Author Archives: taffy

Terror suspect no ‘direct threat’ to Canadians: RCMP

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CBC…A man who was arrested in Toronto on charges that he was to join to a Somali group deemed a terrorist organization by the federal government does not pose a “direct threat” to Canadians, RCMP say.

Mohamed Hassan Hersi, 25, arrested at Pearson International Airport without incident Tuesday evening and made a brief court appearance Wednesday morning in Toronto.

He was charged with attempting to participate in terrorist activity and with providing counsel to a person to participate in terrorist activity. He will remain in custody until a Friday morning bail hearing.

“There was nothing in the investigation that would suggest a direct threat to Canadians within Canada,” said RCMP Insp. Keith Finn at a news conference Wednesday afternoon in Toronto.

“However, the issue of radicalization and of people from Canada travelling overseas and receiving that type of further indoctrination and training remains a concern to the RCMP and our partners as far as national security is concerned.”

Finn could not discuss the specifics of the charges, saying they were before the courts and they would be revealed later.

It’s alleged Hersi was bound for Cairo after a stop in London, England. He was then due to travel to Somalia “to join [the militant group] al-Shabaab and participate in their terrorist activities,” RCMP allege.

His arrest comes after a joint investigation by the RCMP’s Integrated National Security Enforcement Team and the Toronto Police Service’s intelligence division.

Below, a CTV video on the issue.

‘A victory for common sense’: Cafe owner wins extractor fan appeal after neighbour claimed ‘smell of bacon offends Muslims’

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MAILONLINE

A cafe owner who was ordered to tear down an extractor fan because the smell of bacon offended Muslims was celebrating a ‘victory for commons sense’ today.

Beverley Akciecek has won her appeal against the ruling by Stockport councillors.

Mrs Akciecek’s neighbour’s had claimed their Muslim friends were refusing to visit because they ‘couldn’t stand’  the odour.

And the Lib Dem-run council ruled the smell from the fan, which has been in Bev’s Snack Shack for more than three years, was ‘unacceptable on the grounds of residential amenity’ and told her to take it down.

But the mother-of-seven and her husband Cetin, 50, who is himself a Turkish Muslim, appealed the decision.

After a six-month legal battle, the Planning Inspectorate finally announced they had won their case.

The council will now have to pay all of Mrs Akciecek’s legal costs plus their own, which include the costs of planning reports, lawyers’ consultations and meetings. All will be met by the public purse.

She said today: ‘This a victory for common sense but we shouldn’t have been put through this in the first place. Continue Reading →

Libya: al-Qaeda among Libya rebels, Nato chief fears

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THE TELEGRAPH
By Robert Winnett, and Duncan Gardham 9:00PM BST 29 Mar 2011
Admiral James Stavridis, Nato’s Supreme Allied Commander, Europe, said that American intelligence had picked up “flickers” of terrorist activity among the rebel groups. Senior British government figures described the comment as “very alarming”.

The admission came as the American, Qatari and British Governments indicated that they were considering arming rebel groups, who yesterday suffered a series of setbacks in their advance along the Libyan coast towards Tripoli. Continue Reading →

Britain, Italy hold out Gaddafi exile prospect

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Apparently Gaddafi is a bad enough guy that the UN will bomb this piss out of him but his crimes are not bad enough for an arrest.

If Gaddafi is allowed to go into exile how much of Libyas weath will go with him and if this happens how much money from the taxpayers of the west be required to “rebuild” and “stabalize” Libya?

YAHOO NEWS

LONDON (Reuters) – More than 40 governments and international bodies gathered in London on Tuesday to plan for a Libya without Muammar Gaddafi, with Italy and Britain suggesting he might be allowed to go into exile.

With fighting raging between rebels and Gaddafi loyalists, Italy has put forward a proposal for a political deal to end Libya’s crisis, including a quick ceasefire, exile for Gaddafi and dialogue between rebels and tribal leaders.

British Foreign Secretary William Hague also implied exile might be a way to take Gaddafi out of the picture and settle the six-week-old uprising against his 40 years in power.

“We want him to leave power and that’s what we’ve consistently said to the Libyan regime. We are not in control, of course, of where he might go,” Hague told the BBC, adding he believed Gaddafi should face the International Criminal Court. Continue Reading →

Third church attacked as Pakistani extremists declare war over Florida Koran burning

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ASIA NEWS

by Jibran Khan
Yesterday afternoon, an armed group attacked the Catholic Church of St. Thomas in the military district of Wah, 45 km from Islamabad. The fundamentalists hurled stones and tried to burn the building. Bishop of the capital, we are Pakistani Christians, we have no ties with the United States. Young Christians: no hope for the future. 
Islamabad (AsiaNews) – An armed group of seven people attacked the Catholic Church of St. Thomas in the military district of Wah, about 45 km from Islamabad. The attack took place at 6.30 pm yesterday, while the security guard was absent. The extremists hurled stones, damaged the building and tried to set fire to it, but they did not shoot. Yesterday’s was the third attack against a church in Pakistan less than a week. The escalation of violence is a result of the mad act – repeatedly condemned by Christians in Pakistan and India – of pastor Wayne Sapp, who last March 20, in Florida burned a copy of the Koran under the supervision of the evangelical preacher Terry Jones. Continue Reading →

Madagascar flies home maids abused in Lebanon

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YAHOO NEWS

ANTANANARIVO (AFP) – Madagascar’s government early Thursday flew home 86 women domestic workers from Lebanon who had been subjected to abuse, amid concerns over the deaths of 17 Madagascan maids in the past year.

Most of the women “had run away from their employers,” said Population Minister Nadine Ramaroson as she welcomed them at Antananarivo airport.

“Their return home was negotiated by the Madagascan consul in Lebanon after either the women themselves or their families asked for them to be repatriated,” Ramaroson said.

The government decided to charter a plane after numerous cases of abuse were reported. The Population Ministry received more than 600 repatriation requests from maids or their families.

The Union of Qualified Domestic Workers (SPDTS), an non-governmental organisation that helps the victims and their families, says that in the past year alone 17 Madagascan maids in Lebanon died from abuse suffered at the hands of their employers.

“There have been a lot of deaths,” Prime Minister Camille Vital said. “That’s why the government has decided to repatriate those who wanted to come home. The government is paying for this rapatriation.”

On their arrival at the airport the young women were met by social workers from SPDTS and by staff from different ministries tasked with providing medical care and counselling.

“My boss used to hit me and didn’t give me my salary. I’m very, very happy to be back home,” said 25-year-old Leonie.

Another woman who gave her name as Augustine said: “The friend with whom I ran away from my boss wasn’t able to get on the plane at the last minute. I’m really worried about her. She’s not in good shape.”

More than 7,000 Madagascans work in Lebanon, according to SPDTS. In 2010 around 500 of them came home before the end of their contract.

Thousands of Christians Displaced in Ethiopia After Muslim Extremists Torch Churches, Homes

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FOX NEWS…Thousands of Christians have been forced to flee their homes in Western Ethiopia after Muslim extremists set fire to roughly 50 churches and dozens of Christian homes.

At least one Christian has been killed, many more have been injured and anywhere from 3,000 to 10,000 have been displaced in the attacks that began March 2 after a Christian in the community of Asendabo was accused of desecrating the Koran.

The violence escalated to the point that federal police forces sent to the area two weeks ago were initially overwhelmed by the mobs. Government spokesman Shimelis Kemal told Voice of America police reinforcements had since restored order and 130 suspects had been arrested and charged with instigating religious hatred and violence.

Prime Minister Meles Zenawi said the Islamist group Kawarja is believed to have incited the violence. Continue Reading →

FBI Launches investigation of Gulen and his movement

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CANADA FREE PRESS

Fethullah Gulen, dubbed “the most dangerous Islamist on planet earth,” is now under investigation by the F.B.I. for his network of charter schools throughout the country.

The 140-plus charter schools, according to a newly released federal document, may serve as madrassahs where students are “brain-washed” to serve as proponents of the New Islamic World Order that Gulen purportedly seeks to create.

The Gulen schools, which have been established in nearly every state in the union, bear such innocuous names as the Magnolia Science Academy, the Sweetwater Branch Academy, the Science Academy of Chicago, the Pioneer Charter School, the Horizon Science Academy, the Noble Academy, the Dove Science Academy, the Bluebonnet Learning Center, and the Beehive Science and Technology Academy.

Gulen, who fled his native Turkey in 1998 upon being charged with seeking to overthrow the secular Turkish government, presently resides within a mountain fortress in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania.

Court records show that Gulen has amassed assets in excess of $25 billion. Continue Reading →

Malaysia’s government offers olive branch to Christians amid dispute over seized Bibles

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YAHOO NEWS

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia – Malaysia’s government has reversed its decision to stamp Malay-language Bibles with serial numbers and government seals, softening its stance after Christians slammed the move as desecrating their holy book.

A dispute over the distribution of Malay-language Bibles containing the word “Allah” as a translation for God has caused authorities to hold 35,000 Indonesian-made Bibles at two Malaysian ports since 2009. The government bans the use of “Allah” in non-Muslim texts, saying it could confuse Muslims or even be used to convert them.

Last week, the government agreed to release the Bibles on condition they are stamped with serial numbers and seals with warnings that the books are meant for Christians only. The Christian Federation of Malaysia, which represents most of the country’s churches, said that would amount to desecrating the Bibles.

Late Tuesday, the Prime Minister’s Department offered what it called a “fair and reasonable solution” to resolve the dispute.

The Bibles will be released with only the words “For Christianity” stamped on them, the department said in a statement. For books already stamped with serial numbers and seals, it said Christian donors have offered to replace them with new imported Bibles.

It reiterated that the serialization of the Bibles was standard practice and not meant to deface the books. The government will issue a directive to allow future imports of all Malay-language Bibles as long as the books contain the stamp “For Christianity,” the department said.

The Christian federation said it would issue a statement after church leaders meet next week to discuss the government’s offer.

While the government’s proposed release of the Bibles aims to ease religious friction, it also attempts to assure Muslims that their interests will not be undermined in an ongoing court case on whether non-Muslims have the constitutional right to use “Allah.”

The government is appealing a December 2009 court ruling that religious minorities — mostly Christians, Buddhists and Hindus — have the right to use “Allah.” The verdict caused a brief surge in tensions last year, when 11 churches were attacked amid anger among some Muslims.

Canada planning to give $11M to Egypt for democracy-building efforts

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Oh Canada.

 Shakes head and sighs.

Even though the persecution of religious minorities is illegal in within the borders of Canada, Canadians are obligated to support [with tax dollars] countries where certain segments of the population are regarded as second class citizens for having a faith different than the majority. Countries where the abuses against these groups run the gamut from verbal abuse to murder. Where their homes and churches can be burned and land stolen all while the state yawns and pays platitudes to the victims and media.

If Canada’s foreign policy is a reflection of our morality then I’m taking the mirrors down because I can’t stand what is staring back at me.

Winnipeg Free Press

OTTAWA – Canada is giving almost $11 million to Egypt to help foster democracy in the North African country.

Foreign Affairs Minister Lawrence Cannon announced the funding Wednesday in Cairo, where he attended meetings with Egypt’s new leaders and civil society groups.

Cannon said he told Prime Minister Essam Sharaf and his cabinet that Canada was willing to participate in Egypt’s “transition from dictatorship to democracy.”

The money will target opportunities for young Egyptians and help develop democratic institutions in their country and across the broader Middle East.

The vast majority of the new funds — $10 million over five years — will be supplied by the Decent Employment for Youth Project, a Canadian International Development Agency project which trains and helps young people find jobs and start businesses in tourism and manufacturing. Continue Reading →

Ottawa tightens security, forces Muslims to remove veils

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Calgary Herald… OTTAWA — The federal government has quietly tightened screening regulations at airports so passengers boarding flights must show their faces at boarding gates, amid concerns that Muslim women were being allowed to board flights without removing their veils.

But the new rules could also create headaches for people whose appearance have changed significantly, or who have aged noticeably, since they had their photo taken for identification documents. Such passengers could now be turned away at the boarding gate.

Meanwhile, passengers wearing bandages on their heads will be allowed to pass through unchecked, as long as they have a note signed by a “health-care professional.”

Under an “interim order” by Transport Minister Chuck Strahl, airlines must now check the “entire face” of passengers passing through boarding gates. The order explicitly states that airline officials must look at passengers — first, to determine if they are 18 years or older, and if they are 18 or older, to verify their identity against their passport or other photo ID.

Previously, federal regulations required that airlines screen anyone over 18 by asking that person for the appropriate identification. But there was no explicit mention of the need for passengers to show their “entire face.” Continue Reading →

I’m a victim too says the widow of 7/7 bomber

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MailOnline… The widow of a July 7 suicide bomber yesterday launched a High Court bid to be represented at the victims’ inquest – saying she had also suffered the loss of a loved one in the atrocity.

Hasina Patel, whose husband was terrorist mastermind Mohammad Sidique Khan, is seeking legal aid to challenge the coroner’s decision to exclude Khan’s death from the hearing for the 52 victims of the 2005 London bombings.

If the mother of one’s application is granted, October’s long-awaited inquest could be delayed by months of legal wrangling, to the distress of those who have waited more than five years for it to take place.

Lawyers for Miss Patel claim there should be ‘no material distinction’ between her and the families of those killed, because she ‘equally suffered the loss of a relative’. Continue Reading →

Update; Ottawa terrorism arrests

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From the Ottawa Citizen: (photos there as well)

Two arrested in Ottawa after multiple raids in al Qaeda terror probe

 OTTAWA — Police in Ottawa have arrested two men in connection with an alleged al-Qaeda-related terrorism plot, and initiated the search of a second property.

Police officers entered an apartment in a building at 220 Woodridge Cres. in the city’s Bayshore area. The person registered as living in apartment 702 is believed to be named Ahmed Ehsan. Little else is known about him at this time.

There were also indications that further police searches were taking place including across the Ottawa River in Gatineau.

The arrests occurred Wednesday at a house at 91 Esterlawn Pvt., near the intersection of Woodroffe and Carling avenues. Officers from the RCMP and Ottawa police raided the house at about 7 a.m.

The RCMP said in a press release that they were executing a number of search warrants and additional arrests are expected.

Anthony Seaboyer, head of the proliferation security research group at Queen’s University’s Centre for International Relations, called the arrests “a great success” for Canadian anti-terrorism forces.

“It shows that the RCMP, Ottawa police and CSIS can actually co-operate effectively,” Seaboyer said.

Given the scathing criticism of how security authorities handled the Air India bombing, “this is a good sign,” he said.

“Canada is moving more and more away from being a safe haven for terrorist organizations.”

On the other hand, Seaboyer said, “it shows what’s now going on out there. We have now found one group, but what else is out there?”

It’s impossible to know how many terrorism cells are active in Canada, Seaboyer said, but those arrested Wednesday are “definitely not the only group out there, that’s for sure.” Continue Reading →

RCMP arrest 2 in Ottawa on ‘terrorist offences’

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CBC…The RCMP say they have arrested two Ottawa residents and expect to make more arrests in relation to what they describe as “terrorist offences.”

The RCMP’s national security enforcement team arrested two people at 8 a.m. Wednesday and search warrants are being executed, the police force said in a release.

Police sources have told the CBC two men were arrested early in the morning at a residence on Esterlawn Private, a street in the Carlingwood area.

The arrests were made in relation to plans that were in the developing stages and had yet to be executed, police sources told the CBC.

Police said they expect to arrest at least one other person.

No further details were provided. A news conference is scheduled for Thursday afternoon.

Blast kills seven in China’s Xinjiang

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BBC… Seven people have been killed and 14 injured in a bomb blast in China’s Xinjiang region.

The explosion happened in Aksu city in the west of the remote western region.

A local government spokeswoman, Hou Hanmin, said a Uighur [Muslim]  man drove a three-wheeled vehicle carrying an explosive device into a crowd.

The man was arrested at the scene and investigations were ongoing, Ms Hou said.

Four of those hurt had suffered serious injuries, she said.

Last year deadly ethnic riots erupted in Xinjiang after tensions flared between the Muslim Uighur minority and the Han Chinese.

There have also been a number of blasts in Xinjiang in the past, which the government blames on Uighur [Muslim] separatists.

Speaking on Thursday before the blast occurred, Xinjiang Governor Nur Bekri told journalists that China faced a “long and fierce and very complicated struggle” in Xinjiang.

“Separatism in Xinjiang has a very long history, it was there in the past, it is still here now and it will continue in the future,” AP news agency quoted him as saying.

Chinese authorities say a small group of militants are behind attacks in Xinjiang.

But Uighur [Muslim] activists and human rights groups accuse Beijing of using the issue to crack down on Uighur dissidents, who have complained that waves of Han Chinese migrants are undermining their culture.