Attacker accused of terrorism over fatal stabbing
at Erasmus Bridge in Rotterdam
The 22-year-old man alleged to have carried out a knife attack at the Erasmus Bridge in Rotterdam is suspected of wanting to perpetrate a terrorist attack, the Public Prosecution Service (OM) said on Friday. One victim was killed in the attack on Thursday night, another was wounded, and both the suspect and the bystander that captured him suffered minor injuries.
The alleged assailant, a 22-year-old man from Amersfoort, is currently under suspicion of “murder and attempted murder with a terrorist motive,” the OM stated. “The investigation conducted so far provides indications that the suspect may be ideologically driven. For example, the suspect shouted ‘Allahu Akbar’ several times during the commission of the acts.”
Afterwards, a personal trainer who helped tackle the suspect said the man was in possession of two carving knives or cleavers, and ran towards an event where dozens of people were present. About six people brought him down, including the trainer, Reniël.
In its update, prosecutors confirmed that the Amersfoort man was previously convicted of other violent crimes. While terrorism is the current suspicion, the OM said that other possible motives have not been ruled out.
While the investigation is ongoing, the suspect will be kept in restricted custody. He will not be allowed to communicate with anyone other than legal representation. Likewise, prosecutors are generally limited in details they are allowed to provide about suspects kept under closer guard.
NL Cabinet pushing through with declaring asylum crisis,
despite opposition concerns
The coalition parties PVV, VVD, NSC, and BBB will proceed with emergency legislation in the field of asylum. Opposition parties’ plans to opt for urgent legislation instead, which would not bypass parliament, did not make it: 56 parliamentarians were in favor, and 90 were against.
If the Cabinet continues with emergency legislation, it can bypass parliament. Only after three months at the latest can parliament and the Senate debate the plans, even though they are already in force. That is why the opposition parties wanted the Cabinet to opt for urgent legislation instead. According to them, that is just as fast but with prior approval from parliament.
The theme dominated the budget debate. Coalition party NSC, in particular, faced fierce attacks for it. Acting party chair Nicolien van Vroonhoven explained again on Thursday that she wanted to first see whether emergency legislation was possible. She immediately commented that she had “hard feelings” about it and that she expected the plan to fail in the Council of Ministers. A “supporting motivation” must be found there for the need to introduce emergency legislation. But documents that were sent to parliament on Thursday showed that civil servants had no confidence in this.
The coalition will, therefore, not block the trajectory for emergency legislation for the time being. Still, not only the NSC but also the VVD expressed discomfort. Party leader Dilan Yeşilgöz impressed upon Prime Minister Dick Schoof that the Cabinet had to come up with “sound” laws. The VVD leader also wanted Schoof to work on urgent legislation at the same time in case the emergency legislation fails. Van Vroonhoven also assured the opposition that the Cabinet would come up with alternatives “as soon as possible” if the emergency law does not pass.
PVV leader Geert Wilders, on the other hand, firmly rejected the option of emergency legislation. It was agreed during the formation that the Cabinet would declare an asylum crisis, and he wants to hold his coalition partners to that. He did, however, cautiously offer the Cabinet room to come up with a different consideration. “I’m not in charge of that, the Cabinet makes its own choices.”
Baudet reprimanded for Nazi reference
A reference to the Nazi era earned FvD leader Thierry Baudet a reprimand from parliament president Martin Bosma. During a speech about top civil servants who, according to him, were obstructing the right-wing Cabinet, Buadet said: “that a little night of the long knives at the Ministries would not be out of place.”
The Night of the Long Knives was a three-day massacre in June 1934 in which Adolf Hitler had a large number of opponents within the Nazi party NSDA murdered. At least 85 people were killed, but some estimates put the number at a thousand.
Bosma reprimanded Baudet. “You are familiar enough with history to know that what you are doing is a rather dubious reference,” he said. D66 leader Rob Jetten asked Baudet to retract his words, which he did. “It slipped out,” he said. “And, of course, it was meant ironically.”
Reporting by ANP and NL Times
UK: Imam recruits six family members to inflict
‘shocking violence’
One might almost get the idea that Talhat Mughal holds beliefs involving the justification and sanctification of violence. But that would be “Islamophobic.”
Rotherham imam jailed after recruiting six family members to inflict shocking violence
by Sarah Marshall, The Star, September 13, 2024:
A Rotherham imam and four of his family members have been jailed, after he ‘recruited’ them to ‘embark on a shocking piece of violence’ that left two men seriously injured.
Disgraced imam, Talhat Mughal, along with family members Muhammad Uwais Mughal, Mohammed Basharat Ali Mughal, Mohammed Tabarak Mughal and Ahmed Mughal, were all sent to begin prison sentences for their role in the violent brawl, during which one man suffered injuries requiring reconstructive facial surgery, while another sustained a stab wound.
Two more members of Talhat’s family, Wakaas Mughal and Hamza Mughal, also became involved in the disorder, but received suspended sentences during the same Sheffield Crown Court hearing held on September 13, 2024.
The court heard how the violence stemmed from a dispute that Talhat, who had held the esteemed religious role in the Rotherham area for more than two decades, had with one of the complainants, relating to a bullying allegation.
In the hours before the disorder erupted on February 21, 2021, Talhat was involved in a physical altercation with the first complainant in a Rotherham shop, but it was quickly brought to an end after staff intervened, the court heard.
Judge Peter Hampton said Talhat subsequently set about ‘recruiting family members to embark on a shocking piece of violence’.
Two hours on from the shop scrap, Talhat, Muhammad Uwais and Mohammed Basharat Ali descended on the street where the first complainant lived, in the Herringthorpe area of the town.
After the first complainant and a member of his ‘faction’ – the second complainant – came out onto the street, violence quickly broke out – all while a child was present inside the first complainant’s home.
Around four minutes after the arrival of the other defendants, Ahmed, Hamza, Mohammed Tabarak and Wakaas arrived in a separate car, and began to join the violence, which was captured on CCTV taken from the street.
“The violence was pre-planned, it was organised, it was serious group violence involving the use of weapons.
“It incorporated serious assaults on the streets of Rotherham.”
The defendants were described as having turned the street into a ‘boxing area’.
During the course of the brawl, one of the complainants retreated back into the house and reappeared with what Judge Hampton described as a ‘wooden item’.
Shocked residents observing the brawl reported hearing one of the defendants shouting ‘kill’ as the fighting continued, the court heard….
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