Today was the deadliest day so far since Israel began Operation Protective Edge in Gaza. At least 13 Israeli soldiers, 87 Palestinians, and one donkey were killed. The unfortunate donkey had been outfitted with a bomb and sent towards Israeli lines, forcing IDF soldiers to shoot the poor animal in order to detonate the bomb before it could kill any humans.
In other news, ISIS has begun marking homes in Mosul with symbols meaning “Christian” or “Shia”. The last Christians have already been driven out of the city, so presumably the Shiites are next.
To see the headlines and the articles, click “Continue reading” below.
Thanks to C. Cantoni, Fjordman, GH, Insubria, JP, Kitman, MC, Papa Whiskey, Vlad Tepes, and all the other tipsters who sent these in.
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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.
In Subprime Auto Bubble, Borrowers Pay Sky-High Rates
Auto loans to people with tarnished credit have risen more than 130 percent in the five years since the immediate aftermath of the financial crisis, with roughly one in four new auto loans last year going to borrowers considered subprime — people with credit scores at or below 640.
The explosive growth is being driven by some of the same dynamics that were at work in subprime mortgages. A wave of money is pouring into subprime autos, as the high rates and steady profits of the loans attract investors. Just as Wall Street stoked the boom in mortgages, some of the nation’s biggest banks and private equity firms are feeding the growth in subprime auto loans by investing in lenders and making money available for loans.
The New York Times examined more than 100 bankruptcy court cases, dozens of civil lawsuits against lenders and hundreds of loan documents and found that subprime auto loans can come with interest rates that can exceed 23 percent. The loans were typically at least twice the size of the value of the used cars purchased, including dozens of battered vehicles with mechanical defects hidden from borrowers. Such loans can thrust already vulnerable borrowers further into debt, even propelling some into bankruptcy, according to the court records, as well as interviews with borrowers and lawyers in 19 states.
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Police: Philadelphia Muslim Leaders Hacked Accused Thief’s Hand With Machete
On Monday, a 46-year-old man who was reportedly accused by two leaders of a Philadelphia mosque of stealing jars of money from the mosque had his hand chopped with a machete, requiring hospital treatment. Police reports stated that the two men responsible for the assault were the mosque’s imam and amir.
| — Hat tip: Fjordman | [Return to headlines] |
Boosting a Solid Sense of Identity at Canada’s First Africentric Pre-Kindergarten Camp
Innovative program lets young children of colour see themselves reflected in a curriculum that has traditionally been Eurocentric.
| — Hat tip: Fjordman | [Return to headlines] |
Belgium: Pro-Palestinian March Ends in Violence
5,000 people marched through Brussels on Saturday afternoon in protest at the Israeli military operation in Gaza. Although the march was initially peaceful it ended in violence when a group of around 100 youths split away from the main group of protesters and started causing trouble in Brussels City Centre.
Despite no authorisation having been given for the demonstration, around 5,000 people gathered in the centre of Brussels to protest about what they allege to be “war crimes committed by Israel”. The march was also intended to be a mark of solidarity with the people of Gaza.
Towards the end of the demonstration things started to get out of hand. An Israeli flag and an American flag were burned and a small minority of the demonstrators chanted anti-Semitic slogans such as “Death to Jews”.
Youths also walked over parked cars and a number of car windows were smashed. The organisers of the march tried in vain to contain the situation.
| — Hat tip: Fjordman | [Return to headlines] |
Belgium: Pro-Palestinian Protest Ends in Riots, Calls of “Death to the Jews”
A pro-Palestinian protest in Brussels ended with a small minority of youth rioting. The rioters burned an American and Israeli flag, smashed shop and car windows and shouted “Death to the Jews”. A dozen people spotted a couple in their 30s and beat up the man with cries of “he’s a Jew!”.
Jewish and Muslim organizations had asked to ban the protest, after a pro-Palestinian protest in Antwerp led to similar results.
| — Hat tip: JP | [Return to headlines] |
Cypriots Commemorate 1974 Turkish Military Action
NICOSIA, July 20 (Xinhua) — Greek Cypriots were woken up by the blood-chilling wailing of sirens 5:20 at dawn on Sunday reminding them of the start of a Turkish military action 40 years ago that radically changed the facade of Cyprus and gave rise to one of the most intractable international problems.
After the memorial service for the fallen during the Turkish military action, organized by the National Guard and the Defence Ministry, at the Tomb of Makedonitissa, the President of Cyprus Nicos Anastasiades said that 40 years of Turkish occupation is a long time, noting that the time has come for all to realize that a Cyprus solution will be to the benefit of all people.
On the other side of the buffer zone, Turkish Cypriot celebrated the anniversary with a military parade in the Turkish part of the capital Nicosia…
| — Hat tip: JP | [Return to headlines] |
France: Pro-Palestinian Rally Near Paris Ends in Violence
A Pro-Palestinian demo ended in violence in a Paris suburb on Sunday, just a day after a similar rally to denounce Israel’s attack on Gaza in the centre of the French capital, also descended into a riot as protesters clash with police.
A rally in the Paris suburb town of Sarcelles that had also initially been banned ended in chaos as several cars were burnt, others had their windows smashed and young protesters lit firecrackers and smoke bombs.
| — Hat tip: Fjordman | [Return to headlines] |
French Youth, Police Clash at Anti-Israeli Protest
Pro-Palestinian French youth defying a ban on a protest against Israel’s Gaza offensive clashed with police Sunday, setting fire to cars, pillaging stores and throwing stones in a Paris suburb.
Police, backed by a helicopter overhead, responded with tear gas and shots from non-lethal guns during hours of unrest in the northern suburb of Sarcelles, home to a large Jewish community.
The unrest was the second time in two days that pro-Palestinian demonstrations in France turned violent. The demonstration, like the one in Paris on Saturday, had been banned to ensure peace…
| — Hat tip: JP | [Return to headlines] |
Furious Dutch Prime Minister Tells Putin to Exert His Influence
Dutch prime minister Mark Rutte has described as ‘disgusting’ pictures of Ukraine rebels digging through the possessions of people killed in disaster.
In a short news conference, Rutte said he had just had a ‘very intense’ phone call with Russian president Vladimir Putin. ‘I told him “time is running out for you to show the world that you have good intentions, that you will take responsibility”,’ Rutte said.
Putin now ‘has to show that he will do what is expected of him and will exert his influence,’ the Dutch prime minister said.
‘It is 35 degrees there. The bodies need to be recovered now. I want to see results, unhindered access and the repatriation of the victims.’
The phone conversation with Putin was ‘very personal’, the Dutch prime minister said.
| — Hat tip: Fjordman | [Return to headlines] |
Italy: Northern League Proposes 20 Percent Flat Tax Rate
(AGI) Padua, July 20 — The Northern League on Sunday proposed a 20 percent flat tax rate for all. “Today we launch a fiscal revolution which, we hope, will be supported by millions of Italians in demonstrations in October: 20 percent for all, from north to south, for rich and poor. We want those who pay too much to pay less, and force those who are not paying now to contribute,” Northern League Secretary Matteo Salvini said on the sidelines of a party conference in Padua.
| — Hat tip: C. Cantoni | [Return to headlines] |
More Footage of Riots and Chaos Brought to France by Muslims
Close your eyes. Think of the word, ‘Barbarian’ and try and define what behaviour would qualify a person or people for that designation. Then do the same thing for ‘savages’, ‘feral people’, ‘uncivilized’, and any others you can think of which used to be in common use some decades ago to describe those incapable of reasoned debate or cooperative behaviour. Then watch what is below.
| — Hat tip: Fjordman | [Return to headlines] |
Renzi to Continue Collaboration With Forza Italia
(AGI) Maputo, July 19 — Italy’s Prime Minister, Matteo Renzi, said his government would continue to collaborate with Silvio Berlusconi’s Forza Italia and declined to comment on the former premier’s acquittal in the Ruby sex case trial. “We reached an institutional agreement with Forza Italia because in a civil nation it’s better to move forward together”, said Renzi. “We would have continued forward anyway even if Berlusconi had been found guilty”, he added. “I’ve never commented on a verdict nor will I begin doing so today. I respect judges’ work”.
| — Hat tip: C. Cantoni | [Return to headlines] |
Swedish-Lebanese Bomb Suspect Killed in Raid
A Lebanese-Swedish man wanted in connection with a June hotel bombing was killed on Sunday by a grenade he was handling as police moved to arrest him, a security official said.
| — Hat tip: Fjordman | [Return to headlines] |
The Vatican and Islam: Messages of Light and Dark
By B.C.
OVER the past 24 hours, senior representatives of the Catholic church have delivered some mixed messages about Islam.
The leaders of the Pontifical Council for Inter-religious Dialogue issued a statement urging the two faiths to work together to ease human suffering, especially in war zones…
| — Hat tip: JP | [Return to headlines] |
UK: ‘My Father Was a Sexual Predator Like Jimmy Savile’ Says Son of Former Tory MP
The son of a former Conservative MP has told The Telegraph he believes his father was a “prolific sexual predator” who he fears might have been linked to an alleged Westminster paedophile ring.
Anthony Atkinson suspects his father David Atkinson’s name may also have been included in a notorious dossier compiled by his fellow Conservative MP Geoffrey Dickens. The dossier, handed to the then Home Secretary Leon Brittan in the 1980s, has subsequently been lost or destroyed.
His son has compiled a dossier of his own on his father. In it he writes: “In the research work that I have done… it is clear that my father was associated with some very dangerous people.”
Other suspicions, which fuel Mr Atkinson’s concerns about his father, cannot be repeated in The Telegraph for legal reasons.
“But I think my father got mixed up with the wrong people. I think he didn’t want anybody to find out he was gay and used that to influence him. He liked young men.”
| — Hat tip: Kitman | [Return to headlines] |
UK: Gangs Draw Up Lists of Girls to Rape as Proxy Attacks on Rivals
Gangs assault rivals’ sisters and girlfriends as a ‘low risk’ method of asserting dominance
London gangs are drawing up and disseminating lists of teenage girls whom they consider to be legitimate rape targets, as sexual violence is increasingly used to spread fear and antagonise rival groups.
The so-called sket lists (sket is street slang for “sluts”) have, according to youth workers, prompted attacks so brazen that girls have been dragged from school buses and sexually assaulted…
| — Hat tip: JP | [Return to headlines] |
UK: London’s Muslims Celebrate Ramadan in Traditional Style
London, Asharq Al-Awsat—Despite being expats and practicing different customs to those of the West, Muslims from around the world who are living in London have not abandoned the religious rituals and social customs they practice during Ramadan. The multicultural nature of British cities, and particularly of London, has made ample room for Muslim communities to freely practice their customs and celebrate the holy month…
| — Hat tip: JP | [Return to headlines] |
UK: Nicky Morgan Sets Out to Build Bridges With Teachers
Michael Gove’s successor as education secretary opens up consultation on curriculum reform
The new education secretary, Nicky Morgan, moved with extraordinary speed last week to build bridges with teachers. Just hours after Michael Gove was sacked, she rewrote a final ministerial statement from her predecessor to include a promise to listen to their views on schools reform.
Her intervention was welcomed by the teaching unions, who said it signalled “a wholly different tone” after more than four years during which Gove angered many in the profession by largely ignoring their views, and dismissing the wider education establishment as “the blob”…
| — Hat tip: JP | [Return to headlines] |
by Marc Goldberg
This is the hardest time to be a Jew in the diaspora. As thousands of thugs march through the streets of the cities in which they live the Jews are forced to take a side in a conflict raging far from their native shores. Every time there is a conflict involving Israel the usual suspects begin their rampage once again…
| — Hat tip: JP | [Return to headlines] |
Welsh Piers Celebrated as the Historic British Pier Celebrates 200th Birthday
Ryde pier on the Isle of Wight was the first in Britain to open, on July 26 1814 — the 200th anniversary is being marked this month
From Llandudno to Penarth, the iconic pier has been at the heart of life in many Welsh seaside towns for generations. And this month, the 200th anniversary of the opening of Britain’s first seaside pier is being marked…
| — Hat tip: JP | [Return to headlines] |
Egyptian Media Applauds Israel’s Gaza Offensive
Since the beginning of Israel’s offensive in Gaza, much of the Egyptian media has laid the blame squarely on the Islamist group Hamas.
Adel Nehaman, a columnist for the Egyptian daily El-Watan, said bluntly: “Sorry Gazans, I cannot support you until you rid yourselves of Hamas.”
Azza Sami, a writer for government daily Al-Ahram, went so far as to congratulate Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Twitter: “Thank you Netanyahu, and God give us more men like you to destroy Hamas!”
| — Hat tip: Fjordman | [Return to headlines] |
Islamists Renew Assault on Libyan Airport
Islamist militia have launched their heaviest attack so far on Libya’s main airport, security officials say. The assault comes two days after a truce with rival militants collapsed.
| — Hat tip: Fjordman | [Return to headlines] |
Libya: Islamists Renew Assault on Airport
Islamist militia have launched their heaviest attack so far on Libya’s main airport, security officials say. The assault comes two days after a truce with rival militants collapsed.
Officials said bombardment of the airport resumed early on Sunday after cease-fire efforts between the two groups battling for control of Tripoli’s international airport failed…
| — Hat tip: JP | [Return to headlines] |
Philippine Gov’t Orders Evacuation of 13,000 Filipinos in Libya
MANILA, July 20 (Xinhua) — The Philippine government announced on Sunday it is enforcing mandatory evacuation of Filipinos in Libya in response to the “extremely unstable” political and security situation there.
The government has placed Alert Level 4 in Libya, the highest crisis level to be imposed on countries experiencing civil strife or armed conflict.
Some 13,000 Filipinos will be evacuated as soon as possible, according to the country’s Department of Foreign Affairs…
| — Hat tip: JP | [Return to headlines] |
Tunisia Orders Crackdown on Mosques After 14 Soldiers Killed by Militants
Tunisia on Saturday launched a crackdown on mosques and radio stations associated with hardline Islamists after militants killed 14 soldiers in an area near the country’s border with Algeria.
The move underscores the difficulty one of the Arab world’s most secular countries faces in dealing with the rise of conservative Islamist movements and militants since the 2011 revolt that ousted autocrat Zine El-Abidine Ben Ali and opened the way to democracy.
Tunisia’s armed forces have been carrying out a campaign to flush out militants from their remote hideout in the Chaambi mountains on the border with Algeria. Some of the militants are tied to al Qaeda and 14 soldiers were killed this week when dozens of gunmen with rocket-propelled grenades attacked two army checkpoints in the region.
| — Hat tip: Fjordman | [Return to headlines] |
Tunisia Orders Crackdown After Militants Kill 14 Soldiers
(Reuters) — Tunisia on Saturday launched a crackdown on mosques and radio stations associated with hardline Islamists after militants killed 14 soldiers in an area near the country’s border with Algeria.
The move underscores the difficulty one of the Arab world’s most secular countries faces in dealing with the rise of conservative Islamist movements and militants since the 2011 revolt that ousted autocrat Zine El-Abidine Ben Ali and opened the way to democracy…
| — Hat tip: JP | [Return to headlines] |
BBC Omits Vital Context in Reporting From Shuja’iya
Today, July 20th, there has been heavy fighting in the Gaza City neighbourhood of Shuja’iya. As was noted here yesterday in relation to a BBC article about that neighbourhood, its residents received notification via leaflets, telephone calls and announcements in the Arabic media that evacuation was advised four days previously on July 16 and operations were even delayed in order to allow more civilians to organize their evacuation…
| — Hat tip: JP | [Return to headlines] |
Donkey Suicide Bomb Stopped by Israeli Troops in Gaza
Troops say they were forced to open fire on the animal as it approached their position in the southern city of Rafah, near the Egyptian border
Hamas militants sent a donkey laden with explosives on a suicide mission in one of the most unconventional tactics yet seen in the fighting in Gaza, the Israeli army has said.
Troops said they were forced to open fire on the animal — blowing it up — as it approached their position in the southern city of Rafah, near the Egyptian border…
| — Hat tip: JP | [Return to headlines] |
Gaza Crisis: 13 Israeli Soldiers and 87 Gazans Killed
Israel says that 13 of its soldiers have died since Saturday night in its ground offensive in the Gaza Strip.
It brings the number of Israeli soldiers killed in the offensive to 18. Gaza suffered the highest death toll since the offensive began, with at least 87 people reported killed on Sunday — 67 of them in one area.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said the deaths in the Shejaiya district east of Gaza City were a “massacre”.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to continue operations in Gaza “as much as we need to” despite the casualties. He said the Israeli government felt “deep pain” over deaths of its soldiers, and that Hamas, not Israel was responsible for the escalation in Gaza…
| — Hat tip: JP | [Return to headlines] |
Israel Minister Accuses Hamas of ‘Self-Genocide’
An Israeli minister has defended the ground offensive in Gaza and accused Hamas of “self-genocide” by using women and children as human shields.
Naftali Bennett, appearing on Dermot Murnaghan’s programme, insisted Israel would continue to retaliate to rocket strikes from Gaza.
The Israeli economic minister said: “The only difference between us and Hamas in Gaza is that they are deliberately sending their women and children to stand next to missile launchers in order for them to get killed, and then they cry to the world that they are being killed.
“This is cynical and cowardly. Israel has all the right to defend itself. They started this, they are continuing this, this can all go away the moment they disarm themselves and stop shooting us. Hamas is placing missiles in homes, in living rooms, in schools, in children’s rooms, this is their modus operandi.
If Hamas was shooting missiles at your home, from within a school, what would you do? Would you just wait for those missiles to kill you? We fight back. Sometimes yes in wars there is collateral damage, but I’m not going to ask forgiveness for defending my four children that had rockets shot at home this very morning. What Hamas is doing is effectively self-genocide.”…
| — Hat tip: JP | [Return to headlines] |
Israel Extends Humanitarian Truce in Gaza
JERUSALEM, July 20 (Xinhua) — Israel said on Sunday afternoon it is prolonging the temporary humanitarian truce in Gaza’s Shejaiya district, in order to allow emergency teams to go into the battered zone where at least 60 people were reportedly killed by Israeli shelling Sunday.
“Following an additional request made by the Red Cross, the Israel Defense Force has decided to prolong the humanitarian ceasefire until 17:30 p.m. (14:30PM GMT),” an army notice said. “ Any attempt to violate this window will not be tolerated,” the statement added…
| — Hat tip: JP | [Return to headlines] |
Israel U.N. Envoy Says No Israeli Soldier Kidnapped in Gaza
UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) — Israel’s U.N. Ambassador Ron Prosor said on Sunday there was no kidnapped Israeli soldier, dismissing a televised announcement in the Gaza Strip from Hamas’s armed wing that it had captured an Israeli soldier during the fighting in Shejaia.
“There’s no kidnapped Israeli soldier and those rumors are untrue,” Prosor told reporters at the United Nations as the Security Council held an emergency meeting on the escalating crisis between Israel and Palestinians.
| — Hat tip: Vlad Tepes | [Return to headlines] |
Jenin Redux? Guardian Omits Reports of Rockets, Terror Tunnels in Shuja’iya
Here’s the scare headline accompanying a Guardian report by Harriet Sherwood and Peter Beaumont on July 20th…
| — Hat tip: JP | [Return to headlines] |
Obama Tells Netanyahu he Has ‘Serious Concern’ About Casualties in Gaza
President Obama told Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday that he had “serious concern” about the growing number of casualties in the fighting in Gaza, including both Palestinian civilian deaths and those of Israeli soldiers.
In his second phone call with the Israeli leader in three days, Mr. Obama also told Mr. Netanyahu that Secretary of State John Kerry will travel soon to Cairo to press for an immediate cessation of hostilities, a White House statement said.
The United States would work closely with Israel and regional partners to help bring a ceasefire into force, and it emphasized the need to protect civilians in both Gaza and Israel, according to the White House statement.
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Op-Ed: Israel Holds the Free World’s Destiny in Her Hands
The people of Israel are valiant, going about their daily lives knowing that Muslim killers might explode a bomb or rocket in any public place at any time.
Even more valiant are the Israeli soldiers, who are now fighting inside Gaza, house by house, spied on by cruel eyes, hated by old and young, targeted by beheaders, longed for by their families. These lone Jews fighting in a long night hold the free world’s destiny in their hands.
These stubborn Israeli Jews are alone — alone in resisting in a battle for all of us. It has been calculated that since the year of the founding of the state, more than 60,000 rockets have fallen on Israel. The Israelis are victimized and they are alone, abandoned by the world — now, just as then.
In the Second World War, hope didn’t come from the Western avant garde, but from the Jews who rebelled against tyranny. The same is happening today
Open any Western newspaper and you will read about the trendy Israeli life under Hamas’ rockets, life as usual, while the Arabs die. No mention of Israel as the most heavy bombed nation in the world. No mention of the trauma inflicted on two generations of Jewish children.[…]
| — Hat tip: MC | [Return to headlines] |
Palestinians Find Show of Support Lacking From Arab Leaders Amid Offensive
CAIRO — Three years ago there was a hope that a growing movement for democracy might make Arab countries more supportive of the Palestinians, as governments grew more responsive to the people and their demands.
But during the latest bloodshed in Gaza, the opposite has occurred, according to supporters of the Palestinians, who found the official Arab reaction incoherent, at times providing cover for the Israeli military assault.
| — Hat tip: Fjordman | [Return to headlines] |
Strangers in Their Own Holy Land
By Inna Lazareva
“The Pope is not coming for us, a shopkeeper tells me bitterly, dozens of strings of the rosary beads he sells jangling on his wrists. “He is coming for the Muslims. He gives them legitimacy, not us, by coming here. I’m going crazy here, I don’t like it. Tell me, why doesn’t the Pope give legitimacy to us?”
What possible legitimacy could be needed for the Christians who live in the town celebrated every Christmas by church congregations and choirs the world over? The reality for Christians in the West Bank today is far removed from greetings card images. For one thing, they are disappearing.
| — Hat tip: Fjordman | [Return to headlines] |
Bomb Suspect Killed in Police Raid in Lebanon
BEIRUT, July 20 (Xinhua) — A main terrorist suspect was killed during a raid in Lebanon’s northern port city of Tripoli on Sunday, a security source told Xinhua.
The source said the Information Branch of the Internal Security Forces raided a residential complex in Tripoli where Monzer Al Hassan stayed.
The source said Hassan, who held a Swedish citizenship, was suspected of providing explosives to two suicide bombers who blew themselves up when police raided their Beirut hotel on June 25.
| — Hat tip: JP | [Return to headlines] |
Extremists Leave a Violent Message in a Small Iraqi Town
A small Sunni Arab town north of Baghdad put up a fight when Sunni Muslim extremists from the so-called Islamic State tried to impose their rule on the town.
The residents lost, and now the town, Zowiya, just outside of Tikrit, is destroyed. More than 200 of its homes have been blown up, and the residents have fled…
| — Hat tip: JP | [Return to headlines] |
ISIS in Mosul Marks Christian Homes, Patriarch Issues Urgent Appeal
ISIS has begun marking Christian homes with the Arabic letter “n” which stands for the word “Nasrani” which means Christian in Arabic. The word comes from the name “Nestorian,” historically attributed to the the Holy Apostolic Catholic Assyrian Church of the East, though it is incorrect. In addition, properties marked by ISIS have also been marked as “property of the Islamic State.”
ISIS has also marked Shiite homes with the letter “r”, signifying “rwafidh” (rejecters).
| — Hat tip: Fjordman | [Return to headlines] |
Islamic State Jihadists Cut Off Mosul’s Water Supply
(AGI/EFE) — Mosul (Iraq), July 20 — Islamic State jihadists have cut off the water, power and gas supplies of the city of Mosul and of the other towns in Iraq’s northern Niniveh province. Their aim is to punish those who have not yet submitted to their rule. The lack of basic services has made the situation in the province controlled by the Islamic extremists dramatic. The number of internally displaced people is increasing and mainly includes Christian families who have been forced to abandon the city during the last few days under the ultimatum called by the Jihadists to convert to Islam or risk being put to death.
| — Hat tip: C. Cantoni | [Return to headlines] |
Islamic State Stones to Death Second ‘Adulteress’
By Raymond Ibrahim
Less than 24 hours after the Islamic State stoned a woman to death on the charge of adultery in the town of Tabaqa, in Raqa province, news comes out again that the new “caliphate” has stoned to death yet another woman on the same charge in Raqa.
A source said that the Islamic State announced that they would be stoning the second woman in public, but few of the locals — who were earlier described as being “in a state of terror” — appeared to participate, so IS had its own jihadis do the actual stoning.
| — Hat tip: Fjordman | [Return to headlines] |
More Western Fighters Joining Militants in Iraq and Syria
Thousands of foreign fighters have bolstered the ranks of militant groups in Syria and Iraq in recent months, according to U.S. officials, driving fresh concern about potential terrorist plots aimed at the United States or its allies.
The surge, as well as intelligence that Yemeni terrorists have developed a powerful cellphone bomb designed to avoid detection at airports, is behind the Obama administration’s increasingly urgent warnings that a European or American passport holder might try to take down a passenger jet or plan other deadly mayhem.
As many as 10,000 foreign fighters — a third more than in February — have joined the militias seeking to overthrow Syrian President Bashar Assad and the Islamic State fighters who have swept across northern Iraq, said a counter-terrorism official who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss classified assessments.
As many as 3,000 of them hold European or other Western passports and thus can travel easily across most borders. Several dozen, perhaps as many as 100, hold U.S. passports, and officials say that number is growing.
[Wait till they come home. — PW]
| — Hat tip: Papa Whiskey | [Return to headlines] |
Palestinian Leaders in Qatar for Ceasefire Talks
Western diplomats see Qatar as a strategic player as it hosts a large number of exiled Islamists from across the Middle East
Doha: Qatar is to host a meeting between Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Sunday to try to push for an end to fighting in the Gaza Strip that has killed more than 400 people, a senior Qatari source said…
| — Hat tip: JP | [Return to headlines] |
Turkey: Construction of Controversial Istanbul Hilltop Mosque Continues
High on a hill on the Asian side of Istanbul overlooking the Bosporus, squads of engineers and workers are constructing a giant mosque complex that will rival the city’s Sultan Ahmet and the Süleymaniye mosques in size, but not necessarily in splendor. Scheduled for completion on July 1, 2016, the Çamlica Camii Külliyesi (Çamlica Mosque Complex) will be one of the biggest Islamic shrines to be built in Turkey since the founding of the republic in 1923.
More than half of the construction has been finished, but the walls, minarets, interior domes, the courtyard and many of the accompanying buildings have yet to be erected. Located on the slopes of the 268-meter (879 feet) Çamlica Tepesi, one of the highest hills in the city, the mosque complex will be visible from all over Istanbul…
| — Hat tip: JP | [Return to headlines] |
South Russia’s Border Checkpoint Evacuated Due to Shelling in Ukraine Again
No people were wounded and no infrastructure of the border-crossing point was damaged
Gukovo in Russia’s southern Rostov region were evacuated over the gunfire on adjacent Ukrainian territory on Sunday, chief press officer of the Southern customs service department Rayan Farukshin told Itar-Tass…
| — Hat tip: JP | [Return to headlines] |
The country that denied invading Crimea now says it had nothing to do with the downing of the Malaysian jet.
For months, Russian President Vladimir Putin has waged maskirovka warfare in east Ukraine — an old, Soviet-perfected model of destabilizing foreign countries which is characterized by dissimulation, misdirection and plausible deniability, all done with the use of arms-length proxies.
Putin, a former KGB lieutenant colonel, continues to maintain that he has nothing to do with the separatists even as their political leadership has lately visited Moscow begging for more materiel and even opened a satellite office there to coordinate their activities more closely with their master and patron. It also pays to remember that Putin denied invading and annexing Crimea — until he didn’t.
| — Hat tip: Fjordman | [Return to headlines] |
Ukraine: Kiev’s Evidence of Militia’s Responsibility for Airliner Crash Faked — Expert
A group of experts studied the tape and came to the conclusion that it was made up of numerous unrelated recordings
MOSCOW, uly 20 /ITAR-TASS/. A tape posted by Ukrainian security services in the Internet and allegedly recording a talk between self-defense fighters about the destruction of a Malaysian airliner is a fake, experts said on Sunday.
A group of experts studied the tape and came to the conclusion that it was made up of numerous unrelated recordings.
“This audio recording is not an integral file and is made up of several fragments,” said Nikolai Popov, a reputable expert in sound and voice analysis…
| — Hat tip: JP | [Return to headlines] |
India: Uttar Pradesh: Church of the Nazarene Attacked: Pastor and Faithful Beaten
A group of Hindu fundamentalists, led by the local coordinator of the Bajrang Dal, interrupted a Bible studies session in Sehkari Nagar: they did not spare even the pastor’s young daughter. The attackers destroyed the cross on the church roof and hoisted the orange flag, symbol of Hindutva. Christian activist: “The state must do something.”
Mumbai (AsiaNews) — A mob of Hindu fanatics attacked the Pentecostal Church of the Nazarene and the faithful gathered inside. The assailants, armed with hockey sticks and mason’s hammers, interrupted a bible studies session, beating up the pastor RC Paul and some Christians who were trying to protect him. Even the pastor’s young daughter was attacked.
The incident occurred at Sehkari Nagar, Bulandshahr, in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh on July 16. The attack was reported to AsiaNews by Sajan K. George, president of the Global Council of Indian Christians (GCIC).
Not content with the beating, the fanatics — belonging to the Hindu radical right — left the church to demolish the cross on the roof. In its place, they hoisted an orange Hindutva flag. They were led by Hemant Singh, the local coordinator of the Bajrang Dal (Hindu extremist group): the police, who arrived two hours after the incident, arrested 14 people but released 12 soon after. Hemant Singh and Yogendra Kumar are still being held for questioning.
Sajan George told AsiaNews: “The situation in Uttar Pradesh is alarming. The tiny Christian community that lives here is very vulnerable to attacks, which are never provoked, from Hindu fundamentalists. These people take the law into their own hands and attack the faithful , places of worship and religious functions. The Church of the Nazarene has been here since 1991 and has always given help and hope to the people. “
Christians, says the activist, “are attacked even in their private homes. They are not doing anything illegal or unconstitutional, but are beaten in hatred of the faith. The Global Council of Indian Christians appeals to the National Commission for Human Rights: do something against the growing intolerance that affects the Christian community and the faithful, give security to them and their places of worship”.
| — Hat tip: C. Cantoni | [Return to headlines] |
India Deploys Additional 2000 Border Guards on Kashmir Border
SRINAGAR, Indian-controlled Kashmir, July 20 (Xinhua) — India has deployed nearly 2000 additional border guards of Border Security Force (BSF) and special surveillance equipment along the international border (IB) in Kashmir, India’s official broadcaster All India Radio (AIR) said Sunday.
The deployment has been made aftermath of exchange of fire between border guards of India and Pakistan in frontier areas of Jammu, for effective domination of the areas…
| — Hat tip: JP | [Return to headlines] |
India, Pakistan Border Guards Trade Fire on Kashmir Border
SRINAGAR, Indian-controlled Kashmir, July 20 (Xinhua) — The border guards of India and Pakistan Sunday fired on each other’s position on international border (IB) in Kashmir, officials said.
The two sides using light and heavy artillery targeted each other’s posts and areas for hours together.
Reports said the cease-fire violation took place in Pital and two other posts early Sunday around 2:00 a.m. (local time)…
| — Hat tip: JP | [Return to headlines] |
Indonesia: Jakarta: Revolt Against “Pro-Caste” Bill to Block Corruption Investigations
Taking advantage of the presidential election campaign, parliament approved a law making it virtually impossible to investigate corruption charges against politicians. The norm, yet to be signed by the head of state, represent a “serious obstacle” to justice. An online petition for the cancellation of the law. Appeal to be lodges with Constitutional Court.
Jakarta (AsiaNews) — Taking advantage of the presidential elections holding sway over public attention, Indonesia’s MP’s have approved a law virtually granting them immunity from corruption inquiries. It is not uncommon for Jakarta politicians to use, current events or events of national scope for personal or ulterior motives.
The initiatives put in place in recent weeks by the political class only emerged in the last few days, with the people amazed and outraged by “the dirty trick” designed to exonerate or to grant politicians and parliamentarians immunity from corruption cases.
Now, any investigation or prosecution of ministers and members of the executive in cases of corruption and embezzlement of public funds must receive official approval of the Head of State. Abraham Samad, head of the Anti-Corruption Commission (KPK), said that “the move has dramatically reduced the power of the prosecution — police and prosecutors — to indict MPs implicated in corruption.” The norm is also “a serious obstacle” to justice being done.
However, this time the civil society will not simply stand by and watch yet another coup carried out by the political “caste”; through an initiative that has spread on the Internet and on social networks, a group of citizens has promoted a petition, which started last week, and should be submitted to the Constitutional Court (MK). It calls for the cancellation of the law passed by Parliament, because of beyond the many controversial issues, it is a clear violation of the “principle of equality before the law.” This law, say activists, says that “politicians are not people of integrity from the moral point of view.”
Over the past three years,- under the outgoing President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono — the Anti-Corruption Commission has carried out a series of successful operations across the country, bringing down high profile public figures in sensational cases of corruption that have involved various sectors including the justice system, politics and the economy. Their victims include a prominent minister of the Executive Board and the President of the Constitutional Court, the oil scandal and intrigues that led to the re-election of former Governor of the Central Bank . Moreover, the issue of corruption was one of the key issues in the general elections in April and presidential elections in July.
The high profile trials concluded with sentences of up to 10 years in prison; even harder than the sentence of 16 years in prison imposed on Lutfi Hasan, former MP and president of the pro-Islamic Justice and Prosperous Party (PKS). Even now, there are many political and parliamentarians being investigated by the anti-corruption committee and subjected restrictions on their freedom of movement.
| — Hat tip: C. Cantoni | [Return to headlines] |
Pakistan: Millions Set to Perform Itikaf From Tonight
LAHORE (Dunya News) — Millions of Muslims would be performing Itikaf from across the country tonight. All the major mosques have completed the registration process of the people who want to perform Itikaf.
Thousands of Muslims would be gathering for the performance of Itikaf in all major cities of Sindh including Karachi. Special security measures are ensured at all mosques in the metropolis to avoid any untoward incident.
Prayers for country’s sovereignty and stability, elimination of terrorism and prosperity of Muslim Ummah will also be offered.
All the major mosques of Lahore including Badshahi mosque, Data Darbar Mosque and Jamia Masjid Al-Qudsia have completed the registration of those who wanted to perform itikaf…
| — Hat tip: JP | [Return to headlines] |
Islamic State’s Support Spreads Into Asia
The Islamic State’s growing popularity in the Far East could pose a long-term threat, experts warn.
As the Islamic State group, formerly the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, continues its armed campaign in Iraq and Syria, its notoriety is drawing fans and fighters from as far as Asia and the Pacific.
Authorities and experts have warned that the growing popularity of the armed group in the Far East, driven in part by social media, could pose a long-term security threat to a region that has already been battling home-grown armed groups for decades…
| — Hat tip: JP | [Return to headlines] |
South Korea: Ramadan Helps Muslims Build Intimacy
By Kang Hyun-kyung
Muslims benefit a lot from month-long daytime fasting during Ramadan as their body and soul are purified and they avoid bad habits, Kuwaiti Ambassador Jasem Albudaiwi says.
“Observing Ramadan helps us remove toxins from our body and spirit. It’s not as challenging as non-Muslims might imagine because we are used to it after doing it for many years since we were children,” he told The Korea Times at his residence in Seoul, Wednesday…
| — Hat tip: JP | [Return to headlines] |
Hundreds of Kiwis Protest Israeli Ground Invasion of Gaza
Crowds gathered at Auckland’s Aotea Square to protest the Israeli ground invasion of Gaza have been urged to shut down the Israeli embassy in New Zealand.
Groups including Global Peace and Justice Auckland, the Palestine Human Rights Campaign, Kia Ora Gaza, the Mana Movement, and the Unite union participated in the demonstration.
Crowd estimates varied from a few hundred to more than 1500.
Green MP Kennedy Graham told protesters their purpose was to promote peace. “And there can be no peace without justice,” Graham added.
Roger Fowler, a Kiwi who was in Gaza during an outbreak of cross-border conflict in 2012, called on people to protest Israel’s actions every Saturday.
An unidentified man from Gaza said with every passing day, more innocent people died in Gaza, and those opposed to the ground offensive must act quickly…
| — Hat tip: GH | [Return to headlines] |
Thousands Attend Pro-Palestine Rally in New Zealand (Photos, Video)
Several thousand people are estimated to have marched through central Auckland to protest the Israeli ground invasion of Gaza, which, along with previous airstrikes, have resulted in over 300 deaths in under two weeks’ time.
Marchers with umbrellas, placards and Palestinian flags in hand took to the heart of New Zealand’s most populous city to show solidarity with the people of Gaza on Saturday. Estimates range between several hundred and several thousand attendees, though footage posted by OccupyNZ indicates the latter figure is likely more accurate.
Chants of “Free, free Palestine!” and “One, two three, four, we don’t want your bloody war!” rang out through the streets as a large black and white banner with the phrase ‘Free Palestine’ headed up the procession down Queens Street.
Some, however, were far more acerbic in their criticism, defacing the Israeli flag with a swastika or juxtaposing the Star of David with the Nazi symbol to protest Israeli policy in the region…
| — Hat tip: GH | [Return to headlines] |
Guinea: Ebola Survivor Shunned as a Zombie Joins Fight Against Virus
Jamila got a cold reception when she returned home after 12 days in an isolation ward battling the Ebola virus in her hometown of Conakry, Guinea’s capital.
Though she survived, Jamila was fired from her job as a philosophy teacher because her school feared she would infect her students, the 24-year-old said in an interview on July 3. She spoke on condition that her surname wasn’t published because she doesn’t want to be recognized as someone who has had the disease.
| — Hat tip: Fjordman | [Return to headlines] |
Kenya: Lamu Hold Anti-Curfew Protests as Duale Tells Muslims to Ignore Kimaiyo Order
Lamu residents held demonstrations at the Mkunguni Square in Lamu town on Sunday to denounce the curfew imposed by Inspector General of Police David Kimaiyo on Saturday.
The protests came hours after Leader of Majority in Parliament, Aden Duale, told muslims in Lamu to ignore the curfew order.
“Muslims in LAMU county must go to the mosques for last 10 days Ramadan prayers despite the curfew. Our religion is supersedes curfew order. Maintaining security in LAMU county is paramount but denying Muslim faithful their religious obligation on this holy month is unacceptable,” Duale posted on his Twitter handle…
| — Hat tip: JP | [Return to headlines] |
Nigeria: Boko Haram Kills Over a Hundred in Borno
Abuja — It was another black weekend in Borno State, Northeastern Nigeria, as the terrorist group, Boko Haram, continued their reign of attacks on Saturday, this time killing more than 100 people.
They have also taken the audacious step of hoisting their black and white flag over a town that is 85 kilometers from Maiduguri, the state’s capital, which was reportedly left unguarded by the military, a civil defence spokesman and a human rights advocate said Saturday…
| — Hat tip: JP | [Return to headlines] |
Italian Navy Rescues 749 Migrants
(AGI) Rome, July 20 — The Italian Navy rescued 749 migrants on Saturday in five air-sea operations. The migrants consisted of 100 women, 61 children and one newborn baby. The corvette Urania carried out two rescue operations taking 311 migrants on board. The frigate Margottini rescued 247 migrants in one operation, and another 93 in a second action. The amphibious vessel San Giorgio rescued 88 migrants, including 7 women.
| — Hat tip: C. Cantoni | [Return to headlines] |
Over 200 Migrants Are to Arrive in Sicily
(AGI) Ragusa, July 20 — An oil tanker carrying 203 migrants was rescued 45 miles off the Libyan coast. The migrants, who are mostly from Central Africa, will be taken to a reception centre in Pozzalo, a city in Sicily near Ragusa.
| — Hat tip: C. Cantoni | [Return to headlines] |
Italy: Rome Gay Village Hit by Robberies, Attacks
Community leaders ask for help
(ANSA) — Rome, July 18 — Rome’s Gay Village has experienced a series of petty theft, assaults and beatings that may have been part of a series of targeted attacks on the gay community, community representatives said Friday.
Fabrizio Marrazzo, Gay Center spokesperson, said that recent robberies and aggressions occurring near Rome’s Gay Village summer entertainment center were possibly deliberate attacks on the gay community and asked the city to take action.
“It seems strange that they would beat up a bunch of people who did not resist and were all gay just to steal a cellphone”, Marrazzo said referring to one attack.
“We are facing, in all probability, groups of criminals who target places frequented by gay men. It is necessary that more vigilance is put in place”. Gay Center reported two July attacks in which two men were beat up and robbed by three assailants in the EUR neighborhood near Gay Village, saying more may have been unreported as “lesbian and gay people who have not come out avoid filing complaints for fear that their families will be informed, thus making them the ideal victims”.
| — Hat tip: Insubria | [Return to headlines] |
According to this article for which you supplied a link in your July 19th wrap up (by the Shoebats), 200 Christian families are still holed up in Mosul. So, Nineveh may not be Christian-free…yet!
http://shoebat.com/2014/07/19/muslims-attack-1800-year-old-christian-church-completely-burn-destroy/