Slovakia Adopts Law to Effectively Block Islam from Becoming Official State Religion

© Khaled Abdullah / Reuters

Parliament in Bratislava has approved a bill that effectively prevents Islam from being registered as a state religion in the near future.

Sponsored by the Slovak National Party (SNS), which is a member in Prime Minister Robert Fico's coalition, the legislation was passed Wednesday, Reuters reported. The law was approved by a two-thirds majority in parliament, comprising both ruling and opposition parties.

The new law more than doubles the required number of a religion's followers for it to qualify for state subsidies and run its own schools. At least 50,000 members, against the previous 20,000, has now been set as a threshold for gaining official status as a religion.

Currently, 62 percent of Slovakia's 5.4 million population are declared Roman Catholics.

Slovakia's far-right People's Party-Our Slovakia wanted to raise the bar to 250,000, but their proposal was turned down by a majority of lawmakers.

That would have eliminated Greek Catholic and Orthodox Christians as state religions. At 50,000, Orthodox Christians just make the criteria. Jews had already fallen short of the criteria by virtue of the Holocaust. 90,000 pre-war Jews dwindled to a mere 2300 today.

    High Tatras Mtns, Slovakia

"Islamization starts with a kebab and it's already under way in Bratislava, let's realize what we can face in five to 10 years," chairman of the Slovak National Party (SNS) Andrej Danko said, as cited by Reuters. "We must do everything we can so that no mosque is built in the future," the politician was quoted as adding.

According to the last census, Islam has some 2,000 followers in Slovakia, Reuters reported, adding that there are no recognized mosques in the central European country. The Islamic Foundation in Slovakia, which has not commented on the new legislation so far, puts the number at around 5,000.

Hmmmm. Are there 3000 Muslims flying below the radar in Slovakia?

'Secular' Syrian Rebels Don't Actually Believe in Secular Democracy

Labelled as: SHOCKING ADMISSION, by PJ Media, this article is only shocking to those who believe America is doing the right thing in Syria. For the rest of us, we already knew the 'rebels' are the military of choice for the Saudi's proxy war in Syria. With Salafists in dominant positions, you can be sure that if they manage to topple Assad, he will be replaced by something even more heinous, with America's help.

BY PATRICK POOLE PJ Media

A stunning admission last week by a French academic about the true nature of the so-called "secular" elements of the Syrian rebels exposes the lies behind the official media and foreign policy establishment narratives pushing for regime change in Syria.

As first noticed by Professor Max Abrams of Northeastern University, a study published by the Washington Institute for Near East Policy and authored by French professor Fabrice Balanche on the status and composition of the Syrian "rebels" admits that the vaunted "secular" rebels are anything but.

Discussing the religious composition of the rebels based on estimates provided by the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), Balanche says:

The ISW usefully classified the various rebel groups into four ideological categories: transnational Salafi-jihadists (i.e., al-Qaeda-linked fighters), national Salafi-jihadists, political Islamists, and secularists. The difference between national jihadists and political Islamists is more or less akin to the difference between Salafists and the Muslim Brotherhood -- in simplified terms, the former seek strict application of Islamic law, while many of the latter tend to favor a state with an Islamic civil constitution but protections for religious freedom. As for the "secularists," the term is used very loosely because most of the fighters in this category are conservative Muslims who do not actually want a secular government.

The fact that Balanche admits that the ISW's estimates of so-called "secularists" are built upon the fiction that they are actually secular exposes the false narrative that ISW has long peddled in support of regime change.

This lie about large numbers of "secular" rebels that the U.S. needed to support is one that  the ISW has been pushing for a while.

Rewind to September 2013, when considerable pressure was being placed upon President Obama to directly involve the U.S. in the Syrian war.

At that time the ISW's resident Syria "expert," Elizabeth O'Bagy, was opining in the Wall Street Journal about her travels to Syria and purported discovery that the Syrian "rebels" really weren't bloodthirsty jihadists, but moderates worthy of U.S. financial and military support -- in particular, heavy weapons. Her claims about the Syrian rebels, particularly the FSA, were cited and praised by Secretary of State John Kerry and Senator John McCain.

That view, of course, quickly came crashing down as O'Bagy came under fire for failing to disclose that she was also a paid contractor for a Syrian rebel front. (She had also lied about her academic credentials.) Within two weeks of her op-ed appearing, she was fired from the Institute for the Study of War, though she was hired two weeks later by Senator McCain as a Senate staffer.

Gee, nothing the least bit suspicious about that, eh? Does anyone else think that most of the wars America is involved in are entirely about moving massive inventories of weapons? Or is it just me?

Dutch Parliament Approves Partial Ban on Full-Face Veils

Invisible women not allowed in many places in

Netherlands after new law passed

    © AFP PHOTO / ANP PHOTO / Filer Jerry Lampen | A woman wearing a burqa walks in The Hague 

by NEWS WIRES

The Dutch parliament voted on Tuesday to ban face veils in some public places, a law the government said was essential for security but which opponents said pandered to anti-Muslim sentiment.

The law, passed by the lower house but still requiring the senate's approval, bans veils and other items that hide the face such as ski masks and helmets, in places where identifying the wearer is considered essential, including government buildings, public transport, schools and hospitals.

Few women in the Netherlands wear face veils, but a ban has long been a demand of Geert Wilders' anti-Islam opposition Freedom Party which is leading in polls ahead of elections in March.

Full and partial face veils such as burqas and niqabs divide opinion in Europe, setting religious freedom advocates against secularists and those who say that the garments are culturally alien or a symbol of the oppression of women.

France and Belgium have completely banned wearing face veils in public and some other European countries have local or regional restrictions. Violating the Dutch law would incur a fine of 405 euros ($430).

"Everyone has the right to dress as he or she wishes," the government said in a statement announcing the law.

"That freedom is limited only where it is essential for people to see each other, for example to ensure good service or security."

Opponents of the law have accused center-right Prime Minister Mark Rutte of pandering to the anti-Muslim vote in a bid not to be outflanked by Wilders.

Long seen as one of Europe's most tolerant countries, the Netherlands has seen racial tensions mount since the turn of the century, with the 2006 murder of controversial film-maker Theo van Gogh by an Islamist militant widely considered a turning point.

(REUTERS)

Dutch Far-Right Party for Freedom Tops Polls as Europe’s ‘Populists’ Gain Momentum

    Dutch far-right Party for Freedom (PVV) leader Geert Wilders © Laszlo Balogh / Reuters

The far-right Dutch anti-immigration Party for Freedom, led by Geert Wilders, would become the largest party in the parliament and beat the prime minister’s ruling conservative liberals if elections were held today, according to a new poll data.

The Wilders’ Party for Freedom (PVV) would win 33 seats in the 150-seat lower chamber of the Dutch parliament if elections were held today, according to Maurice de Hond, the Netherlands’ most reputed pollster.

In that case, Wilders would become the Netherlands’ next prime minister as chairman of the biggest parliamentary party, according to the PJ Media news outlet. Prime Minister Mark Rutte’s People's Party for Freedom and Democracy would finish second, securing 25 seats.

The far-right party has 15 seats in the current parliament, having gained about 10 percent of the vote at the 2012 general election. The next election will take place in March 2017, leaving many to believe Wilders will triumph amid growing frustration with the Netherlands’ center-right coalition.

Notably, electoral support for the PVV has not changed dramatically over the past few months. In August, Maurice de Hond predicted the party would have the same 33 seats, down from the February prediction of 42 seats, according to Dutch News. Despite trailing in polls at that time, Wilders’ party remained the country’s biggest with 22 percent of voters backing it.

The PVV appears to be gaining ground despite the ongoing court trial against Wilders, who was charged with inciting hatred and discrimination against the Dutch Moroccan community.

The charges were brought after the controversial far-right leader led a chant for fewer Moroccans in the Netherlands at a rally last year. State prosecutors insist Wilders engaged in hate speech when he asked supporters if they wanted “fewer or more Moroccans” in the Netherlands. After supporters chanted back “fewer,” he replied: “We'll take care of it.”

In a televised statement on the last day of the trial, Wilders denied inciting racial hatred and added that if he was convicted, “millions of Dutch citizens will be convicted with me.”

Wilders described his party as part of a growing anti-establishment right-wing movement that encouraged the Britons to vote for Brexit and American white blue-collar voters to support Donald Trump in the 2016 US presidential election.

Some of his previous statements appeared to be quite inflammatory, and critics argue that his one-page electoral program he made public in August contains unrealistic promises. Titled, ‘The Netherlands is ours again’, Wilders’ manifesto called for the closure of all mosques and Islamic schools, a ban on the Koran, and “no more immigrants from Islamic countries.”

Wilders’ surge in popularity comes amid reports on European far-right gaining momentum throughout the past year. In France, pollsters say there could be the possibility that Marine Le Pen, the outspoken leader of the National Front, could be elected president next year. However, her center-right adversary, ‘Thatcherite’ Francois Fillon, who recently won the Republican nomination, will be a near-peer opponent.

In Austria, Norbert Hofer of the right-wing anti-Muslim party FPO could be elected president on December 4, an event that would send shockwaves across Europe and boost like-minded parties in the continent. The latest poll by Statista.de gives Hofer 49 percent of the vote, compared to 51 percent given to his sole opponent, Alexander van der Bellen of the Green Party.

Le Pen claims that what Europeans are desperate for the ‘Trump effect’, that is, the mistrust of established political elites and fear of mass immigration. Critics say the far-right are exploiting a populist agenda and capitalizing on primitive sentiments.

Speaking to RT on Tuesday, Ami Horowitz, a US political commentator, said Trump, Le Pen or Wilders are “certainly not a majority,” but “they are driven by certain trends similar both in the United States and Europe … the fact that mainstream politics and mainstream media are simply not trying to find answers to the demands that people across the world have today.” 

“And people are sick and tired of not being represented by the mainstream politics, and I think that people simply want solutions to the vexing problems we have in the world today, whether it be economic stagnation or spectacular immigration problems.”

30 Boko Haram Troops Killed in Ambush of Nigerian Government Convoy

By Ed Adamczyk, UPI

    Nigerian troops accompanying a convoy near Bama, Nigeria, killed 30 suspected Boko Haram
    members when the convoy was ambushed Sunday. Photo courtesy of National Emergency
    Management Agency Nigeria

BAMA , Nigeria, Nov. 28 (UPI) -- Thirty suspected Boko Haram militants died when the Nigerian army repelled an ambush of traveling government members near Bama, a local official said.

"We were traveling from Pulka to Maiduguri when militants attacked our convoy with improvised explosive devices and sporadic gunshots, just after [passing the village of] Ngurosoye, but the troops repelled them, killing up to 30 of the terrorists," said Saeed Salisu, chairmen of the government of Gwoza, in northeastern Borno state.

Nigerian troops escorting the convoy Sunday returned fire. No government officials were injured, but several soldiers were treated for injuries at a nearby barracks hospital.

The insurgent group has perfected a new tactic of waiting to ambush convoys. At least two senior officers were killed in the past two months, including Lt. Col. Mohammed Abu-Ali, a commanding officer in the army's counter-terrorism unit, the Nigerian newspaper the Guardian reported Monday.

Not sure 'perfected' is the right word here. But it's good to see that the soldiers were adequately armed to be able to withstand an attack and repel it.

Analysts blame the country's dry season, improving Boko Haram's mobility, and the Nigerian army's inadequate military equipment, for failing to finally defeat the weakened insurgent movement, Turkey's Anadolu Agency said.

Knowing the Jihadists Returning to Germany - Excellent Study

Half of all extremists returning to Germany remain devoted to their cause – security report

    © AFP

About a half of all extremists who have returned to Germany after fighting for terrorist groups in Syria and Iraq remain committed to radical ideas, Die Welt daily reports, citing a confidential security services report.

About 48 percent of the jihadists that returned to Germany from the Middle East are still loyal to the extremist cause, says a report jointly prepared by the Hessian Information and Competence Centre against Extremism (HKE), the German Federal Criminal Police, and the domestic intelligence service (BfV), according to Die Welt.

The confidential paper seen by Die Welt also says that about 8 percent of those who came back made “a tactically motivated return to recover or to get money and new equipment” for terrorist groups.

Only 9 percent of those who returned were truly disillusioned with extremist ideas, the 61-page report says, adding that up to a fourth of the jihadists cooperated with the German authorities and security services by giving an insight into the activities of Islamists in the Middle East and Germany.

In 22 percent of cases, family members of the returned extremists also worked together with the authorities.

About 850 Islamists have left Germany to join various extremist groups in the Middle East in recent years, Die Welt reports, citing security service data. The latest report tracks the actions of 784 such radicals aged between 13 and 62, who joined Islamic State, Al-Nusra Front and Junud al-Sham terrorist groups.

According to the paper, 274 jihadists have so far returned to Germany – some 12 percent of whom have been jailed. About one third of the extremists who left Germany to “wage Jihad” are still fighting for terrorists in Syria and Iraq. The rest are either in another country or their whereabouts are unknown.

The report adds that the number of people leaving Germany to join terrorists in the Middle East has significantly decreased in comparison with previous years. Between July 2015 and June 2016, the German authorities registered only 49 people leaving for Middle Eastern conflict zones, while in 2014 up to 100 people were leaving each month.

Although some politicians link this trend to the fading attraction of terrorist groups such as Islamic State, the report warns that it may have resulted from IS now “actively calling” on its supporters “not to travel to join the ‘Caliphate’ any more but to carry out terrorist acts in their homelands.”

Although the total number of jihadists leaving Germany for the Middle East is falling, the proportion of women and underage minors among them is growing, the report states. Women now comprise 21 percent of all German jihadists who left for Syria and Iraq, while the percentage of minors among them amounts to 7 percent.

About 61 percent of the jihadists mentioned in the report were born in Germany, with the rest mostly coming from Turkey, Syria, Russia, or Lebanon. Around 60 percent also had German citizenship, while 27 percent had dual citizenship, mostly German-Turkish, German-Moroccan, or German-Tunisian.

Personal relations, friends play major role in radicalization

The report also analyzed various factors that have led to the radicalization of people in Germany.

According to the paper, friends influenced the decision of 54 percent of German jihadists to join terrorists in Syria and Iraq, while 48 percent of them fell under the influence of radical Salafist mosques and 44 percent were influenced by terrorist propaganda on the internet.

About 27 percent of future jihadists attended ‘Islamic seminars’ held by extremist recruiters and 24 percent were radicalized through a program involving the free distribution of the Koran launched by Islamist missionary network ‘The True Religion’.

Personal contacts play a much more significant role in radicalization than extremist propaganda, the report says, stressing that “radicalization mostly takes place in the real-life social environment.”

On November 15, German police conducted a large-scale operation against Islamists that particularly targeted ‘The True Religion’ network, which has been banned by the German Interior Ministry for violating the constitution and inciting hatred.

The group was widely known for its ‘Lies!’ (Read!) initiative, which distributed free copies of the Koran containing a radical interpretation of Islam, while calling on Germans to “read the noble [book].” The ‘Lies!’ activists have reportedly distributed around 3.5 million copies of the Koran in Germany.

At least 140 ‘Lies!’ activists and supporters have already moved to Syria and Iraq to fight alongside the jihadists, according to German Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere. In total, some 190 mosques, offices, and apartments associated with the group were reportedly searched in 10 federal states in mid-November.

De Maiziere warned back in September that there were more than 520 people in Germany capable of committing “unexpected” and potentially “high-profile” terrorist attacks inspired by Islamism, stressing that their number is higher than ever before.

Germany has been on high terrorism alert following a series of lone-wolf assaults this summer, some of which were claimed by Islamic State. A number of anti-terrorism raids have been carried out across the country since then, in which a number of suspected radicals have been detained. In November alone, a “highly dangerous” terrorist suspect was detained in Berlin and 20 Islamic State infiltrators were exposed in the German Army.

ISIS intelligence seized in Syria’s Manbij reveals terrorist plots throughout Europe – UK commander

    Manbij - FILE PHOTO. © Ayham al-Mohammad / AFP

A “huge amount” of Islamic State intelligence found after the capture of the Syrian town of Manbij was related to terrorist threats in Europe, according to Britain's most senior commander in Iraq and Syria, as cited by British media.

Major General Rupert Jones said the capture of Manbij in August was “hugely important for external operations,” adding that “a huge amount of intelligence gathered in Manbij related to threats in Europe and elsewhere...” the Telegraph reported.

“I am not going to go into the details but we know that external operations have been getting orchestrated to a very significant degree from within the caliphate critically from within Raqqa and from within Manbij...” Jones said, as quoted by the Guardian.

“...They were key external operations hubs. There is a huge amount of intelligence, documentation, electronic material that has been exploited there that points very directly against all sorts of nations around the world,” he added.

A unit was set up in Kuwait to process all hard drives, USB sticks, and other data collected from Manbij. The trove allegedly includes details of financing, propagandists, and terrorist plots throughout Europe, the Guardian reported.

Jones, who is based in the Kuwaiti headquarters of Operation Inherent Resolve – the US-led international coalition against Islamic State – went on to state that the eventual capture of Mosul is expected to deliver even more intelligence.

“I am absolutely certain that an extraordinary amount of intelligence will come out of Mosul. We have ramped up as a coalition our ability to gather and process all that intelligence, because it will be a labyrinth of intelligence and we need to get that into the hands of intelligence agencies,” Jones said.

Jones said that IS is actually struggling overall, having lost 56 percent of the territory it once held in Iraq, and 28 percent in Syria. Jones believes the next step is to continue that progress through the isolation of Raqqa, the terrorist group's de facto capital.

“For as long as Raqqa is sitting there, they can orchestrate external operations,” he said.

    Manbij, Syria

Germany Deporting 100k Migrants - Merkel

Germany to repatriate 100k rejected asylum-seekers to home countries in 2016 – Merkel

    © Fabrizio Bensch / Reuters

Around 100,000 rejected asylum-seekers are expected to soon be returned from Germany to their home countries, German Chancellor Angela Merkel has announced, adding that around one-third of the deportations are likely to be forced.

Speaking at a Christian Democratic Union (CDU) regional conference in Neumünster on Friday, Merkel said that around 60,000 of those deported will return to their home countries through voluntary repatriation programs, while around one-third will face compulsory deportations, Die Welt newspaper reported.

Those returning home under repatriation programs will reportedly be given a plane ticket and an unspecified amount of start-up aid to be used once they have settled back into their nations of origin.

Speaking particularly of Afghanistan, Merkel noted that “it cannot be that all young people from Afghanistan come to Germany.”

So, care must be taken to positively identify these voluntary repatriots, otherwise, they could make an annual trip to Germany under different names and get repatriation money each time. This program has career potential for young Afghans.

Merkel also urged federal states to do their part to deport rejected asylum-seekers during her Friday speech in Neumünster.

It is not the first time that Merkel – who just days ago announced she would be seeking a fourth term as chancellor – has stressed the need for repatriation for those whose asylum applications have been rejected.

Speaking to conservative members of parliament in September, the German chancellor said “the most important thing in the coming months is repatriation, repatriation, and once more, repatriation,” Reuters reported at the time.

Merkel has come under fire from political opponents and allies alike, after implementing an open-door policy for those fleeing war and persecution. More than a million asylum-seekers reached the country in 2015, in the biggest refugee crisis since World War II.

A total of 21,000 rejected asylum-seekers were repatriated in 2015, and an additional 35,000 were repatriated in the first seven months of 2016, German Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere told a cabinet meeting in August.

Can Germany deport 65,000 people in 5 months? The task seems almost as daunting as last year's Biblical-like influx of migrants. I suspect the exodus will require several months into 2017 to accomplish, but if Angela wants her government to remain strong and not lose too much power to AfD, she will need to make sure it gets done.

Burqas, Mosques, ‘Gay Propaganda’ All Banned in Hungarian Village

Mayor thinks he has a strategy for

all of Hungary to follow

    The mayor of the Hungarian border village of Asotthalom, Laszlo Toroczkai. ©Laszlo Balogh / 
    Reuters

The far-right mayor of a southern Hungarian village has banned the open expression of Islam, including the building of mosques and wearing of veils and headscarves, as well as the promotion of same-sex marriages.

In a post on Facebook, Laszlo Toroczkai, mayor of Asotthalom, a village near the Serbian border, (population about 4,000), outlined the proposals adopted by his council after a session on Wednesday.

All board members voted for the new rules, with only two abstentions. How many board members can there be in a village of 4,000?

“Instead of looking for a scapegoat, I offer an immediate solution, a defense against the forced mass resettlement [of migrants] by Brussels,” Toroczkai wrote in his post.

“Today the Asotthalom village council adopted my proposal – which is an action package – to defend our community and traditions from any plan for the outside resettlement [of migrants]. All that needs to be done is for the rest of Hungary’s municipalities to adopt our preventative action package, and with that we will have defended our homeland.” 

    Asotthalom, Hungary

The measures that Toroczkai put in place include a ban on the construction of mosques and any other place of worship which undermines the Catholic Church, a ban on the muezzin’s traditional call to prayer, and a ban on all face coverings such as the hijab, niqab and burqa, as well as the burkini.

Additionally, the ordinance also bans any kind of “public propaganda” which shows the institution of marriage being in any way other than “between a man and woman. This includes any public activity, performance, demonstrations, billboard, leaflet, or audio advertisement.”

These measures, Toroczkai says, will protect Hungary from the “two pagans”: migration from the south, and “extreme liberalism” from the West.

Toroczkai belongs to the far-right Jobbik party, whose stated aim is protecting “Hungarian values and interests.” But the party has also been accused of racism, anti-Semitism and homophobia.

"I want to be an example to other pioneering local authorities on how to protect themselves from external resettlement or any other subversive intentions," he said at the council meeting, as reported by delmagyar.hu.

Toroczkai is also the leader of the Sixty-Four Countries Youth Movement, a nationalist group seeking to reclaim lands that have historically belonged to Hungary. He is also known for his harsh anti-migrant rhetoric, including an action-movie like video showing big, burly men giving chase to illegal immigrants on motorcycles, helicopters and even on horseback.

Hungary is one of the European countries least welcoming to refugees and asylum seekers. In a referendum held in October, 98.3 percent of Hungarian voters rejected mandatory EU asylum seeker quotas in a referendum proposed by PM Viktor Orban. However, the referendum failed to reach the required 50 percent turnout, partly due to a boycott by the opposition. Orban himself has made a number of remarks on the subject, including suggesting that all refugees who came illegally be deported onto camps on an island or off the coast of Africa.

I have some sympathy for what Toroczkai is trying to do, although I shiver from the thought of associating myself with the racism of Jobbik. Nevertheless, he, and Orban are correct to defend Hungary against the Islamic invasion that will destroy much of the rest of Europe by the middle of this century, and the rest of it by the end of the century.

Hungary has no official religion although more than half of all Hungarians are Christian with the majority of them being Catholic. It seems like Toroczkai would want Catholicism as the official religion which is not acceptable as there are large numbers of Protestants. Other religions make up less than 1% of the population each, and barely exceed 1% in total. I suspect, Toroczkai and Orban would both like to keep it that way.

    Asotthalom, Hungary

Marketplace Tests Today's Marijuana and Finds It Very Dangerous for Under 25s

What's in your pot? Marketplace tests today's weed

As Ottawa prepares to legalize recreational marijuana, Marketplace investigation shows how weed has changed

By Tyana Grundig and David Common, CBC News 

    Marijuana is still illegal in Canada, but there’s been a proliferation of shops that allow people to

    walk in off the street and buy the product for medical or recreational purpose

    (Ron Ward/Canadian Press)

Marijuana legalization is looming in Canada, but what's in today's weed — and what isn't — may surprise you.

CBC's Marketplace looked into the marijuana market ahead of the legalization of recreational pot, which is expected to be introduced through legislation in spring 2017 and to take effect in 2018.

When producers visited seven Toronto dispensaries and collected 12 of the most popular marijuana strains, laboratory test results showed average THC levels of around 20 per cent. THC is the active ingredient that provides pot's high.

Some strains reached as high at 30 per cent THC, much higher than pot in the 1970s, when levels in Canada hovered between two to eight per cent, according to Jonathan Page, an adjunct professor of botany at the University of British Columbia.

Study after study points to the attributes of combining THC and CBD. The science isn't settled, but  research suggests CBD can mitigate some of the negative effects that can happen with high-THC weed, including anxiety, paranoia, and psychosis.

CBD is also the focus of much research on possible medicinal benefits in treating everything from childhood epilepsy to schizophrenia and arthritis.

Dr. Steven Laviolette says teenagers are particularly at risk when it comes to marijuana use, especially when it comes to high-THC pot. (Marketplace/CBC)

Dr. Steven Laviolette, a neuroscientist and one of Canada's top researchers into the effects of marijuana on the brain, says the lab findings are cause for alarm.

"There's basically nothing to put a brake on the psychological and neurophysical effects," he says of the findings.

Laviolette, who is based out of Western University in London, Ont., has spent 12 years researching the effect of marijuana chemicals on the brains and behaviours of adolescent rats. He found that when the teenage rat brain is exposed to high THC levels, it can produce paranoia, or even schizophrenia-like symptoms in the animals. CBD, however, can reverse schizophrenia-like symptoms, according to his research.

Buying pot on the spot

The Toronto-area dispensaries whose products Marketplace tested were chosen at random, but each of the selected shops allowed customers to buy marijuana on the spot.

Several locations had the veneer of medical dispensaries, with many requiring customers to fill out medical history forms. One location described itself as a recreational dispensary and only required proof of age to enter. Like all the other dispensaries Marketplace visited, the minimum age at that shop was 19.

Marijuana dispensaries in Canada are operating illegally, but are widespread.

Marketplace bought whichever strains came recommended as popular by store staff or other customers.

The samples were sent to an accredited lab to test for THC and CBD levels.

Half of the samples (six strains) came labelled with their THC content — ranging from 13 to 23 per cent. One sample included a CBD percentage, listed at one per cent.

Testing showed that many of the labels were not accurate; only two of the labelled samples fell within one percentage point of what was listed. And many of the samples contained more THC than listed.

For example, one sample said it contained 13 per cent THC, but testing showed it contained 18 per cent. Another sample contained only half of what was promised. Of the unlabelled samples, THC content ranged between 15 and 30 per cent.

None of the samples contained a detectable level of CBD

Will 'high-potency' products be regulated?

Dr. Mark Ware, an associate professor of family medicine and anesthesia at McGill University who is serving as vice-chair of the federal task force on the legalization and regulation of marijuana,  says there's some suggestion that cannabis has been bred to boost THC levels and push down CBD levels.

Some suggestion? Hello?

Northwoods Ministries: Does Pot make you Crazy?
'Skunk-Like Cannabis' Increases Risk of Psychosis by 3 to 5 Times
More Research on the Dangerous Effects of Marijuana on the Brain
Northwoods Ministries: Pot, Schizophrenia, and The Truth
Northwoods Ministries: Playing Russian Roulette with Your Sanity

CBD, he notes, "hasn't been of interest to the recreational market or growers because it doesn't cause that euphoric potential.

Ware, who thinks more research is needed on the interaction between THC and CBD, says in a "perfect world" buyers would have access to a "sort of fingerprint of every cannabis molecule, every cannabis product."

"Just like the list of ingredients that you have in a good product."

When asked whether he thinks CBD should be in all marijuana, he says he's interested to see how "CBD and THC levels play out in a recreational, non-medical framework." But he says it's "way too early to recommend" to make it a requirement, citing the need for a better understanding of cannabidiol.

Then it is way too early to legalize marijuana.

Health Canada told Marketplace in an email that the task force has been asked to advise on whether there should be limits on THC potency, or on "high-potency" marijuana products.

The task force has yet to release its recommendations.

"But we've talked about regulating the ingredients of the product so that people know what's in it, regulating the potency, regulating the quality," says Ware, who also directs clinical research at a pain management unit at McGill in Montreal.

How to decide who is old enough to buy?

Also on the legalization task force's agenda? The minimum age to buy legal marijuana, which is expected to be between 19 and 25.

Most scientists now agree that critical brain development continues to age 25.

Setting the age at 25 might send a message to some teens that there is a problem with developing brains and pot. Setting it at 18 or 19 is just confirmation in the teenage mind that there is nothing wrong with it. Of course, most teens will ignore the warning, but the few who are bright enough to listen might just save their own sanity.

Laviolette says there will surely be quibbles about what the exact minimum age should be, but he cautions that teenagers are particularly vulnerable.

Ware, the task force member, agrees that marijuana can be harmful to the developing brain, and argues that legislation can help.

"Regulation includes education," he says, and will offer both young people — and adults— a better understanding of what's known about marijuana use, and what science is still trying to sort out.

Education - like that's going to help teens make better decisions as to what pot products to use. Most teens will go for whatever makes them the highest without regard for whether or not there is an increased risk of sheer madness. Teens are gamblers and risks are part of the fun. 

Why would we expect teens to make good decisions about pot when we have dozens of adults shooting themselves up on the streets of Vancouver with cocaine laced with fentanyl or car-fentanyl and overdosing to the point where they need emergency treatment within minutes to keep them alive? Pop musician Prince died from a fentanyl overdose. When it comes to drugs, education and common sense have no part.

Fentanyl
Between January and September, at least 332 overdose deaths in Vancouver were linked to fentanyl, according to the British Columbia Coroners Service. That’s a 196 per cent increase from the same period in 2015 –- and emergency response crews fear the problem is getting worse.

On Thursday, fire hall No. 2 received 15 calls for overdoses within a three-hour period.

There are volunteer groups administering naloxone, an antidote for fentanyl overdosing, and there are temporary 'safe injection sites' popping up in east Vancouver because the permanent sites are all full to overflowing. This is more than just a drug problem, it's a serious, even catastrophic societal problem, and I'm hard pressed to see how the government is doing anything but making it worse.

Watch the full Marketplace investigation into marijuana

ISRAEL BURNING: Muslim Terrorists Burning Down the Jewish State

Arson fires rage across the Holy Land

60,000 evacuated from Haifa

Intifada by fire?

“On Thursday morning, Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan told Army Radio that 50% of these fires were caused by repeated arson.”

We have often seen arson as a weapon of jihad.

Jerusalem Post...

The fires that have burned across Israel since Tuesday continue to rage, with new areas threatened by flames as other blazes have come under control.

The Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) and Israel Police announced Thursday afternoon that they have detained a number of suspects on suspicion of arson.

Channel 2 reported that some 60,000 residents have been evacuated from the Haifa area in light of fires in the northern port city, according to police estimates as of Thursday afternoon. According to latest figures, there were 30 reports of light injury due to smoke inhalation.

The University of Haifa was also evacuated on as a precautionary move as fires raged closer.

Police Chief Roni Alsheich said on Thursday that only those in neighborhoods affected should leave their homes, in order to leave important traffic arteries free for those who need to evacuate quickly, as well as for the use of emergency services.

Alsheich said residents in neighborhoods which are in need of evacuation would receive automatic SMS notifications.

He added that not all fires will be connected to arson, and said that these rumors will only strengthen the hand of those who seek to cause more terror.

That is true, but at the height of fire season when many fires are already burning, setting new ones increases the risk and the damage exponentially. 

New York Times...

Asked how long Haifa was likely to be battling the blazes, Mayor Yona Yahav told reporters, “This is a question that has to be referred to God.”

Israeli officials said the fires had been fanned by unusually strong winds and made worse by a dry atmosphere, but they also said they suspected that many of them had been caused by arson and negligence. Dozens of people have been slightly affected by smoke inhalation, but no serious injuries or fatalities have been reported.


We Christians should be praying for the winds to abate and for rain to sweep across Israel. Please join me in that prayer right now. Lord, I pray for the winds to drop or to reverse and blow the fires back onto themselves. I also pray for a cool, damp weather system to settle upon Israel for a couple days regardless of how unlikely that is. Glorify Yourself, Lord.

German Police Betrayed by Justice System – Union Chief on ‘Sharia Patrol’ Ruling, etc.

This is no surprise after a judge ruled that wearing a 'Shariah Police' uniform was not the least bit threatening. With that ruling you can expect Shariah Police to begin appearing elsewhere and a, at first, secret Sharia court to appear in Wuppertal, which, if allowed to operate openly, will find itself reproduced elsewhere in Germany. This is called creeping Sharia and, if tolerated, will spell the end of Germany. It appears the judicial system is in a very tolerant mood.


FILE PHOTO © Hannibal Hanschke / Reuters

The head of a major German police union has lashed out at the country's “failed” justice system, following a number of controversial court rulings. The most recent case involved a ‘Sharia police’ group operating in a suburban town, which was deemed legal.

“The full force of the law these days often means we determine the identities of offenders, but the judges just let them go free,” Rainer Wendt, head of the German Police Union (DPolG), told the Passauer Neue Presse (PNP) newspaper on Wednesday.

The official spoke about the recent incident involving the German court system, when a group of Islamists was cleared of charges for forming a ‘Sharia police force,’ a volunteer initiative to patrol the streets and uphold peace in the western German town of Wuppertal in 2014.

The town is one of Germany's most popular destinations for Salafists, who follow a very conservative interpretation of Islam and reject any form of democracy.

On Monday, the Wuppertal court ruled it did not see any breach of the law in the activities of the ‘Sharia police.’ Seven of the group’s members had worn bright-orange vests bearing the words ‘Sharia Police,’ and had patrolled the city streets, telling people to stop drinking, gambling or listening to music, so as not to contradict the strict Muslim religious code of conduct known as Sharia law. 

“[The court decision] is an unbelievable and devastating signal… [The police] feel completely failed by the justice system,” Wendt said.

Terrorism raids

Notably, the Wuppertal court ruling came less than a week after police conducted a massive operation targeting Islamists across 10 German federal states. The raids took place in 60 cities, including the capital Berlin.

See: Germany bans Islamic group... below

Germany has been on high terrorism alert over the past several months after suffering a number of Islamist-related assaults during the summer.

Muslim drags lover behind car

Wendt also claimed that the justice system acted incorrectly in the case of a Kurdish man who allegedly tied his former lover to his car and dragged her after him through the streets on Sunday. The woman suffered life-threatening injuries and is currently in an induced coma in a hospital in Hanover. The man has not been convicted yet and Wendt says it is highly unlikely he will. The man had repeatedly been reported to the police for various crimes, but had never been imprisoned.

“There will always be a judge who will give him a positive social prognosis,” Wendt said.

See: Woman dragged behind car... below

Overall, the union chairman believes that the German judiciary system is far too weak in dealing with criminals, and called for a review in the training and appointment of judges.

He is also an advocate of so-called ‘racial profiling,’ according to which ethnic criteria must be taken into account when dealing with crime, especially in circumstances when the country is facing an influx of newcomers from various ethnic groups.

Both the Monday ruling and the case with the assault of the Kurdish woman come as Germany continues to struggle with the biggest refugee crisis since World War II. It has resulted in more than 1 million mainly Muslim asylum seekers entering the country since last year.

Germany bans Islamic group DWR as 

police launch raids on 190 sites

Mosques, offices and flats in 10 states searched as government accuses organisation

of radicalising young people

Police officers carry away items confiscated during an apartment raid in Bonn. 
Photograph: Oliver Berg/AFP/Getty Images

Reuters in Berlin

German police have launched dawn raids on about 190 mosques, flats and offices linked to an Islamic group as the government bans the organisation, accusing it of radicalising young people.

The interior minister, Thomas de Maizière, said the DWR “True Religion” organisation had contacted young people as it distributed Qur’ans and other religious material, and had persuaded about 140 of them to join militants in Iraq and Syria.

DWR made no reference on its website to the raids and did not respond to a request for comment.

The chancellor, Angela Merkel, has been under pressure to harden her line on security after Islamic State claimed responsibility for a string of attacks across Europe and she faced criticism for her decision to let in about 900,000 migrants last year.

“Today’s ban is not directed against the distribution of the Qur’an or translations of the Qur’an,” De Maizière told reporters.

“Today’s ban is rather directed against the abuse of religion by people propagating extremist ideologies and supporting terrorist organisations under the pretext of Islam.”

It's not a pretext; it is Islam!

The group had several hundred members, he added.

Concern over the number of people entering the country has boosted support for Alternative for Germany, a populist party that says Islam is incompatible with the German constitution and has siphoned off support from Merkel’s conservatives.

A spokeswoman for the interior ministry said there was no indication that DWR was planning attacks itself. The ban means DWR is prohibited from taking part in information and distribution campaigns.

De Maizière said Tuesday’s actions across 10 German states were the biggest crackdown on a group since the government shut down a movement known as Kalifatstaat (Caliphate State) in 2001, accusing it of “extremist activities”.

The government has banned five other organisations accused of having Islamic extremist-jihadi aspirations since 2012.

Woman dragged behind car in Germany with cord tied around neck

The car drove through several streets, dragging the woman behind it.

Police are treating the incident as an attempted killing.

Policemen secure a street in Hameln, Germany on Monday after a woman was seriously injured when she was dragged Sunday through the streets of the northern German town behind a car with a cord tied around her neck.  (JULIAN STRATENSCHULTE / AP)  

By Associated Press

BERLIN—A woman was seriously injured when she was dragged through the streets of a northern German town behind a car with a cord tied around her neck. Her ex-partner later turned himself in to authorities, prosecutors said Monday.

Police in Hameln said they were treating Sunday evening’s incident as an attempted killing. The 28-year-old local woman had a cord tied around her neck, which was attached to the car’s trailer hitch, they said.

The car drove through several streets, dragging the woman behind it. Police say the woman was found lying on a sidewalk with grave injuries.

At around the same time, a 38-year-old man from nearby Bad Muender went to a police station and said he was the perpetrator. He was arrested.

The man was the victim’s ex-partner, Hannover prosecutors’ spokesman Thomas Klinge said. However, there was no immediate information on a possible motive.

Both the suspect and victim are German citizens of Kurdish origin, police spokesman Jens Petersen said, according to news agency dpa.

The victim underwent an emergency operation on Sunday evening and was then flown to a specialist clinic.

Police said they couldn’t confirm reports on social media that there had also been a shooting. They called for witnesses to come forward, particularly anyone who might have seen how the victim was uncoupled from the car.

Outrage over 'brutal' teen gang rape ruling after

ONE of five Serbians found guilty was jailed

PROSECUTORS are battling to appeal a German court ruling after just one of a group of Serbian men who gang raped a 14-year-old girl was given prison time.

By VINCENT WOOD


An appeal has since been launched by the Hamburg state prosecutor  HamburgGETTY/EPA

The ruling sparked a wave of outrage across Germany, with over 80,000 people singing a petition to have the prosecution service step in to change the verdict.

Four young men were found guilty of raping the young teenager after getting her drunk and leaving her body outside in freezing temperatures while a 15-year-old girl filmed the attack and gave them directions.

The 14-year-old victim was later found and rushed to hospital where she was treated in intensive care – with her injuries so bad prosecutors had wanted to investigate the case as an attempted murder.

The court later heard that her attackers had "thrown the girl away like rubbish".

But because four of the attackers – including the young girl who filmed the assault – were aged between 14 and 17, they were not given prison time by the Hamburg court.

Instead they were offered suspended one or two year sentences in keeping with the country's policy of treating young offenders with education instead of punishment.

Education is what you do when you catch someone stealing an apple from a sidewalk vendor, not for gang-rape and attempted murder!

Only the 21-year-old will be incarcerated for a period of four years after being tried as an adult.

Judge George Halbach defended the ruling, saying that while “sentences may seem mild to the public”, the young offenders had appeared remorseful, made credible confessions and had good social prospects.

Outrage quickly grew over the sentences, with a petition that claimed the court could not say they were acting "on behalf of the people" when they ignore the morality of the public.

The petition, set up by Stefan Martens from the German city of Bremen, claims that the system of dealing with young offenders "cannot and must not be used to wipe out the case of a brutal gang rape of a helpless 14-year-old".

Mr Marten's told Express.co.uk: "Our courts say they are 'in the name of the people'.

"80,000 people have now said 'no, not in our names'."

Speaking about the German court's tendency to educate young offenders instead of prosecute them, he said: "Normally that is ok, but this was a hardcore crime.

"They raped her four times. Then they put this girl half naked and drunk in minus degree weather on the street. 

"And the court says no jail, some discussion with an expert and that they have a positive social forecasting. It is a joke."

He added that if they had been behind bars for "one year, two years or three years they would feel what they did to this 14-year-old girl.

"But they feel nothing. They cheered when they heard the judgement."

The petition also slammed the judge's claim the attackers had good prospects, saying: "The sexual self-determination and integrity of a woman must have more weight here than worrying about the offender."


An appeal has since been launched by the Hamburg state prosecutor who are pushing for the "mild verdict to be reassessed as to whether it is legally wrong".

    The girl was found in a garden on this street in Hamburg

Islamic insanity comes to Germany

Not on the theme of police complaining about judges, but on the reality of Islamic madness revealing itself in Germany, comes this story from March of 2016. In Islam, marriage refusal is an insult to the ego of a young man and his family, an insult that often ends in murder.

Murder over a marriage: Kurdish woman is shot dead at a wedding in Germany after refusing to marry her cousin who is now the prime suspect

A Kurdish father whose daughter was shot dead at a wedding in Germany has posted a picture of her lying in a pool of blood on his Facebook page and is demanding justice.

He wrote that his beloved 21-year-old daughter Shilan had rejected an arranged marriage to her cousin and had paid for it with her life during a wedding ceremony in Hanover, Germany.

The father, named as Ghazi H., 50, posted the harrowing image of his daughter on Facebook as police continued to hunt for the cousin.


I could probably go on and on all day with these stories, but unlike this poor girl, I have a life. The police have come to a realistic understanding of the problem with Islam in Germany, as they should because they operate at street-level. Those who sit in ivory towers, however, are still under the illusion that Islam is compatible with German life - they just need a little patience, tolerance and education, and, unfortunately, they bend over backwards with their tolerance of Islamic madness which just encourages that madness. Germany will pay a heavy price for their willful blindness. 

Where is the World's Largest Refugee Camp?

No, it is not in Italy or Greece, it is in Kenya, Africa, but its existence

is a result of Muslim violence - so what else is new?

Kenya delays closure of world's largest refugee camp

   © TONY KARUMBA / AFP | This file photo taken on July 31, 2011 shows Somali refugees walking in
   the new Ifo-extension at the Dadaab refugee camp in Kenya, the largest refugee camp in the world.

NEWS WIRES

Kenya said on Wednesday it had to agreed to delay the closure of a huge Somali refugee camp that it sees as a security risk, after international pressure to give residents more time to find new homes.

Nairobi had vowed to shut Dadaab camp this month, saying it was being used by Islamist militants from neighbouring Somalia who have launched a string of attacks on Kenyan soil.

But rights groups criticised the decision, saying it would hurt Somalis fleeing violence and poverty, and accused Nairobi of forcibly sending people back to a war zone. The government dismisses that allegation.

“The government has accepted the request to extend the deadline for the completion of repatriation of Somali refugees, and this is essential to the closure of the Dadaab refugee complex, by six months,” Interior Minister Joseph Ole Nkaissery said.

“However, the ongoing voluntary repatriation will continue uninterrupted,” he told a news conference.

This week, a ministry official had told Reuters that the November deadline would be missed, although he did not give a new timetable. He also dismissed accusations from Amnesty International and others about forcible repatriations.

The official said the camp was now home to about 250,000 people, while U.N. officials had put the figure at about 350,000 at the start of the year.

More than half a million people lived there a few years ago.

“Kenya should end its threats to close the Dadaab camps,” Gerry Simpson, senior refugee researcher for New York-based Human Rights Watch, said in a statement.

“The U.N. refugee agency and donors should press Kenya to publicly reassure Somalia refugees they are welcome in Kenya until it safe for them to return,” he added.

Somalia’s Western-backed government is battling an Islamist insurgency as it oversees a fragile reconstruction effort after decades of conflict. Swathes of the country do not have basic services.

(REUTERS)

So, why are HRW and the UN jumping on Kenya for wanting to close Dadaab? Why aren't they jumping on other Muslim countries for causing mass migrations in the first place. Why isn't Islam held, at least somewhat, accountable for causing the vast majority of displaced persons in the world? Why don't wealthy Muslim countries pressure Islamic militants to stop their insanity and live in some semblance of peace? 

Could the answer be that most wealthy Muslim countries want the violence to continue? Could it be that much of that violence is actually supported and enabled by wealthy Islamic countries? Could it be that they want migrants to live in unacceptable conditions until they have had enough and choose to migrate to Europe? Could this be the high-level strategy for finally conquering Europe after more than a millennium of trying?

What does that tell you about Islam other than its long-stated goal of dominating the world and eliminating all other religions? How is it that Muslims from 3 continents cannot find a peaceful place to live in Islam? What makes them think that they will find it in Europe? For by their very presence, they bring the violence and intolerance that marks Islam into countries that were once peaceful and prosperous. And Europeans are inviting them to come thinking they will adapt to western living and values. Some will, but many will not, and we know that newer generations of Muslims living in the west are considerably more devout and militant than their parents. 

It's time to make Islam an Islamic problem, not an European problem.

Canadian Islamophobe has Good Reason To Be

"I have a reasonable fear of radical Islam"

Dr. Rich Swier

Isn’t “Phobia” a type of mental disorder, an extreme or irrational fear of or aversion to something? Isn’t the “Islamophobia” motion which was ‘unanimously’ passed by the Canadian Government which calls for limiting the rights of Canadians to criticize Islam, contrary to the Charter of Rights and Freedoms?

The definition of Islamophobia from a Google search is dislike of or prejudice against Islam or Muslims, especially as a political force.

    Evin Prison, Iran

What exactly has the Parliament of Canada petitioned against? Criticism of Islam? Criticism of Muhammad? Criticism and condemning the Islamic State and all Islamic terrorist groups affiliated with radical Islamic ideology? Petitioning against those Canadians who Condemn Sharia law? If Canadians criticize Islam or convert from Islam, will they now be considered an “Islamophobe” by Canada?

Is Canada Planning to Make Criticizing Islam Illegal?

What’s next? Sending Iran and Hamas type morality police to the doorsteps of Canadians critical of Islam, while radical imams continue to spew openly radical Ideas in schools and mosques? What about Canadians who are suspicious of others plotting possible terrorist activities – will they be afraid to report it to authorities in case they are wrong?

The petition your government recently passed a motion for was initiated on June 8, 2016 by Samer Majzoub, President of the Canadian Muslim Forum condemning Islamophobia in “all” forms.

The details in the petition which was sponsored by the Liberal MP are extremely sketchy to say the least- e-411 for the parliamentary petition:

“We, the undersigned, Citizens and residents of Canada, call upon the House of Commons to join us in recognizing that extremist individuals do not represent the religion of Islam, and in condemning all forms of Islamophobia.”

Again I say, please keep in mind Islamophobia’s definition.

Is Canada Planning to Make Criticizing Islam Illegal?

It seems that many Western politicians, the “Mainstream Media”, and our political elites use the term “Islamophobia” without even knowing what is in Islam. There might be a lot to rationally be “phobic”, or simply fearful, about.

Since Trudeau Liberals came to power, Canadians have been constantly reminded that to speak negatively about Islam is supposedly acting as a fear-mongering, racist, xenophobic, “Islamophobe”.

Xenophobic really does not apply

It is far more probable that they are none of those things; rather that it is the accusers who are racist (Quran: 2;65; 2.89 (Allah transforms Jews into apes); 3:110-112; 4;160, and on and on); Xenophobic really does not apply to Jews, Christians, Yazidis, Hindus, Kurds, Baha’is , Zoroastrians, and a few different sects of Islam; it is truly the other way around.

18 Months in Evin prison

These people are rightfully afraid of harm coming to them from Sharia law and radical Islam. I am a living example of one who has experienced harm from radical Islamic Sharia law. I was imprisoned at age 16 by the Iranian Regime for simply expressing my disagreement with their policies. They held me prisoner for 18 months in their notorious Evin Prison; I miraculously escaped the murder and rape I heard every day in that dark place.

The memories of that season still haunt me today. And, their threats still follow me today, to this great land of Canada. Therefore, I have a reasonable fear of radical Islam. To call my fear a phobia, an irrational fear, lacks compassion and fails to recognize the true reality of the same present danger living close to me once again. I am on their hit list. It was reported that the highest commander of the IRGC very recently said they would soon kill all dissidents living abroad.

People who are jittery about radical Islam and Sharia law are this way for many a reason: They look at how Sharia law is practiced in Saudi Arabia, Iran, by Islamic State and Nigeria’s Boko Haram, and are concerned quite justifiably.

The Islamic Cairo Declaration of 1990, written as a direct refutation to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, states that all human rights are predicated on Islamic Sharia Law. Therefore, according to this view, beheading, stoning, flogging, slavery, child marriage, wife-beating, amputations, and a woman’s worth considered half of a man’s are all human rights. Is that what we want for Canada, or in Canada? Or, in and for any country?

All that these purported critics are doing is pointing out what is in Islam’s Sharia law if anyone cared to look. And, when it comes to concern with quality of life, people should care to look. What is it that these extremists are so eager to cover up?

To those of us who have experienced Islamic sharia law first-hand, protecting Western values – free speech, common law, equal justice under the law, democratic (“man-made”) governance; individual freedoms, separation of church and state, an independent judiciary, to name just a few – is indeed cause for concern. Every single one of them is contradicted by Islamic Sharia law or radical Islam.

Why should it be against the law to outspokenly disagree with aspects of a different religion or culture? Especially if it outspokenly threatens one’s own?

Interesting to note, there are no such terms as Christianophobia, or Judeophobia, that define a dislike or prejudice against a Judeo Christian worldview and Jews and Christians, especially as a political force. And, when Googling anti Zionism, a photo appears of Islamist Muslims condemning Jews and a State of Israel. What if Christians and Jews petitioned for anti Christianophobia and anti Judeophobia motions condemning “all” forms of these? Would we all put duct tape on our mouths? And, it is true that Christians and Jews would never be allowed to petition for this in any Middle Eastern country on the face of the planet.

Canadians are worried that with the Rise of Islamic Extremism in Canada, the country is on its way to becoming like Europe, with no-go zones. That is why we must keep the secular state and religion completely separate, so that no one’s religion, and in Islam’s case religious ideology, is given special treatment or singled out.

Our goal is, and must remain, equal treatment for all. Equality and pluralistic respect can only be achieved when the government acts constitutionally without bias or favoritism towards any particular religion or religious ideology. Our Western Constitution is one that is founded upon the notion that all men, and women, are created equally, and are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights. That among these rights are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness; free from the harassment of oppressive tyranny inspired by dogma of any sort; religious or political.

It is also important to know who sponsors such articles in the media and why politicians lack information to make accurate assessments and informed conclusions.

For more information, please read about Politics of ‘Islamophobia’ – source of, and purpose of the term.

In Islam, politics and religion are inseparably intertwined. For this reason, apostasy in Islam is equivalent to treason. A notable expression in Islam says it all, “Islam is a religion and a state.” The Penal Code of The Islamic Republic of Iran Mandates Death for Converts. Article 225-1 of this code reads, “Any Muslim who clearly announces that he/she has left Islam and declares blasphemy is an Apostate.” In the Qur’an, Bukhari (52:260) repeats this view clearly: “The Prophet said, ‘If somebody (a Muslim) discards his religion, kill him.’” According to Ayatollah Khorasani, a prominent Shiite leader in Iran, “The promotion of Christianity in Iran must be stopped and stated that The Bible (The Gospel) is distorted and the Bible is not the Word of God.” (Farsi)

The Ayatollah’s views are directly of a mind with statements found in the Quran. Verses supporting death for apostates in the Qur’an are: 2:217, 9:73-74, 88:21, 5:54, and 9:66.

Article 19: Universal Declaration of Human Rights States:” Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.”

Canadians must have the right to critique any ideology or religion. Preventing Canadians from speaking about Islam, is about denying Canadians the right to warn about a potential threat to their nation. A warning is not treason, but preventing a warning is. Isn’t this government sponsored Petition against the laws of the Constitution of Canada? CONSTITUTION ACT, 1982 PART I.

If the government prevents us the right to criticize any ideology, our government overrides our most basic freedom—the freedom of speech—and at the same time will undermine diversity, the “value” the Trudeau Liberals take pride the most in.

“Islamophobia” is used as a tool by political Islam to shut down criticism of Islam. At what point does western civilization demand that as a free society, all ideological matters conform to some common ground?

Can Canada simply ignore what is happening particularly in Europe, no-go-zones? Many places in Europe have become a breeding ground for radical Islam where they enforced their own sharia law.

Again, Canadians are worried that with the Rise of Islamic Extremism In Canada, the country is on its way to becoming like Europe, with no-go zones.

    900 No-Go zones in Europe, Hungarian gov't

That is why we must keep the secular state and religion completely separate, so that no one’s religion, and in Islam’s case religious ideology, is given special treatment or singled out.

Our goal is, and must remain, equal treatment for all. Equality and pluralistic respect can only be achieved when the government acts constitutionally without bias or favoritism towards any particular religion or religious ideology.

Our Western Constitution is one that is founded upon the notion that all men, and women, are created equally, and are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights. That among these rights are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, free from the harassment of oppressive tyranny inspired by dogma of any sort; religious or political.

In reference to the above, I urge you to take the time and read the following article by Canadian investigative journalist, Christine Williams – “Canadian parliament passes anti-Islamophobia motion!”