Islam in America > Chicago Muslim convicted of supporting ISIS; Canadian NGO president chants Death to America outside consulate

 

Chicago: Muslim recruited for ISIS, urged Muslims to ‘spread terror within the hearts of those who disbelieved’

Jun 29, 2025 5:00 pm By Robert Spencer13 Comments

“Make ready for them all that you can of force and of warhorses, so that by them you may strike terror in the enemy of Allah and your enemy…” — Qur’an 8:60

Chicago man convicted of using social media to recruit for ISIS, and try to spread violent jihad

CBS Chicago, June 27, 2025:

A Chicago man has been convicted of using social media to recruit ISIS operatives and try to spread violent jihad, and encourage people to carry out attacks on behalf of the terrorist group.

Following a bench trial in federal court in Chicago, Ashraf Al Safoo, 41, was convicted of one count of conspiracy to transmit threats in interstate commerce, one count of conspiracy to intentionally access a protected computer without authorization, four counts of intentionally accessing a protected computer without authorization, and four counts of providing material support to a foreign terrorist organization….

Federal prosecutors said he is a naturalized U.S. citizen who was born in Iraq, and moved to the U.S. in 2008.

He was accused of working with ISIS to various social media accounts to spread propaganda supporting violent jihad and recruit operatives to carry out terrorist attacks for the Islamic State.

Prosecutors said he is a member of Khattab Media Foundation, an internet group that has sworn allegiance to ISIS, and spread propaganda online promoting violent jihad. Images and videos he created in coordination with ISIS allegedly included include images of violence during Christmas, celebrations of terrorist attacks, and mass shootings in the U.S.

In one social media post, Al Safoo allegedly encouraged Khattab members to post pro-ISIS information “to cause confusion and spread terror within the hearts of those who disbelieved.”

“Work hard, brothers, edit the issue into short clips, take the pictures out of it and publish the efforts of your brothers in the pages of the apostates. Participate in the war, and spread terror, the [Islamic] State does not want you to watch it only, rather, it incites you, and if you are unable to, use it to incite others,” Al Safoo allegedly wrote in another post.

According to the charges, one video created by Khattab featured a computer-generated image of a family standing around a Christmas tree, with a castle in the background, before cutting to images of explosions, featuring images of dead and injured children.

The video then cuts to the words “Now listen you dogs of hell. This is a message and more are going to follow. This is just the beginning. Our gifts are now ready,” before showing a Christmas present containing a ticking bomb. The video then cuts to a news clip of a mass shooting; an image of a soldier dressed in black, holding a detonator; then landmarks from various world landmarks; and the soldier detonating a bomb.

In November 2017, Al Safoo allegedly used a social media app to encourage people to help ISIS in any way possible….

 

Canada: Pro-Iran NGO president praises Khamenei, chants ‘death to America’ outside US consulate in Toronto

Jun 30, 2025 7:30 am By Christine Douglass-Williams2 Comments

The NGO, the so-called Canadian Defenders 4 Human Rights, has been stirring up antisemitism in Canada for some time.

Also last year:

And in 2019, the group was lobbying against Jewish rabbis, calling rabbis who support Israel a “danger” to Canada. Firas Al Najim is the founder and head of the organization, which has taken bold pro-Islamic republic stances publicly, such as lobbying the Canadian government during a committee hearing to remove the terrorist designation from the Iran-backed Hizballah group in Lebanon.

Al Najim also stated that the “deviant Jews” are treacherous, know how to bribe and steal, and “killed thousands of prophets.” He cried out: “Oh Khamenei, we respond to your call.”

Now Al Najim is glorifying the supreme leader of Iran, the Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and chanting death to America.

Islamic supremacists always escalate by degrees. 

The worst part is that Al Najim is operating freely inside Canada.

Canada has come out vehemently against “Islamophobia,” even punishing and labeling anyone who criticizes Islam. But antisemitism remains tolerated in a nation that is now internationally infamous for its antisemitism.

Pro-Islamic Republic NGO president chants ‘death to America’ in Toronto

by Walid Tamtam, True North, June 26, 2025:

A video going viral on Canadian social media shows Firas Al Najim chanting common Islamic Republic phrases in Persian, glorifying the supreme leader Ali Khamenei and chanting death to America in front of the U.S. Consulate in Toronto.

Al Najim is the founder and head of the Canadian Defenders 4 Human Rights organization, an NGO that has taken pro-Islamic republic stances publicly, such as lobbying the Canadian government during a committee hearing to remove the terrorist designation from the Iran-backed Hezbollah group in Lebanon.

Last month, his organization called on the Canadian military to “send troops and arms to the Palestinian resistance in Occupied Palestine, Gaza” and pleaded with Prime Minister Mark Carney to “call on David McGuinty, defence minister, to assist the liberation process.”

Al-Najim spoke earlier this month with Press TV, an Iranian state broadcaster, where he shared his views on the Iran-Israel confrontation, warning that any U.S. military action against Iran would be a “foolish move.”

Canada is already grappling with concerns about potential Iranian sleeper cells and regime officials hiding in Canada who could potentially target Iranian dissidents, according to former Justice Minister Irwin Cotler.

With growing anti-Israel sentiment in Canada, the Islamic Republic regime has seen increased support on Canadian streets.…

Islam Hates Christians > 23 years on death row, Pakistan Supreme Court decides he never committed blasphemy

 

Pakistan: Christian acquitted of blasphemy

after 23 years on death row

Jun 29, 2025 1:00 pm By Robert Spencer11 Comments

“In his open letter, Kenneth merely stated that his Christian belief does not endorse Islam. He hasn’t used any derogatory language for prophet Muhammad that warranted a conviction under blasphemy.”

All one has to do to be accused of blasphemy in Pakistan is affirm the Christian faith, or any other faith, without directly insulting Muhammad at all.

Christian Acquitted after 23 Years on Death Row for ‘Blasphemy’

Morning Star News, June 25, 2025:

LAHORE, Pakistan (Christian Daily International–Morning Star News) – The Supreme Court of Pakistan today (June 25) ordered the acquittal of an elderly Christian on death row for 23 years on a blasphemy conviction, declaring that a person of unsound mind could not be held liable for such a crime, his lawyer said.

Supreme Court attorney Rana Abdul Hameed said that a three-judge bench of the Supreme Court comprising Justice Athar Minallah, Justice Shahzad Ahmed Khan and Justice Irfan Saadat Khan acquitted Anwar Kenneth, a 72-year-old Catholic, of the blasphemy allegations.

“It is very unfortunate that an elderly man has languished in various prisons for over two decades despite his mental health condition,” Hameed, a Muslim, told Christian Daily International-Morning Star News. “The Supreme Court’s decision to acquit him in view of his mental illness, though after a prolonged delay, will help in highlighting the plight of dozens of other blasphemy prisoners who are also suffering from mental health challenges, yet their cases have been pending for years.”

Hameed lauded the Supreme Court judges for making the right decision despite pressure from lawyers affiliated with various Islamist groups, including the Khatm-e-Nabbuwat (Finality of Prophethood) Lawyers Forum.

“These lawyers and clerics caused a ruckus in the courtroom as soon as the judges announced the acquittal order,” Hameed said. “Kenneth’s acquittal is a big setback to them, as it will have an impact on all blasphemy cases of similar nature.”…

“Though Islam is one of the three Abrahamic faiths, and Muslims believe in all prophets, including Jesus Christ, Christians and Jews don’t believe in prophet Muhammad,” Hameed stated. “In his open letter, Kenneth merely stated that his Christian belief does not endorse Islam. He hasn’t used any derogatory language for prophet Muhammad that warranted a conviction under blasphemy.”

Kenneth’s appeal against the high court’s decision had lingered for years. On March 12, 2024, the Supreme Court directed the country’s top Islamic body, the Council of Islamic Ideology (CII), and two Christian bodies – the Pakistan Church Council and the United Church Council of Islamabad – to advise the court on whether content that left the Catholic on death row for over two decades was in fact blasphemous.

A three-member Supreme Court bench in January 2023 noted the need for legal representation for Kenneth and requested that the Pakistan Bar Council provide a defense attorney after five state-provided lawyers recused themselves from the case.

Hameed, who has successfully defended several persons falsely charged with blasphemy, agreed to represent the Christian with the support of advocacy group Jubilee Campaign Netherlands.

Kenneth’s family members had previously told this reporter that he worked as a deputy director in the fisheries department when he was arrested. According to them, Kenneth was a well-educated man with a deep interest in his Christian faith.

“My brother was a Bible scholar and often engaged in scholastic discussions with his Muslim friends and religious leaders,” Kenneth’s 83-year-old elder sister, Reshma Bibi, told Christian Daily International-Morning Star News in March 2024. “He also communicated his religious ideas and values through his letter-writing, but he was never disrespectful towards any holy personality. It was one of these letters that was used to silence him.”…

 

When God is on your side > Bibi acknowledges God was a big part of the attack on Iran

 

One of the things that has worried me for some years is Israel's reliance on its military for survival when it is surrounded by vastly larger, hostile Muslim countries. In the end, God will be Israel's deliverer, not its military. But it was comforting to read Bibi's words at the end of this interview, when he switched to Hebrew. There is still devastation to come, but at least, God is not being ignored in this round.

The Way Netanyahu Ended This Press Conference Will Go Down in the History Books

written by Phil Schneider June 26, 2025 4.1K views

Following military victory, it is common for the victors to gloat and brag about how brave their decisions were. Success has many people lining up to take credit for being right once again, for having the foresight to see what others could not see. This is what is called arrogance. Modesty is having the ability to say thank you to G-d Above who is often the truest source for all great things that transpire. 

It is true that G-d “needs” us below as His partners to fulfill his goals in this world. But, without His help, things such as the amazingly successful attack on Iran would not have even happened. The cost in lives was indeed heavy on the Israeli side, but nobody ever thought taking out the Iranian threat would be a walk in the park.

There were clearly plans for much worse scenarios that were on the table. But the stars lined up in such a way that Israel was able to take out most of the Iranian military brass in one fell swoop and take out much of the Iraninan military threat on the first day. These things don’t just all work out. They are the results of coordination that is not just a function of excellent military intelligence. It requires a Hand from G-d to get everything to “just work out.” The number of missiles that fell in empty areas in the midst of large apartment building complexes are not mere coincidences. 

PM Netanyahu should be praised for his ability to thank G-d when it was evident to everyone watching that Israel has a hidden weapon on our side.

This must drive the godless Muslim's crazy!

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Islam in Canada > How will Quebec respond to prayer rooms in junior colleges?

Will Quebec take on Islamic prayer rooms in colleges in its efforts to be secular?

Prayer rooms causing tensions in Quebec colleges, new government report says

By Maura Forrest  The Canadian Press

Posted June 27, 2025 10:47 am

 Updated June 27, 2025 2:15 pm

 3 min read

View image in full screen

Quebec Minister for Higher Education Pascale Déry responds to the Opposition during question period, Thursday, May 9, 2024, at the legislature in Quebec City. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jacques Boissinot. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jacques Boissinot

Prayer rooms, political student groups and controversial course content are fuelling a climate of tension and mistrust at two of Quebec’s junior colleges, according to a new government report.

The report, published Friday by Quebec’s Education Department, says prayer rooms can foster radicalization and divisions between students. It also questions whether the rooms even belong in public colleges.

This is among a range of issues highlighted in the report, from the sale of kaffiyehs on campus to language classes focused on Palestinian culture, which it says are causing strain among students and teachers.

“We absolutely have to find a way to return to a healthy climate,” said Higher Education Minister Pascale Déry in an interview. “Because a climate of tension and a climate of mistrust has reigned in these two establishments for several months.”

The 71-page document is the result of a months-long investigation at Dawson and Vanier colleges, two English-language junior colleges in Montreal. It was launched last November following complaints that tensions around the Israel-Hamas war had created an unsafe atmosphere on campus.

The report recommends that the government adopt a new law to regulate academic freedom in the college system. It also says the province should ensure its secularism rules are fully respected.

Déry did not say how the government will respond to the report, or whether it will ban prayer rooms in junior colleges. The Coalition Avenir Québec government has already barred public schools from making space available for students to pray.

“Respect for the principles of secularism is non-negotiable,” Déry said. She pointed to a line in the report that describes how a prayer room for Muslim students at Vanier College has a dividing curtain so that women and men don’t pray together.

“For us, it is not normal that within a public organization, we separate men and women,” Déry said.

The report focuses heavily on pro-Palestinian student groups and activities, and says colleges lack the power to intervene when the actions of student clubs run counter to the institutions’ values.

It notes that kaffiyehs are sold weekly at Dawson, and that a Palestinian student group at Vanier promotes wearing the scarves, which symbolize solidarity with Palestinians.

“It is clear from the testimonies heard that this activity creates tensions, as opinions diverge on this cause,” the report says. It found that pro-Palestinian student groups at both colleges are violating their own constitutions, which say they must not be political.

The investigation also found that the principle of academic freedom is not applied uniformly across the college system, which it says can cause “tensions and friction” between teachers.

It says the selection of guest speakers and topics for symposiums can often be controversial, leading to suspicion and the formation of cliques among teachers.

It also says students raised concerns about two classes at Dawson and Vanier that focused on Palestinian culture, despite being billed as language classes. At Vanier last winter, an English class on contemporary fiction was replaced at the last minute with a course on Palestinian short stories.

Opposition parties and academic unions accused Déry of political interference after she asked Dawson last year to evaluate a French literature course focused on Palestinian culture. On Friday, she defended that decision.

“I’m doing my job,” she said. “I ask questions. I’m going to continue to ask questions if I need to ask questions.”

The report found that colleges have little control over course content. “Academic freedom does not justify activism or the promotion of ideologies in any form,” it says.