Islam in Europe > Arabic, France's new second language; Germany welcoming 25 Sharia judges and other miscreants; Darmanin blames psychiatry for terror attack

 

Arabic: France’s New Second Language

by Hélène de Lauzun, European Conservative, November 24, 2023:

A newly released study shows, for the first time in French history, that the second most widely spoken language in the country is dialectal Arabic, with an estimated population of between three and four million speakers. The resulting population ratio in favour of people mainly of North African origin is fraught with consequences.

France has had the distinction of having enshrined French as its official language in its constitution since 1992. Alongside French, there are some 72 regional languages and so-called ‘non-territorial’ languages. These include dialectal Arabic, which, according to Le Figaro, is ahead of the Creole languages spoken in the French overseas territories, Berber, Alsatian, Occitan, and Breton. French, regional languages, and non-territorial languages make up together what are known as the ‘languages of France.’

English is not mentioned here, curiously. 

Today, dialectal Arabic is spoken by more people than all the other regional languages combined. However, its linguistic contours are blurred and difficult to define, as it is the result of a variety of influences, depending in particular on its origins, mainly the various countries of North Africa that were formerly French possessions—Algeria, Morocco, and Tunisia. In France, there is also dialectal Arabic of Lebanese, Egyptian, or Syrian origin, but this is in a minority. Depending on their country of origin, speakers of this dialectal Arabic do not necessarily understand each other, as there are so many variants. There can be as many differences between a speaker from the Arabian Peninsula and a Moroccan speaker as there are between Portuguese and Romanian, both of which are Romance languages, explains linguist Jean Sellier….

 

Annalena Baerbock is cute as can be, but, like my little puppy, there is nothing between the ears.

Allahu Akbar Baerbock: Germany takes in 

25 Afghan Sharia judges

translated from “Allahu Akbar Baerbock: Deutschland nimmt 25 afghanische Scharia-Richter auf,” 

by Bettina Sauer, Journalisten Watch, November 30, 2023:

There is no end to the Islam-devotee madness: Through the so-called “Resettlement Program for Afghans at Risk,” Annalena Baerbock has promised at least 25 Sharia judges acceptance into Germany. Hundreds of other applicants have massive doubts about their identity.

Journalist Birgit Kelle is not the only one demanding: This government must go!

In 2022, the Foreign Office and the Federal Ministry of the Interior agreed to take 44,000 Afghans into Germany. In March 2023, the resettlement program for the allegedly endangered Afghans was suspended because there were massive “indications of possible attempts at abuse in the ongoing admission procedures from Afghanistan.”

According to information from the Pakistani embassy, among the Afghan visa applicants that Baerbock brings into the country are Islamists, illiterates, fraudsters and terrorists. Many applicants would hardly be able to cope with the German value system, and many educational backgrounds would also be questionable because qualifications from Koranic schools cannot be compared with university diplomas from Europe. At that time, the Federal Ministry of the Interior even explicitly warned the Foreign Office about the total green catastrophe Baerbock would bring people to Germany.

However, as portals such as Nius and Cicero Online reported, Annalena Baerbock personally opposed this. @cicero’s online research into the federal government’s Afghan resettlement is nothing less than a massive scandal and in times when this country has not yet been taken hostage by left-green henchmen, this was a reason for resignation. Once again in plain language: The Green Federal Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock and her authority gave a promise of admission to so-called Islamists, sabotaged security checks and brought thousands upon thousands of Muslims into the country who were dangerous to the citizens of this country.

==========================================================================================

Paris knife attacker shows 'failure' of psychiatric care,

France interior minister says

There was a clear failure in the psychiatric care of the radicalised Islamist suffering from mental troubles who stabbed a German tourist to death in central Paris at the weekend before being arrested, France's interior minister said Monday.

Issued on: 04/12/2023 - 13:35, 3 min

By: NEWS WIRES

The attack close to the Eiffel Tower has increased concerns in France over the risk of Islamist attacks, particularly with the French capital now barely half a year away from hosting the 2024 summer Olympic Games.

The attacker was a Frenchman in his mid-20s born to a non-religious Iranian family but who had already done prison time for planning an attack and was known to the authorities as an Islamist radical with mental troubles.

2nd generation Muslim migrants are known in the UK to be more religiously zealous than their parents.

"There was clearly a failure, not from the point of view of his monitoring by the intelligence services, but a psychiatric failure," Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin told BFM TV, adding that the attacker had an "acute mental illness".

"Doctors said on several occasions that he was doing better, was more normal and could be free," he said.

These doctors are obviously not familiar with the effects of Islam. As Dr. Wafa Sultan explains - all radicalized Muslims are mentally ill. Until Minister Darmanin grasps that concept, he will never figure out Islam and France will continue to approach the edge of the cliff.

'Exploiting weaknesses'

Armand Rajabpour-Miyandoab, a French national born in 1997, killed a 23-year-old German-Filipino man with two blows from a hammer and four stab wounds from a knife on Saturday evening close to the Eiffel Tower.

Questioned in custody, he "fully accepts and takes responsibility for his actions" and "everything suggests that he acted alone", a source close to the investigation, who asked not to be named, told AFP.

He claimed to have acted in "response to the persecution of Muslims around the world" while appearing "very cold and clinical", the source added.

The investigation is being handled by French anti-terror prosecutors who have opened a probe into a suspected "terrorist" plot.

France's top anti-terror prosecutor Jean-Francois Ricard said Sunday that the man's mother had reported concerns about him as recently as October, but that there was insufficient proof at the time to take legal action.

He had already been arrested in 2016 for planning an attack, eventually serving four years in prison, and had been under close watch following his release.

Darmanin said the attacker's mother had warned police that her son was no longer taking his medication and that intelligence services had suggested he should be hospitalised. But she did not want that and then reported he was doing better.

He said regional authorities currently did not have the power to issue an administrative order for such an individual to undergo psychiatric treatment, and "this has to change".

Rajabpour-Miyandoab had been radicalised through contacts on the Internet rather than meeting people at a mosque, Darmanin said, adding that the attacker had also been in touch with perpetrators of similar past attacks.

These contacts included a radicalised Islamist from Russia's northern Caucasus region and future killer of teacher Samuel Paty, beheaded outside his school near Paris in 2020.

"Terrorism is changing and exploiting the weaknesses of our system," Darmanin said.

Four people -- the attacker and three other people from his family and close circle -- were still in custody on Monday morning, a source close to anti-terrorism prosecutors told AFP.

'No plan B'

The attack late Saturday came as France is at its highest alert level against the background of the war between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas, and following the killing of a teacher in a school by a radicalised Islamist in October.

Shouting "Allahu Akbar" ("God is greatest"), Rajabpour-Miyandoab fled over the Bir Hakeim bridge across the river Seine after a taxi driver intervened.

Meeting a police patrol on the other side, he claimed to be wearing an explosive belt before running again, striking two passers-by -- a 66-year-old British citizen and a 60-year-old French person -- with a hammer.

He was finally stopped with two shots from a stun gun and taken into custody.

Ricard said Rajabpour-Miyandoab had posted a video on social media where he swore allegiance to the Islamic State group and expressed his support for jihadists.

The attack has amplified security concerns over the Olympics, due to begin with an unprecedented opening ceremony on the Seine, which experts see as a potential vulnerable target for an attack.

But Sports Minister Amelie Oudea-Castera said there was no plan to scrap the idea, while indicating that the river ceremony could be adapted.

"There is no plan B, we have a plan A within which we have several alternatives," she told France Inter radio.

(AFP)

European Politics > Zelenski ignores Baerbock; Is Germany and Occupied State? Can Biden shut down Nord Stream II?

..

Normally, I wouldn't question this, but it's just possible Tapper has it right this time. Ooooh, it feels funny just writing that.

Ukraine has harsh words for CNN

President Zelensky did not cancel a meeting with German Foreign Minister

Annalena Baerbock over disagreements, Kiev claims

A suggestion from CNN that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky canceled a meeting with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock over political disagreements is “divorced from reality,” the spokesperson for Ukraine’s Ministry of Affairs has claimed.

Writing on Twitter, Oleg Nikolenko was reacting to a claim published by one of the network's anchors, Jake Tapper, who reported, citing an anonymous Ukrainian government source, that Zelensky refused to meet Baerbock because of her refusal to say that the controversial Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline would be shelved if Russia were to launch an invasion of Ukraine. The official reason was a scheduling error.

A scheduling error! So, for two days Zelensky had more important things to do than to meet with the Foreign Minister of Germany!!!!???

“Rumors, ‘close’ sources, conspiracy theories won’t drive a wedge between strong Ukraine/Germany relationship,” Nikolenko tweeted. “Claims that President Zelensky didn’t meet with FM Baerbock in order to send a political message are divorced from reality. We won’t allow anyone to undermine Ukraine/Germany partnership.”

Baerbock was due to sit down with Zelensky as part of her two-day trip to Kiev, and had earlier met her counterpart Dmitry Kuleba. The visit comes as Russia stands accused of placing 100,000 troops on the border with Ukraine, with some alleging it is planning an attack.

This claim has repeatedly been denied by the Kremlin, and it has also been played down by Zelensky. However, in light of the potential for war, the US and EU have begun preparing a set of measures that could be imposed on Russia in retaliation.

One of the possible targets for sanctions could be the Nord Stream 2 natural gas pipeline, a system that connects Russia to Germany without passing through any third country. This means that, once it starts operation, gas transit will become less reliant on third parties, thereby lowering the commodity’s price.

It is yet to receive certification, however, leaving the pipeline dormant. In recent weeks, Western nations have floated the idea of completely putting a stop to the project if Russia invades Ukraine. Berlin has refused to publicly back the idea.

Furthermore, Germany has received a barrage of criticism from Kiev in recent weeks for refusing to export weapons to Ukraine, unlike some other NATO countries, such as the US and the UK. Last month, the mayor of Kiev, former heavyweight boxer Vitaly Klitschko, told Berlin-based newspaper Bild that he was left “speechless” after Germany decided to send protective equipment instead of lethal weaponry.

“The Defense Minister has obviously not understood that we are dealing with a perfectly equipped Russian army that can start further invading Ukraine at any time,” Klitschko told Bild. “5000 helmets are an absolute joke. What will Germany send in support next? Pillows?”

Germany an ‘occupied state’ — Russia

US ambassadors give orders in Berlin, backed by American boots on the ground,

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman tells RT

Germany is “highly valued” as a station for American soldiers, the Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin told then-German Defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer in January 2021. FILE PHOTO: US troops in Wiesbaden, Germany. © AP / Michael Probst

The US continues to “occupy” Germany by any scientific standard, while America’s NATO allies have surrendered all their sovereignty to Washington and aren’t allowed to have a say on issues like Nord Stream 2, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told RT in an exclusive interview on Tuesday.

Commenting on US President Joe Biden’s talk of “shutting down” the Nord Stream 2 pipeline during the visit of German Chancellor Olaf Scholz to Washington on Monday, Zakharova pointed out that Berlin remains under Washington’s thumb long after the Cold War’s end. 

“Germany, according to a number of relevant characteristics – this is neither mine, nor Russia’s opinion, this is according to political, logical, terms and metrics – remains, one way or another, an occupied state: 30,000 of American [troops] are stationed there,” she told RT.

I have a highly educated, liberal friend in Germany, who hates Russia, but would certainly agree with this assessment. I have no doubt that many Germans also agree. 

Zakharova added that “American ambassadors to Germany, who are supposed to work there to improve bilateral relations, are giving orders to German officials.” Richard Grenell, who was the US ambassador to Berlin during the Trump presidency, was “giving them orders literally every day on what to do on issues such as Nord Stream 2.”

Germany is being treated like “simply a protectorate” by the US, Zakharova said, adding that this doesn’t just take the form of financial leverage of threats, but is “backed up by 30,000 American boots on the ground.”

Or, actually, 60,000 since most of them have two feet.

Why Berlin allows itself to be treated like this is a question to ask Germany, but “the fact is that it’s not a relationship of equals,” Zakharova said. 

Washington’s attempts to block Berlin from buying Russian natural gas via the Nord Stream 2 pipeline show complete disdain for German interests, she explained. “Germany needs this gas not because they like Russia or want to please us – they just need it, it’s what feeds their economy, it’s a resource their industrial development hinges on, it’s what they need to live, basically… a vital issue.”

Instead, Washington is trying to strong-arm Germany into buying liquefied natural gas (LNG) from the US. However, the price of American LNG is much higher, so the US told Germany to tax the people some more and make up the difference through subsidies, according to the Russian spokeswoman.

OMG!

“What kind of talk is that? What free market are you talking about? Or the liberal economy, or the WTO?” she asked, noting that this is literally using energy as political leverage – exactly what the US accused Russia of wanting to do.

This is exactly what the US has been doing to its closest allies,

not to rivals or enemies, but to its own NATO partners…

No one has allowed them any sort of independence or sovereignty.

In Zakharova’s view, the rest of Europe isn’t any better off. She pointed to the US leadership lining up European NATO members and ordering them to spend 2% of their GDP on the military or else. 

“And they talk like that to everyone,” Zakharova said. Russia, China and a few other countries refused to be ordered around, she said. “But most of them, if you take the EU, just surrendered. There’s been no talk of any sovereign interests for a long time now.”

Russia, by contrast, refuses to be talked to this way. “You can order around anyone who likes it – but we don’t, so you won’t talk like that to us,” Zakharova said. “If you violate something that concerns our interests and go against international law, you will receive actions in response.”

And if you don't believe the above assertions, just read this:

Biden threatens to shut down Nord Stream 2 pipeline

US President Joe Biden said an invasion of Ukraine by Russia would put an end

to the Nord Stream 2 pipeline project

©  Al Drago/The New York Times-Pool/Getty Images

US President Joe Biden has threatened to shut down Nord Stream 2, a crucial Germany-Russia pipeline, if Russian troops cross the border into Ukraine. Biden made the threat as he was speaking alongside German Chancellor Olaf Scholz at a joint press conference in the White House on Monday.

“We will bring an end to it,” Biden said of the pipeline. When grilled by a journalist on how exactly Washington would be able to block the project since it was “within Germany’s control,” Biden refused to elaborate, saying only: “We will, I promise you, we’ll be able to do it.”

It remained unclear, however, if Scholz was on board with the idea. When asked directly about the fate of the project if Russia invades Ukraine, the German leader refrained from mentioning the pipeline by name.

“We have intensively prepared everything to be ready with the necessary sanctions if there is a military aggression against Ukraine,” the German chancellor said, adding that he wouldn’t go into specifics “because Russia should understand that there might be even more to come.”

The Nord Stream 2 natural gas pipeline has already been completed, but is still awaiting the go-ahead from German regulators. The approval of the project was suspended in mid-November.

Biden and other White House officials have warned in recent weeks of an imminent invasion of Ukraine by Russia, citing troop movements in the region. Moscow has consistently denied it is preparing for an invasion, dismissing all reports of an inevitable military conflict as fake news.

Biden himself admitted he does not know what Russian President Vladimir Putin is planning, but still argued that an actual invasion could be something he is considering.

“I don’t know that he knows what he’s going to do,” Biden said of Putin, promising to slap the “most severe sanctions that have ever been imposed” on Russia if the country invades Ukraine. The US president said the sanctions would have a “profound impact” on Russia’s economy, particularly on gas exports.

“It’s the only thing they really have to export,” Biden said, insisting Germany is an “incredibly reliable ally” which would support the pipeline decision. The president also claimed a “significant portion” of gas exports lost due to Russian sanctions could be made up for, without providing any specifics of how he plans to compensate Germany.

The US leader also urged Americans in Ukraine to leave the country amid growing tensions, saying it would be “wise” for those not on diplomatic business to do so.

“I think it would be wise to leave the country,” he said.

There is no moral justification for the USA to shut down Nord Stream II. It has nothing to do with them and it's a disgrace for them to be abusing Europe as they are just so they can sell them higher-priced American gas. Can he do that and claim moral superiority?

It's very disappointing that Scholz did not stand up to Biden and tell him to keep his hands of NSII.

Syria - What's Next > Old AntiChristian rivalries flare up; How to Win Friends and Influence People; Turkey looking for excuse to invade Syria

 

Syrian Christians are not necessarily better off with the new government in Damascus

Syria: Muslims threaten to seize Christian lands,

tell some Christians to leave their homes or be killed

Jan 1, 2025 3:00 pm By Robert Spencer

This is how all the lands that are today considered part of the “Islamic world” became Muslim. It was not done by “wisdom and beautiful preaching” (Qur’an 29:46), but by force, threats and intimidation. See The History of Jihad for the full story.

After an ‘isolated’ incident… Christian existential anxiety in Maaloula, Syria

translated from “بعد حادثة «فرديّة»… قلق مسيحيّ وجوديّ في معلولا السوريّة” ACI MENA, December 29, 2024:

Since the change in the ruling class in Syria, the Christians of Maaloula have been experiencing existential anxiety that has worsened after an incident that occurred between two Christian and Muslim families. So what is the story? And what is the reality of Christians today in this ancient Christian town?

A church source who preferred to remain anonymous told “ACI MENA” that the regime of former President Bashar al-Assad, after regaining control of Maaloula about 10 years ago, prevented some of the town’s Muslims from returning to it because of their cooperation with the Al-Nusra Front in the killing, kidnapping, and vandalism of Christians and their churches. However, after the fall of the regime, these people returned and entered the town, and some of them exerted pressure on the Christians under the pretext that the Christians had worked to displace them.

The source explained: “Some of the deportees caused problems, and Christians were considered part of the previous regime, knowing that their joy at its fall exceeded that of others; most of our youth emigrated due to compulsory conscription or reserve service requests.”

Regarding the attacks on Christians, the source said: “Threats began against five Christian families to seize their agricultural lands, and some Christians were asked to leave their homes and the town or they would be killed. The reason for these threats was either an old vendetta or some Christians were accused of carrying weapons and joining the ‘National Defense.’”

The source added: “The threats turned into action when Bashar Shahin’s house and his family’s house and the cafeteria he owned were seized, despite some Muslims defending them. After mediation, he was allowed to take his belongings from the house. Two houses were also broken into and robbed. There are also other types of harassment and provocations, such as shooting near a priest while he was distributing Christmas gifts to children in a kindergarten, in addition to Christians informing a priest that they had been spat upon.

The source confirmed that the one in charge in Maaloula is a person who belongs to the Turkish Suleiman Shah faction (the name of the grandfather of Osman I, the founder of the Ottoman Empire). Therefore, there were appeals from the people of Maaloula and its church officials for the intervention of Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham.

He explained: “The Christians of Maaloula do not feel reassured; with the absence of the state, upon whose presence we relied, security has disappeared, especially since weapons have been completely withdrawn from the Christians and left in the hands of others. We are advocates of peace and we want to build Maaloula hand in hand with all its residents.”

He continued: “The major incident occurred at dawn on December 26, when Abdul Salam Diab and his father stormed Ghassan Zakhem’s farm with the aim of stealing it, which resulted in the death of Abdul Salam. But unfortunately, it was portrayed as a religious issue and that Christians wanted to attack and kill Muslims, knowing that it was a purely individual issue.”

The source concluded by pointing out that this incident was the spark for many Christian families to leave the town out of fear, due to the lack of a force to protect them and ensure their safety. Out of about 325 Christian families, about 80 families left. The incident also led to the seizure of four Christian homes belonging to relatives of Zakham.

Regarding the details of the December 26 incident, an informed source from the Christian residents of Maaloula told ACI Mina: “Before Christmas, young men from Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham insisted on Christians decorating their homes to avoid any problems, but things did not go normally.”

He continued: “At dawn on December 26, the surveillance cameras at Ghassan Zakhem’s farm indicated the presence of masked men who broke the lock on the farm’s door. Ghassan and his son Sarkis headed to the location immediately and asked the members of the security committees to accompany them, but they did not come despite their promise to come.”

The source confirmed that after the farm owners arrived at the location, an exchange of fire took place between the two parties, resulting in the death of the person who attacked the land (Abdul Salam). Ghassan turned himself in to Father Fadi Al-Barkil, who in turn handed him over to the competent authorities in Damascus to prevent any disastrous strife.

Dale Carnegie could write a new chapter in his classic, self-improvement book over this.

Anneke de Laaf

setonoprdS9gmu90u6iclcuucfil245288ghc22094u9gflffim8g1a6m4i0  · 

I had wondered about that and am not surprised they refused to shake her hand, it is the hate-beard’s way. Then again, why you would want to visit the headchoppers let alone shake their hand, is beyond me.

BERLIN, January 3. /TASS/. Representatives of the new Syrian authorities refused to shake hands with German Foreign Minister Annalene Baerbock during her visit to Damascus. This was reported by the DPA agency. Baerbock visited Syria together with her French counterpart Jean-Noël Barrot.

At the Damascus airport, representatives of the welcoming party did not shake the minister's hand - a woman. Later, the leader of the armed groups that came to power in Damascus, Ahmed al-Sharaa, did exactly the same.

"As soon as I arrived, it was clear to me that there would obviously be no ordinary handshakes," Baerbock told reporters. She claimed that during the visit she made it clear to her hosts that the guests frowned upon the practice and that respect for women's rights was a measure of how free a society was.

Former head of the Berlin Foundation for Science and Politics Volker Perthes called the refusal to shake hands with a female minister a bad sign. "This is not a tradition in Syria," he told the Stern magazine. "This is not good, even if we know about it from other countries where men who represent extremely conservative Islam are in power, such as in Iran or until recently in Saudi Arabia," the political scientist believes.

Baerbock and Barrot became the first European foreign ministers to visit Syria since Bashar al-Assad stepped down as president.

All reactions:

11

Türkiye will intervene at ‘slightest risk’

of Syria splintering – Erdogan

Ankara has the means and the will to prevent Syria from being divided, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said

© Yavuz Ozden / dia images via Getty Images

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has warned that his country will intervene if necessary to avoid any division of Syria and will be “uncompromising” in its determination. 

The comments from Erdogan are seen as a veiled warning to the Kurdish-dominated Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), as well as to the US, which backs the group against Islamic State forces. 

“We cannot accept under any pretext that Syria be divided and if we notice the slightest risk we will take the necessary measures,” the Turkish leader said in remarks following the first cabinet meeting of 2025. 

He added that Ankara has “more than enough power, capacity, and talent to do this.”

Erdogan said Türkiye could “come suddenly one night” without warning to prevent a splintering of its neighbor. He insisted that there is “no place for terrorism in the future of the region” and that those who choose terror will be “buried with their weapons.”

Read more

 Erdogan threatens to ‘bury’ Kurds

Erdogan has repeatedly said that the Kurdish group poses a threat to Türkiye’s security and promised to prevent a “terror corridor” from opening up on its southern borders. Last month, he vowed to “bury” the Kurdish militants and called on NATO and the US to choose between supporting Türkiye or the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG), which is operating near the Turkish and Iraqi borders, along with other Kurdish groups.

Ankara views the YPG as an extension of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and regards both as terrorist organizations.

The SDF, dominated by the YPG, has called for a nationwide ceasefire in Syria following the fall of Syrian President Bashar Assad’s government in early December to Hayat Tahrir-al-Sham (HTS) jihadists. It has also called on the US to help protect Syrian territory from Turkish attacks and for an end to what it regards as Ankara’s occupation of the country’s northern regions.

However, around 100 people died in clashes between YPG forces and pro-Türkiye factions over the weekend, according to AFP.

READ MORE: US sends largest convoy into Syria since fall of Assad – media

Türkiye, meanwhile, has attempted to foster ties with the new Syrian leadership, with Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan visiting Damascus last month and calling for the lifting of economically-crippling international sanctions on the country.