Islam - Current Day > Iran Sentences Adulterers to Death; Pegasus IDs 6 NGO's Linked to Terrorism; Cannes Cop Stabbed by Muslim

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Iran sentences couple to death for adultery

Published:  November 08, 2021 15:59

Tawfiq Nasrallah, Senior News Editor

Gulf News

  

The man’s wife discovered her husband’s illegal affair with a woman early this year and filed a case against him along with supporting documents, including video clips.

Image Credit: Shutterstock

Dubai: A 27-year-old man and a 33-year-old woman have been both sentenced to death for committing adultery in Iran, local media reported.

The Supreme Court in Tehran confirmed the death sentence, after the man’s father-in-law refused to forgive him, Shargh newspaper reported.

According to the paper, the man’s wife discovered her husband’s illegal affair with a woman early this year and filed a case against him along with supporting documents, including video clips proving his affair with a woman six years older to him.

Although the suspect’s wife dropped the charges against her husband, her father refused, and asked the judicial authorities to apply the maximum penalty against them.

Accordingly, the Supreme Court in Tehran sentenced both to death based on the tapes and the confessions of the accused.

According to Iranian law, the punishment for adultery can even be death, but it is up to the judge to determine the means of execution. Iranian laws also allow the maximum punishment not to be carried out if the victim’s family considers the convict to be forgiven.

Pegasus spyware linked to Israel branding Palestinian rights NGOs

as terrorists – report

8 Nov, 2021 13:31

FILE PHOTO: NSO Group branch in the Arava Desert. ©REUTERS / Amir Cohen

Phones of six members of Palestinian human rights organizations were hacked with the notorious spyware Pegasus, a new report said. The Israeli government designated the organizations as terrorists.

The designation was likely meant to give a post-factum justification for the use of the spyware, which the producer says is restricted to law enforcement operations against terrorism and crime, the Ireland-based NGO that identified the intrusions said.

The accusations against the Israeli government came on Monday from Front Line Defenders, a Dublin-based human rights group. It said a Palestinian group tuned to them on October 16, after suspecting that an activist’s phone may have been hacked. The Irish group confirmed his suspicion and swiped a total of 75 iPhones used by various pro-Palestinian activists for signs of similar attacks, discovering five additional phones had been compromised.

The earliest detected intrusion happened in July 2020. The most recent hacks happened in April 2021 and targeted three phones. The forensic analysis indicated that the phones were broken into with Pegasus, a military-grade spyware toolkit developed by the Israeli firm NSO.

Front Line Defenders’ conclusions were confirmed by Citizens Lab and Amnesty International’s Security Lab, both of which have extensive records of identifying and exposing alleged cases of Pegasus deployment.

Also in October, the Israeli government designated six Palestinian rights groups, to which the targeted activists belonged, as terrorist organizations. The controversial decision was taken by the civilian government, but reportedly not supported by the IDF, which means that the six NGOs remain legal in the military-administered West Bank.

According to Haaretz, the Israeli State Prosecutor’s Office has no intention of filing any indictment against members of the group, which casts additional doubt on the strength of the evidence against them that the Israeli government alleges to have. Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney said Israel failed to show European governments any credible proof to justify the terrorist label.

Sources in the Israeli government said the goal was to dismantle financial support of Palestinian terrorism by cutting European funding of the six NGOs. Front Line Defenders believes that the real motive for the decision was to justify the use of Pegasus against Palestinian rights activists.

“The Israeli designation of these organizations as ‘terrorists’ after Pegasus was detected, but just days before this investigation is reported, appears to be a clear effort to cover its actions and disconnected from any evidence that would discredit these organizations,” the report said.

The Irish group called for continued funding of Palestinian groups and said European nations should join the US in blacklisting NSO. Last week, Washington banned the developer of Pegasus along with three other software firms from trading with US companies without a special license.

The Biden administration cited evidence that NSO supplied its software to “foreign governments that used these tools to maliciously target government officials, journalists, businesspeople, artists, activists, academics, and embassy workers.” The accusations of widespread shady use of Pegasus were reinforced earlier this year by multiple media outlets, which investigated how NSO’s flagship product was used. The firm denied any wrongdoing, stating that it has strong safeguards in place to prevent misuse of its spyware.

Cannes stabbing: Policeman who was attacked should thank his vest

8 Nov, 2021 09:41

FILE PHOTO. © LUCAS BARIOULET / AFP

A police officer targeted on Monday in a stabbing attack in Cannes was protected from physical injury by his vest, France’s interior minister confirmed as investigators evaluate if the incident was related to terrorism.

The officer was attacked by a male assailant outside the central police station of Cannes. One officer was stabbed, but luckily wasn’t injured thanks to his ballistic vest, Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said in an update on Twitter. The minister flew to Southern France to personally oversee the investigation into the attack.

According to BFM, the suspect, who was shot and injured by another police officer at the scene, was identified as a 37-year-old Algerian citizen, who was not on law enforcement’s radar before the incident.

The man reportedly approached a police car parked outside the station and stabbed one officer, before walking around the vehicle and opening the door to attack another. At that point, a third officer sitting in the car shot him.

Some reports claimed the suspect said something about “the Prophet” during the attack. Investigators have not confirmed that the incident had any terrorist connection.

Brunei’s Law Mandates STONING TO DEATH of Gays & Adulterers

Not a sound so far from Mainstream Media as Islam displays Sharia

Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah of Brunei Darussalam ©  Global Look Press / Zheng Huansong

A harsher version of penal code, which includes sharia-based punishments for things like adultery and same-sex relations, is to come into force next week in Brunei. The ‘human rights defenders’ in Washington, however, are silent.

Brunei, a tiny Muslim-majority absolute monarchy located in Southeastern Asia is about to put into force the last amendment to its criminal code as part of a reform initiated back in 2014. The renewed code, which is aimed at reflecting Islam’s tenets of morality and punishment for those who break them, will include caning and even stoning to death of Muslims, who are found guilty of adultery, sodomy and rape.

The government wanted to roll in the new laws in stages, but put the process on pause after international public outcry over the milder phase one, which included fines and jail terms for offenders, but not corporal punishment. Last week a rights group reported that Brunei quietly announced earlier this year the date, when the harsher version of the code would come into force: April 3.

“We are trying to get pressure placed on the government of Brunei but realise there is a very short time frame until the laws take effect,” Matthew Woolfe an Australia-based founder of the group, the Brunei Project, told Reuters. “It took us by surprise that the government has now given a date and is rushing through implementation.”

Homosexuality was outlawed in Brunei even before the 2014 reform and in fact since colonial times, with jail sentences of up to 10 years possible. If its government goes ahead with the plan, the nation will become the first in Asia to allow punishing gay people by death. At the moment only a handful of nations like Afghanistan, Iran, Saudi Arabia and Yemen have such provisions in their law.

The news has horrified some international rights groups. Amnesty International, in particular, decried the introduction of “cruel and inhuman penalties” and called on the world to “urgently condemn Brunei’s move to put these cruel penalties into practice.”

However, the US has so far stayed conspicuously silent on the issue. Washington, which actively develops economic ties with the oil-rich nation while regularly holding annual naval drills with a particular focus on maritime security in the South China Sea, has not yet issued a single statement on the latest developments in Brunei.

And neither did London, which also enjoys “close ties” with its former protectorate. Although, one could hardly expect any damning statements from the US aimed at the Brunei Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah. The man, who recently described the amendment of the penal code as “a great achievement,” has traditionally enjoyed warm relations with the White House, which were sometimes marked by some extraordinary gifts like jewelry worth $71,468 presented to the former first lady, Michelle Obama, by the Queen of Brunei back in 2013.

However, such a situation would probably surprise no one. The fact that another of Washington’s major allies – Saudi Arabia – also punishes same-sex relations by death – alongside adultery, apostasy and blasphemy – never stopped the US from striking billions-worth of deals with Riyadh.

The recent scandal over the murder of the Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, which resulted in global fallout for the Saudis, failed to change the attitude of the White House and the Pentagon to Riyadh.

In theory, Iran-style crippling sanctions of its exports would swiftly change the mind of the Brunei government on whether stoning gays is a good idea. But considering how selective Western powers are in using this tool against nations accused of human right violations, one shouldn’t expect such a development anytime soon.

Sharia is a natural evolution of countries where Islam is in the majority. Where Islam is a significant minority, it is just a matter of time before it becomes the majority. Much higher birth rates and the use of democratic countries own laws and social programs against them make Muslim domination inevitable. And yet, most European countries are completely blind to the obvious.

Transgender Soldier Celebrated as First UK Woman on Frontline Duty 'Seduced Comrade's Wife'

When the establishment buys into the lunacy of political correctness, they have to hide the truth from the world. Scots Guards top brass not only hid the truth from the world but surely caused some serious morale issues within the regiment.

The famed Scots Guards regiment, where the scandal unfolded. ©  REUTERS/PETER NICHOLLS

Chloe Allen, officially recognized as the British Army's first woman allowed on the frontline after transitioning in 2016, has reportedly been accused of breaking up a fellow soldier's marriage — a serious breach of army ethics.

The Daily Mail, which broke the story, also alleges that the top brass refused to take the usual disciplinary steps against Allen, to avoid embarrassment around the high-profile recruit.

Chloe, 26, who joined the prestigious Scots Guards regiment in 2012 under her birth name Ben Allen, is to be cited in the divorce papers of Sergeant Mark Gray, who says that she used the pretext of needing help in presenting as a woman, to begin an affair with his partner of ten years, Sophie.

Allen featured heavily in the media after being made a symbol of the British Army's commitment to diversity, following her decision to transition without stepping away from the frontline role, in which her responsibilities include driving a heavy armored truck. The move was reportedly prompted by an incident in which fellow soldiers found their comrade cross-dressing before an assignment to guard a royal palace, a standard duty for the regiment, which has been involved in the Trooping the Colour ceremony in the past.

The UK has been openly welcoming transgender troops into service since 1999, while restrictions on women in frontline roles were lifted two years ago.

According to the Daily Mail, in the aftermath of her announcement Allen began visiting the Gray household, where she would engage in dressing-up sessions with Sophie, who gave her make-up tutorials. Mark grew suspicious that the contact was more than platonic and confronted his wife, but she denied the accusations. However, when he returned from an assignment in the Falklands, his wife had moved all of her possessions and allegedly moved in with Allen.

Gray reported this to his superiors as a potential violation of the Service Test — the British Army's internal code of conduct — which proscribes “over-familiarity with the spouses, civil partners or partners of other Service personnel.” Sanctions for violations range from extra duties and removal of privileges for the person found guilty, to discharge from the regiment.

But in this case nothing was done, even though none of the parties appear to have challenged the allegations.

“Scots Guards commanders gave Chloe their full support and stressed they wanted her to remain in the regiment whatever was happening in her private life and with her transition from man to woman,” an army source told the Daily Mail.

“They favored handling the matter informally, a decision made easier because Sgt Gray was no longer in the Scots Guards.”

Gray believes that he has been the victim of Allen's preferential treatment.

“Mark is distressed and feels Chloe played him for a fool by having an affair with Sophie while maintaining that Sophie was only helping her learn how to present herself as a woman,” a source in the Scots Guards told the Daily Mail.

“Had Mark shacked up with another guardsman's wife, he'd have been charged with breaching disciplinary rules and been in deep trouble, whereas nothing appears to have happened to Chloe despite her affair with Mark's wife.”

Questions persist over whether the affair is continuing.

“I am not in a relationship, nor am I living with anyone,” Allen said in a statement, made through the army, before the story broke, labeling the revelations "untrue".

But the Daily Mail has published recent photos of Allen and Sophie Gray together, and says that the two women have been spending nights together at Gray's house, where she lives with her two children from Mark.

Those poor children! It's always the children who suffer for adult's madness.

State in Malaysia Approves Public Canings for Breaking Sharia Law

Another in a series of posts documenting the 'progressiveness' of Islam. Sin is progressive, we see that in those addicted to pornography - it often progresses to child porn, and, in time, tends toward younger and younger children and more and more violent assaults. 

Islam progresses as its numbers rise. The greater the percentage of Muslims in a particular area or country, the more Islam moves toward Sharia and its legalism and barbarism. 

© Beawiharta / Reuters

A state in Malaysia governed by a conservative Islamist party has amended its laws to allow public canings for crimes against sharia law. Critics have called the move unconstitutional, with one politician saying it indicates a “bleak future” for the country.

The amendment was passed by the assembly of Kelantan to more closely align the state’s policies with Islamic criminal law, Kelantan deputy chief minister Mohd Amar Nik Abdullah said, as quoted by Bernama state news agency.

“Caning can now be carried out inside or outside of prison, depending on the court’s decision,” Mohd Amar said.

“This is in line with the religion, which requires that sentencing must be done in public,” he said.

He declined to say exactly what offenses would be punishable by caning, although Reuters reported that the amendment applies to sharia crimes.

Ti Lian Ker, a member of the Malaysian Chinese Association, which is part of the ruling coalition, says public canings are unconstitutional under federal criminal law.

“This is a rewriting of our legal system and spells a bleak future for the nation,” he said in a statement, as quoted by Reuters.

While Islamic law is observed in all of the other Malaysian states, its application is restricted to family issues such as divorce and inheritance, as well as sharia crimes involving Muslims, including the consumption of alcohol and adultery. Criminal cases are handled by federal law.

The decision of the Kelantan state assembly comes as no surprise, as the state has also been pushing to adopt a strict Islamic penal code called ‘hudud,’ which would allow adultery to be punished by stoning and thievery by amputation.

The state, which is governed by PAS, a conservative Islamist party, has also banned nightclubs and cinemas.

Last year, PAS introduced a bill that would expand the powers of sharia courts and incorporate hudud into the country’s existing legal system. The proposed legislation is expected to be debated in parliament later this month.

Ethnic Malay Muslims make up more than 60 percent of the country’s 32 million people. Similar calls to implement stricter sharia law have made waves in recent years, prompting concern from members of the country’s Chinese and Indian populations, as well as other ethnic minorities.

The Wednesday amendment comes just one month after Malaysia's Health Ministry made headlines for holding a contest soliciting videos which explained the consequences of homosexuality and "gender confusion," promising a cash award of up to US$1,000. 

Homosexuality is forbidden in Malaysia. Those violating the law face flogging and up to 20 years in jail.

Meanwhile, the Malaysian state of Kelantan isn't the only government in the region to advocate for caning, or against homosexuality.

In May, two gay men were publicly caned in Indonesia’s most conservative province, Aceh, which has the authority to enforce sharia law alongside the national criminal code. 

‘Moderate’ Islamists Admit: ‘Radical’ Islam Is Islam

Any liberals with the courage to watch this 4 minute video?

COURTNEY KIRCHOFF - Louder with Crowder

Here’s a fun twist. You know how the greatest appeasers of Islam are none other than our leftist apologists (read Dear Liberals: Your Hypocrisy on Islam is Most Staggering of All…) and their flock of sheep on social media, who greet their mornings with cries of “Not all Muslims are terrorists,” or “Not all Muslims are bad guys,” or “Not all Muslims want to kill the gays or subjugate the women!” Well brace yourselves for irony so rich, it’ll give you gout.

Watch mainstream Muslims reject the leftists talking points of “Not all Muslims are ____”2

“Every now and then, they always come with the same accusations. This speaker supports death penalty for homosexuals…he is homophobic, he subjugates women, etc. etc… And we always try to tell them, that speaker doesn’t have radical views. These are views of Islam.”

“Everyone in the room, how many of you are normal, Sunni Muslims?” (everyone)

“How many of you agree that men and women should sit separate?” (everyone)

“How many of you agree that the punishments described in the Qur’an, wether it is death or stoning for adultery, (original includes homosexuality) if it comes from Allah, it is the best punishment in the world?” (everyone)

“Are you all Islamic extremists? No.”

“What are the politicians going to say now? What are the media going to say now? That we’re all extremists? That we’re all radicals?”

Denmark May Strip Radical Imams of Citizenship

© Reuters

Denmark might soon be able to strip radicalized imams of citizenship. The proposal is expected to be supported by a majority in parliament.

The initiative comes from the anti-immigration Danish People’s Party, and has received backing from the ruling Liberal Party, the opposition Social Democrats and the Conservative party.

"The Constitution says that one must practice his faith as long as it is not contrary to morals or disturbing to the public order,” Martin Henriksen, Danish People's Party's spokesman told the Berlingske newspaper on Monday.

“When imams endorse or recommend stoning or when an imam tells a woman subjected to violence by her husband, that that’s okay, then it [may be considered] subversive speech that disturbs the public order. Some of these imams are Danish citizens, and we think we should deprive them of their citizenship," he said.

The proposal was made in particular to withdraw citizenship from Abu Bilal, a leading imam at the Grimhoj mosque in the city of Aarhus. A recent documentary, ‘Mosques behind the Veil,’ revealed that the imam advocated the stoning of adulterous women and the killing of apostates.

It drives me crazy that western countries seem to take forever to get rid of radical Imams. I'm glad Denmark is finally getting around to it.

Danish Prime Minister Lokke Rasmussen urged MPs to come up with measures to counter the growth of radical Islam after the documentary exposed the activities of such radical mosques.

The Danish People’s Party is set to make two new proposals in the upcoming set of negotiations with the Danish PM. The party is to present a draft resolution on stripping Abu Bilal of his Danish citizenship and then to review the Constitution’s clause on religious freedom.

Rasmussen said that he will be willing to “push the limits” of the interpretation of the Danish Constitution when reviewing the proposals, the Local reported.

"We are open to all solutions that can stop the radicalized imams," said Trine Bramsen, the Social Democrats' spokesman, according to the Berlingske newspaper.

Marcus Knuth, the Liberal Party’s immigration spokesman, said the proposal was “a really good idea.”

“I personally think it sounds like a really good idea… You are not just talking about twisted old imams. These are the mosques that have shaped many Syrian fighters, and they can be a threat to national security,” he said.

The president of Grimhoj Mosque, however, called the measure a very drastic step, saying it would only encourage radicalization.

"We will not solve the problem that way, but risk creating more radicalization. I do not understand the thinking. Denmark is the best country I live in and I have no interest in destroying it," Oussama El-Saadi said.

In January, the Danish government passed measures that allowed the confiscation of valuables from refugees. The new laws also delayed refugees’ reunification with family members for three years. Integration Minister Inger Stojberg said the goal of the new legislation was for Denmark to become “significantly less attractive for asylum-seekers.” The move was greeted by severe criticism from human rights groups.

‘Stone Women! Kill Apostates!’ Denmark’s Pro-ISIS Mosque in New Controversy

The Grimhojvej Mosque. © Yasmine Hassan / YouTube

A leading preacher at a mosque in the Danish city of Aarhus has been filmed advocating death to adulterers, infidels and apostates. Authorities have repeatedly failed to shut down the mosque, which has supplied more ISIS recruits than any other in Denmark.

Filmed for the documentary ‘Mosques behind the Veil’, broadcast on the state-funded TV2 channel, the hidden-camera footage shows a room, in which the bearded imam Abu Bilal Ismail is holding a lesson in front of a blackboard.

“If a married or divorced women engages in fornication, and she is not a virgin, she should be stoned to death. If someone violates their marriage, either man or woman, they commit adultery and they should be killed by stoning. If the woman is a virgin, what should the punishment be?” asks Ismail.

“The lash,” replies a chorus of high-pitched voices. Later footage shows that the preacher is addressing a room of women, with their small children playing, and sat at their feet.


Almost 40 percent of Danish Muslims would like to see the country’s laws based partly on the Koran, according to a poll for Jyllands-Posten. Anti-immigration supporters say the results show “the number of Muslims in Denmark is a problem.”

The survey, conducted by Wilke for Jyllands-Posten, found that over 10 percent of Muslims asked said that Danish law should be solely based on the Koran, while over one-quarter believe the country’s legislation should be a mixture of the Islamic holy book and the Danish constitution.

Ismail then moves onto the treatment of apostates and non-Muslims.

“Anyone who leaves the religion, becomes an apostate, must be killed. If someone does not believe, if he is stubborn and refuses guidance, he must be slain,” continues Ismail. “An infidel who kills a Muslim, deserves to die.”

The man giving the Sharia lesson is no stranger to the authorities. Last year, Ismail, who has given sermons all over Europe, was fined 75,000 Danish Krone ($10,900) for an incitement to “kill the Zionist Jews” in Berlin back in 2014. He has explained that he was “misunderstood,” and that he merely called for “Allah to smite them.”

Meanwhile, the Grimhoj mosque, where the footage was shot, is the most notorious in the country. Out of 100 Danes who have been confirmed as Islamic State fighters in Syria and Iraq, more than 20 were regular worshipers at the nondescript yellow-brick building in Denmark’s second city.

Its chairman Oussam El-Saadi also repeatedly came out in support of Islamic State’s actions in the Middle East, saying that he “hoped that it would come out on top” and that “Muslims deserve to have their own state in the world, without interference from the West.”

Hmmm. There aren't any Muslim states with autonomy? Seriously! What you mean is that all of Europe and the middle east should be an autonomous Muslim state.

When confronted with the latest footage, before the program was broadcast, El-Saadi accused the reporters of entrapment, and claimed that Ismail was exercising his right to free speech.

“When the spy asks him about Sharia, he has to tell the truth. He cannot lie about our religion. But we are Danes, so we follow Danish law. So, the passages about stoning and flogging do not apply here,” reassured El-Saadi.

The police department of East Jutland, the region where the mosque is located, has promised to examine the videos for possible violations of the law.

Politicians have also piled in with criticism.

“What is so shocking is that there are so many cases involving this mosque and that they just keep coming. That is almost the worst thing – that they haven’t learned anything and still practise these types of things and encourage this Stone Age behavior,” said Marcus Knuth, from the center-right Venstre party, which since last year has been leading a minority coalition, with the help of the anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim Danish People's Party.

“These statements I have seen and heard so far over the line that there must be strong action against this. This calls for reactions here and now. The police is a central part, but we must also have the key ministers play their part. This should not take place in Denmark,” said Trine Bramsen, of the center-left Social Democrats.

But practical efforts to shut down the mosque have failed, with Aarhus council saying “the closure will just confirm among the young attendees that democracy is only for the majority.”

A year ago, East Jutland police also publicly congratulated Grimhoj mosque for no longer “saying it is a personal choice whether to go fight in Syria, but instead warning worshipers against it.”

Sex, Gluttony and Golf: Chinese Communist Party's Deadly Sins

China's ruling Communist Party has adopted new rules on clean
governance and discipline, according to state media

AFP 
China's Communist Party has banned its members from "extravagant eating and drinking", engaging in "improper sexual relationships with others" and playing golf, state media reported Thursday.

The ruling party's Political Bureau adopted new rules on clean governance and discipline earlier this month, the official Xinhua news agency said, describing the measures as "a moral ethical code that members must abide by".

Party members were already barred from "keeping paramours and conducting adultery" but the new rule on sexual activity was stricter, Xinhua said.

Hmmm. I wonder what is included in 'improper sexual relationships'? Is this an attack on homosexuality? I don't hear the western media screaming yet?

Playing golf and excessive eating and drinking were explicitly listed as violations of discipline for the first time, it added.

OK, excessive eating and drinking I can probably live without, but 'no golf'! This could destroy the Communist Party from within!

The regulations -- which apply to everyone in the 88-million-strong Communist Party -- also forbid forming cliques within the party and nepotism.

I'm surprised that there are only 88 million Communists in China; I thought it would be 10 times that number. I believe that if you want to work and advance in any government position, you probably have to be a Communist.

Since ascending to the party leadership in 2012, President Xi Jinping has launched an austerity drive and a sweeping crackdown on corruption, with thousands of officials falling from power.

China's Communist Party has 88 million members (AFP Photo/Liu Jin)

But critics of the campaign liken it to a political purge targeting Xi's opponents.

Spending on luxury goods and in high-end restaurants has plummeted amid the crackdown, with government officials intimidated by high-profile corruption prosecutions.

The document did not detail punishments for violating the new rules, but the party maintains its own feared internal disciplinary system, which operates without judicial oversight.

Party discipline superseded criminal law, Xinhua said.

The Communist Party has long had an ambivalent relationship with golf, which is a lucrative opportunity for local authorities and a favoured pastime of some officials, but is also closely associated with wealth and Western elites. 

This is Communist paranoia. They see anything western as an attempt by western powers to destroy China, including western religion. Wherever Communism exists, or has ever existed, paranoia is/was extremely prevalent.

Central authorities ordered a nationwide moratorium on new golf courses in 2004, but development continued as revenue-minded local officials went their own way, even offering tax breaks for operators of new courses in places such as Hainan province.

The number of courses in China has grown from fewer than 200 at the time of the ban to more than 600 this year, according to Xinhua.