phone. He also confirmed that a Twitter account under the name Abdoulakh A, which belonged to the suspect, had posted a photo of the decapitated head minutes after the attack, along with the caption, “I have executed one of the dogs from hell who dared to put Muhammad down.”

    An investigation for murder with suspected terrorist motives has been opened. Nine suspects have been arrested so far, including the Chechen teen’s grandparents, as well as his 17-year-old brother. The suspect’s half-sister reportedly joined the Islamic State in Syria in 2014, though it is not clear where she is now.
    The tragic killing sparked protests and demonstrations within France, as mourners marched near the school holding signs that read “I am a teacher.”

    Imadaev, who has lost all three of his UFC bouts, is not the only MMA fighter to show support for the Chechen teen. Albert Duraev, a former champion for the Absolute Championship Akhmat (ACA) promotion headed by Chechen dictator Ramzan Kadyrov, joked on social media that “freedom of speech has lost its beginning in France.”

    Update: The UFC has provided BloodyElbow with the following statement, “UFC confirms that Zelim Imadaev was released from his contract earlier this summer and is no longer a member of the promotion’s roster.”

  13. Armenia, Azerbaijan agree to defuse Nagorno-Karabakh conflict
    https://www.reuters.com/article/us-armenia-azerbaijan-statement/armenia-azerbaijan-agree-to-defuse-nagorno-karabakh-conflict-idUSKBN27F336

    “The foreign ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan agreed on Friday to urgent steps after talks to resolve the conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh where hundreds have been killed in more than a month of fighting, a statement by major powers said.

    The ministers, who met in Geneva, agreed to not deliberately target civilian populations, engage in exchange of bodies on the battlefield, and provide lists of detained prisoners of war within a week with the aim of eventual exchange, said the statement by envoys from Russia, France and the United States.

    Armenia and Azerbaijan – whose three ceasefires have failed to halt the latest fighting – would communicate on issues “related to possible ceasefire verification mechanisms,” it said.”

  14. Two Pakistanis arrested for car number plate forgery in Saudi Arabia
    https://gulfnews.com/world/gulf/saudi/two-pakistanis-arrested-for-car-number-plate-forgery-in-saudi-arabia-1.74928472

    “Saudi police have arrested two Pakistani expatriates suspected of involvement in forging car number plates and selling them, according to the Interior Ministry.

    Both suspects worked at a car decoration store in the western Saudi governorate of Taif, the online newspaper Sabq reported today, citing the ministry.

    Police raided the store where they seized a computer, a printer, adhesive substances and 15 fake number plates of different sizes. The suspects are being kept in custody before reference to public prosecution, the ministry said.

    Forgery is a crime in Saudi Arabia punishable by up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to SR1 million.

    Driving a car with a damaged or unlicensed number plate is an offence punishable by a maximum fine of SR2,000 in the kingdom.”

  15. 13,000 expats deported from Kuwait this year
    https://gulfnews.com/world/gulf/kuwait/13000-expats-deported-from-kuwait-this-year-1.74930482

    “Cairo: Around 13,000 expatriates have been deported from Kuwait in the past 10 months over involvement in offences, according to a media report.

    Some of the deportees, who belonged to all nationalities, were sent home in a step dictated by protecting Kuwait’s public interests, Al Qabas newspaper said, citing security sources that did not elaborate.

    Ninety per cent of the deportees were expelled upon court rulings related to criminal and misdeameanour cases while the remaining 10 per cent were deported in response to administrative orders, they said. There are 900 more foreign men and women are being kept in Kuwait’s Deportation Prison and their deportation is a “matter of time”, according to the sources.

    40,000 deported
    However, the numbers of foreigners deported so far from Kuwait are below those of the deportees over the past two years. Around 40,000 expatriates were deported last year and 34,000 in 2018, according to the same sources.

    The low figures of the current year are due to measures taken to curb the spread of the new coronavirus, including the suspension of global air travel.

    In August, Kuwait banned flights with dozens of “high-risk” countries, citing concerns over the spread of COVID-19.

    In recent months, Kuwait has unveiled plans to replace citizens with migrant workers amid calls for minimising expatriates to redress demographic imbalance in the country.

    Foreigners account for nearly 3.4 million of Kuwait’s 4.8 million population.”

  16. Kuwaiti civil groups pushing for criminalizing defamation of prophets
    https://gulfnews.com/world/gulf/kuwait/kuwaiti-civil-groups-pushing-for-criminalizing-defamation-of-prophets-1.74931378

    “Thirty-seven Kuwaiti civil society groups have urged the UN and the Human Rights Council to work for a binding resolution criminalising defamation of prophets amid Muslim outrage over offensive cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) that were circulated in France.

    The groups denounced the French leadership’s defence of the caricatures and said that defaming the Prophet Mohammed is a “flagrant violation of Muslims’ rights”. They added in a statement: “Agitating sedition and hatred, pursued by some Western countries, including France especially in view of recent ensuing incident, violates principles of freedom and human rights.”

    Calls have mounted in the Muslim world for boycotting French goods after French President Emmanuel Macron was quoted as saying his country would not give up the caricatures and defended the right to publish them.

    Macron’s remarks came after a French history teacher was beheaded outside a school in a Paris suburb for showing the cartoons.

    On Thursday, a knife-wielding man believed to be a Tunisian killed three people in a church in Nice in southern France.”

  17. Canada to Welcome 1.2 Million Immigrants by End of 2023
    https://www.moroccoworldnews.com/2020/10/324338/canada-hails-benefits-of-immigration-welcomes-1-2-million-newcomers/

    “Canada has set ambitious new immigration targets, hoping to welcome more than 1.2 million new immigrants in the coming three years. “The key to both short-term recovery and long-term prosperity is immigration,” Immigration Minister Marco Mendicino told the press on Friday. The immigration minister visibly beamed with pride as he announced the historic targets.

    It was clearly a day of pride for Canada’s immigration minister who stated he was “honored” to announce the 2021-2023 immigration plan. He described it as a “vision to increase our numbers a little every year over the next three years.”

    The immigration minister said that Canada needs the historic number of new immigrants to fill a shortage created by the COVID-19 pandemic. “Travel restrictions and other constraints have led to a shortfall in admissions this year,” Mendocino highlighted as a key reason for the expanded targets.

    Historic targets
    Canada aims to make up for this shortfall in admissions by setting its targets to 401,000 new permanent residents in 2021. In 2022 this number will rise to 411,000, followed by 421,000 in 2023. ”Our plan will continue to focus on Canada’s economic growth,” the immigration minister stated at the press conference announcing the program.

    “Communities with the most immigration consistently see the fastest growth,” he said as he announced Canada’s intentions to expand recent successful pilot projects. These projects aimed to use community-based selection models to attract newcomers to Canada’s smaller cities and rural regions.

    Canada will continue to set its immigration policy around “important” family reunification programs, according to the minister. “We will uphold our Canadian values by broadening economic pathways for refugees with the skills to hit the ground running and maintaining our global commitment to protecting the world’s most vulnerable,” he said.

    Sound policy
    Canada is mindful of its rapidly aging population, similar to many Western countries, and sees immigration as the key solution. There are simply not enough young people working relative to every retiree, a trend that will see healthcare costs in Canada rise by 40% without sufficient young people to balance out the large number of retiring Canadians.

    “We need more workers, and immigration is the way to get there,” said the minister to sum up Canada’s predicament. Mendocino listed several important contributions that citizens who immigrated provide to Canada, including starting new businesses and bringing in highly skilled new workers.

    Canada’s scientific approach to immigration as an economic positive will come as a shock to the growing number of anti-immigrant voices across the West. Yet, Immigration Minister Mendocino’s irrefutable list of positive effects of immigration reflects a decades-old scientific consensus.

    Empty rhetoric and xenophobia drive an increasing fear of immigration, which often makes Western politicians afraid of opposing this growing block of voters. Canada’s pragmatic stand amid growing fear of the “other” testifies to Canadian politicians’ bravery to withstand the temptation to appease xenophobic constituents rather than meet citizens’ interests.”

  18. Pakistan to lead the way for evolving joint strategy against Islamophobia: PM
    https://tribune.com.pk/story/2270507/pakistan-to-lead-the-way-for-evolving-joint-strategy-against-islamophobia-pm

    “Prime Minister Imran Khan has said that Pakistan will take the lead in engaging with the leaders of the Muslim world to evolve a joint strategy to effectively counter the growing Islamophobia in the western world.

    He was addressing the concluding session of National Rehmatul Lil Alameen Conference in connection with Eid Miladun Nabi (SAWW) celebrations in Islamabad on Friday, Radio Pakistan reported.

    The premier said the European countries have no understanding of sensitivities of Muslims and added that it is “our responsibility to apprise them of the sentiments of Muslim community”.

    Earlier this week, Pakistan had condemned the republication of blasphemous caricatures in France and the Islamophobic remarks of French President Emmanuel Macron, with lodging strong protest with French ambassador, followed by the passage of resolutions in both house of parliament.

    Referring to his letters that the prime minister had written to the world leaders, Imran Khan said he will personally contact them to chalk out at common strategy against Islamophobia.

    “Today, we are confronting a growing concern and restlessness amongst our Ummah as they see the rising tide of Islamophobia and attacks, through ridicule and mockery on our beloved Prophet (PBUH) in the Western world, especially Europe,” the he said in the letter.

    PM Imran said hurting the sentiments of Muslims in the guise of freedom of expression cannot be allowed.

    Pakistan was carved out with the vision to build it on the principles of state of Madina, he added. “We are confronting problems today because unfortunately we deviated from the ideology of founding fathers.”

    He also announced that a law will be also passed which will make it compulsory for the students to study the life and teachings of Holy Prophet (PBUH).

    Addressing the conference, Minister for Religious Affairs Pir Noorul Haq Qadri said we can address the issues faced by society including climate change by taking guidance from the teachings of Hazrat Muhammad (PBUH).

    He also condemned the statements of French President Emmanuel Macron backing the publication of blasphemous caricatures which has hurt the sentiments of Muslims across the world.”

  19. France knife attack: Police assaulted, suspect subdued
    https://www.aa.com.tr/en/europe/france-knife-attack-police-assaulted-suspect-subdued/2025363

    “A police officer was attacked by a man wielding two knives in Paris on Friday afternoon. Police subdued the suspect at the scene, according to local media.

    The attack happened in the 15th arrondissement at 3 p.m. (1400GMT). Police used an electric pulse pistol, also known as a taser, and a defense bullet launcher, otherwise known as an LBD, to neutralize the suspect.

    No injuries or casualties were reported, daily Le Liberation reported.

    Multiple municipal officers rushed to the scene as well as those from Operation Sentinel, the additional forces put in place today by the interior minister in response to a spate of terror events that occurred throughout France on Thursday and previously in the month.

    Police responded to a call about a domestic incident — the man knocking unexpectedly on doors — only to be confronted by the suspect in the building’s courtyard upon arrival.

    Officers utilized the taser and LBD against the man when he rushed them.

    The motive for the attack has yet to be found and information about the suspect is still being gathered.

    The incident took place a day after three people were killed in a knife attack in Nice.

    President Emmanuel Macron Thursday said France was “under attack” but he vowed the French people would “not give in to any terror” in fighting intolerance.

    The French government raised the terror alert level to the maximum “emergency” level nationwide, and soldiers were deployed across the country to provide extra security.”

  20. French citizens face threat ‘everywhere’ in the world, warns foreign minister
    https://www.dw.com/en/french-citizens-face-threat-everywhere-in-the-world-warns-foreign-minister/a-55453970

    “France’s top diplomat Jean-Yves Le Drian warned of worldwide threats against French nationals following two brutal terror attacks. Meanwhile, President Emmanuel Macron held a crisis meeting with top ministers.

    The French government has instructed its embassies across the world to tighten security in the wake of recent attacks in Nice and Paris, Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said on Friday.

    Le Drian also urged French citizens to be vigilant and warned that they face a security risk “everywhere” as outrage in the Islamic world simmers after President Emmanuel Macron defended the publication of cartoons that depicted the Prophet Muhammad. There have been calls in some countries for a boycott of French goods…”

  21. Czech Chamber of Deputies approves deployment of troops to Mali, Niger, and Chad
    https://rmx.news/article/article/chamber-of-deputies-approves-deployment-of-czech-troops-to-mali-niger-and-chad

    “The Czech Chamber of Deputies approved the government’s proposal to send up to 60 Czech soldiers on missions to Mali, Niger, and Chad to help take part in the fight against terrorism in Africa. The Senate has already agreed with the deployment in August.

    The deployment of troops was supported by 113 of the 133 deputies present.

    The Czech army wants to send an elite special forces unit from Prost?jov to the mission in Mali. Their task would be to advise the Malian soldiers, but they would also go into battle with them. Joint operations should take place mainly in Mali, but troops could also pursue terrorist groups to the border areas of neighboring Niger. The headquarters of the operation would be located in Chad, where the Czech army would send several soldiers. The mission could last until the end of 2022.

    “We will contribute to the operation, which directly affects our security,” said Minister Lubomír Metnar. According to Foreign Minister Tomáš Pet?í?ek, the mission should help stabilize the entire African region, which is also a source of illegal migration to Europe.

    France, which has long been involved in the fight against Islamic terrorists in Mali, has asked for the involvement of Czech soldiers in the mission. The French army wants to partially move its forces to other areas of Mali. The establishment of a joint unit called Takuba was officially announced by the participating states at the end of March. The task force will be part of Operation Barkhane. In addition to France and the Czech Republic, the United Kingdom, Sweden, Norway, Portugal, and Denmark, are some of the countries expected to join.

    The cost of the new mission is estimated by the Ministry of Defense at least 598 million korunas (€21,9 million). In the opening round, the Chamber of Deputies supported additional protocols with the agreements between France and Mali and Niger, which provide a legal basis for European troops to act as a counter-terrorism unit. Such protocols are a prerequisite for the deployment of Czech soldiers in the operation.

    Last month, the Chamber of Deputies approved the military mission plan for the next two years, which states that the Czech army will send up to 851 soldiers to foreign missions next year.

    The Czech army already has soldiers in Mali. They participate in the training and protection of the European Union training mission. In August, Czech Ministry of Defense decided not to withdraw Czech troops from there despite the events when rebellious Malian soldiers seized power in the country after capturing President Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta, who resigned shortly afterward.”

  22. Saudi Arabia: Driver crashes car into gate of Mecca’s Grand Mosque
    https://gulfnews.com/world/gulf/saudi/saudi-arabia-driver-crashes-car-into-gate-of-meccas-grand-mosque-1.74950519
    Cairo: A car has crashed into a door of the Grand Mosque in the Saudi holy city of Mecca, causing no casualties, a local official said.
    The car had veered off the road around the southern courtyard of the mosque due to high speed, spokesman for the Holy Mecca region added.
    “The driver was arrested. He is a citizen who was found to be in an abnormal condition,” said the official without further details. The driver will be referred to public prosecution. The accident occurred at 10.30pm (11.30 UAE time) on Friday.
    The car involved was a beige Hyundai that collided at Door 89 of the mosque, according to online reports. The driver was reportedly arrested.
    Earlier this month, Saudi Arabia allowed the gradual resumption of the Umrah in the Grand Mosque after suspension of around seven months. The first group of Umrah pilgrims from outside the kingdom will arrive tomorrow.