Gates of Vienna News Feed 7/29/2014

Dozens of men armed with knives and axes attacked a police station, and then civilians in two towns in the western Chinese province of Xinjiang. Police then shot and killed dozens of the attackers, who are thought to have been Uighur terrorists.

In other news, Deputy Turkish Prime Minister Bulent Arinc said in a speech that women should not laugh in public. He also said they should not discuss recipes on cell phones.

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

Thanks to C. Cantoni, Charlie Marteau, Fjordman, Insubria, JP, MC, Phyllis Chesler, Seneca III, 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.

USA
» Incitement to Genocide: How NY Times’ Coverage and UN Complicity Breed Anti-Semitism
» Muslims in Joplin Celebrate New Mosque
» Norman Finkelstein’s Sparsely Attended Pro-Palestine Rally in NYC Leads to Arrests
» Stoned Crazy at the ‘New York Times’
 
Europe and the EU
» And Now… Europe’s Kristallnacht
» British Prime Minister Congratulates Muslims on Eid Al-Fitr
» Danish PM Refuses to Sign Nordic Letter on Gaza: Media
» Italy: Police Seize 104 Million Euros in Assets in Nomura Probe
» Italy’s Share of World Exports Reaches 2.8%
» Italy: Milan River in ‘Controlled Flooding’ Op
» Italy: U.S. Financial Firm Now Largest Investor in MPS
» ‘Jihadist’ Books on Sale in French Supermarkets
» Moeen Ali Banned by ICC From Wearing Wristbands While Playing for England
» Norway: Leaders Reach Out in Local Mosques
» Poste Italiane ‘To Pump 65 Mn Euros Into Alitalia’
» Qaeda Coffers Swell as Europe Pays Millions in Quiet Ransoms
» Rabbi of Gateshead, England Yeshiva Beaten by 4 Teens in Anti-Semitic Attack
» Real Tax Burden in Italy 53.2%, Retailers Say
» Swedish Terrorism Expert Slams Norway Terror Alert
» UK Supermarket Chain to Stop Carrying Judea and Samaria Products
» UK: Bradford Should Twin With Gaza, Says George Galloway
» UK: Confusion Reigned in Some Mosques Last Night Over Eid Announcements.
» UK: Grooming Jihadis
» UK: Halesowen Mosque Deal Could be Reached
» UK: Supermarket Chain to Stop Carrying Judea and Samaria Products
» UK: Tower Hamlets Mayor Fails to Stop Election Threat Case
 
North Africa
» Foreigners Flee Fierce Fighting in Libya
» Libya: 65 Indian Nurses Caught Up in Tripoli Inferno: Bring us Home
» Libya: Tripoli: Italy Sends 7 Canadair for Fuel Facility
» Libyan Militants Overrun Benghazi Special Forces Base as Chaos Deepens
» Rocket Attack Kills Girl in Egypt’s Sinai
» Tripoli Fire Rages as Libya Warplane Crashes During Benghazi Fighting
 
Israel and the Palestinians
» Benjamin Netanyahu Vows ‘Lengthy Campaign’ In Gaza
» Fmr. Shin Bet Chief Warns: ‘If European Countries Fail to Protect Their Jews, The State of Israel Will’
» Gaza’s Power Plant Knocked Out by Israeli Shell
» In Leaked Tape, Hostile Obama Tries to Force PM to Accept Truce
» Israel Pounds Gaza After Netanyahu Promises Prolonged Battle
» Israel Intensifies Gaza Assault, Egyptians Revise Truce Plan
» Middle East Crisis: BBC at Gaza Mosque Ruins
 
Middle East
» France: Outcry After Pro-Jihad Books Sold at Supermarket
» In Iraq, Ancient Christianity Lies in Ruins. But Who Cares?
» Iraq: 31 Killed, 20 Wounded in Violence in Baghdad
» Jon Snow’s View of the Middle East is Biased, Inaccurate and Dangerous
» Radical Mindsets Threaten Fabric of Societies in Arab World
» Respect and Peace Among Eid Messages Across the UAE
» Syria Oppn Advance Towards Key Airport in Hama Province
» ‘Women Shouldn’t Laugh in Public’ According to Turkish Deputy Prime Minister
 
Russia
» At Least 1,129 Killed in E. Ukraine Crisis: UN Report
» Obama Joins Europe in Expanding Sanctions on Russia
» One Child Killed as Bus Carrying Refugees in East Ukraine Comes Under Fire
» Putin Vows Assistance in Taking Ill Children Out of Crisis-Hit East Ukraine
» Ukraine: Fighting Closes in on Rebel-Held Donetsk
 
South Asia
» Afghanistan: Karzai’s Powerful Cousin Killed, Worsens Strains Over Poll Deadlock
» Pakistan: Ahmadi Neighborhood Torched Over ‘Blasphemy’ Charge: Grandmother and Grandchildren Die
 
Far East
» China Says Zhou Yongkang, Former Security Chief, Is Under Investigation
» China: Fresh Xinjiang Violence Blasphemy Against Islam
» China: Heavy Casualties Reported in Xinjiang Terror Attack
» Chinese Hackers Stole Blueprints of Israel’s Iron Dome Missile Defense System
» Chinese Police Shoot Dead Dozens After Attack in Xinjiang
» Dozens Killed in ‘Terrorist Attack’ In China’s Xinjiang
» Dozens of People Killed by Police as Armed Group Attacks Towns in Southwest China’s Mostly Uyghur Xinjiang
 
Australia — Pacific
» Kalgoorlie-Boulder Council Approves Mosque During Fiery Meeting
 
Sub-Saharan Africa
» South Africa: A Crack in the Crucible: A Review of ‘I, Afrikaner’
 
Immigration
» Cameron Outlines Immigration Curbs ‘To Put Britain First’
» David Cameron: We’re Building an Immigration System That Puts Britain First
» France Says Ready to Facilitate Asylum for Iraq’s Christians
 

Incitement to Genocide: How NY Times’ Coverage and UN Complicity Breed Anti-Semitism

by Phyllis Chesler

Are The United Nations and the NY Times Guilty of Incitement to Genocide? Should they be held in any way accountable for the incitement against Jews and Israel that is erupting globally?

I am asking this question seriously. Yes, I know, the media has a First Amendment right in our country, but at what point must exercising that right be weighed against the harm it is causing to a long-maligned and vulnerable population? Surely, it is time to ask this question.

Thanks to Professor Laurel Leff, the author of Buried By The Times, we now know that the New York Times most shamefully minimized, dismissed, and simply failed to cover the ongoing European Holocaust in the 1930’s and 1940’s. And no, their owners and major journalists neither acknowledged this nor apologized for it. In fact, they reviewed Leff’s book in their pages and while granting her some points, accused her of missing “context.”

The twenty-first century coverage of Israel and Zionism in the paper of record far exceeds its twentieth century pattern of mere dismissal. In the last fourteen years—in the last year— in article after article, photograph after photograph, and especially when Israel has been under attack, this paper has systematically put forth an Islamist and pro-Hamas agenda with malice aforethought. If not “malice,” then the level of willful journalistic ignorance and blindness is hard to believe. The Public Editor has been forced to respond to a “deluge” of letters pointing this out. The Times does not usually publish all these letters.

           — Hat tip: Phyllis Chesler [Return to headlines]
 

Muslims in Joplin Celebrate New Mosque

JOPLIN, Mo. — Two years after Muslims in Joplin suffered the traumatic loss of their place of worship at the hands of an arsonist, a new $2 million mosque is now open.

Families gathered Monday for the first time at the new mosque to celebrate Eid al-Fitr, a religious holiday that marks the end of the holy month…

           — Hat tip: JP [Return to headlines]
 

Norman Finkelstein’s Sparsely Attended Pro-Palestine Rally in NYC Leads to Arrests

by Phyllis Chesler

Twenty to thirty people were arrested “for Hamas” today at midday in New York City. They lay down in the street opposite the Israeli Mission to the United Nations and blocked traffic for miles around. They chanted nothing and simply lay there in silence. The police asked them to get up—and thirty people did so—but when the remaining lie-in protestors refused to do so, the police arrested them.

Their leader was none other than Norman Finkelstein,” the known and proud supporter of Hamas and Hezbollah, a man who defends their right to target Israeli civilians.” Finkelstein is the troubled and troublesome Jewish anti-Zionist activist and author who is also the son of Holocaust survivors.

He is living proof that Hitler’s evil lives on in the lives of both Holocaust survivors and their descendants.

Finkelstein has attacked Alan Dershowitz (and myself) for our work on anti-Semitism and for our support of Israel. He also views what he calls “The Holocaust Industry” very negatively. He believes in boycotts against Israel-only and counts Noam Chomsky as a supporter.

Arab, Palestinian, left, and Feminist groups circulated information about this rally— but the actual turn-out was very poor. Perhaps one hundred protestors came and after the mass arrests, thirty protestors remained. Sixty percent of the demonstrators were women…

           — Hat tip: Phyllis Chesler [Return to headlines]
 

Stoned Crazy at the ‘New York Times’

The ‘Editorial Board’ legalizes marijuana.

By Ben Stein

I awakened this morning to a cloudy sky. Off to swim while pausing every minute or so to throw the ball for Julie. We have had no rain in just about forever, and even any rain at all would be a Godsend.

Then, breakfast, and while my English muffins were toasting, I opened the New York Times. With suitable sounding of clarions, bugles, coronets and drums, the Times announced that its mighty “Editorial Board” would now be endorsing the legalization of marijuana. This was announced with as much solemnity as if there had been an actual sighting of the Lord God Jehovah at Union Square.

The Times “Editorial Board” has decided that the federal ban on marijuana is all too much like the Volstead Act, which enacted Prohibition on alcohol. It is creating a new, immense class of law breakers, and filling up prisons with marijuana law breakers, who turn out, by the cunning of racism, and through no fault of their own, to be largely black.

The Times has figured out that while marijuana is definitely not like eating whole wheat toast, it’s not worse for you than alcohol. It doesn’t really have seriously bad effects that merit its being kept illegal. And it’s only a vestigial wish by Richard Nixon that kids not be allowed to have fun that keeps it illegal under federal law.

Time to end all of that nonsense, says the Times “Editorial Board” and just make pot legal, except for kids because it might hurt their brains.

Ladies and gentlemen of the New York Times Editorial Board, you don’t know what you’re talking about. You don’t have the first clue…

           — Hat tip: Charlie Marteau [Return to headlines]
 

And Now… Europe’s Kristallnacht

By Douglas Murray

The backlash in Europe against Israel has been underway since the beginning of Operation Protective Edge. In each country the protests have similarities. And in each they are spear-headed by the same motives and often by the same people…

           — Hat tip: JP [Return to headlines]
 

British Prime Minister Congratulates Muslims on Eid Al-Fitr

London, Shawwal 1, 1435, Jul 28, 2014, SPA — British Prime Minister David Cameron has recorded a video message for Eid Al-Fitr to wish Muslims in the United Kingdom and around the world “Eid Mubarak”.

“I want to send my best wishes to Muslims across the country and around the world celebrating Eid. This Ramadan, British Muslims have shown what Islam is all about. We’ve seen an inspiring amount of charity — with Muslims across the country giving what they can and giving up their own time for those less fortunate,” Cameron said. “We’ve seen a commitment to contemplation — and Muslims have been putting themselves second as they pray, abstain and fast during the holy month.”…

           — Hat tip: JP [Return to headlines]
 

Danish PM Refuses to Sign Nordic Letter on Gaza: Media

COPENHAGEN, July 29 (Xinhua) — Denmark’s Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt has declined to sign a joint statement with her Nordic fellows that strongly criticizes Israel’s actions in Gaza, local media reported Tuesday.

The social democratic leaders of Sweden, Norway, Iceland and Finland all attached their names to a letter which “condemns Israel’s use of disproportionate violence” and calls on Israel to end its blockade of Gaza and occupation of the West Bank.

The message also calls on Israel to “stop its settlement policies.”…

           — Hat tip: JP [Return to headlines]
 

Italy: Police Seize 104 Million Euros in Assets in Nomura Probe

Fraud allegations stem from deals involving bank, Sicily region

(ANSA) — Palermo, July 28 — Italian tax police on Monday said they seized 104 million euros from Japanese investment bank Nomura as part of a probe into allegations of fraud involving Sicily’s regional government.

Investigators said that seven individuals, including former consultants to Sicily’s health authorities as well as bank staff, were being investigated.

The probe is looking at past debt restructuring deals as well as other financial arrangements including derivatives between 2000 and 2006 involving Nomura.

Police also seized assets including 13 companies, 27 buildings and 23 pieces of property.

In a statement, Nomura said it was “aware of the action taken by the public prosecutor in Sicily, which relates to trades entered into by Nomura and the Region of Sicily”.

“We are reviewing the situation fully and will cooperate with the judiciary in this matter,” the bank said in its statement.

           — Hat tip: Insubria [Return to headlines]
 

Italy’s Share of World Exports Reaches 2.8%

Italy ‘more competitive’ on intl market, says ISTAT

(ANSA) — Rome, July 29 — Italy’s share of world exports increased slightly last year from 2.7% to 2.8% though the value of Italian exports was almost unchanged, the official ISTAT statistics agency said Tuesday.

Exports of goods from Italy in 2013 were almost static, declining by a mere 0.1% while exports of services rose by 1.4%, representing an “increase in competitiveness” on the international market, according to ISTAT.

           — Hat tip: Insubria [Return to headlines]
 

Italy: Milan River in ‘Controlled Flooding’ Op

Heavy rainfall also causes Lake Varese spillover

(ANSA) — Milan, July 29 — The river Seveso in the northern city of Milan returned to below flood level on Tuesday morning after bursting its banks as a result of heavy rainfall in the area, civil protection authorities said. Municipal staff worked to control the flooding, which began at 4:47 am and ended at 6:07 am local time.

The river returned to below danger level at 7:45 am as the civil protection department reported that the weather was showing slow signs of improvement.

Meanwhile on Tuesday morning heavy rainfall in the Varese area northwest of Milan caused Lake Varese to flood in several places.

Firefighters took numerous calls concerning flooded properties and uprooted trees in the area.

Italy is in the grips of a spell of unseasonally bad weather with thunderstorms and heavy rain affecting or threatening much of the peninsula.

           — Hat tip: Insubria [Return to headlines]
 

Italy: U.S. Financial Firm Now Largest Investor in MPS

York Capital Management owns over 5% of Siena bank, says Consob

(ANSA) — Milan, July 29 — York Capital Management Global Advisors has taken a stake of 5.025% in historic Italian bank Monte dei Paschi di Siena (MPS), making it at the largest shareholder, national financial market regulator Consob said Tuesday.

The size of the American company’s investment in struggling MPS was announced as part of regular filings by the market regulator.

The troubled bank, the world’s oldest still in operation, sold almost five billion euros worth of shares last month to pay off government loans.

The bank, Italy’s third-largest by assets, ran the risk of nationalization if it had failed to raise enough cash to pay off the government loans made as part of a plan to turn the lender around.

MPS had been thrown into crisis in January 2013 when it emerged that a shady series of derivative and structured-finance deals produced losses of 720 million euros.

           — Hat tip: Insubria [Return to headlines]
 

‘Jihadist’ Books on Sale in French Supermarkets

Thousands of people complain at works that reportedly call on Muslims to open bomb factories and advertise methods to kill ‘sodomists’

Books preaching violent jihad and urging Muslims to set up arms factories are reportedly on sale openly in French supermarkets and bookshops, sparking thousands of complaints and fresh debate over the limits of free speech.

Publishers have defended the works, claiming only a few pages are contentious, while authorities say it would be difficult to ban them.

They can be found on the shelves of supermarkets including Carrefour, one of the world’s biggest retail chains, and Fnac, France’s largest retailer of books, music, DVDs and electronic goods. Some of the works are also available from the website of the online retailer Amazon.

According to Le Figaro newspaper, two petitions demanding they be withdrawn from sale, signed by more than 18,000 people, have been ignored by Carrefour. “It is not up to the distributor to take a view on the shocking nature of publications,” a representative of the group’s press department said, adding the books “have never been banned”…

           — Hat tip: JP [Return to headlines]
 

Moeen Ali Banned by ICC From Wearing Wristbands While Playing for England

ECB cleared Ali to wear bands during third Test against India

Decision overruled by ICC match referee David Boon

Moeen Ali has been banned from wearing “Save Gaza” and “Free Palestine” wristbands in the remainder of the third Test against India in Southampton by David Boon, the former Australia batsman who is the International Cricket Council’s match referee…

           — Hat tip: JP [Return to headlines]
 

Norway: Leaders Reach Out in Local Mosques

Norwegian leaders from both ends of the political spectrum have been visiting local mosques and reaching out to the country’s Muslims in the wake of last week’s terror threat against the country. The politicians are urging mutual respect and tolerance, and think religious leaders also must work to head off extremism.

“I hope we one day live in a city and a country where a young man who goes to the mosque on Friday is no more suspect than a young woman who goes to church on Sunday,” Stian Berger Røsland, head of Oslo’s city government from the Conservative Party, said when he attended prayers himself on Friday and spoke inside the World Islamic Mission’s mosque in Oslo…

           — Hat tip: JP [Return to headlines]
 

Poste Italiane ‘To Pump 65 Mn Euros Into Alitalia’

Etihad poised to buy 49% of struggling carrier

(see related) (ANSA) — Rome, July 29 — An agreement has been reached with creditor and stakeholder banks for State postal company Poste Italiane to invest 65 million euros more in Alitalia, with Etihad poised to buy a 49% stake in the struggling Italian carrier for 560 million euros, ANSA sources said Tuesday. Poste Italiane is currently Alitalia’s second-biggest stakeholder after acquiring over 19% when taking part in a government-orchestrated bailout last year.

           — Hat tip: Insubria [Return to headlines]
 

Qaeda Coffers Swell as Europe Pays Millions in Quiet Ransoms

Kidnapping Europeans for ransom has become a global business for Al Qaeda, bankrolling its operations across the globe.

While European governments deny paying ransoms, an investigation by The New York Times found that Al Qaeda and its direct affiliates have earned at least $125 million in revenue from kidnappings since 2008, of which $66 million was paid just in the past year.

In various news releases and statements, the United States Treasury Department has cited ransom amounts that, taken together, put the total at around $165 million over the same period.

These payments were made almost exclusively by European governments, who funnel the money through a network of proxies, sometimes masking it as development aid, according to interviews conducted for this article with former hostages, negotiators, diplomats and government officials in 10 countries in Europe, Africa and the Middle East.

[Return to headlines]
 

Rabbi of Gateshead, England Yeshiva Beaten by 4 Teens in Anti-Semitic Attack

By: Sanvi Rizvi

(Scroll down for video) A rabbi was hospitalized after being beaten by four teens in an unprovoked anti-Semitic attack, police in the United Kingdom said.

Gateshead Police said that they have charged the four teenagers in connection with the assault on the local rabbi. The 40-year-old victim was attacked while leaving a yeshiva in the center of the largest Orthodox Jewish community in Bensham…

           — Hat tip: JP [Return to headlines]
 

Real Tax Burden in Italy 53.2%, Retailers Say

‘Record’ figure excludes underground economy

(ANSA) — Rome, July 29 — Italy had the highest rate of taxation among the world’s advanced economies in 2013, retailers association Confcommercio said on Tuesday.

The real tax burden — calculated net of Italy’s sizeable underground economy — was 53.2%, Confcommercio said. Including the black market in calculations resulted in a tax burden of 44.1% last year, it added. Last year the non-tax paying economy in Italy was 17.3% of gross domestic product (GDP), according to the group.

           — Hat tip: Insubria [Return to headlines]
 

Swedish Terrorism Expert Slams Norway Terror Alert

A Swedish terrorism researcher has blasted Norway’s handling of its recent terror threat, saying the day the threat began was a “total intelligence failure”.

           — Hat tip: Fjordman [Return to headlines]
 

UK Supermarket Chain to Stop Carrying Judea and Samaria Products

Tesco says it will no longer sell products originating from Judea and Samaria starting this September.[…]

Tesco, the UK’s largest supermarket chain, says it will no longer sell products originating from Judea and Samaria starting this September, The Jewish Chronicle reports.

A spokesman for the supermarket said the move was not “politically motivated” and not connected to the Gaza conflict.

The decision was part of a “regular product review process”, he said, according to The Jewish Chronicle.

The only product from Judea and Samaria currently stocked were dates and they were being pulled for “commercial reasons”, the spokesman said.

Meanwhile two separate health and beauty product suppliers told the Chronicles that Tesco had asked them to list all their products and ingredients from beyond the Green Line.

Tesco said it had asked for the information because of inquiries from customers.

The spokesman said, “We have received some questions from customers about products we sell that are sourced from Israel or the West Bank.”

“To make sure we answered their questions with the most accurate and up to date information, we contacted suppliers to double check our own information, particularly for branded products,” he added.[…]

[Time for rational people to boycott Tesco for anti-Semitism in the UK high street. — MC]

           — Hat tip: MC [Return to headlines]
 

UK: Bradford Should Twin With Gaza, Says George Galloway

Respect MP George Galloway has called on Bradford Council to twin with Gaza as a show of solidarity during the conflict with Israel.

The Bradford West MP also appealed to those attending a city centre rally to boycott Israeli products as he spoke in defence of the Palestinians caught up in the Gaza conflict.

In front of hundreds of people at Saturday’s event in Centenary Square, Mr Galloway said he wanted councillors from all parties, along with fellow Bradford MPs David Ward and Gerry Sutcliffe, “to twin Gaza with Bradford now and forever more”…

           — Hat tip: JP [Return to headlines]
 

UK: Confusion Reigned in Some Mosques Last Night Over Eid Announcements.

It is believed several mosque committees first made the announcement that Eid would take place on Monday before changing their mind later in the evening…

           — Hat tip: JP [Return to headlines]
 

UK: Grooming Jihadis

By Samuel Westrop

The British government, on June 26, banned Sheikh Mohammad Al Arifi from entering the United Kingdom, after reports in the British media linked the Saudi preacher to the radicalization of British youth now fighting for ISIS in Syria.

Arifi’s sermons at the Al Manar Centre in Cardiff in particular, have been linked to the radicalization of three young British Muslims: brothers Nasser and Aseel Muthana and their friend, Reyaad Khan…

           — Hat tip: JP [Return to headlines]
 

UK: Halesowen Mosque Deal Could be Reached

A councillor has vowed to work with Muslim leaders to reach a compromise after extension plans for a mosque in Halesowen were refused.

Plans to build two 29ft decorate minarets and a domed roof on the Baitul Ghafoor Mosque on Long Lane were thrown out after more than 200 residents petitioned against the additions to the former Methodist church building.

Now Halesowen North Councillor Stuart Henley, who backed the petition against the plans, wants to work with religious leaders on a solution to suit the entire community.

Mr Henley has suggested that the applicants reduce the building work proposed and apply for permission to only build the domed roof…

           — Hat tip: JP [Return to headlines]
 

UK: Supermarket Chain to Stop Carrying Judea and Samaria Products

Tesco says it will no longer sell products originating from Judea and Samaria starting this September.

Tesco, the UK’s largest supermarket chain, says it will no longer sell products originating from Judea and Samaria starting this September, The Jewish Chronicle reports.

A spokesman for the supermarket said the move was not “politically motivated” and not connected to the Gaza conflict. The decision was part of a “regular product review process”, he said, according to The Jewish Chronicle…

           — Hat tip: JP [Return to headlines]
 

UK: Tower Hamlets Mayor Fails to Stop Election Threat Case

The mayor of Tower Hamlets has failed to stop a legal challenge which has been threatening his election victory.

Four activists launched a petition to void May’s election results, which saw Lutfur Rahman elected as Mayor for a second time, on the grounds that the election was marred by vote-rigging, fraud and intimidation — claims Mr Rahman refutes as “smears”…

           — Hat tip: JP [Return to headlines]
 

Foreigners Flee Fierce Fighting in Libya

(AGI) Benghazi, July 29 — Hospital sources have reported that at least thirty people have died in recent hours in fighting between government special forces and Islamist militias in Benghazi. Sources report that fighter planes were also involved. Faced with a “dramatic” situation in Libya, Foreign Minister Federica Mogherini has said that the Italian government believes there “is a need for every effort to be made within the United Nations, which would provide the international reference framework guaranteeing the effectiveness and impartiality of international intervention.”

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

Libya: 65 Indian Nurses Caught Up in Tripoli Inferno: Bring us Home

The women fear for their lives, with the resurgence of violence between the army and Islamists. In the last week in the capital, 97 people died and 404 were injured. More than 1,000 Indian nationals working in Libya.

New Delhi (AsiaNews / Agencies) — A group of 65 Indian nurses are trapped in Tripoli, Libya, where 97 people have died and 404 have been injured in the last week of clashes between the army and Islamists. The workers — all originating from Kerala — want to return home “immediately”.

More than 1,000 Indian nationals are working in Tripoli and Benghazi, hotbeds of fighting. More than 350 nurses of Indian nationality are employed in a medical center in the capital.

P. Sudeep, an official of the Non-Resident Keralites’ Affairs department of the State of South India, said that a total of 120 nurses “and other workers” in Libya have called their office to try to get back home. Of these, “65 have asked for immediate repatriation.”

Oomen Chandy, Chief Minister of Kerala, spoke with the Foreign Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and “asked her to arrange their evacuation.”

The problem is that the Tripoli airport is closed. The nearest one is located at Mitiga, 15 miles away.

In 2011 — at the height of the violence that led to the fall of Colonel Muammar Gaddafi — the central government of India led a massive rescue operation to evacuate thousands of people from areas affected by the conflict.

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

Libya: Tripoli: Italy Sends 7 Canadair for Fuel Facility

Yesterday interim government asked for help

(ANSAmed) — ROME — Italy has decided to send seven Canadair fire-fighting planes to help Libya extinguish blazes after rockets launched during fighting at the airport in Tripoli hit oil and gas storage facilities, Libya’s interim government announced on Tuesday online. The cabinet asked for international help on Monday to extinguish the fire which started Sunday along the road connecting the airport to the capital.

At the request of the Libyan provisional government, the cabinet said in a statement, “the Italian government and company Eni have decided to send to Libya seven fire-fighting planes with their crews to help control the blaze at oil and gas facilities along the roads leading to the airport”. The cabinet also called on all sides involved in the conflict “to stop fighting to allow firefighters to halt the fire as soon as possible”.

           — Hat tip: Insubria [Return to headlines]
 

Libyan Militants Overrun Benghazi Special Forces Base as Chaos Deepens

BENGHAZI, Libya, July 29 (Reuters) — Militant fighters overran a Libyan special forces base in the eastern city of Benghazi on Tuesday after a battle involving rockets and warplanes that killed at least 30 people.

A special forces officer said they had to abandon their main camp in the southeast of Benghazi after coming under sustained attack from a coalition of Islamist fighters and former rebel militias in the city…

           — Hat tip: JP [Return to headlines]
 

Rocket Attack Kills Girl in Egypt’s Sinai

CAIRO, July 29 (Xinhua) — A nine-year-old girl was killed, and another girl was wounded on Monday when a rocket hit their house in Egypt’s restive Sinai Peninsula, official security source told Xinhua.

The rocket was apparently targeting a security patrol passing near the house in south Sheikh Zuweid city in Egypt’s North Sinai province bordering Israel…

           — Hat tip: JP [Return to headlines]
 

Tripoli Fire Rages as Libya Warplane Crashes During Benghazi Fighting

TRIPOLI — A huge blaze was still raging at a fuel depot near Tripoli’s airport yesterday while a Libyan paramilitary fighter jet crashed in the eastern city of Benghazi during fighting with insurgent groups.

Amid increasing lawlessness and uncertainty, France, Portugal and the Netherlands became the latest nations to ship out their citizens or close their embassies in Tripoli.

Authorities said the Italian government and national energy giant ENI were to send seven fire-fighting planes to help combat an inferno that has been blazing since Sunday at an oil depot on the outskirts of the capital.

Italy will also send teams to help firefighters tackle the blaze, which was sparked during fighting between rival Libyan militias, a government statement said…

           — Hat tip: JP [Return to headlines]
 

Benjamin Netanyahu Vows ‘Lengthy Campaign’ In Gaza

Israeli prime minister bluntly ignores calls from international leaders including Barack Obama and Ban Ki-moon to end the Gaza conflict, pledging campaign will not end until Hamas tunnel network destroyed

Benjamin Netanyahu bluntly rebuffed international pressure for a ceasefire in Gaza on Monday and instead vowed to extend Israel’s three-week offensive against its Hamas rulers into a “lengthy campaign” that would bring more “difficult days”.

The Israeli prime minister said the military campaign in Gaza would not end until a network of tunnels Israel says have been dug to launch “terror” attacks against its citizens had been destroyed…

           — Hat tip: JP [Return to headlines]
 

Fmr. Shin Bet Chief Warns: ‘If European Countries Fail to Protect Their Jews, The State of Israel Will’

In a blunt warning to a visiting group of European diplomats over a looming jihadi threat, a former deputy Shin Bet chief on Monday said “if you do not stand by our side, the day when Islamic terror will reach your homes, your beds and your kindergartens will come soon.”…

           — Hat tip: JP [Return to headlines]
 

Gaza’s Power Plant Knocked Out by Israeli Shell

Electricity to Gaza City is cut after an Israeli tank shell all but destroys the enclave’s only power station.

Israeli tank fire struck the fuel depot of Gaza’s only power plant this morning, potentially cutting electricity to the enclave’s 1.8 million residents.

The powerplant, which supplies two thirds of the territory’s energy needs, was engulfed in flames sending a column of black smoke into the air. The plant was hit last week and had been operating on a reduced capacity providing only a few hours of electricity per day to Gaza’s residents…

           — Hat tip: JP [Return to headlines]
 

In Leaked Tape, Hostile Obama Tries to Force PM to Accept Truce

US president markedly unfriendly, interrupted prime minister as he attempted to push unfavorable truce on Israel.

Damning evidence has emerged of US President Barack Obama’s dismissal of Israel’s position in favor of supporting the position of Hamas and its allies during ceasefire talks…

           — Hat tip: JP [Return to headlines]
 

Israel Pounds Gaza After Netanyahu Promises Prolonged Battle

Home of Hamas Gaza leader Ismail Haniyeh is among targets in night of heavy bombardment

Gaza endured a night of relentless bombardment that brought some of the heaviest pounding since the start of the conflict three weeks ago, in the hours after the Israeli political and military leadership warned of a protracted offensive.

Israeli forces targeted key strategic targets, including the home of the Hamas leader in Gaza, Ismail Haniyeh, and a building housing Hamas-controlled broadcast outlets…

           — Hat tip: JP [Return to headlines]
 

Israel Intensifies Gaza Assault, Egyptians Revise Truce Plan

(Reuters) — Israel knocked out Gaza’s only power plant and pounded dozens of other high-profile targets on Tuesday, while Egyptian mediators prepared a revised proposal for halting its war with Islamist militants in the enclave…

           — Hat tip: JP [Return to headlines]
 

Middle East Crisis: BBC at Gaza Mosque Ruins

More than 100 Palestinians are said to have been killed after Israel intensified its bombardment of Gaza and warned of a long conflict ahead…

           — Hat tip: JP [Return to headlines]
 

France: Outcry After Pro-Jihad Books Sold at Supermarket

Calling for ‘death to heretics’

(ANSAmed) — PARIS — Heated debate has arisen in France due to the selling in over 1,000 supermarkets of books openly calling for jihad and “death to heretics”, such as ‘Voie du Musulman’. The books were distributed as part of ‘Operation Ramadan’, an initiative to promote the sale of Islamic publications in France sponsored since 2001 by the Lebanese publisher Mansour Mansour. According to Le Figaro, distributors have ignored petitions and criticism and the authorities have no legal recourse to impose a ban on them.

           — Hat tip: Insubria [Return to headlines]
 

In Iraq, Ancient Christianity Lies in Ruins. But Who Cares?

By Damian Thompson

The Mar Behnam monastery outside Mosul, seized by ISIS just over a week ago, bears an inscription in the Turkic language of the Mongols who invaded Iraq in the 13th century. It asks for ‘the peace of Mar [Saint] Behnam to come down and rest on the Khan, his elders and his wives’.

Why should Mongols revere Behnam, a convert to Christianity who was martyred by the region’s Zoroastrian ruler in the fourth century?…

           — Hat tip: JP [Return to headlines]
 

Iraq: 31 Killed, 20 Wounded in Violence in Baghdad

BAGHDAD, July 28 (Xinhua) — At least 31 people were killed and 20 others were wounded in the latest violent attacks and conflicts in Iraq, police source said on Monday.

Police patrols on Monday found 14 unidentified bodies, 11 men and three women, in different parts of Baghdad, a police source told Xinhua, noting that most of the bodies had signs of torture and gunshot wounds.

It was not immediately clear when and why they were killed and no group has so far claimed responsibility for the killings…

           — Hat tip: JP [Return to headlines]
 

Jon Snow’s View of the Middle East is Biased, Inaccurate and Dangerous

by Douglas Murray

I suppose viewers of Jon Snow’s Channel 4 News don’t expect impartial journalism, any more than viewers of Fox in the States expect their political opponents to get a particularly fair hearing. This is, after all, a journalist whose first reaction when the Malaysian airline plane was shot down over Ukraine was to express concern that the deaths might distract attention from Israel’s war with Hamas…

[Reader comment by FrankieThompson on 28 July 2014.]

There is a monomania about the way the British media report the situation in Israel and Gaza.

Massacres and civil wars can come and go in Egypt, Bahrain, Sudan, Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, Iraq, and Syria.

Horrendous breaches of human rights can be perpetrated in the KSA, Iran, Qatar, Turkey.

But according to the British media, there really only is one bad guy in the region; Israel, the Jewish state, which is full of Jews , and is supported by the Americans with their “Jewish lobby”. These Jews have the temerity to defend their country when under attack from Islamists, who , entirely without discrimination, fire rockets into their country with the express aim of spreading terror in the civilian population and killing as many as possible. The Jews( sorry) Israelis, are berated for having the foresight to acquire a decent defence system to stop their population being blown to bits. Imagine that. It’s very unfair that.

And then they try to stop the missiles being fired in the first place and lo and behold they are being fired right from the middle of civilian areas.

What is it people are expecting of the Israelis? Simply buckle down to perpetual bombardment ?Or to go and do something about it?

[Reply to FrankieThompson by MissDemeanor on 28 July 2014.]

no, these people are a gift to us

with their poison and vitriol, they prove us every day, that the existence of Israel is not negotiable! Thanks to them and their disgusting hypocritical voices, they show the world WHY jews need an Israel.

they are inadvertently working for Israel’s right to exist, through their sheer stupidity

[Reply to MissDemeanour by Damaris Tighe on 28 July 2014.]

I realised the truth of this reading a Mail Online article about the increase in antisemitic attacks in the UK. Although the Mail has a very bad track record reporting on the conflict, the overwhelming majority of commentators were supportive of Israel’s stance, receiving thousands of up ticks. They obviously hadn’t taken a blind bit of notice of the media narrative. It restored my faith in the ordinary Briton.

           — Hat tip: JP [Return to headlines]
 

Radical Mindsets Threaten Fabric of Societies in Arab World

DAMASCUS, July 28 (Xinhua) — The growing presence of radical jihadist groups, mainly the so-called Islamic State militant group in the Arab region of Iraq and Syria, is threatening the integration of societies there that have lived in harmony for ages.

Such types of groups often reject the melange of sects and beliefs in societies and promote their own readings and interpretations of a religion-led state…

           — Hat tip: JP [Return to headlines]
 

Respect and Peace Among Eid Messages Across the UAE

The importance of peace, solidarity, tolerance, respect and following the teachings of Islam and the Prophet Mohammed were prominent in sermons across the country to mark the start of Eid Al Fitr on Monday.

Sheikh Humaid bin Rashid Al Nuaimi, Ruler of Ajman, performed Eid prayers at Sheikh Rashid bin Humaid Al Nuaimi Mosque…

           — Hat tip: JP [Return to headlines]
 

Syria Oppn Advance Towards Key Airport in Hama Province

BEIRUT — Syrian opposition fighters pressed on with a fresh advance in the central province of Hama, as they tried to take out its military airport, an opposition commander and a monitor said yesterday.

“The opposition fighters are now nine kilometres away from Hama military airport, which they want to put out of action,” said Syrian Observatory for Human Rights Director Rami Abdel Rahman…

           — Hat tip: JP [Return to headlines]
 

‘Women Shouldn’t Laugh in Public’ According to Turkish Deputy Prime Minister

The Turkish deputy Prime Minister sparked outrage today by telling women they shouldn’t “laugh in public”. Bulent Arinc also insisted women must not use mobile phones to discuss cooking recipes.

His comments were widely ridiculed on social media websites.

He was speaking at a meeting in Turkey in which he complained of the “moral corruption” in his country…

           — Hat tip: JP [Return to headlines]
 

At Least 1,129 Killed in E. Ukraine Crisis: UN Report

GENEVA/KIEV, July 28 (Xinhua) — At least 1,129 people have been killed and 3,442 others wounded in the violent conflicts in eastern Ukraine since mid-April, the United Nations said on Monday.

According to a report released by UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay, the conflicts have also displaced over 100,000 people…

           — Hat tip: JP [Return to headlines]
 

Obama Joins Europe in Expanding Sanctions on Russia

President Obama announced expanded sanctions against Russia on Tuesday, just hours after the European Union imposed its most sweeping measures yet penalizing Moscow for its role in supporting separatists in neighboring Ukraine.

The latest American actions took aim at more Russian banks and a large defense firm, but they also went further than past moves by blocking future technology sales to Russia’s lucrative oil industry in an effort to inhibit its ability to develop future resources. The measures were meant to largely match those unveiled earlier in the day in Europe.

The carefully orchestrated actions on both sides of the Atlantic were designed to demonstrate solidarity in the face of what American and European officials say has been a stark escalation by Russia in the insurgency in eastern Ukraine. Until now, European leaders have resisted the broader sorts of actions they agreed to on Tuesday and their decision to do so reflected increasing alarm that Russia is not only helping separatists in Ukraine but directly involving itself in the fighting.

[Return to headlines]
 

One Child Killed as Bus Carrying Refugees in East Ukraine Comes Under Fire

MOSCOW, July 29 (RIA Novosti) — A 3-year old child and 12 passengers were injured as a bus carrying refugees in eastern Ukraine came under fire, the head of the South-Eastern Front information center said Tuesday.

“As a result of the firing, a 3-year old kid and around 12 passengers suffered gunshot wounds,” Konstantin Knyrik said in an interview with Rossiya 24…

           — Hat tip: JP [Return to headlines]
 

Putin Vows Assistance in Taking Ill Children Out of Crisis-Hit East Ukraine

NOVO-OGARYOVO, July 29 (RIA Novosti) — Russian President Vladimir Putin promised Tuesday to help in evacuating children, who require urgent medical assistance, from violence-hit eastern Ukraine.

The head of the presidential human rights council, Mikhail Fedotov, told Putin at a meeting that the Kiev government keeps silent on Russia’s offer to evacuate the children…

           — Hat tip: JP [Return to headlines]
 

Ukraine: Fighting Closes in on Rebel-Held Donetsk

Chances of Dutch and Australian forensic scientists reaching MH17 crash site recede further as separatists accuse their escorts of working for US and Ukrainan interests

Loud explosions reverberated through the rebel-held city of Donetsk in eastern Ukraine on Tuesday as shells fell closer to the centre of the million-strong city than ever before.

At least one person was killed and several apartments were severely damaged as the bombs ripped in to a residential area…

           — Hat tip: JP [Return to headlines]
 

Afghanistan: Karzai’s Powerful Cousin Killed, Worsens Strains Over Poll Deadlock

By Jessica Donati

KABUL (Reuters) — Afghan President Hamid Karzai’s powerful cousin, a close ally of presidential candidate Ashraf Ghani, was killed in a suicide bomb attack on Tuesday, officials said, deepening strains over an election marred by fraud and under a U.N.-monitored review…

           — Hat tip: JP [Return to headlines]
 

Pakistan: Ahmadi Neighborhood Torched Over ‘Blasphemy’ Charge: Grandmother and Grandchildren Die

The children were 1 and 7 years of age. Islamic community enraged by a Facebook post, considered “blasphemous.” The doctrine of Ahmadis is considered “heretical” by much of the Muslim world, both Sunni and Shiite.

Islamabad (AsiaNews) — Another atrocity has been committed in Pakistan in the name of “blasphemy.” A woman and her two grandchildren — of 1 and 7 years of age — died in an arson attack on the Colony of Gujrawala Arafat, a city 220 kilometers southeast of Islamabad on July 27. The victims belong to the Ahmadis Muslim community. The mob violence was sparked by a post on Facebook by a young boy from the group, judged blasphemous by one of his “friends” on the social network.

According to police reports, Aqib Salim, 17, posted a “blasphemous” picture which angered his Muslim friend Saddam Hussain. The two began to argue, attracting the attention of about 150 people. The group went to the police station to register a case of blasphemy. While police negotiated with the crowd, another group attacked the Ahmadis’ homes.

Spokesman for the community, Salim ud Din, says that it is “the worst attack suffered in over four years, when our places of worship were attacked simultaneously, and 86 people were killed.” “ Police were there but just watching the burning. They didn’t do anything to stop the mob,” he said. “First they looted their homes and shops and then they burnt the homes”. In the fire eight others were injured, but the “offender” was not.

Founded in India in the late 19th century, the Ahmadi doctrine is considered “heretical” by much of the Muslim world, both Sunni and Shiite. It honors its founder, Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, and has beliefs related to other religions. In Pakistan, the law bans followers from using Islamic greetings and prayers, and to refer to their places of worship as “mosques”.

This is why the Ahmadis as a community — together with Christians — are often the victims of the blasphemy laws used to persecute minorities. According to these laws, those found “guilty” of the crime of blasphemy could be sentenced to death.

On July 2 Paul Bhatti, former Federal Minister for National Harmony and APMA leader (All Pakistan Minorities Alliance), spoke at a conference for the implementation of a moratorium on the death penalty organized by the UN High Commissioner human Rights and the permanent Mission of Italy to the United Nations. In support of the moratorium, he pointed out that “the death penalty may encourage terrorism and perpetuate a culture of death. A government-sanctioned execution broadcasts an unambiguous message to its citizens that punishment by death is justified. But the problem is that extremist terrorists are co-opting the state’s prerogative for their own malicious objectives. Death perpetuates death” . So “ Often, false accusations are hurled to settle personal scores, to target easy victims, who mostly belong to the oppressed and marginalized sector of the community. And to further extremist agendas, breeding real acts of violence against them, including execution”.

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

China Says Zhou Yongkang, Former Security Chief, Is Under Investigation

In President Xi Jinping’s most audacious move yet to impose his authority by targeting elite corruption, the Communist Party on Tuesday announced an investigation of Zhou Yongkang, the retired former head of domestic security who accumulated vast power while his family accumulated vast wealth.

Mr. Zhou, who retired from the Politburo Standing Committee in late 2012, is the most senior party figure ever to face a formal graft inquiry. Until now, no standing or retired member of the Standing Committee has faced a formal investigation by the party’s anticorruption agency.

The party leadership has “decided to establish an investigation of Zhou Yongkang for grave violations of discipline,” Xinhua, the state-run news agency, reported Tuesday, citing a decision by the party’s anticorruption agency. The terse announcement gave no details of the charges against Mr. Zhou.

[Return to headlines]
 

China: Fresh Xinjiang Violence Blasphemy Against Islam

by Xinhua Writer Gui Tao

BEIJING, July 29 (Xinhua) — Dozens of civilians were killed and injured in a premeditated attack by an armed gang in Xinjiang early Monday. Initial investigation has suggested that it could have been another terrorist attack.

Following are some quick viewpoints:

  • The latest attack in southern Xinjiang, largely populated by ethnic Uygur, aims to destabilize the region and spread fear and hatred, as did similar recent attacks.
  • Police shooting dead of the mobsters was decisive and well justified. It prevented more civilian casualties, from both Han and Uygur ethnic groups.
  • The attack came one day ahead of Eid al-Fitr, the end of Ramadan, the holiest month for Muslims. The festival should have been observed in peace, with spiritual reflection and improvement.
  • The attack is against the spirit of Ramadan, which is about the practice of self-discipline and self-control. During Ramadan, devout Muslims refrain from any behavior that could be perceived as sinful, such as swearing, let along slaughtering innocent people.
  • The rioters were committing blasphemy against Islam, “the religion of peace.”
  • The attack coincided one of the most important trade fairs in Kashgar, which was widely expected to restore some of the dented investment confidence after previous violence. The latest attack is doomed to hurt the economy.

           — Hat tip: JP [Return to headlines]
 

China: Heavy Casualties Reported in Xinjiang Terror Attack

RUMQI, July 29 (Xinhua) — Dozens of civilians were killed or injured in a terrorist attack early on Monday morning in Shache County, Kashgar Prefecture, northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, local police said.

A gang armed with knives and axes attacked a police station and government offices in Elixku Township, and some moved on to the nearby Huangdi Township, attacking civilians and smashing vehicles as they passed. Dozens of Uygur and Han civilians were killed or injured, according to the local police.

Police officers at the scene shot dead dozens of members of the mob.

Thirty one cars were vandalized,including 6 which were set on fire.

Initial investigation showed that it was an “organized and premeditated” terror attack, according to the local police. Further investigation is underway…

           — Hat tip: JP [Return to headlines]
 

Chinese Hackers Stole Blueprints of Israel’s Iron Dome Missile Defense System

Chinese hackers infiltrated the databases of three Israeli defense contractors and stole plans for Israel’s Iron Dome missile defense system, according to an investigation by a Maryland-based cyber security firm ‘Cyber Engineering Services Inc. (CyberESI)’.

Not just this, the hackers were also able to nab plans regarding other missile interceptors, including Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, ballistic rockets and the Arrow III missile interceptor which was designed by Boeing and other U.S.-based companies.

The intrusions were thought to be executed by Beijing’s infamous “Comment Crew” hacking group — a group of cyber warriors linked to the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) — into the corporate networks of top Israeli defense technology companies, including Elisra Group, Israel Aerospace Industries, and Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, between 10 October 2011 and 13 August 2012.

The three Israeli defense technology companies were responsible for the development of the “Iron Dome” missile shield. The attackers targeted the three companies through email phishing attacks.

Once the companies’ security systems had been breached, they exfiltrated all types of documents, from the emails sent by a CEO to the PowerPoint presentations containing all the necessary information about Iron Dome and other sophisticated ballistic projects.

[…]

Although it is not exactly known that how much data the group was able to obtain, Cyber ESI identified more than 700 documents that were stolen from Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) only, amounting to 763 Mbs including Word documents and spreadsheets, PDFs, emails, and executable binaries, Krebs reported. The actual number is believed to be much higher.

Comment Crew hacking group maintained hooks inside IAI for four months during the 2012 raid. It stole administrator credentials, planted trojans and keyloggers, and dumped Active Directory data from at least two domains…

           — Hat tip: Seneca III [Return to headlines]
 

Chinese Police Shoot Dead Dozens After Attack in Xinjiang

(Reuters) — Chinese police shot dead dozens of knife-wielding attackers on Monday morning after they staged assaults on two towns in the western region of Xinjiang, the official Xinhua news agency said on Tuesday.

A gang armed with knives had first attacked a police station and government offices in the town of Elixku, in Shache county, it said, quoting local police. Some moved on to the nearby town of Huangdi, attacking civilians and smashing and setting fire to six vehicles.

“Police officers at the scene shot dead dozens of members of the mob,” the brief report said…

           — Hat tip: JP [Return to headlines]
 

Dozens Killed in ‘Terrorist Attack’ In China’s Xinjiang

Assailants attacked police post, government buildings, media say

(ANSA) — Beijing, July 29 — Dozens of people were killed Tuesday in a “terrorist attack” on a police post and government offices in the western Chinese region of Xinjiang, Chinese media reported.

The region has a sizeable Muslim and Turcophone Uighuri population.

The reports said a group of assailants armed with knives attacked a police post and government buildings, killing dozens of Uighuri and Han Chinese.

           — Hat tip: Insubria [Return to headlines]
 

Dozens of People Killed by Police as Armed Group Attacks Towns in Southwest China’s Mostly Uyghur Xinjiang

Dozens of people have been killed or injured in a confrontation between police and a group of knife-wielding attackers in China’s western region of Xinjiang, state media say.

The official Xinhua news agency has revealed brief details of the incident which took place on Monday. It says police shot dead dozens of the group after it staged two assaults on two towns in the Xianjing region…

           — Hat tip: JP [Return to headlines]
 

Kalgoorlie-Boulder Council Approves Mosque During Fiery Meeting

The City of Kalgoorlie Boulder approved the construction of a mosque in the inland city during a heated council meeting on Monday night, passing the motion six votes to four.

Acting mayor Allan Pendal said it was clear from the start of public question time the issue would be hotly contested, with what he described as a “vocal minority” clearly opposed to the planned construction of the mosque on Park Street in the suburb of Williamstown.

An alternative motion was put forward during the meeting that would have seen the application sent back to the council’s all-purpose committee to seek more information.

The vote on that motion was deadlocked at 5-5, with Cr Pendal using his casting vote, as presiding officer, to defeat the motion…

           — Hat tip: JP [Return to headlines]
 

South Africa: A Crack in the Crucible: A Review of ‘I, Afrikaner’

The behaviour of Steve Hofmeyer and the fans that sang Die Stem along with him a few weeks ago has cast Afrikaners as an angry breed, out of touch with the new South Africa. Yet in ‘I, Afrikaner’ a beautiful new film about an Afrikaner family, a more complex picture is drawn. Perhaps as a black woman, I found myself captivated by this story, because I happened to marry into an Afrikaner family. It’s no wonder that the film won the best director award at the Durban Film Festival this week. By KIM ROBINSON.

Through her personal story, I, Afrikaner, director Annalet “Makkie” Steenkamp begins a conversation that taps into the existential angst of a family, a people, and a country. In I, Afrikaner, the director tells the story of four generations of her family of Afrikaner farmers…

           — Hat tip: JP [Return to headlines]
 

Cameron Outlines Immigration Curbs ‘To Put Britain First’

The UK is to halve to three months the time EU migrants without realistic job prospects can claim benefits.

David Cameron said the “magnetic pull” of UK benefits had to be addressed so people came for the right reasons and the rules “put Britain first”. The prime minister also warned people who are in the UK illegally: “We will find you, we will send you home.”…

           — Hat tip: JP [Return to headlines]
 

David Cameron: We’re Building an Immigration System That Puts Britain First

by David Cameron

We will close bogus ‘colleges’, cut benefits to jobless arrivals and stop advertising jobs abroad

This Government has a long-term economic plan to secure a better future for Britain — and controlling immigration is a vital part of it.

Under Labour, 2.5 million more people came to this country than left. As Lord Mandelson has admitted, they were practically sending out “search parties” for people to come here. There was a failed points system, which allowed so-called “highly skilled” workers to come for up to three years to look for work; often, they ended up stacking shelves. There was an increasingly generous, no-questions-asked welfare system which drew migrants to Britain for the wrong reasons. And unforgivably, while we had the highest rates of migration in our modern history, we also had well over five million people of working age on out-of-work benefits…

[Reader comment by catnap007 on 29 July 2014.]

Great — now that there are between 10 and 20 million immigrants in our country many now with full British citizenship and children born in UK and having their own “communities” with their own “courts” and legal systems changing the “British” nature of our towns and cities forever — now that our capital city among other cities has a minority ethnic British population — NOW you tell us…………”We’re building an immigration system that puts Britain first”…….b***** off Dave — and stop blaming EU migrants all the time — non EU immigrants are far more numerous and a much bigger problem!!!!

           — Hat tip: JP [Return to headlines]
 

France Says Ready to Facilitate Asylum for Iraq’s Christians

France said Monday it was ready to help facilitate asylum for Christians in Iraq displaced by a jihadist onslaught, saying it was “outraged” by their persecution.

Thousands of Christians and other minorities have fled the northern Iraqi city of Mosul and other areas after Islamic State insurgents led a sweep across Iraq’s north and west last month.

The militants had ordered Christian families to convert to Islam or leave the city, prompting the mass exodus.

“France is outraged by these abuses that it condemns with the utmost firmness,” Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius and Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve said in a joint statement.

“We are ready, if they so desire, to help facilitate asylum on our territory,” they added.

“The ultimatum given to these communities in Mosul by ISIL (militants) is the latest tragic example of the terrible threat that jihadist groups in Iraq, but also in Syria and elsewhere, pose to these populations that are historically an integral part of this region.”

           — Hat tip: Charlie Marteau [Return to headlines]
 

3 thoughts on “Gates of Vienna News Feed 7/29/2014

  1. In any civilised country, Lutfur Rahman would already have been locked up for various forms of fraud and corruption. In Londonistan, he is mayor of Tower Hamlets.

  2. Deputy Turkish Prime Minister Bulent Arinc said in a speech that women should not laugh in public. He also said they should not discuss recipes on cell phones.

    The not laughing in public part I can understand, but the part about discussing recipes on cell phones ? At least, they are not laughing in public while doing so !

    If cell phones are not for frivolous uses such as this, what are they for ?

  3. Recommended to Baron Bodissey for general posting: The great French-Jewish philosopher Alain Finkielkraut explains why Europe is scared of Israel. For modern democrats, the Jewish state is an anachronism, the French-Jewish philosopher tells Haaretz, but adds: In the age of culture clashes, Zionism is more relevant than ever.
    VIDEO. http://www.haaretz.com/news/video/1.603865

    Also: I consider Finielkraut’s “The Imaginary Jew” to be one of the most important books of the last 50 years. Highly recommended! http://www.amazon.com/The-Imaginary-Jew-Texts-Contexts/dp/0803268955

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