Gates of Vienna News Feed 7/13/2014

Undeterred by tear gas, culturally enriched “French” rioters in Paris broke off from a pro-Gaza demonstration and attacked a synagogue full of Jewish worshippers. A massive police presence was required to force the rioters back and keep them from entering the synagogue.

In other news, several Syrian rebel groups fighting against the Assad government have pledged their allegiance to the new ISIS “caliphate” under Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. Meanwhile, the leader of the Boko Haram terror group in Nigeria announced his support for ISIS.

To see the headlines and the articles, click “Continue reading” below.

Thanks to C. Cantoni, Fjordman, Insubria, Jerry Gordon, JP, MC, Steen, and all the other tipsters who sent these in.

Notice to tipsters: Please don’t submit extensive excerpts from articles that have been posted behind a subscription firewall, or are otherwise under copyright protection.

Caveat: Articles in the news feed are posted “as is”. Gates of Vienna cannot vouch for the authenticity or accuracy of the contents of any individual item posted here. We check each entry to make sure it is relatively interesting, not patently offensive, and at least superficially plausible. The link to the original is included with each item’s title. Further research and verification are left to the reader.

Financial Crisis
» Poverty in Italy ‘A Scourge’ Caritas Reports
 
USA
» Lorin Maazel, Brilliant, Intense and Enigmatic Conductor, Dies at 84
 
Canada
» Canada Opens Biggest Chinese Cultural Festival
 
Europe and the EU
» Belgian Woman Helps 1000 Reverts to Islam
» Book Review: The French Intifada
» British Guilt Over Jihadis is for Dummies
» Cyprus: Tripadvisor Award for Hala Sultan Mosque
» Denmark Considers New Anti-Jihadist Laws
» Eleven Boys From India Disappear in Denmark
» France: Muslim Rioters Attack Synagogue in Paris
» France: Sarkozy’s UMP Party ‘Almost €80 Million in Debt’
» French Rector in Trial Over Missing Mosque Funds
» French Court Lifts Mayor’s Ban of Muslim Hijab on Beach
» German Police Megaphone Used in Anti-Israel Rant
» Germany: Palestine Protesters Try to Storm Berlin’s Fan Mile
» Italy Asked to Collect 1.4 Bn Unpaid Milk Quota Fines
» Italy Police Arrest Cat Killer
» Pope Francis Pledges Strict Measures Against Child Abuse
» UK: Farnworth Syria Activist Arrested in Sex Assault and Child Porn Probe
» UK: Masked Gang Storm Radcliffe Pub and Stab Man Twice
» UK: Muslim Parent Warned David Cameron About Trojan Horse School Two Months Before Crisis Erupted — and Got No Reply
» UK: Unsung Hero: Former Circus Acrobat Turns Mosque Caretaker
» UK: Welby: Let’s Not Get ‘Hysterical’ About Islamic Radicalisation
 
North Africa
» Heavy Fighting Breaks Out Near Libya’s Tripoli Airport
» Islamist Militias Attack Tripoli Airport
» Libya: Al-Qaeda Leader Mokhtar Belmokhtar Sparks New Jihadi Terror Threat
» Rival Libyan Militias Exchange Heavy Fire at Tripoli Airport
» Roadside Bomb Kills Seven Soldiers in Algeria
 
Israel and the Palestinians
» Deepest Ever Rocket Attack From Gaza Reaches Far North Nahariya Region
» Egyptians Hoping Israel Will Destroy Hamas
» Hamas to Evacuees: Return to Your Homes Despite IDF Ultimatum
» Hamas Rocket Strikes Gaza Electric Supply, Israel Not Fixing it
» PA Official Admits: Israel Follows International Law, We Don’t
» Palestinian Protesters Attack Paris Synagogues Over Israel Defense Against Hamas Rocket Blitz
» Report: Hamas: Not Israel, Rejected Cease-Fire
» Rules of Engagement, According to Hamas
 
Middle East
» Iran Sticks to ‘Unworkable, Inadequate’ Stances in Nuclear Talks: US
» Iran, Sextet Not Inclined to Extend Nuclear Talks: Negotiator
» Middle East: ISIL May Target Mecca for Destruction
» Saudi Arabia: Quba — The First Mosque in the History of Islam
» Syria Terrorists Pledge Allegiance to ISIL
» UAE Denies Extradition of Amedeo Matacena
 
Russia
» Russia Warns of ‘Irreversible’ Consequences After Shelling From Ukraine Kills 1
» Shell Fired From Ukraine Kills Russian Man
» Ukraine Conflict: Ground Forces ‘Storming Luhansk’
 
South Asia
» Bangladesh Farmer Makes Huge German Flag
» Malaysia: For Sepang Muslim MP, Catholic Rights Violated in Allah Controversy
 
Far East
» China: Guangdong Police to Reward Terror Informants Up to Half Million RMB
» ‘Danish is Probably Harder Than Chinese’
 
Australia — Pacific
» Former Israeli Soldier Ambushed by Two Men in ‘Anti-Semitic’ On Quiet Melbourne Street, Leaving Him With a Black Eye and Torn Clothes
 
Sub-Saharan Africa
» Boko Haram Chief Voices Support for IS ‘Caliph’
» Kenya Muslims Snub President Iftar
 
Latin America
» Brazilians Back Germany Against Argentina
» Germany Defeats Argentina, 1-0, In Extra Time to Win World Cup Title
» Goetze Wins World Cup for Germany in Extra Time
 
Immigration
» Greece: Death Toll in Aegean Sea Migrant Boat Tragedy Reaches Four, Two Dozen Missing
 
Culture Wars
» Desmond Tutu: A Dignified Death is Our Right — I am in Favour of Assisted Dying
 

Poverty in Italy ‘A Scourge’ Caritas Reports

Lack of national plan to blame

(ANSA) — Rome, July 11 — Lack of appropriate government intervention and the absence of a national plan to fight poverty were cited as main contributors to the “scourge” of poverty in Italy, according to a report released by Caritas on Friday, titled The Result of the Economic Crisis. The report, from the Italian Episcopal Conference’s organization aimed at assisting the poor, criticized the “limited effort” of the Berlusconi and Monti administrations that governed during the years of the economic crisis from 2007 to 2013.

The “only response” to poverty during those years, according to the report, was the Social Card initiative: a Ministry of Economy and Finance program providing a 40 euro-per-month spending supplement to needy individuals who qualify, to offset the costs of food, health care, and utility spending. The Letta government, in place from 2013 to 2014, was seen as having neither improved nor worsened the situation. Premier Matteo Renzi’s 80 euro monthly pay increase for low-income workers has had a limited effect on decreasing poverty, according to the report.

Caritas appealed to Premier Matteo Renzi and Labor Minister Giuliano Poletti to implement the “Social Inclusion Income” initiative, designed to bridge the gap for families living in extreme poverty, bringing their below-poverty income up to the poverty level.

“The Social Inclusion Income initiative will become reality if Renzi and Poletti make poverty a political priority and decide to tackle this scourge by rethinking the current methods of intervention,” the report said.

Poverty now touches segments of society previously seen as not particularly vulnerable to the economic crisis, such as those living in the Central-North, families with two children, families with a head of family younger than 35 years old, and employed families.

Social services have been further weakened, said the report, citing a decrease of 6% in funding at the city level from 2010 to 2012; cuts which, Caritas pointed out, “hit a segment that’s already under-funded”.

           — Hat tip: Insubria [Return to headlines]
 

Lorin Maazel, Brilliant, Intense and Enigmatic Conductor, Dies at 84

Lorin Maazel, a former child prodigy who went on to hold the music directorships of the New York Philharmonic, the Cleveland Orchestra, the Vienna State Opera and several other ensembles and companies around the world, and who was known for his incisive and sometimes extreme interpretations, died on Sunday at his home in Castleton, Va. He was 84.

The cause was complications of pneumonia, said Jenny Lawhorn, a spokeswoman for Mr. Maazel. He had been rehearsing in recent weeks for the Castleton Festival, which takes place on his farm.

[Return to headlines]
 

Canada Opens Biggest Chinese Cultural Festival

TORONTO, July 12 (Xinhua) — People in Toronto will finally get to see a piece of China without hopping onto a plane as Canada’s largest-ever celebration of Chinese arts and culture officially kicked off Friday evening.

The inaugural three-day China Now festival will be bringing roughly 100 multidisciplinary artists, over half of which are traveling from China, straight to Toronto’s Harbourfront Center.

Luo Zhaohui, Chinese ambassador to Canada, was one of the many dignitaries who helped kick-off the festivities on Friday. With a wide range of performances like paper cutting, dumpling duels, kite-making and much more happening within the three days, Luo said Torontonians will get to see a very different side of China this weekend…

           — Hat tip: JP [Return to headlines]
 

Belgian Woman Helps 1000 Reverts to Islam

A Belgian young Muslim revert to Islam has helped 1000 people to accepts Islam after turning her home into Islamic center for Belgian Muslims seeking to learn more about their religion.

Influenced by her Muslim friends and researching into the religion, Veronique Cools has accepted Islam at a very young age. Later on, she decided to turn her own home into an Islamic center for Belgian Muslims seeking to learn more about their religion.

The new center works to help Belgians to overcome many prejudices when looking into Islam…

           — Hat tip: JP [Return to headlines]
 

Book Review: The French Intifada

Geoffrey Clarfield

Dr. Harold Goldmeier writes in Life in Israel: The French Intifada is the scariest non-fiction book I’ve read. Andrew Hussey builds a convincing case that jihadist Islamists seethe with ugsome fury for impious Western civilization. Ruthless violence is the tool of preferred choice to mete out revenge to their oppressors, and deconstruct Western society.

           — Hat tip: Fjordman [Return to headlines]
 

British Guilt Over Jihadis is for Dummies

By Janet Daley

In order to persuade young Muslims that their allegiance belongs here, this country will have to question its own casual self-loathing

In the midst of the deeply unfunny news coverage of the two young British jihadi volunteers who were arrested on terror charges when they arrived back from Syria, there was one moment of comic absurdity…

[Reader comment by CassandraKing on 13 July 2014.]

It’s not citizenship they want it’s our land, and they want it all, there is no concept of sharing or coexistence or harmonious multiculturalism. When they are strong enough to take it all they will try and God help us if we become a minority because they will show no mercy or compassion.

           — Hat tip: JP [Return to headlines]
 

Cyprus: Tripadvisor Award for Hala Sultan Mosque

HALA Sultan mosque in Larnaca, one of the holiest shrines of the Islamic world with historical ties to Prophet Mohammed’s aunt, has been granted a Certificate of Excellence by Internet travel site TripAdvisor.

The Antiquities department said that the award is the recognition of the government efforts which in tough economic conditions continues to upgrade popular visitor sites and promotes the island’s rich cultural heritage…

           — Hat tip: JP [Return to headlines]
 

Denmark Considers New Anti-Jihadist Laws

After France proposed tough new anti-terrorism legislation, leading Danish MPs said that Denmark should weigh all of its options for stopping the flow of fighters to Syria.

Denmark will consider following France’s newly-proposed get-tough approach to keep aspiring jihadists from travelling to Syria.

France’s proposal includes a ban on foreign travel of up to six months for individuals suspected of being radicalised and allows authorities to confiscate their passports.

Denmark’s justice minister, Karen Hækkerup, was in Milan, Italy this week with eight of her European colleagues to discuss the growing problem of Europeans who travel to Syria to take part in that country’s civil war.

           — Hat tip: Fjordman [Return to headlines]
 

Eleven Boys From India Disappear in Denmark

A team of 14 to 16-year-old handball players from India have not been heard from since Saturday. The team’s coaches are on their way back to India without the boys and suspect that they had a plan to run off and remain in Europe.

           — Hat tip: Fjordman [Return to headlines]
 

France: Muslim Rioters Attack Synagogue in Paris

Muslim rioters reportedly surrounded Don Yitzchak Abarbanel Synagogue in the 11th arrondissement of Paris on Sunday, and threw rocks into the house of worship. Large scale police forces were called to extricate the Jews.[…]

Several thousand demonstrators walked calmly through the streets of Paris behind a large banner that read “Total Support for the Struggle of the Palestinian People”.

But clashes erupted at the end of the march on Bastille Square, with people throwing projectiles onto a cordon of police who responded with tear gas. The unrest was continuing early Sunday evening.[…]

[Isn’t this what Nazis do? — MC]

           — Hat tip: MC [Return to headlines]
 

France: Sarkozy’s UMP Party ‘Almost €80 Million in Debt’

The conservative UMP party of former French president Nicolas Sarkozy must cut costs and seek new lines of credit as its debts rose to almost €80 million ($109 million), an independent audit concluded on Tuesday.

The UMP (Union for a Popular Movement), France’s main opposition party, is already at the centre of a legal inquiry into whether party officials used its books to cover up millions of euros of overspending on Sarkozy’s failed 2012 re-election campaign.

Sarkozy was questioned and placed under formal investigation July 1 on suspicion of influence-peddling and other crimes in connection with a probe into a series of alleged misdeeds in the financing of his 2007 election campaign.

While Sarkozy denies any wrongdoing, his many legal troubles have cast doubt over his hopes to make a political comeback in time for presidential elections in 2017.

           — Hat tip: Fjordman [Return to headlines]
 

French Rector in Trial Over Missing Mosque Funds

The rector of a Paris suburb mosque appeared in French court on Friday on charges of embezzlement for allegedly diverting donations to a personal offshore bank account.

Mohamed Boudjedi, who heads the mosque in Nanterre, is accused of channelling hundreds of thousands of euros handed over by his followers and meant for the construction of a new mosque…

           — Hat tip: JP [Return to headlines]
 

French Court Lifts Mayor’s Ban of Muslim Hijab on Beach

A French court has suspended municipal by-laws banning religious symbols from a public beach in the Paris suburb of Wissous, under which two mothers wearing Muslim headscarves had been refused access.

The Versailles Administrative Court ruled on Saturday that the municipality could not stop beach-goers from wearing religious signs, pending a final ruling on the merits of the case.

Emergency legal action by the French government and the Collective Against Islamophobia in France (CCIF) targeted by-laws enacted in June to police the temporary beach installed in Wissous for the summer.

           — Hat tip: Fjordman [Return to headlines]
 

German Police Megaphone Used in Anti-Israel Rant

BERLIN (AP) — German police allowed an anti-Israel protester to climb inside a police car and shout slogans including “child murderer Israel” and “Allahu akbar!” — Arabic for “God is Great!” — through a police megaphone, a spokeswoman for Frankfurt’s police said Sunday.

Police let the protester use the megaphone during a Free Gaza demonstration Saturday because he had offered to calm down a protest that had turned violent, spokeswoman Virginie Wegner told The Associated Press.

“We as police had come up spontaneously with this unusual method and he abused it — we didn’t expect that,” Wegner said, adding that police were investigating the incident. “Police are neutral during protests.”

Instead of calming things down, the protester — whose identity was not revealed — shouted anti-Israel slogans in German and Arabic in downtown Frankfurt. A video that went viral shows a crowd following the police car, cheering and repeating the chants…

[Return to headlines]
 

Germany: Palestine Protesters Try to Storm Berlin’s Fan Mile

Hundreds of Palestinian protesters tried to storm Berlin’s Fan Mile on Saturday afternoon — the centre of World Cup celebration in the German capital.

Police said that around 800 protesters, largely young Palestinian men, gathered at Potsdamer Platz in central Berlin shortly before 6pm to demonstrate against Israeli military action in the Gaza Strip.

They then tried to reach the Fan Mile, the street running west from the Brandenburg Gate which is sealed off for World Cup games. The protesters broke through the first police cordon, Tagesspiegel newspaper reported, and were stopped by a second police line.

Police said the protest then turned towards Wittenbergplatz. Police reinforcements were rushed in to contain the demonstration and stones were thrown at officers, Tagesspiegel reported.

There was also trouble in Frankfurt am Main where 2,500 pro-Palestine demonstrators gathered on Saturday…

           — Hat tip: JP [Return to headlines]
 

Italy Asked to Collect 1.4 Bn Unpaid Milk Quota Fines

EU launches second stage of infringement procedure

(ANSA) — Brussels, July 10 — The European Commission on Thursday ordered Italy to collect 1.395 billion euros of unpaid fines from farmers for violating milk quotas between 1995 and 2009.

The move comes after Brussels launched the first stage of infringement proceedings against Rome in relation to the violation in June 2013.

Out of “a total of 2.265 billion euros of fines accumulated by Italian producers between 1995 and 2009, 1.396 billion euros have still not been collected,” wrote the Commission in a reasoned opinion sent to Italy on Thursday. “This demonstrates that the Italian authorities have not taken, or have not enacted, sufficient measures to ensure payment of the sums owed,” the Commission said.

           — Hat tip: Insubria [Return to headlines]
 

Italy Police Arrest Cat Killer

(AGI) Rome, July 12 — Italy’s Forestry Corps officers have reported a man for mass cat torture and killing. The man, a 40-year-old from Bergamo in northern Italy, would buy the cats, mostly kittens, off ads on the internet. Investigations are currently underway to determine how many cats were killed while the police have put an end to the gruesome animal abuse case and avoided that other cats be victims of similar cruelty.

           — Hat tip: C. Cantoni [Return to headlines]
 

Pope Francis Pledges Strict Measures Against Child Abuse

(AGI) Rome, July 13 — Child abuse is the most terrible thing imaginable, Pope Francis said in an interview with newspaper La Repubblica. “Most of these abominable events take place within the family or in a close-knit community. The Church fights a hard battle against (child abuse), but the disease has spread to our house as well.” The Pontiff pledged that he would deal with “this unbearable state of affairs with the severity it requires”.

           — Hat tip: C. Cantoni [Return to headlines]
 

UK: Farnworth Syria Activist Arrested in Sex Assault and Child Porn Probe

AN activist who led several aid convoys from Bolton to Syria has been arrested on suspicion of having child porn and sexually assaulting a teenager.

Kasim Jameel, aged 33, of Farnworth, was arrested today on suspicion of sexually assaulting a 19-year-old woman and possessing an indecent image of a child.

He is now being questioned in police custody…

           — Hat tip: JP [Return to headlines]
 

UK: Masked Gang Storm Radcliffe Pub and Stab Man Twice

A MAN was stabbed after a gang of masked men stormed into a pub carrying machetes and bats.

The drama unfolded at the Victoria Hotel in Ainsworth Road at 8.30pm yesterday. Police said the gang of up to 12 men went into the pub and attacked a 23-year-old man, who suffered several knife wounds…

           — Hat tip: JP [Return to headlines]
 

UK: Muslim Parent Warned David Cameron About Trojan Horse School Two Months Before Crisis Erupted — and Got No Reply

A Muslim father has revealed he warned the Prime Minister’s office of worrying Islamist practices at one of the scandal-hit ‘Trojan Horse’ schools — but got no reply.

The Mail on Sunday has learned that David Cameron’s office received an email in February from Mohammed Zabar, whose ten-year-old daughter attends Oldknow Academy.

Oldknow is one of the schools investigated in connection with an alleged fundamentalist plot to take over Birmingham schools…

           — Hat tip: JP [Return to headlines]
 

UK: Unsung Hero: Former Circus Acrobat Turns Mosque Caretaker

A Moroccan acrobat who arrived in Kingston to join the circus ended up with his dream job — working as a mosque caretaker.

Ali Ibrahim like many others, came to the capital to work for showman Ali Hassani who ran the Big Top circus spectacular at Chessington World of Adventures — the UK’s first non-animal performing circus — with songs, dance and illusion for 17 years.

But as a regular visitor to Kingston Mosque and after six years hanging from ropes and juggling, Mr Ibrahim took on some duties at the mosque in 1994…

           — Hat tip: JP [Return to headlines]
 

UK: Welby: Let’s Not Get ‘Hysterical’ About Islamic Radicalisation

Archbishop of Canterbury plays down threat from Muslim youths travelling to Middle East and returning radicalised, warning against a ‘national culture of fear’

People should stop being so “hysterical” about the threat from Islamic radicalisation in Britain, the Archbishop of Canterbury has insisted. The Most Rev Justin Welby, said there is a problem with young Muslim youths travelling to Syria and elsewhere to wage jihad but the numbers were “extraordinarily small”.

He warned against allowing a “national culture of fear” to spring up because of the actions of a tiny minority of Muslims…

           — Hat tip: JP [Return to headlines]
 

Heavy Fighting Breaks Out Near Libya’s Tripoli Airport

TEHRAN (Tasnim) — Heavy fighting broke out near the airport of the Libyan capital Tripoli on Sunday, residents and witnesses said.

Explosions could be heard on the airport road and other parts of Tripoli though it was not immediately clear who was fighting whom…

           — Hat tip: JP [Return to headlines]
 

Islamist Militias Attack Tripoli Airport

(AGI) Tripoli, July 13 — Heavy fighting between militias broke out near the airport of the Libyan capital, Tripoli, on Sunday morning. Islamist militias attacked the rival Zintan group, which controls Libya’s international airport in Tripoli, triggering violent clashes that stopped flights. An airport official said rockets had struck inside the airport perimeter early in the morning. The former rebel militia from Zintan, a hill town southwest of the capital, is the main supporter of liberals in parliament who are trying to resist attempts by powerful Islamists to gain power.

           — Hat tip: C. Cantoni [Return to headlines]
 

Libya: Al-Qaeda Leader Mokhtar Belmokhtar Sparks New Jihadi Terror Threat

The terror mastermind behind the massacre of Westerners at a gas plant in Algeria is recruiting foreign jihadi fighters to launch new attacks

The al-Qaeda terrorist behind the massacre of six British gas workers is recruiting foreign Jihadi fighters returning from Syria to launch attacks on Western targets, defence and security sources have claimed.

Mokhtar Belmokhtar, the terrorist who masterminded the Algerian gas plant terror attack where 40 hostages, six of them British, were killed last year, has fled to Libya after surviving a counter-terrorist operation in which he was reported to have died…

           — Hat tip: JP [Return to headlines]
 

Rival Libyan Militias Exchange Heavy Fire at Tripoli Airport

Islamist militias attacked the rival Zintan group that controls Libya’s international airport in Tripoli on Sunday, triggering fierce clashes that halted flights. Tensions run high as Libya awaits the results of contentious elections.

The exchanges with heavy weapons, that rival armed groups retain from the 2011 NATO-backed uprising which toppled longtime dictator Moamer Kadhafi, were heard in the city centre, 25 kilometres (15 miles) away, AFP correspondents reported.

           — Hat tip: Fjordman [Return to headlines]
 

Roadside Bomb Kills Seven Soldiers in Algeria

ALGIERS, July 13 (Xinhua) — A roadside bomb killed three Algerian soldiers and four municipal guards on Saturday in the province of Sidi Bel Abbes, 400 km western Algiers, APS news agency reported on Sunday, citing a statement of the Defense Ministry.

The bomb attack was targeting a convoy of municipal guards that were under the army protection, according to the statement…

           — Hat tip: JP [Return to headlines]
 

Deepest Ever Rocket Attack From Gaza Reaches Far North Nahariya Region

Two rockets intercepted above Tel Aviv; sirens sound in Hadera, Binyamina, Zichron Yaakov; Nahariya rocket launched from Gaza and not Lebanon; none hurt in latest barrage.

The Iron Dome rocket defense system intercepted rockets over the greater Tel Aviv area on Sunday afternoon at around 4:30 p.m. as Israel came under perhaps the widest ranging rocket attack since Operation Protective Edge began on Tuesday…

           — Hat tip: JP [Return to headlines]
 

Egyptians Hoping Israel Will Destroy Hamas

by Khaled Abu Toameh

Over the past week there are voices coming out of Egypt and some Arab countries — voices that publicly support the Israeli military operation against Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

They see the atrocities and massacres committed by Islamists on a daily basis in Iraq and Syria and are beginning to ask themselves if these serve the interests of the Arabs and Muslims.

“Thank you Netanyahu and may God give us more (people) like you to destroy Hamas!” — Azza Sami of the Egyptian newspaper Al-Ahram.

Isolated and under attack, Hamas now realizes that it has lost the sympathy of many Egyptians and Arabs.

           — Hat tip: Fjordman [Return to headlines]
 

Hamas to Evacuees: Return to Your Homes Despite IDF Ultimatum

Hamas’ interior ministry called on Gaza residents who had headed to aid centers after an IDF ultimatum that significant attacks were imminent, to return home. “To all the sons of our people who evacuated their homes: Go back immediately and don’t leave your homes. Be sure to follow instructions from the Interior Ministry.” […]

[on Hamas’ interior ministry’s heads be it… — MC]

           — Hat tip: MC [Return to headlines]
 

Hamas Rocket Strikes Gaza Electric Supply, Israel Not Fixing it

Seventy thousand Gazans from Khan Younis and Deir el-Balah were in the dark Sunday night after a Hamas rocket hit the power line that supplies electricity to those places. It’s not clear when Israel Electric Company workers will be able to repair the system, but they are apparently in no rush to do so. Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu has asked the IEC not to risk the lives of its employees in trying to restore power to the affected sector in Gaza, an operation that could take hours.[…]

[:-) — MC]

           — Hat tip: MC [Return to headlines]
 

PA Official Admits: Israel Follows International Law, We Don’t

Palestinian envoy to UN Human Rights Council says Hamas rockets are ‘crimes against humanity’, while Israeli strikes are legal.[….]

The Palestinian Authority’s envoy to the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) has said the PA has no hope of pressing charges against Israel in international courts — because Palestinian terrorist groups are far worse violators of international law themselves.

Since peace talks between Israel and the Palestinian Authority fell apart after the PA applied for membership in international agencies, many Palestinian factions and advocates have pushed for the PA to sign the Rome Statute and press charges against Israel in the International Criminal Court at the Hague (ICC).

But contrasting Israel’s conduct during Operation Protective Edge to stop rocket fire from Gaza — in which Israeli forces always warn civilians before launching airstrikes — to the actions of Hamas and other armed groups, Ibrahim Khreisheh said any such move would surely backfire.

Noting concerns that Israel could launch legal offensives of its own against the PA should it sign up to the ICC, the presenter asked whether such a move would be realistic. The response was unequivocal.

“The missiles that are now being launched against Israel — each and every missile constitutes a crime against humanity, whether it hits or misses, because it is directed at civilian targets,” said Khreisheh.[…]

           — Hat tip: MC [Return to headlines]
 

Palestinian Protesters Attack Paris Synagogues Over Israel Defense Against Hamas Rocket Blitz

Sunday in France witnessed protests by thousands of Palestinian supporters with small groups attacking the police and two synagogues in Paris. The marchers were protesting Israeli Operation Protective Edge against the Hamas blitz of hundreds of rockets launched from Gaza against Israeli populated areas including major cities like Ashkelon, Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. Clashes erupted in Paris on Sunday as thousands of people protested against Israel and in support of residents in the Gaza Strip, where a six-day conflict has left 168 Palestinians dead.

Several thousand demonstrators walked calmly through the streets of Paris behind a large banner that read “Total Support for the Struggle of the Palestinian People”.But clashes erupted at the end of the march on Bastille Square, with people throwing projectiles onto a cordon of police who responded with tear gas.

The unrest continued early Sunday evening as police announced six arrests had been made. A small group tired to break into two synagogues in central Paris, a police source told AFP. Riot police dispersed the group, with two members of the Jewish community and six officers slightly injured in the ensuing scuffle, the source said…

           — Hat tip: Jerry Gordon [Return to headlines]
 

Report: Hamas: Not Israel, Rejected Cease-Fire

Sources say Hamas offered 40-hour ceasefire last week, but rejected it; Cairo working quietly for ceasefire despite contrary reports.[…]

Despite reports that Cairo has been staying out of the conflict between Israel and Gaza-based terrorist groups, Egyptian officials have reportedly been working behind the scenes to broker a temporary ceasefire between the sides — but to no avail. Attempts to do so ultimately fizzled out last week, and rocket fire on Israel continued.

However, while Hamas and PLO officials have blamed Israel for the lack of a cease-fire, it was actually Hamas who rejected the offer of a 40-hour “cooling-off” period, Walla! News revealed Sunday.

Both Israeli and Palestinian Arab sources told the daily that Cairo presented Israel’s offer of a ceasefire to Deputy Head of the unity government Political Bureau, Moussa Abu Marzouk last week.

Marzouk immediately rejected the cease fire, the sources said, after a brief consultation with senior officials from Hamas’s “military wing,” the Ezzadine Al-Qassam Brigades.[…]

           — Hat tip: MC [Return to headlines]
 

Rules of Engagement, According to Hamas

By Douglas Murray

CNN recently came across a video of Hamas officials calling on civilians in Gaza to volunteer to become ‘human shields’ so that Palestinian civilian casualties can be maximised.

Fascinatingly a CNN news anchor has put this fact to a Palestinian ‘spokeswoman’ in a live interview.

And what was the response of this ‘spokeswoman’ to the Hamas video? Well, among other things she said that the idea that Hamas promote a culture of death is ‘offensive’. And best of all she said that ‘the idea that Palestinians use children as human shields is racist’.

[Reader comment by AJH1968 on 13 July 2014.]

Hezbollah used the same tactic in Lebanon a few years ago and when the Israelis were forced to withdraw, they crowed shamelessly over their so called victory. Hamas is doing the same now. It is an old and trusted technique which requires a complete lack of empathy for the people they supposedly represent. Western sympathizers (and there are many) think that the problem can easily be solved with a little give and take. Does anybody remember Ehud Barrack the left leaning Israeli prime minister; he attempted a rational discourse with Arafat only to fail dismally. Given the mainstream support that Hamas enjoys among the populace (God knows why) it is quite a problem. To accede to their demands of such people is lunacy.

           — Hat tip: JP [Return to headlines]
 

Iran Sticks to ‘Unworkable, Inadequate’ Stances in Nuclear Talks: US

Some diplomats and experts believe the negotiations may need to be extended beyond the July 20 deadline

Vienna: Iran has stuck to “unworkable and inadequate” positions in nuclear talks with six world powers despite a looming deadline for a deal to end sanctions against Tehran in exchange for curbs on its atomic programme, a US official said on Saturday.

“We are still very far apart on some issues and obviously on enrichment capacity,” the senior US administration official told reporters hours before Secretary of State John Kerry was due to arrive in Vienna to join the talks with Iran…

           — Hat tip: JP [Return to headlines]
 

Iran, Sextet Not Inclined to Extend Nuclear Talks: Negotiator

TEHRAN (Tasnim) — A top Iranian negotiator said Tehran and six world powers are pressing ahead with the remaining time to clinch a comprehensive nuclear deal before a July 20 deadline, noting that none of the sides show tendency for an extension of negotiations for another six months…

           — Hat tip: JP [Return to headlines]
 

Middle East: ISIL May Target Mecca for Destruction

ISIL “jihadists, led by self-proclaimed descendant of Prophet Muhammad Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, have already bulldozed or blown up some of the most sacred places in Iraq.”

Georgetown University professor Yvonne Haddad says ISIL sees “themselves as the last defenders of Islamic civilization and want to eradicate anything they see as an enemy of Islam, and any Muslim they perceive as compromising with the West.”

They have targeted Shia sites in Iraq to no one’s surprise. But it is an “unverified threat to Mecca itself’“ that has everyone wondering when or where ISIL will draw the line.

The alleged threat against Mecca “was tweeted by a member of the extremist group on a since-suspended account.” The tweet said: “By Allah’s leave our sheikh al-Baghdadi led Mecca stone for those who worship (pilgrims) will kill you and God’ I will tear down the Ka’ba, the place of worship.”…

           — Hat tip: JP [Return to headlines]
 

Saudi Arabia: Quba — The First Mosque in the History of Islam

Quba Mosque to the south of Madinah is the second largest and prestigious mosque in the city after the Prophet’s Mosque, but claims the first place owing to its importance in Islamic history having been built in the first year of the Islamic calendar…

           — Hat tip: JP [Return to headlines]
 

Syria Terrorists Pledge Allegiance to ISIL

TEHRAN (Tasnim) — Several terrorist factions fighting the Syrian government pledged allegiance to the so-called Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) Takfiri group.

Reports say hundreds of what the West calls “moderate rebel groups” including a 1000-strong brigade from the so-called Sham Army have defected to the notorious group in recent days, Press TV reported.

The defectors travelled from their base in the northwestern Syrian province of Idlib to the ISIL stronghold city of Raqqa last weekend.

In addition, several brigades affiliated with the Western-sponsored Free Syrian Army have pledged allegiance to ISIL in the east of the country…

           — Hat tip: JP [Return to headlines]
 

UAE Denies Extradition of Amedeo Matacena

(AGI) Reggio Calabria, July 13 — The United Arab Emirates has denied the extradition of former Forza Italia MP Amedeo Matacena, found guilty of association with the Mafia. The announcement was made by Enzo Vaccari, one of Matacena’s lawyers. The former MP, at large in Dubai, is also involved in the inquiry that led to the arrest, among others, of former Interior Minister Claudio Scajola and Matacena’s wife, Chiara Rizzo. Both of them are currently under house arrest. The extradition was requested by the Anti-Mafia Bureau of Reggio Calabria.

           — Hat tip: C. Cantoni [Return to headlines]
 

Russia Warns of ‘Irreversible’ Consequences After Shelling From Ukraine Kills 1

MOSCOW: Russia’s foreign ministry said that an incident on Sunday in which a crossborder shell fired from Ukraine hit two houses in Russia, reportedly killing a Russian man and injuring two women, may have “irreversible” consequences.

A ministry statement said Ukraine had been handed a note of protest which described the incident as “an aggressive act by the Ukrainian side against sovereign Russian territory and the citizens of the Russian Federation”…

           — Hat tip: JP [Return to headlines]
 

Shell Fired From Ukraine Kills Russian Man

(AGI) Moscow, July 13 — An artillery shell fired from Ukraine hit two private homes in Russia’s Rostov region, killing one man and badly injuring two more. Russia called the event an act of aggression by Ukraine, and has warned Kiev about possible irreversible consequences. The shell landed in Donetsk, a Russian town near the Ukrainian border and namesake of the city in eastern Ukraine.

           — Hat tip: C. Cantoni [Return to headlines]
 

Ukraine Conflict: Ground Forces ‘Storming Luhansk’

Government forces in eastern Ukraine have begun storming the rebel-held city of Luhansk with tanks, Russian news agency reports quoting rebels say.

Heavy fighting erupted as columns of government armour attacked from the south and west, rebel military leader Igor Strelkov was quoted as saying.

He said there were unconfirmed reports of special forces landing by helicopter inside the city of 425,000 people…

           — Hat tip: JP [Return to headlines]
 

Bangladesh Farmer Makes Huge German Flag

Germany has honoured a Bangladesh farmer and diehard fan for making a 3.5-kilometre-long (2.2 mile) flag of the country in support of Philipp Lahm’s World Cup team, officials said on Sunday.

The massive flag was on display Saturday at a stadium in the western town of Magura, which the German charge d’affaires, Ferdinand von Weyhe, visited to pay tribute to the farmer.

“The 3.5-kilometre-long German flag circled the stadium four times and hundreds of people have turned up to see this amazing sight,” said Ishrat Hossain, a German embassy spokeswoman.

She said Von Weyhe handed the farmer, 65-year-old Amjad Hossain, a life membership of the official fan club of the German national team, a football, a team jersey and a certificate of appreciation…

           — Hat tip: JP [Return to headlines]
 

Malaysia: For Sepang Muslim MP, Catholic Rights Violated in Allah Controversy

Mohamed Hanipa Maidin demands justice for ‘The Herald’ and Malaysia’s Christian community, which has been under attack for some time. The decision to turn down a request for leave to appeal is against the Constitution because the case touches the public interest and raises an important constitutional question. Wondering about the “actual meaning of religious freedom” in Malaysia, he reiterated that Catholics did not violate any rule or principle.

Kuala Lumpur (AsiaNews) — “I was me upset with the decision of the Federal Court refusing leave for The Herald to appeal the decision of the Court of Appeal. As a lawyer, I find the decision weird. As a Muslim, I am of the view that justice was not done to The Herald. [. . .] The Federal Court should have” allowed the paper “the leave to appeal,” said Mohamed Hanipa Maidin, a Muslim lawmaker from of the District of Sepang, in his comments published by the Catholic weekly The Herald.

An “appeal to the Federal Court is not automatic,” he explained, but it is now “common practice”. What is more, “the practice has been that the apex court would normally grant the leave when the issue at hand involves novel and crucial legal or a constitutional question”.

A lawyer by profession and a member of the Central Committee of the Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS), Maidin rejects the arguments cited by the judges to justify their decision. Instead, he renews his support for and solidarity to the Catholic Church and the Christian community in Malaysia, which is going through a delicate moment in its history. In fact, Malaysia’s Christian community has been the recent target of attacks, including church burning, the desecration of Christian graves and the seizure of 300 Bibles in January.

The clash over the use of the word Allah to describe the Christian God is at the root of the violence. Indeed, what started out as a legal battle between the federal government and the Catholic weekly The Herald has now become a national controversy.

On 23 June, the High Court dismissed the request for the leave to appeal made by the Catholic weekly. However, the lawyer has no doubts that the issue raised by The Herald “met all the legal prerequisites for leave because it raised a very important constitutional issue, namely the correct interpretation of Article 11 of the Federal Constitution.

The fact that seven Federal Court judges heard the leave application spoke volumes of the significance of the appeal. Yet, the leave was simply denied.

Now the Muslim lawmaker is wondering about the “actual meaning of religious freedom” in the country because “even though Allah has been used by many non-Muslims throughout the world,” a Malaysian court decided that in Malaysia, “freedom of religion excludes non-Muslims from using this sacred word.”

“Was this the actual meaning of freedom of religion envisaged by Islam or by our forefathers who drafted the Constitution?” he asks.

The Herald never violated any constitutional rights, yet for Mohamed Hanipa Maidin the Federal Court “abdicated its solemn duty to protect the right of David against the mighty Goliath”.

Citing the teachings of the great Muslim sage Ibnu Qayyim Al Jauziyyah, he said that “Islam is all about justice, mercy and wisdom . . . anything which transgresses the principle of justice or mercy or wisdom has nothing to do with Islam.”

In Malaysia, Muslim are 60 per cent of the more than 28 million people, Christians are the third largest religious group (after Buddhists) with more than 2.6 million members.

The publication of a Latin-Malay 400 year ago shows that the term Allah was already in use to describe God in the Bible in the local language.

In Kuala Lumpur, out of a population of over 11 million people, Catholics number more than 180,000 with 55 priests and 154 religious, but only one permanent deacon.

           — Hat tip: C. Cantoni [Return to headlines]
 

China: Guangdong Police to Reward Terror Informants Up to Half Million RMB

GUANGZHOU, July 13 (Xinhua) — Police in south China’s Guangdong province will offer rewards up to half a million yuan (80,000 U.S. dollars) for those who give information about terrorist attacks, terror suspects and their funding activities, the police said on Sunday.

Rewards will be made according to the value of the information in preventing terrorist attacks or catching suspects. Police will also offer rewards to those who provide tips on illegal activities related to preaching extremism and making videos or books that teach terrorist attacks.

Guangdong police have so far arrested three fugitives and confiscated terrorist materials based on tips…

           — Hat tip: JP [Return to headlines]
 

‘Danish is Probably Harder Than Chinese’

30-year-old Hong Kong native Sau Wai Ng shares her experiences as a Chinese teacher and says that language is key to settling into a good career in Denmark.

So, what’s a harder language to learn: Danish or Mandarin Chinese?

Given a short period of time, I would think learning Danish as a foreigner is harder. The Danish pronunciation is hard to catch from the beginning. But once you get used to it, it gets much easier, especially if you speak English too. It is relatively easy to pronounce Chinese words from the beginning, but in the long run, you’d need to expand your vocabulary and that may be difficult.

           — Hat tip: Fjordman [Return to headlines]
 

Former Israeli Soldier Ambushed by Two Men in ‘Anti-Semitic’ On Quiet Melbourne Street, Leaving Him With a Black Eye and Torn Clothes

A former Israeli soldier now living in Australia has told of the shocking moment he was attacked on the street and was left with a slash through his T-shirt, a swollen face and covered in scratches.

Zachary Gomo, 28, was walking along Parnell Street, off Kooyong Road, in Elsternwick — in Melbourne’s south — when he was ambushed by two men while he was wearing an Israeli Defence Forces shirt from his two-year stint in the service in what he is calling an ‘anti-Semitic’ attack.

At the time, the dual citizen was walking to his girlfriend’s place when he noticed two men following him.

‘The side street was very dark and apparently empty of people,’ Mr Gomo said.

‘When I got about halfway down the street, I suddenly noticed that there were two people right behind me.

‘I got a shock as I had not noticed them until then which I found odd.

‘At that moment they both jumped on me and started punching and shouting in Arabic “Jew Dog”, “Allah HuAkbar” [God is great] and something I didn’t understand about Gaza.

‘It completely came out of nowhere. I wasn’t prepared.’

Luckily, Mr Gomo was able to fight off his attackers, return to his girlfriend’s house and report the incident to Caulfield police station…

           — Hat tip: Steen [Return to headlines]
 

Boko Haram Chief Voices Support for IS ‘Caliph’

The head of Nigeria’s Boko Haram Islamists, Abubakar Shekau, has voiced support for the extremist Sunni Islamic State (IS) militant group, which has taken over large swathes of Iraq and Syria, in a new video seen Sunday. “My brethren… may Allah protect you,” Shekau said in the video given to AFP on Sunday, listing IS chief Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi, Al-Qaeda head Ayman Al-Zawahiri and Taleban leader Mullah Omar.

Baghdadi has proclaimed himself the new Islamic “caliph” and has urged all Muslims to obey him.

           — Hat tip: Fjordman [Return to headlines]
 

Kenya Muslims Snub President Iftar

Wearing full Islamic attire and a big smile on their faces, Kenya’s President Uhuru Kenyatta and his Deputy William Ruto hosted hundreds of Muslims for annual Ramadan iftar amid rising discontent among Muslims about the state’s alleged mistreatment of Muslims in the East African country…

           — Hat tip: JP [Return to headlines]
 

Brazilians Back Germany Against Argentina

Jubilant Argentine fans honked car horns down the streets of Rio de Janeiro before the World Cup final Sunday, prompting Brazilians to shout back their allegiance in this match: “Germany!”

           — Hat tip: Fjordman [Return to headlines]
 

Germany Defeats Argentina, 1-0, In Extra Time to Win World Cup Title

Germany won the World Cup on Sunday for the fourth time, defeating Argentina, 1-0, in the final.

The crowd was overwhelmingly in support of Argentina, as more than 100,000 Argentines flooded over the border and coated Rio in a sea of blue. It hardly mattered to Germany, though.

Mario Götze scored in extra time — in the 113th minute — to complete Germany’s nearly perfect run through the month-long tournament.

[Return to headlines]
 

Goetze Wins World Cup for Germany in Extra Time

(Reuters) — Germany won the World Cup for the fourth time on Sunday when substitute Mario Goetze volleyed in a brilliant goal seven minutes from the end of extra time to secure a 1-0 victory over Argentina at the Maracana.

The game had seemed destined for penalties until fellow substitute Andre Schuerrle escaped down the left and sent in a cross that Goetze controlled on his chest before slamming home.

“We’re going to celebrate for at least five weeks now,” said Germany goalkeeper Manuel Neuer. “At some point we’ll stop celebrating but we’ll always keep waking up with a smile.

“We did it and it’s unbelievable. In the preparation we had some setbacks. We have to think of the guys not here. They are world champions now too,” he added.

           — Hat tip: Fjordman [Return to headlines]
 

Greece: Death Toll in Aegean Sea Migrant Boat Tragedy Reaches Four, Two Dozen Missing

ATHENS, July 12 (Xinhua) — The death toll from the new migrant boat tragedy which occurred in the Aegean Sea on Friday reached four with Greek Coast Guard recovering two more dead bodies of undocumented immigrants on Saturday.

The confirmed victims so far are two men, a woman and a child, according to latest official announcement. Another child is among the 13 survivors who were rescued after the sinking of the boat off Samos island.

The rescue operation continues, as the survivors said there were a total of 38 people on board the boat which had sailed from Turkey’s coasts…

           — Hat tip: JP [Return to headlines]
 

Desmond Tutu: A Dignified Death is Our Right — I am in Favour of Assisted Dying

The manner of Nelson Mandela’s prolonged death was an affront. I have spent my life working for dignity for the living. Now I wish to apply my mind to the issue of dignity for the dying.

           — Hat tip: Fjordman [Return to headlines]
 

6 thoughts on “Gates of Vienna News Feed 7/13/2014

  1. The article about Egypt by Kaled Abu Toameh and the outspoken support by some prominent Egyptians for the destruction of Hamas by Israel, is most interesting.

    And it is interesting because, for some time now there has been an upsurge in numbers of Egyptians who no longer believe Islam is their best bet for this world.

    Can’t wait to see how the situation in Egypt pans out in the coming months.

  2. @Middle East: ISIL May Target Mecca for Destruction

    Have the Saudi authorities themselves not destroyed the historical buildings in the guise of redevelopment.

    • That is my understanding also. The Salafists hate loathe and despise history, images of history, and historic buildings. They are annihilators.

      • Suppose they live and think in a perpetuated Muhammadan moment in time where there can be no forward movement and any historical record (even of their own) is an abomination.

    • Desmond Tutu has a legitimate point.

      Many posters here on GoV are unhappy with the efforts of socialists/communists to impose their beliefs on free people. Archbishop Tutu, unusually for a Christian leader, but not uniquely, is putting the case for a free choice. Who can argue with that?

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