Many thanks to Michael Copeland for sending this image and the accompanying quote:
“The days of hiding behind borders and fences are long gone… migrants are good for a community, economically and every other way.”
— Peter Sutherland of the UN, Paid Migration Promoter
The following news story from Sweden reminds me of a service called “Escort” that was introduced on campus when I was an undergraduate at the College of William and Mary in the early 1970s. A co-ed who was afraid to walk back to her dorm in the dark could call Escort and get someone to accompany her, greatly reducing her chances of being raped on the way.
Fast-forward five decades, and we have “Lift for girls” in Sweden. As usual, the report makes no mention of cultural enrichment, but since the reporter cites Malmö as being especially in need of the service, there is no doubt that immigrants are what the young ladies are afraid of. I’m certain that every Swede who watches this program knows exactly what is being referred to, even if it remains unspoken.
Many thanks to Kronans Martell (Ullis News) for the translation, and to Vlad Tepes for the subtitling:
Video transcript:
Bergamo is the capital city of Bergamo Province, which is in Lombardy in Northern Italy. The region around Bergamo is at the epicenter of the Wuhan Coronavirus outbreak in Italy. The number of fatalities has risen so rapidly that the crematorium in the city is overwhelmed, and can no longer handle the volume. Coffins are being transported by the army to other cities for cremation.
Many thanks to FouseSquawk for translating this news video, and to Vlad Tepes for the subtitling:
The article below from Il Giornale (also translated by FouseSquawk) describes the situation in Bergamo:
Bergamo: The army carries the coffins to the crematoria of Modena and Bologna
The operation is to alleviate the crematorium of Lombardy. The army has also stepped in.
To date, the province of Bergamo remains the hardest-hit by the coronavirus pandemic.
A total of 4,305 persons is infected by Covid-19, an increase of 312 patients compared to yesterday. And here the number of deaths has also risen: Yesterday, over 300 were registered.
A number so high that the crematorium of the city was at the point of collapse. Too many victims were arriving, too rapidly to be able to cremate them all in a brief time. The mayor of Bergamo, Giorgio Gori, explained that “in the first two weeks of March, the number of deceased is four times higher than during the same period last year.” Moreover, “Aside from the sad count of deceased that is being reported by official sources, there are so many other persons dying at home or in rest homes.”
To confront this emergency, the mayors of other cities have made their own structures for this service available. “In a tragic moment, your collaboration and proximity is commendable,” Giorgio Gori has expressed his thanks, addressing a letter to the first citizens of various municipalities who volunteered to take 60 coffins. They are: Acqui Terme, Brescia, Cervignano del Friuli, Domodossola, Modena, Parma, Piacenza, Rimini, Serravalle Scrivia, Trecate, and Varese.
In the evening the operation began at the Bergamo cemetery. During the night, in fact, at the cemetery of San Cataldo of Modena, the arrival of 31 coffins was expected, which during the day on Thursday March 19 will be sent to the cremation plant. That was confirmed by the municipality with a Facebook post: “Modena is also collaborating in its assistance to Bergamo, which is confronting the tragic emergency caused by a high number of deaths in recent days due to the coronavirus,” it reads. The transport of the corpses will be carried out by means of the army, which arrived in Bergamo in the evening.
Video transcript:
The death total in Italy from the Wuhan Coronavirus is now greater than the officially acknowledged number of fatalities in China. Meanwhile, the London Underground announced that it will close up to 40 stations because of the disease. Also, Prince Albert of Monaco has tested positive for the coronavirus.
In other news, a Pakistani doctor in Minnesota who had sworn allegiance to the Islamic State has been arrested and charged with terrorism offenses.
To see the headlines and the articles, click “Continue reading” below.
Thanks to Fjordman, Insubria, Reader from Chicago, SS, 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. I 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.
As far as I can determine, of all the official Western responses to the Wuhan Coronavirus, France has imposed the most draconian regime on its citizens. Anyone who travels outside the home must present a valid document, which consists of a government form printed at home and filled out by the traveler.
Thousands of hefty fines have already been levied against citizens for violations of the new decree. I can’t help but be cynical: Is this a revenue-generating enterprise on the part of the French government, designed to help offset the massive costs of the coronavirus?
Many thanks to Sassy for translating the form. The original PDF may be found at the website of the French interior ministry.
For a detailed explanation of the requirements listed on this form, see this English-language article from The Local.
DECLARATION FOR TRAVEL EXEMPTIONPursuant to Paragraph 1 of the decree dated March 16, 2020 pertaining to travel within the scope of the fight against the propagation of the Covid-19 virus:
I, the undersigned
Mrs. / Mr. _________________________________ Born on : _________________________________ Residing at: _________________________________ _________________________________ _________________________________
declare that I am traveling for the following reason (check the box) as authorized by Paragraph 1 of the decree dated March 16, 2020 regulating travel within the framework of the fight against the propagation of Covid-19 virus.
- travel between home and the place where the professional activity takes place, when they are essential to the exercise of activities that cannot be organized by telework (on presentation of proof) or professional travel that cannot be deferred;
- travel to purchase essential necessities in authorized establishments (list on gouvernement.fr);
- travel for health-related reasons;
- travel for compelling family purposes, for assistance to vulnerable people or childcare;
- travel for brief errands, close to home, related to individual physical activity of people, excluding all group sport activities, and to the needs of house pets.
Carried out at ______________, on ____/____/2020
Hat tip: JM.
The following article concerns the Muslim Brotherhood in Switzerland. FouseSquawk, who translated the piece from Italian, includes this note:
Ticino is the sole Italian-speaking canton in Switzerland. The Islamic Community of Ticino is the principal Islamic organization in the canton.
The translated article from Ticino Online:
“The Muslim Brothers are not outside the law in Switzerland”
The State Counsel responds to the inquiry by Tiziano Galeazzi and co-signatories about the financing of the Islamic community by Qatar
Bellinzona — The Islamic Community of Ticino has received money, specifically 1.7 million Swiss francs, from Qatar. That is what emerged from the book Qatar Papers, which was published in recent months in France. Revelations that have caused polemics and questions in our canton, including inquiries presented by Tiziano Galeazzi and co-signatories with the concern that Qatar “is commonly recognized as being very close to the Muslim Brotherhood.”
Religious Liberty — An Inquiry, to which the State Counsel responded yesterday with a long promise
“Let’s remember that the subject is principally under federal jurisdiction,” the government writes, and that “freedom of religion and conscience is guaranteed by the Federal Constitution and the Cantonal Constitution,” a fundamental right that “applies to every citizen equally, independent of their religion.”
“Not outside the law”
Before answering questions, he also noted that “Up until now in Switzerland, the Muslim Brotherhood movement has not been considered an illegal terrorist movement; it is not among the entities which could be objects of monitoring on the part of the intelligence service of the Confederation (SIC)” and “though they represent one of the more important Islamist organizations, and their political approach to Islam is often very radical, that is not sufficient to consider them outside the law.”
Hat tip: Steen.
See Steen’s post for photos of the streets of Copenhagen at noon — they’re almost empty.
Greece and Serbia have locked down their migrant facilities in an attempt to mitigate the spread of the Wuhan Coronavirus. Meanwhile, the Bosnian security minister has ordered all illegal migrants detained in closed facilities. Also, two members of Congress, one Republican and one Democrat, have tested positive for the coronavirus.
In other news… There is no news other than the coronavirus.
To see the headlines and the articles, click “Continue reading” below.
Thanks to AA, AF, Insubria, Reader from Chicago, SS, 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. I 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.
The popular French commentator Eric Zemmour reports that migrants in the culturally-enriched neighborhoods of France have risen to the challenge of the coronavirus crisis by rioting and looting supermarkets.
Many thanks to MissPiggy for the translation, and to Vlad Tepes for the subtitling:
Video transcript:
I reported yesterday on the actions of rebellious “youths” at an asylum facility in the German city of Suhl in Thuringia. After one of the inmates was confirmed to be infected with the Wuhan Coronavirus, the entire facility was quarantined, and the inhabitants prevented from leaving. Needless to say, the “refugees” didn’t take kindly to the new limits placed on their freedom, so they revolted. The resulting violent disturbances required a large police presence to contain.
The Thuringian police have now solved the problem: a SWAT team stormed the refugee facility and dealt with the mischievous rascals who had been making trouble. A water cannon and a riot control vehicle were required to accomplish the mission. The members of the assault force in their hazmat suits looked like Imperial Storm Troopers from Star Wars.
Once again: considering how many police were required to contain the revolt, what would happen if multiple facilities in the area experienced the same sort of insurrection simultaneously?
Many thanks to MissPiggy for the translation, and to Vlad Tepes for the subtitling:
Video transcript:
Many thanks to FouseSquawk for translating this article (published in 2019) from European Eye on Radicalization:
The Muslim Brotherhood in Spain
by Maria Lozano Alia
“It is natural that Islam dominate, rather than be dominated, impose its law on all nations and extend its power over the entire planet”.
— Hassan al Banna
The Muslim Brotherhood has been the object of curiosity, study, tracking and fear in equal parts for the entirety of its history.
As is well known, the group was born in 1928 in Egypt, its leader being Hassan al-Banna, who is the source of the introductory quote, and who is considered the father of modern Islamism and the inspiration for the poorly-named “Arab Springs”.
And it is this paternity and its influence over extremists and violent groups (such as Hamas or Hezbollah) since their beginnings until today that has spawned a rejection of a large part of the West and also of current moderate Muslims.
Broadly speaking, and to establish an ideological framework, the Muslim Brotherhood can be defined as an organization which seeks the implementation of Islamic traditional values and sharia as a fundamental regulation of the human being to counter the deterioration of Islamic societies which began with contamination from the West and colonialism. The Islamic faith, therefore, appears as a nexus, guide and norm among all the members of the Islamic faith, beyond national, political and geographical structures.
For the achievement of these objectives, political participation is articulated as the principal tool, although throughout their history, they have resorted to violence and terror on more than a few occasions, this fact being the determining factor motivating the split of the Brotherhood in some countries.
As a distinctive feature of this group, it is worth underlining the permanent creation of structures, organizations, and support services for the community, in a manner parallel to institutions such as schools, hospitals, and mosques with the aim of winning over society.
The first expansion beyond Egypt was realized in Syria, Palestine, Jordan and Lebanon in the 1940s. The conquest of Europe had to wait a few years longer, with the first Brothers arriving in Spain in the 1960s, as will be seen later.
We should first analyze the common patterns in all of the processes of expansion of the Brotherhood.
West Virginia identified its first case of the Wuhan Coronavirus, making it the last of the fifty states to report the disease. However, students on spring break packed the beaches in Florida, despite the coronavirus. Also, seven illegal immigrants arrested in Slovenia are showing symptoms of coronavirus infection.
In other news, Joe Biden resoundingly beat Bernie Sanders in the Florida Democrat primary.
To see the headlines and the articles, click “Continue reading” below.
Thanks to AF, Fjordman, Reader from Chicago, 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. I 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.
As I reported a couple of days ago, asylum seekers at a reception facility in the German state of Thuringia staged a revolt after being put under quarantine due to infection with the Wuhan Coronavirus.
The following video is an excerpt from a press conference about what happened at the asylum center. Note that one of the officials states matter-of-factly that inmates of the facility used children as human shields during their uprising.
Also note the number of police that were required to contain the disturbance — “they were summoned from all over the state.” What would happen if similar uprisings occurred simultaneously at multiple facilities?
Many thanks to MissPiggy for the translation, and to Vlad Tepes for the subtitling:
The article below on the same topic (also translated by MissPiggy) is from inSüdthüringen.de. It was posted here separately on Sunday:
Suhl — After the illness of a resident with Covid-19 and the quarantine imposed on Saturday night for all 533 residents of the country’s first reception facility (EAE) in Suhler-Friedberg, Thuringia, the migration minister, Dirk Adams (B90/Greens) and the president of the Thuringian State Administration Office, Frank Roßner visited the facility (outside the fence) on Saturday afternoon to assess the situation.
The site of the first reception facility has been guarded by a large police force since Saturday morning. According to Wolfgang Nicolai, head of the Suhl State Police Inspectorate, they were summoned from all over the state. “As expected, there were initial problems,” says Nicolai.
Several residents had to be prevented from leaving the facility — but without the use of physical force, which could also be used in an emergency under the Infection Protection Act. In the facility itself, the situation is tense.
Among other things, there is said to have already been a call for a hunger strike because of the “confinement” and several residents were prevented from going to the dining room. “At the moment the situation is calm, but we are prepared for the situation when this may not remain the case in the next few days and possibly weeks,” Nicolai said. The country has pledged its support to deal with the situation in the form of the deployment of supra-regional forces.
As residents of the EAE told our newspaper, they feel abandoned. The infected man is believed to be an Afghan who entered via Sweden and Hamburg and did not arrive at the EAE until Friday morning. During the day, his condition deteriorated sharply; he looked bad, coughed heavily and had a fever. In the evening the ambulance service arrived and examined him, a young man said.
In his latest essay, our Israeli correspondent MC wades into the deepest swamps of the Culture Wars.
Religion vs Religion
by MC
Perhaps my love of America and all things American has its roots in the regular supply of US comics sent to my brother and me by various relatives in the ’50s and ’60s, and amongst which was the occasional edition of MAD magazine.
Much of MAD was over my young head, but Spy vs Spy was always amusing and sticks in my mind, especially their pointed snouts clamped together when investigating a box (trap) from opposite sides.
However, Religion vs (political) Religion is not so amusing, nor is it confined to ink and paper, for the successful side of Western culture is defined by its (Christian) religion, and its demise is defined by the political religions which seek to destroy Christianity and all that goes with it.
The Christian revolution (I am not a Christian but I believe in the Bible) occurred when the Bible was translated into local languages and printed for all to read, and the Church was dragged out of its roots of feudalism (slavery) into what became democracy and even republicanism.
An important part of this process was the separation of Church and State; the Church having been responsible for many abuses that had held the communities of Europe in thrall for over a thousand years.
The feudal system over which the Church held suzerainty was a typical product of tyranny: a small elite, the aristocracy, owning most of the people as serfs, to do with as they please, and a tiny middle class of tradesmen to manufacture those things consumed by their betters. This was just a slight variation on the ‘warlord’ culture that has run most of the world from time immemorial and to this day in some places.
In the UK the feudal system was broken first by the Black Death, which killed off some 30% of the workforce. The subsequent competition for labour destroyed the idea of ‘ownership’ of people. Secondly, and as a consequence of this pandemic, a growing equality of opportunity was provided by increasing access to quality education. Ex-slaves and serfs used their newfound freedom to better themselves.
Under the feudal system, the church provided education and the higher-IQ peasant children were syphoned off into the cloisters. To a great extent this provided the stability required as potential peasant leaders were ‘kidnapped’ into religion (Janissaries, anybody?). Heresy invited a death penalty and life was cheap. In feudal times the Church was very much a political religion, and the Pope reigned over all the monarchs of Europe.
All this emerging freedom from under the tyranny of political religion, however, took hundreds of years to get to the idea of individual liberty. The cultural and economic impacts were minimised by being spread over such a genteel timescale. My paternal grandfather was a boy coalminer at age 12, but his sons went to grammar schools, receiving a quality education, and his youngest son even got a bachelor’s degree in engineering.
But do not think that the ‘elites’ did not fight back. Their main ploy was to create another politicized version of the feudal system that the church had failed to sustain. This took the form of ‘socialism’ where the elite claimed to be working in the best interests of the ‘working class’ by controlling all aspects of their lives. This was yet another political religion, of which we have now seen quite a few forms. Each causes its own mayhem, because there is no separation between political religion and state, and thus there is nothing to stop the killing when it inevitably starts.