Islam - Current Day > Madness in Pakistan - 15 more deaths, 23 children; Nordic Countries considering appeasing Islamic hysteria; Gay man murdered by Muslim in Brooklyn

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Islamic State Group claims responsibility for deadly Pakistan bombing

The Islamic State group claimed responsibility Monday for a suicide bomb blast in Pakistan that killed at least 54 people, including 23 children, at a political party gathering ahead of elections due later this year.

Issued on: 30/07/2023 - 16:12, 3 min

Text by: NEWS WIRES

Relatives and mourners carry the casket of a victim killed in Sunday's suicide bomber attack in the Bajur district

of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan on Monday, July 31, 2023. © Mohammad Sajjad, AP

The blast has raised fears Pakistan could be in for a bloody election period following months of political chaos prompted by the ousting of Imran Khan as prime minister in April last year.

Around 400 members of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-F (JUI-F) party -- a key government coalition partner led by a firebrand cleric -- were waiting Sunday for speeches to begin when a bomber detonated a vest packed with explosives and ball bearings near the front stage.

Islam - Current Day > Bomb kills 39 at political rally in Pakistan

Denmark, Sweden considering legal response to Koran burnings

By Darryl Coote

Salwan Momika, an Iraqi man, sets a copy of the Koran on fire outside a mosque in Stockholm, Sweden, on June 28.

Photo by Stefan Jerrevang/EPA-EFE

July 31 (UPI) -- Denmark and Sweden said they are exploring legal options to intervene in protests after the burning of Korans at far-right demonstrations in their countries have attracted condemnation from the Muslim world.

Copies of the Korans, Islam's holiest text, have been burned in both Sweden and Denmark in recent weeks, and the fallout of which has seen Stockholm's ascension to NATO membership threatened and its embassy in Iraq attacked.

At least 15 nations have issued condemnations of Denmark over the protests and the Scandinavian countries have seen their envoys summoned by Middle Eastern governments. The Organization of Islamic Cooperation has also organized a meeting for Monday to discuss the recent burnings.

In separate statements Sunday, the Nordic nations said they are examining their legal options concerning these protests on their soil.

The Danish statement described the protests where copies of the Koran have been burned as actions that play "into the hands of extremists" and that "sow division at a time when we need to stand together."

Muslims will never stand together with Europeans. Why are so many people so blind to this? 

"We are currently facing a situation where the burnings of the holy Koran in Denmark have reached a level where Denmark, in many parts of the world across continents, is being viewed as a country that facilitates insult and denigration of the cultures, religions and traditions of other countries," Denmark said.

No! Just Islam!

The Danish government added that while freedom of expression is one of its society's "most important values," the primary purpose of some of these protests has been to insult and provoke reactions from Muslim-majority nations.

"This could have significant consequences -- consequences that fundamentally harm Denmark and the interests of like-minded nations," it said. "It could also have major security implications in Denmark."

It's a good bet that the burnings would stop if the Danish government recognized the dangers from Islam in Denmark. But, like most European countries, they hide the dangers, pretend they don't exist, and carry on as though Muslims will melt right into Danish society like icing on a pastry. What astonishing stupidity!

Citing national security risks, Denmark said it is exploring potential intervention in "special situations" where other countries, cultures and religions are being insulted and that could have "significant negative consequences for Denmark."

In Sweden, Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said in a brief statement published to Instagram that his country was also analyzing the legal situation, including the law of order, in considering measures to strengthen national security in the wake of the Koran burnings.

He said he's been in close conversation with Denmark's Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen in the last 24 hours on this topic.

"We are in the most serious security policy situation since World War II, and here at home, we know that both states, state-like players and individuals can taken advantage of the situation," he said.

"It is all about defending our free and open societies, our democracy and our citizen's right to liberty and security."

Is Europe ready to abandon those rights and freedoms to appease Islamic hysteria? What a disgrace that they are even talking about it.

Late last month, Turkey condemned an incident of the burning of a copy of the Koran in Sweden, which is seeking NATO membership.

Turkey has threatened its application over the book burnings, stating "those who seek to become our allies in NATO, cannot tolerate or enable destructive behaviors of Islamophobic and xenophobic terrorists."

Two weeks ago, protesters attacked Sweden's embassy in Iraq after protests in Sweden where Korans were to be burned were sanctioned by the government.

Last week, a copy of the Koran was burned in Copenhagen, attracting the condemnation of several countries, including Turkey.

Brooklyn: Muslim stabs man to death for dancing shirtless,

‘Oh, we’re Muslim, so don’t do this in front of me’

JUL 31, 2023 6:30 AM BY ROBERT SPENCER

“What I’ve heard was that it was unprovoked, a homophobic attack,” said one of the victim’s friends.

That may be.

The group from which the killer emerged, however, specifically identified itself as Muslim. In Islam, homosexuality carries the death penalty:

A hadith depicts Muhammad specifying the punishment for homosexual activity: “The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, ‘Whoever you find doing the action of the people of Loot, execute the one who does it and the one to whom it is done.’” (Sunan Abu Dawud 4462)

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Professional dancer stabbed to death by bigoted stranger for voguing shirtless with pals at Brooklyn gas station: witness

by Julian Roberts-Grmela, Rebecca White, John Annese, Colin Mixson and Rocco Parascandola, 

New York Daily News, July 30, 2023:

A professional dancer voguing at a Brooklyn gas station after a trip to the Jersey Shore with his friends was stabbed to death during a confrontation Saturday night with a group of Muslim men who said the victim’s impromptu performance offended their faith, witnesses and friends told the Daily News.

O’Shea Sibley, 28, a professional dancer who has performed at Lincoln Center as part of an all-queer dance group, was blasting music and dancing with his pals at the Midwood Mobil station on Coney Island Ave and Avenue P just after 11 p.m. when their antics drew homophobic protests from a group of men nearby, authorities and witnesses said.

The NYPD is investigating the caught-on-video killing as a possible hate crime.

In surveillance video from the scene, Sibley and his four friends, all shirtless in swim trunks on one of the hottest days of the year, can be seen getting out of their white sedan to pump gas.

A friend of the victim in small tight trunks a witness described as “underwear” began dancing.

That’s when a group of men exiting the Mobil station started harassing the 28-year-old victim, clad in pink swim trunks, and his pals, according to Summy Ullah, 32, who witnessed the argument and slaying.

“They were saying, ‘Oh, we’re Muslim, so don’t do this in front of me,’” said Ullah. “From that I think it looks like a hate crime.

“Nothing else was going on. They were only dancing,” he added. “This guy was dancing in underwear and the suspect was like ‘Why are you dancing in your underwear?’”

Ullah says he believes the stabber was motivated by homophobia. “Obviously, they are gay and if they are dancing that’s the problem they had,” he said….

The killer ran off on Coney Island Ave. and has not been caught….

“What I’ve heard was that it was unprovoked, a homophobic attack,” Berry added….

Gay Pride Parades are already under attack by Muslims. How long before they are shut down completely, or become scenes of violence?

Germany: Muslim migrant strips in front of cops,

‘You are not men! I will destroy Germany’

JUL 31, 2023 7:00 AM BY ROBERT SPENCER

Why do German authorities think that the presence of such a man in the country is a benefit to anyone? Or do they want to destroy Germany, too?

“Policeman Questioned For Sex: Accused Skips His Trial!,” 

Translated from “Polizisten Zum Sex Aufgefordert: Angeklagter Schwänzt Seinen Prozess!,” 

by Steffi Suhr, Tag 24, July 27, 2023:

Dresden – police officers have to listen to a lot on their missions. Most offenders are not exactly squeamish verbally towards law enforcement officers. Odae A. (32), however, hit massively over the top. Now the Syrian has been sentenced in absentia by the district court in Dresden.

The police came to a high-rise building on Michelangelostrasse. Odae is said to have previously beaten a woman with a glass ashtray and a metal rod in an apartment.

When officers arrived, Odae was in bed. Instead of the requested papers, he presented his bare privates to the police officers, asked them to have sex and rumbled: “You’re not men! I’m destroying Germany.”

The police officers took him to have his blood drawn – not without massive resistance.

The Syrian did not appear at the trial. Because the case was more than two years ago, the accused had a mix of alcohol and drugs in his blood at the time and has not previously had a relevant criminal record, he received a criminal order.

It's not clear whether this last paragraph has to do with his behaviour toward the police, or his attack on the woman - which he appears to justify by being a man. 

France: Man converts to Islam, tries to force his way into

Marine Infantry Regiment while screaming ‘Allahu akbar’

JUL 31, 2023 8:00 AM BY ROBERT SPENCER

It seems as if he somehow got the idea that he was now, as a Muslim, an enemy of France. Authorities the world over remain resolutely incurious about the recurring phenomenon of people converting to Islam and becoming traitors to their own countries.

Attempted intrusion into the 1st RPIMa in Bayonne, a man arrested

Translated from “Tentative d’intrusion au 1er RPIMa à Bayonne, un homme interpellé,” 

Actu.fr, July 26, 2023

A man tried to force the entry of the Bayonne regiment on the morning of Tuesday July 25, 2023. He was arrested by the soldiers and then placed in police custody.

The soldiers managed to stop and arrest the individual.

For still unclear reasons, a man tried to enter, with his vehicle, the 1st Marine Infantry Parachute Regiment located in Bayonne on Tuesday July 25, 2023.

Security officers posted at the entrance first turned away the man who was with his vehicle. He then introduced himself to them by passing under the barriers at the entrance of the regiment. According to several testimonies, the man shouted “Allahu akbar” in front of the security agents. The regimental alarm was then triggered. The individual was eventually arrested by soldiers.

The Bayonne BRI then intervened. The individual was arrested and taken into custody. He carried no weapon on him. Deminers blew up the trunk of his vehicle to check for explosives inside.

The alleged perpetrator is said to suffer from psychological problems and has recently discontinued his treatment. According to our information, he would have converted to Islam and would be known to the police. The man is currently heard by investigators from the Bayonne judicial police who are trying to understand his intentions.

Every radicalized Muslim is insane and needs to be separated from healthy societies.

Corruption is Everywhere > President's son charged with Money Laundering - Colombia; Lebanon's Central Bank chief steps down; Senegal's Opposition Party Arrested

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Son of Colombian President Gustavo Petro arrested

on money laundering charges

Colombian President Gustavo Petro said Saturday that his son Nicolas has been arrested on charges of money laundering and illicit enrichment in a scandal linked to Petro's election campaign.

Issued on:07/29/2023 - 16:19 1 minute

Text by: NEWS WIRE

A file photo of Colombian President Gustavo Petro with his son Nicolas Petro. The president said on July 29, 2023,

that his son Nicolas had been arrested on charges of money laundering and illicit enrichment. © Eitan Abramovich, AFP

Colombia's first leftist president wrote on Twitter, which is being rebranded as X, that police arrested his son and the son's ex-wife Daysuris Vasquez.

In March, Vasquez alleged that Nicolas Petro received large amounts of money from drug traffickers and smugglers in 2022 for his father's ultimately successful presidential campaign but instead used it to live in luxury in the northern city of Barranquilla.

Petro wrote: "I wish my son luck and strength. May these events build his character and may he reflect on his mistakes."

"As a person and father it hurts to see so much self-destruction," he added.

Prosecutors confirmed the arrest of the younger Petro on charges of money laundering and illicit enrichment. Vasquez was also charged with that first offense.

Since the scandal broke, President Petro has denied receiving money from the country's powerful cocaine lords. He himself asked that his son be investigated.

Nicolas Petro was a lawyer for his father's party in the northern Atlantic department. News outlets published bank records of his showing he had far more money than would correspond to his salary from congress.

Vasquez once said in an interview that her former husband received the equivalent of $124,000 from a former drug trafficker named Samuel Santander Lopesierra.

Santander Lopesierra served 18 years in prison in the United States for drug trafficking.

(AFP)

Lebanon's central bank chief ends 30-year tenure amid scandal, crisis

Lebanon's embattled central bank governor stepped down Monday under a cloud of investigation and blame for his country's economic crisis as several European countries probe him for alleged financial crimes.

Issued on: 31/07/2023 - 13:56, 3 min

Text by: NEWS WIRES

Lebanon's deeply divided political class has failed to agree on a replacement for Riad Salameh, 73, who is wanted for alleged financial crimes in several European countries. © Joseph Eid, AFP

Riad Salameh, 73, ended his 30-year tenure atop the central bank as tearful employees took photos and a band played celebratory music with drums and trumpets.

In that same building, his four vice governors, led by incoming interim governor Wassim Mansouri, quickly pivoted to urge fiscal reforms for the cash-strapped country.

“We are at a crossroads,” Mansouri said at a news conference. “There is no choice, if we continue previous policy ... the funds in the Central Bank will eventually dry up.”

Seventy-three-year-old Riad Salameh kicked off his tenure as central bank governor in 1993, three years after Lebanon’s bloody 15-year civil war came to an end. It was a time when reconstruction loans and aid was pouring into the country, and Salameh was widely celebrated at the time for his role in Lebanon's recovery.

Now, he leaves his post a wanted man in Europe, accused by many in Lebanon of being a main culprit in the country's financial downfall since late 2019. 

It was a steep fall for a leader whose policies were once hailed for keeping the currency stable. Later, many financial experts saw him as setting up a house of cards that crumbled as the country's supply of dollars dried up on top of decades of rampant corruption and mismanagement from Lebanon's ruling parties.

The crisis has pulverized the Lebanese pound and wiped out the savings of many Lebanese, as the banks ran dry of hard currency.

With the country's banks crippled and public sector in ruins, Lebanon for years has run on a cash-based economy and relied primarily on tourism and remittances from millions in the diaspora.

Mansouri said previous policies that permitted the Central Bank to spend large sums on money to prop up the Lebanese state is no longer feasible. He cited years of spending billions of dollars to subsidize fuel, medicine, and wheat and more to keep the value of the Lebanese pound stable.

Instead, Mansouri proposed a six-month reform plan that included passing long-awaited reforms such as capital controls, a bank restructuring law, and the 2023 state budget. 

“The country cannot continue without passing these laws,” Mansouri explained. “We don't have time, and we paid a heavy price that we cannot pay anymore.”

The reforms Mansouri mentioned are among those the International Monetary Fund set as conditions on Lebanon in April 2022 for a bailout plan, though he did not mention the IMF. None have been passed.

France, Germany, and Luxembourg are investigating Salameh and his associates over myriad financial crimes, including illicit enrichment and the laundering of $330 million. Paris and Berlin issued Interpol notices to the central bank chief in May, though Lebanon does not hand over its citizens to foreign countries.

Salameh has repeatedly denied the allegations and insisted that his wealth comes from his previous job as an investment banker at Merrill Lynch, inherited properties, and investments. He has criticized the probe and said it was part of a media and political campaign to scapegoat him.

In his final interview as governor, Salameh said on Lebanese television that the responsibility for reforms lies with the government.

“Everything I did for the past 30 years was to try to serve Lebanon and the Lebanese,” he said. “Some -- the majority -- were grateful, even if they don’t want to say so. And there are other people, well may God forgive them.”

Salameh's departure adds another gap to crisis-hit Lebanon’s withering and paralyzed institutions. The tiny Mediterranean country has been without a president nine months, while its government has been running in a limited caretaker capacity for a year. Lebanon has also been without a top spy chief to head its General Security Directorate since March.

Lebanese officials in recent months were divided over whether Salameh should stay in his post or whether he should step down immediately in the remaining months of his tenure.

Caretaker Economy Amin Salam wanted the latter, given that the central bank chief had a “legal question mark.” 

“I cannot explain anyone holding on to a person while a nation is failing unless there is something wrong or hidden," Salam told The Associated Press.

(AP)

Senegal's Sonko supporters claim legal charges are 'politically motivated'

Issued on: 31/07/2023 - 19:12

Modified: 31/07/2023 - 19:27

Senegal's public prosecutor on Saturday announced seven new charges against opposition figure Ousmane Sonko, and on Monday formally charged him with fomenting insurrection. 

"Mr Sonko's supporters had called for protests against his arrest on Friday, but it seems so far relatively quiet," says FRANCE 24's Sira Thierij, reporting from Dakar, Senegal. Even so, riot police were stationed around the capital on Monday. 

"His supporters believe the charges are politically motivated," Thierij added.

Military Madness > Kabul - No Evac Plan, Blinken Subpoenaed by Congress; What's Ursula doing in the Philippines? Ukraine bombing Moscow; Taiwan a 'Powder Keg'

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Blinken Gets Subpoenaed as Military Officers Testify

There Was No Afghanistan Withdrawal Plan

JUL 30, 2023 9:00 AM BY DANIEL GREENFIELD

Rep. McCaul signed the subpoena with a pen from the family of a Marine killed at Kabul airport.

The State Department finally issued its official ‘what happened in Afghanistan’ report that mostly absolved it of responsibility while suppressing dissenting materials. Congress has been trying to get hold of those even while State keeps stonewalling. Now Congress is beginning to lose its patience.

US House foreign affairs committee chairman Michael McCaul on Tuesday subpoenaed the State Department in a bid to obtain documents related to its Afghanistan withdrawal report, accusing President Joe Biden’s administration of “obstruction”.

Mr McCaul said in a statement that the subpoena was delivered directly to Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday morning for the “Afghanistan AAR files” – the collection of underlying documents used to produce the State Department’s After-Action Review.

“The committee has been forced, by the department’s obstruction, to issue a subpoena,” Mr McCaul said.

Meanwhile, at the hearing on Afghanistan, military leaders testified that there was no plan. Family members of those lost in Afghanistan were present.

“There was very little intelligence to suggest the Biden administration’s plan would work and a mountain range of evidence to suggest the plan would fail,” retired Col. Seth Krummrich, former chief of staff for special operations at U.S. Central Command, testified on Thursday before the House Foreign Affairs Committee. “The president’s decision to ignore the best military advice and execute an immediate military withdrawal was a shock and a rude awakening for all the planners.”

Another senior military leader, Command Sergeant Major Jacob Smith, warned State Department officials in the months leading up to September 2021 that Kabul International Airport—the eventual site of a terror bombing that killed 13 service members—was not equipped to handle a mass exodus of Americans. But the administration refused to shift the evacuation to the more secure Bagram Air Base, which had been shut down by the time of the withdrawal.

Bagram, Smith revealed, “had a completely secured airfield that would require a massive military offensive to overrun or breach.” Kabul airport, on the other hand, was surrounded by a city of 4.4 million residents and not even completely controlled by U.S. forces, presenting a host of security challenges.

Bagram also had “the mechanical capability to destroy sensitive equipment on an industrial scale in a short time,” while Kabul airport “did not,” according to Smith. If the State Department had chosen Bagram as the site of its evacuation, the military likely could have destroyed much of $7.2 billion in sensitive military equipment that was left behind and ultimately seized by the Taliban.

“I advised the embassy team against using” the Kabul airport, Smith said, noting that the State Department initially agreed with his assessment. However, officials back in Washington, D.C., ordered the base be shut down by early July 2021. “It is my understanding that those in [U.S.] embassy did not think that Taliban would advance to take Kabul.”

By August, a month before the full-scale evacuation effort, Kabul airport was left mostly undefended.

“An area once protected by hundreds of soldiers and contractors was now protected by 113 American soldiers,” Smith said, as the families of several soldiers killed in the September terrorist bombing wept behind him. “This was the only force left in Afghanistan.”

The State Department insisted on dispensing with the military’s role and maintaining a civilian diplomatic presence, fantasizing that some sort of Taliban-Government coalition would peacefully come together.

Was there a plan? Not so much.

So you can see why Secretary of State Blinken’s only plan is obstruction and more obstruction.

EU ready to strengthen cooperation with Philippines

on maritime security

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Monday the European Union was ready to strengthen cooperation with the Philippines on maritime security.

Issued on: 31/07/2023 - 06:22

Text by: NEWS WIRES

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen speaks during a press conference at the summit between European Union leaders and leaders of the CELAC group of Latin American and Caribbean states, in Brussels, Belgium July 18, 2023.

© Johanna Gern, Reuters

She was speaking after a meeting with Philippines' President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in Manila.

"We are ready to strengthen the cooperation with the Philippines on maritime security in the region by sharing information, conducting threat assessment and building the capacity of your coast guard," she said in a joint statement with Marcos.

The Philippines is a fulcrum of the geopolitical rivalry between the United States and China, with its maritime territory encompassing part of the South China Sea, a strategic and resource-rich waterway over which China also claims sovereignty.

The leaders also discussed relaunching negotiations for a free trade agreement and the Southeast Asian country's energy transition.

I'm curious as to why the EU is getting involved in the security of a country halfway around the world when it has enough to worry about in its own backyard?  Is this an attempt to put Europe in the middle of the growing troubles between America and China? If so, why?  Is von der Leyen setting the Philippines up as a potential market for EU weapons manufacturers? Will it be the site of the next major war? Taiwan is too small for a major prolonged war, which is all the rage these days.

(REUTERS)

Many Western countries are justifying their sending of munitions to Ukraine as being for the defence of the country. Attacking Moscow is not a defensive action. Whoever is providing Kiev with drones to attack Russia is in a rather precarious position right now.

Ukraine hits Moscow with drone strikes, Zelensky claims war

'returning to Russia'

By Joe Fisher

 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the war is "gradually returning to Russia's territory,"

during an address on Sunday. Photo by Ukrainian President Press Office/ UPI | License Photo

July 30 (UPI) -- The Russian Defense Ministry claims that it intercepted three Ukrainian drones in Moscow on Sunday.

Russia's state news agency reports that two high-rise buildings, including a 50-story building in western Moscow, were hit with a drone strike, according to CNN. The fifth and sixth stories of the 50-story building were damaged and no casualties have been reported.

"Ukraine is getting stronger, and the war is gradually returning to Russia's territory, to its symbolic centers and military bases," said Zelensky. "This is an inevitable, natural, and absolutely fair."

Ukraine has not taken direct responsibility for the attack.

The attack briefly caused the Vnukovo Airport in Moscow to shut down, the BBC reports.

The drone strike is the latest in Ukraine's effort to turn the tides of the war toward Russia, bringing the fighting closer to home for Russian citizens. On Friday Ukraine launched an attack on a bridge in Chonhar and bombed a Russian supply route to southern Ukraine, Politico reports.

An alleged Ukrainian missile struck Taganrog in the Rostov region of Russia on Thursday, injuring 16 people, regional governor Chekhov Sad posted on Telegram. Ten were hospitalized and one was said to be in "severe" condition. Ukraine has not claimed responsibility for this attack either.

Earlier this month Russia blamed another drone attack in Moscow on Ukraine. Three drones were neutralized in that attack as well.

China says Taiwan is turning into a 'powder keg' and

'ammunition depot'

By Adam Schrader

 

Chinese President Xi Jinping and other officials attend the opening session of the 20th National

Congress of the Communist Party of China at the Great Hall of People in Beijing in October 2022.

File Photo by Li Xueren/XINHUA/EPA-EFE

July 30 (UPI) -- Chinese officials on Saturday accused politicians in Taiwan of turning the self-governed island into a "powder keg" and "ammunition depot" with the support of the United States.

Chen Binhua, spokesman for China's Taiwan Affairs Office, said in a statement that members of Taiwan's nationalist Democratic Progressive Party are "stubbornly adhering" to the separatist stance of independence.

Taiwan is "constantly begging" the U.S. and to sell it weapons and provide military assistance while strengthening military ties, Binhua said.

"What they are doing is turning Taiwan into a powder keg and ammunition depot and aggravating the danger of war in the Taiwan Strait," Binhua said. The Taiwan Strait is a waterway that separates mainland China and Taiwan.

"If the DPP is allowed to go down this path, young people will only become cannon fodder," Binhua said.

Yeah! But think of all the weapons the West can sell! Who cares if a few million Taiwanese get wiped out? Certainly not the West.

Binhua added that China, officially the People's Republic of China, remains "firmly against" the United States providing weapons to what he called "China's Taiwan region."

"No matter how much tax money the DPP authorities and the separatist forces for Taiwan independence spend on the people of Taiwan and how many U.S. weapons they buy, they will not be able to shake our firm will to resolve the Taiwan issue and realize the complete reunification of the motherland," he said.

"And, they will not be able to withstand our strong strength to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity."

Mainland China and the island of Taiwan, among other islands, were ruled by the Republic of China before the ROC lost the Chinese Civil War in the early 20th century to the Chinese Communist Party, which established the new government of the People's Republic of China in October 1949. (Under Chairman Mao Zedong).

The ROC in turn established a temporary capital in Taipei on the island of Taiwan, a former Japanese territory, in December 1949 that served as the seat for China at the United Nations until it was replaced by the People's Republic of China in 1971 when foreign countries switched their diplomatic relations.

China views Taiwan and its 23 million residents as a wayward province and has vowed to retake it by force, if necessary. Many supporters of Taiwan have since argued that it is already an independent sovereign state separate from mainland China, which has never controlled Taiwan.

Last year, tensions between China and the United States over the Taiwan issue started to grow after then-U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited the wayward province sparking a military response from the Chinese government and increased drills in the Taiwan Strait.

Islam - Current Day > Bomb kills 39 at political rally in Pakistan; 1800 Terrorist attacks in West Africa in 2023; Teens plan Christian massacre in Austria

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Islam belies its fake name as the Religion of Peace, even in a country that is 96.5% Muslim. They just can't stop killing people.

Bomb blast at Pakistan political rally leaves at least 39 dead

By Adam Schrader

 

People shift coffins outside a hospital following a blast targeting a gathering of Islamic political party

Jamiat Ulma-e-Islam (JUI-F) in Bajaur, Pakistan, on Sunday. Photo by Hanifullah Khan/EPA-EFE

July 30 (UPI) -- An explosion killed at least 39 people and injured over 120 more at a rally for the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl political party in Pakistan on Sunday.

Akhter Hayat Gandapur, the inspector general of police for the Bajaur district, which borders Afghanistan, told CNN that the explosion was a suspected suicide bomb on the outskirts of the city of Khar.

The party said in a statement on Facebook that Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif has issued orders to send helicopters to aid the injured.

Local health officials said "special measures" have been taken at District Headquarters Hospital Timergara for the injured of Bajaur blast and the injured are being treated.

"All doctors and other staff are present. The hospital has been provided with all necessary medicines and alert to the ICU team," the health department said in a statement.

"Dr. Shaukat Ali, Director-General for Health Services Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has ordered to ensure availability of medicines and other essential commodities in all hospitals, especially DHQ hospitals of these districts," the statement reads.

Over 1,800 terrorist attacks in the first 6 months of 2023 in West Africa

By Anugrah Kumar, Christian Post Contributor

A woman and children stand at a fence with mural reading 'Merry Christmas happy celebrations' in the village of Yagma,

north of Ouagadougou, on September 17, 2019. Burkina Faso, a poor country in West Africa, has been caught in a 

spiral of violence attributed to jihadist armed groups. | ISSOUF SANOGO/AFP via Getty Images

The first half of 2023 saw a surge in terrorism in West Africa, the leader of a regional bloc told the U.N. Security Council, disclosing that over 1,800 attacks were recorded, leading to about 4,600 deaths.

Omar Touray, president of the 15-nation Economic Community of West African States, also known as the ECOWAS Commission, said the victims aren’t just those who lose their lives in the attacks, The Associated Press reported.

Half a million people have become refugees, fleeing their homes due to the violence, Touray said, adding that nearly 6.2 million have been internally displaced.

The region is in the midst of a humanitarian crisis, Touray told the Council, warning of potential future disaster. He noted that 30 million people in the region are in need of food aid. If the international community doesn’t respond adequately, that number could rise. By the end of next month, 42 million people might need help, he said.

Touray pointed to several factors contributing to the insecurity, of which terrorism is one. Others include armed rebellion, organized crime, unconstitutional government changes and environmental crises. Even fake news has played a role.

There’s also the issue of military rule, he added. Three countries — Mali, Burkina Faso and Guinea — are under such control, he added. This reversal of democratic gains, according to Touray, aligns with the region’s growing insecurity.

Touray provided a country-by-country breakdown of terrorism-related deaths.

Burkina Faso has suffered the most, with 2,725 deaths. Mali has lost 844 lives. Niger and Nigeria have witnessed 77 and 70 deaths, respectively.

Even coastal states haven’t been spared. Touray mentioned recent terrorist attacks in Benin and Togo. He viewed them as an indicator of the expanding reach of terrorism.

Various initiatives have been launched to tackle this insecurity. Yet, according to Touray, a lack of coordination hampers these efforts. ECOWAS wants to integrate these initiatives into a regional plan.

To this end, ECOWAS military chiefs of staff have consulted on strengthening a regional standby force. The aim is to support member states in fighting terrorism. It would also guard against threats to the constitutional order.

Touray shared two proposed options. The first is establishing a 5,000-strong brigade, which would cost $2.3 billion annually. The second option is a more flexible deployment of troops on demand, which would cost $360 million per year.

Touray voiced the African Union’s request for funding. He asked for African peace operations to be funded from the U.N. regular budget. This budget is contributed to by all 193 U.N. member states.

The U.N. Security Council also heard from Leonardo Santos Simão, the head of the U.N. office for West Africa. He echoed Touray’s concerns, emphasizing the deteriorating security situation in the central Sahel.

 U.S. Deputy Ambassador Robert Wood also addressed the council. He expressed concerns over democratic backsliding in the region. He also criticized the Russia-based Wagner Group for alleged human rights abuses.

The violence in West Africa, particularly its expansion toward the littoral states of Benin and Togo, underpins a larger concern

International Christian Concern, a U.S.-based persecution watchdog, sees this spread of terrorism as part of a global Jihad.

Responding to Touray’s disclosure, ICC expressed concerns about Islamic extremists’ aims to enforce extreme Sharia law wherever they conquer. It explained in a statement that this poses a significant threat to Christian communities in the region who are often singled out as targets.

The organization called for global prayers to strengthen unity within the church, end the tyranny of terrorists and replace the prevailing darkness with the light of peace and compassion.

Teens get 8 mo in prison for planning massacre of Christians in Austrian school

Austria: Two Muslim teens planned jihad massacre 

of the Christians in the younger one’s class

JUL 30, 2023 3:00 PM BY ROBERT SPENCER

“Kill them wherever you find them…” (Qur’an 2:191, 4:89, cf. 9:5)

“Fight against those do not believe in Allah or the last day, and do not forbid what Allah and his messenger have forbidden, and do not follow the religion of truth, even if they are among the people of the book, until they pay the jizya with willing submission and feel themselves subdued.” (Qur’an 9:29)

Wanted to kill Christians in school: only two years in prison for IS supporters!

Translated from “Wollten Christen in Schule töten: Nur zwei Jahre Haft für IS-Anhänger!,” 

Exxpress, July 29, 2023

Two IS terrorists (15, 16) wanted to get hold of swords and pistols and use them to kill all the Christians in the younger one’s class. Now they have been convicted in Leoben: They only have to spend two years in prison, eight months of which are mandatory.

With the aim of making Austria a caliphate, two IS supporters (15, 16) planned an attack on a class in the new middle school in Bruck an der Mur (Styria). While the older man used the username “El Terror” to search for blueprints for bombs and silencers on the Telegram platform, the younger man tormented animals and cut off the head of a snake, among other things. However, her plan to get hold of a friend’s father’s submachine gun failed.

They showed no remorse in court. Allah had forgiven them, they would go to paradise, they said. Now they have been sentenced, as reported by the “Krone.” Due to the juvenile criminal law, however, the two only have to go to prison for 2 years, eight months of which are unconditional.

“These terrorists wanted to kill people – they wanted to kill children (!) – age or not, but the verdict is an outrage!” scolds a user on Twitter. “Imagine being the mother or father of one of the children in the affected class. I could never sleep knowing that in less than two years these people who tried to kill my child will get out of prison…,” added another user.

Western judicial systems are ripe for abuse by Islamic terrorists. There is nothing in Western laws that is appropriate for the handling of jihadists who intend to subdue Europe and elsewhere to bring them under Sharia Law. Such people put Sharia above the laws of the country they inhabit, and, as such, do not belong in those countries, and shouldn't be permitted to remain in them. Radicalized Muslims must be segregated from sane societies before it is too late.

Islam - Current Day > UN Resolution solidly Islamic - anti Free Speech; EU reverses itself - approves of Palestinian hate literature in text books

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UN adopts Moroccan resolution against Qur’an burning;

it isn’t consistent with free speech laws

JUL 29, 2023 9:00 AM BY CHRISTINE DOUGLASS-WILLIAMS

There is a big problem with a reference contained in a Moroccan resolution over Qur’an burning that was adopted by the United Nations:

The resolution strongly condemns all acts of violence perpetrated against individuals based on their religion or beliefs and the desecration of sacred texts, stressing that such behavior violates international law.

Invoking the term “international law” has become a favorite tactic of Islamic supremacists. They resort to this frequently when referencing Israel’s retaliation against jihadists. What they mean by “international law” is Islamic laws and sentiments. The problem with the wording and meaning of the Moroccan resolution is that no violence is perpetrated against any human being in Qur’an burnings. So the question presents itself: is this remark an intentional deception to exaggerate the action of Qur’an desecration. or is the Qur’an itself in the view of Muslims regarded as an individual? Given the facts about minority persecution and the absence of vigorous condemnation of such persecution by Organization of Islamic Cooperation member nations, it would appear that the Qur’an itself is placed far above human life in value. Therefore, burning a Qur’an is presented as if it were an act of violence against an individual, which is, of course, a concept that is foreign to secular societies.

The West places human life above any inanimate object. On the other hand, the only international law and human rights code recognized by OIC nations is Sharia law, and the Islamic view of human rights that is in accordance with it. The OIC is no longer functioning under the UN Declaration of Human Rights; since 1990, the body has functioned officially under the Cairo Declaration of Human Rights, which is based on the Sharia. The member states of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation affirm:

…the civilizing and historical role of the Islamic Ummah which God [Allah] made the best nation that has given mankind a universal and well-balanced civilization in which harmony is established between this life and the hereafter and knowledge is combined with faith; and the role that this Ummah should play to guide a humanity confused by competing trends and ideologies and to provide solutions to the chronic problems of this materialistic civilization.

This document declares the supremacy of the Islamic ummah over the entire world. The Qur’an burnings increasingly expose why there is no compatibility between Western laws and those who ascribe to the Sharia. The challenge now is that the Islamic world is being increasingly exposed in its overt efforts to subjugate the West. Up until now, these efforts were stealthy, using deception and intimidation via the “Islamophobia” subterfuge, championed by the OIC, and now accepted by the UN. And on a more practical level, Islamic countries have been buying out UN agencies.

America remains the highest (dhimmi-paying) contributor to the United Nations, contributing a fifth of the its budget at over 12 billion dollars.

It is time for America to withdraw from the UN or support a new one, consistent with democratic nations that ascribe to the original UN Declaration of Human Rights.

UN Adopts Morocco-Presented Resolution Against Burning of Quran, Hate Speech

by Sara Zouiten, Morocco World News, July 26, 2023:

Rabat – The United Nations General Assembly, comprising 193 member states, unanimously adopted a resolution presented by Morocco against the burning of the Quran and hate speech targeting religious symbols.

The resolution strongly condemns all acts of violence perpetrated against individuals based on their religion or beliefs and the desecration of sacred texts, stressing that such behavior violates international law.

Championing the cause of peace and tolerance, Morocco has garnered widespread acclaim for its role as a regional and global leader in promoting peace, tolerance, and interreligious and intercultural dialogue.

The presentation and adoption of the resolution come amid rising concerns about Islamophobia and the challenges that Muslim communities face in Europe, with the most recent incident being the burning of the Quran in Sweden.

The event garnered widespread attention and condemnation from the international community, with many warning that such actions create an environment of fear and hostility for Muslims.

It seems to me to be more of a concern that such actions create an environment of threats and hysteria among Muslims. If they didn't overreact exponentially, there would be no Quran burnings. The purpose of the desecrations is to provoke Islam to reveal its true nature, a nature that has no resemblance to a religion of peace, and it works every time.

During the presentation of the resolution to the General Assembly, Morocco’s Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Omar Hilale underlined that this resolution builds upon resolution 73/328 adopted in 2019, which was the first of its kind on hate speech.

It also builds on resolution 75/309, which proclaimed June 18 as the “International Day for Countering Hate Speech,” to be observed each year.

Hilale noted that the adoption of the new resolution aligns with the visionary, solidarity-driven, and humanitarian approach of King Mohammed VI in standing against hate speech, extremism, and all forms of racism.

The ambassador recalled the monarch’s speech during the opening of the 9th World Forum of the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations, which took place in Fez in November 2022……

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European Parliament Takes Strong Stand

On Palestinian Schoolbooks, Then Capitulates

JUL 29, 2023 10:00 AM BY HUGH FITZGERALD

“And what they undid, did” (Antony and Cleopatra, Act II, Scene II)

Just two months ago, I posted a hopeful piece here about the decision of the European Parliament to call on the European Commission to end all aid to the PA, because it has failed so singularly to fulfill its repeated promises to remove the antisemitic material from its schoolbooks. This is what I wrote at the time:

The European Parliament on Wednesday passed a resolution calling on the European Commission to suspend aid to the Palestinian Authority’s educational system until antisemitic and violent themes are removed from textbooks issued to K-12 students.

The resolution, passed with 421 yes votes with 577 members of parliament participating, “deplores the problematic and hateful material in Palestinian school textbooks and study cards which has still not been removed” and noted that the content is influencing a rise in terrorist activity among Palestinian teenagers.

This was not the first time the European Parliament has passed such a resolution. And the European Commission has similarly demanded, following such resolutions, that the PA revise its schoolbooks, cleansing them of objectionable material, but it never has. The European Commission has never followed through on its threats for long. Only once, for 13 months, did it halt aid to the PA, but then reinstated it when the Palestinians convinced the then-president of the EU, Ursula von der Leyen, that “all difficulties had been taken care of.. ”It appears that this time the European Commission, weary of being played for a sucker by the Palestinians, really will stop all of its aid to the PA.

That’s what I wrote on May 12, 2023. Now I have just learned that the European Commission has reversed itself; it will not, after all, “freeze aid” to the PA, even though the PA has done nothing about its antisemitic textbooks. More on this reversal can be found here: “The EU-Funded Education for Jihad and Martyrdom,” by Bassam Tawil, Gatestone Institute, July 25, 2023:

…Even the European Parliament condemned the Palestinian Authority over the “hateful” content of its textbooks. The European Union, for the past two-and-a-half years, withheld assistance from the Palestinian Authority while demanding political reforms and the purging of incitement to violence from Palestinian textbooks. A resolution passed this year by the European Parliament went so far as to directly link the content of the textbooks with Palestinian terrorism, particularly attacks by young people. The resolution also acknowledged that there is antisemitism in the textbooks and demanded that it be removed….

The Palestinian Authority, however, has not removed from its textbooks material that promotes either violence or loathing Jews.

Nevertheless, despite repeated talk by the European Union on the need to change Palestinian textbooks, it is apparently resuming unconditional financial aid to the Palestinian Authority. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced last year during a visit to Ramallah, the de facto capital of the Palestinians, that EU funds will be resumed “rapidly.”…

Questions in the Arabic Language exam, for instance, include a poem that praises Jerusalem’s “knights” who “go to their death with a smile,” and the importance of preparing for violent Jihad against Israel.

Students are also tested on passages in the Palestinian Authority’s Islamic Education textbook, that praise murder, violence and death. One question asks students to explain that Jihad is “the apex of Islam;” another questions them about a passage that describes martyrdom as a great honor. The Islamic Education exam emphasizes the importance of Jihad as “one of the gates to achieving martyrdom.”

In May, the European Parliament voted overwhelmingly to ask the European Commission to end all aid to the Palestinian Authority, given that it had failed to fulfill its repeated promises in the past to clean up its textbooks. The antisemitism and anti-Israel venom is still there, found in the study plans, the lessons, the homework assignments, even the exam questions, all about the treacherous Jews who must be expelled “from the river to the sea” to make way for the independent state of Palestine, and other lessons on the supreme duty of jihad against not just Jews, but also against all Infidels.

The European Parliament’s overwhelming vote to have the European Commission end aid to the PA as long as its schoolbooks remained unchanged seemed to have made a difference. Many said that “this time” the Europeans would not be satisfied with the PA’s assurances. But just two months later, Ursula von der Leyen, the President of the European Commission, has announced a complete resumption of the EU’s aid to the Palestinian Authority.

Mahmoud Abbas must be quite satisfied. Again the Europeans made threatening noises about how the PA’s unchanged textbooks would trigger an end to aid, and again the Europeans have backed down. A deplorable result.

And as for the European Commission putting pressure on the PA to end the “Pay-For-Slay” program by which it both rewards past, and incentivizes future, terrorism — don’t even ask. That’s a matter that the pusillanimous EU still won’t address.

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