Sweden: 14 Years for Murdering a Father in Front of His Son

Skärholmen

Last April, we reported on the murder of a Swedish father in front of his young son by a 17-year-old gang member in southern Stockholm. Today, SVT (Swedish State Television) is reporting that justice has been served (sort of). The defendant, whose name is reportedly Mohammed Mohammed, was just under the age of 18 at the time of the crime. Thus, he could not be sentenced as an adult. The result? 14 years in prison, the longest sentence possible for those under 18. 

The below article from SVT is translated by Fousesquawk.

14 years in prison for murder of Mikhael

Posted today at 12:25

An 18-year-old man was sentenced in the Södertörns Criminal Court for the murder of 39-year-old Mikael in Skärholmen in southern Stockholm.

The man, who was 17 at the time of the murder, was sentenced to 14 years in prison, the longest prison sentence for persons under 18. He was also sentenced for another crime.

On April 10 last year, Mikael was shot to death before the eyes of his son after having confronted three youths in an underpass tunnel in Skärholmen.

Two persons were sentenced for aggravated protection of a criminal while one person was acquitted of the same crime.

Ramadan in Italy-Lest We Forget

Cremona, Italy

In Cremona, in northern Italy, a bus driver was going about his daily chores when he heard a commotion in the back of the bus. It seems that two Muslim teenage girls were offended that an Italian girl about the same age was eating a sandwich during Ramadan. They began to hit her and when the driver stopped the bus, they began to assault him too. The below article in La Provincia di Cremona is translated by Fousesquawk.

Cremona: Chaos on a bus

Arguing on aboard, then hit the driver

He tried to calm two girls who slapped a girl (of the same age) over a sandwich. "You can't eat, it's Ramadan".

Cremona- He left emergency care at 7 pm in the evening with the report: "Facial pain at the traumatic site. Five days and unfit for work for two days". Sending him to the hospital were two 17-year-old girls who were riding on the line G suburban line: Cremona-Spinadesco, round trip, 25 stops. The two youths pushed and attacked the driver (52), employed by Arriva Italia since last August.(In the past he worked for another transportation company.) Pushes, scratches in his face, and broken glasses.

The violence (occurred) at 13:20 today, on Fat Tuesday with the students going home on the bus with some girls and adults.

The injured driver recounted how it happened. "I was driving to Spinadesco when in the back of the bus I heard screams starting. They were screaming loudly. They were girls. I saw from the rear-view mirror. It all started because the two foreign girls went after a young Italian girl who was eating a sandwich. Curse words. 'Whore.... you can't eat. It's Ramadan' They slapped her.

Some ladies in the rear of the bus began to shout. "Driver! Driver! They are fighting. Stop!" The driver stopped at the stop "where the Caema (energy company) is". It was 13:20. "When I stopped, I opened all the doors, I got up and began to shout, 'Get out of the bus, what are you doing?' And instead. they continued to argue. I saw that at that moment they were slapping the Italian girl. I immediately called the Carabinieri who immediately arrived within a couple of minutes."

The foreign girls then escaped, "but before escaping, they came at me. I was picked out. I had gotten off. One of the two girls also got off.  I said to the other, 'You get off too. Get off''. I also started to yell. And when the young girl got off the bus, she pushed me in the stomach. The other one also then began to push me, she broke my glasses, (and) she scratched my face". There were passengers on the bus. The battered driver continued his route. He drove to Spinadesco and returned to the bus plaza.  It was 2 pm, a colleague substituted for him, and he went to emergency care.

Tomorrow, the driver will file a complaint to the Carabinieri, along with the medical report. "The girl who was slapped also has a big mark on her face. I think she has also filed a complaint.."

7:15 in the evening. The driver has just left the Maggiore Hospital. In emergency care, they also did a CT scan on him, "because there was swelling under the eye. Now the swelling has gone down a little". He explains that "such a thing had never happened to me. I have come close, but never like this. It is always them, minors and, sorry to say, but in truth, (non-EU-citizens.)" 

The driver recounts another episode that happened to him about a month and a half ago. "The usual minors were on the bus. Out of nowhere, they were insulting me: 'Bastard. go away, I will smash your face'. I called the police. The officers arrived, took those boys away, but then, after a while, they came back. If I were a big guy, maybe I could also put the fear in them, and instead?  Instead I am skinny. I weigh 60 kilograms with reinforced shoes, 1.70 m in height.

The driver again asks with a loud voice- safety on the the buses. What happened today is, "the latest episode of violence," reported by drivers who almost every day are on the barricades. 

Barnard President Condemns Pro-Palestinian Thugs

Columbia University

A few days ago, I posted an article about the ongoing problems of anti-Semitism and pro-Palestinian thuggery going on at Columbia University and its sister campus, Barnard College. 

I am now cross-posting an article in the Jewish news outlet, Algemeiner, reporting a strong statement of condemnation for the latest acts of violence committed by Columbia University Apartheid Divest (CUAD), which took place on the Barnard campus in response to the expulsions of two Barnard students who had disrupted a class on Israeli history at Columbia.

Barnard President Laura Rosenbury's words are welcomed in condemning CUAD for this latest disruption on her campus. I applaud her words just as I applaud the two expulsions recently carried out. More action needs to follow. Both institutions must identify any and all students involved in this latest takeover at Barnard and expel them promptly, as well as ask the local DA to file charges.

Columbia especially has reached the point where, in my opinion, federal grants and funding should be halted until they get their act together. If it even got to the point that Columbia went bankrupt, that would be fine with me. Yes, many innocent students and innocent faculty would be adversely affected, but surely, they would find other universities where they could study or work. I recognize it might be harder for other workers or employees. 

Many would argue that the death of an Ivy League university would be a tragedy for higher education. I disagree. What is going on today is not what I would call higher education. What is going on today is the real tragedy.

*Update: A pro-Palestinian sit-in took place today at Barnard's Milstein Library. A bomb threat was announced, and NYPD arrested several demonstrators who refused to leave. The Columbia Spectator has the story here. Campus Reform has a report with photos and videos here.

Trump's Address to Congress

Al Green

As I previously wrote, Trump's White House presser with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiyy was a catastrophe in my opinion. But last night was a very good night for Trump. It wasn't just because he gave what I thought was his best political speech (with a couple of nitpicks I will mention below), but it was the childish behavior of the Democrats in the room. Some Democrats could not even bring themselves to rise when the President entered the chamber and walked down the aisle. It is recognized protocol that when a head of state enters a room-even an ambassador- you rise.

Trump knew they were going to make a scene and, no doubt, he egged them on. The most egregious behavior was by Al  Green, a congressman from Texas, who stood up and shouted at Trump until he was ordered removed from the hall by Speaker Mike Johnson. That left all the rest with their silly pink costumes and signs. What millions of Americans witnessed last night was almost all of the Democrats refusing to stand or applaud for anything Trump said no matter what it was. Of course, they don't agree with his agenda, his tax cuts, what he's doing with Ukraine, his tariffs, etc. They detest him as a person. But do they also have a problem with his announcement that a terrorist who masterminded the Kabul airport terror attack when US forces were leaving Afghanistan was on his way to the US from Pakistan-in handcuffs? What about the extradition of Rafael Caro-Quintero and 28 other Mexican drug kingpins, which was also announced by Trump?  

But worst of all was their refusal to even stand and applaud the people in the gallery who Trump introduced. Normally, I'm not a big fan of this practice during addresses to Congress by presidents, but Trump chose his guests masterfully.

Who could not be moved by the 13-year-old boy battling brain cancer, who wants to be a law enforcement officer and was awarded honorary credentials from the Secret Service? Who would not be moved by the introduction of the family of Laken Riley, the Georgia student murdered by an illegal alien gang member from Venezuela? Who would not be moved by the presence of the family of Jocelyn Nungaray, a 12-year-old girl murdered by illegal aliens from Venezuela? What about the American citizen just released from Russia? And what about the introduction of the young woman whose volleyball career was ended by a brain injury due to the powerful spike of a male player on the other "girls" team? One would think that all those Democrat ladies dressed in pink would feel sympathy for her, but it appears that for the Democrats, supporting transgenders in the form of biological males competing in women's sports is more important than protecting female athletes from unfair competition and serious injuries, not to mention having to share shower facilities with males.

As for Trump's speech, I could nitpick and say that I had hoped he would say more about support of Israel and its war with the savages of Hamas. I had hoped he would address the plight of Jewish students in our universities and what he intends to do about that (which I firmly believe he will do). I must say that his comment about getting Greenland one way or the other was terrible. What is Denmark supposed to make of that? On the other hand, his recitation of all the billions given to foreign countries for ridiculous purposes was a tour de force.

All in all, it was a fine speech. Rather than read off a laundry list of things nobody cares about, the President read off a list of what he has done, what he is doing, and what he will do while the sullen Democrats sat on their hands, held up silly signs, or walked out. It was beyond embarrassing and speaks volumes about just how much the Democrat Party has degenerated.

France: Afghan "Not Responsible" for Gouging out Victim's Eyes

Today in Paris, a court decided that a 25-year-old Afghan man, identified only as "Isaac", was "not responsible" for his actions in 2022 when he stabbed and gouged out a man's eyes in the French capital. So it's off to a psychiatric hospital for the gouger with an eye (no pun intended) to an "outpatient solution". Good luck with that.

I have a feeling we will be hearing more from Isaac in the future.

The below article from Le Parisien is translated by Fousesquawk.

He had his eyes gouged out in Paris: His attacker, diagnosed as schizophrenic, is found not responsible

On Tuesday, the judges in the investigative chamber ordered his placement in a psychiatric hospital. Isaac, a schizophrenic Afghan national, had been arrested in 2022 after having gouged out the eyes and stabbed a man seated on a park bench in the capital.

Julien Constant

March 5, 2025 at 07:03

Caption: Appellate court in  Paris, February 2025. In this courtroom, the arguments were held on the criminal responsibility of Isaac, in which the decision was rendered Wednesday.

More than two years after this terrible attack, Isaac was declared not responsible on Tuesday in the investigative chamber of Paris. The judges ordered his forced hospitalization. They also pronounced a prohibition of making contact with Nader, the victim, and a prohibition of carrying a weapon for 20 years. The 25-year-old Afghan had been charged for attempted murder several months after gouging out the eyes of a stranger who was seated on a park bench at Villemin Square in the 10th arrondissement of Paris.

On October 8, 2022, he attacked the man causing him terrible wounds to the eyes. Nader only survived by managing to escape. The suspect, in the middle of a schizophrenic crisis, was arrested a few minutes later. The man arrived in France in May 2022 via Germany. He was a cannabis user. He had no job or a home in the capital and had no previous criminal record.

Serious psychotic disorders

The psychiatric expert, Yon Liova, department head of the University of Paris Hospital Group, confirmed during the arguments that Isaac, "suffers from serious psychiatric disorders that were probably aggravated by the use of drugs". The doctor concluded that the young man acted under the impulse of an "acute delusion of persecution and disorganization of his thoughts," that took away his judgment. Therefore, he will be treated at the St Anne Hospital (14th arrondissement) to establish a protocol of care with lifelong treatment. The idea is to put in place, if possible, an outpatient solution. That is an ordinary life within society with permanent monitoring.

Austria: Another Vehicular Rampage (2)

"I don't see anything"

Here we go again. Yesterday in Vienna, a 35-year-old man (described in some media outlets as an Austrian) allegedly got drunk, stole a van, drove into the inner city at a high rate of speed, drove into a pedestrian zone, and ran the vehicle into the Plague Column monument. He tried to flee but was quickly arrested by police, all the while reportedly shouting, "Allahu Akhbar, "I will f--- your mother," and "I will sink you all into the canal." The man was quickly assumed to be insane and was transported to a psychiatric facility for further examination. There were no injuries. Terror was quickly ruled out.

Nothing to see here, Folks.

*Update: Note the final paragraph below. It appears that there were two separate vehicular rampage incidents in Vienna. In a second incident, there was reportedly one injury and 16 police shots fired at the driver who escaped. Some clarification is needed, and we will try to sort it all out. Jihad Watch Deutschland is also reporting two separate incidents.

The below article from the conservative Austrian site, Unzensuriert, is translated by Fousesquawk.

The man who drove a stolen van at the Vienna Plague Column resisted arrest but was arrested a few meters away

4 March 2025 13:15

Islamism

With a stolen auto: Inner city racer cries, "Allahu Akhbar".

On Monday evening, a delivery van was driven through the Vienna inner city and into the Plague Column (memorial) on the Graben (name of a street). After the attacks in Magdeburg and Munich, as well as the car rampage with as an yet unknown motive in Mannheim, many feared yet another terror attack. Passersby panicked and fled.

Terror attack quickly ruled out

A terror attack was quickly ruled out: The police explained that a drunken driver lost control of his vehicle, (and) there were no injuries. Now it is known: The man was causing a ruckus during his arrest,  was shouting unambiguous slogans, and "his" vehicle was not his. 

Vehicle had been stolen from a construction firm

The delivery van, which belonged to a Vienna construction company, was stolen from a construction site in Vienna-Penzing shortly before the speeding incident in the pedestrian zone. The man drove from Habsburgergasse (narrow street or alley) in the First District to the Graben, accelerating and braking alternately. The collision with the Plague Column came when police officers were alerted to the man and the stolen vehicle drove into the bollards of the column.

Was the drunken driver an Islamist?

The man resisted arrest, reportedly (shouting) "Allahu Akhbar" several times, "I will f--- your mother", and "I will sink you all in the canal." The flight was quickly stopped after a few meters, (and) the 35-year-old's blood-alcohol level was measured at  1.2 per ml. Due to his psychological problems, he was transported to a psychiatric facility.

Update

The police now announce on X that the driving incident in the Vienna inner city and the driving incident of the 35-year-old are two separate incidents. The two incidents are not connected to each other. The State Criminal Police of Vienna are now investigating under the direction of the State Prosecutor's Office of Vienna, according to the State Police Directorate in Vienna. The initial press release on the incident on Graben is no longer accessible.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Translator's update:

The Austrian daily, Kronen Zeitung, describes both incidents. 

1 At 17:40, the incident described in the Unzensuriert article occurred.

 2 The second incident began around 18:00 involving a Mercedes Benz with expired German transfer plates.  The unidentified driver was involved in a police chase on a main Vienna artery in the southeast sector. When he had to brake for a traffic jam, police set up a roadblock which he drove through aiming his car at an officer. At this point, the police fired 16 rounds at the vehicle, which failed to stop him. Eventually, the driver exited the vehicle and ran into an office building that housed the Asylum and Immigration office. Police were unable to find him

University of Michigan: Tribute to Memory of Bibas Family Defaced

It seems the University of Michigan has a large rock on campus that is regularly painted over by students with messages of some sort. So when it was painted in orange in a symbolic attribute to the Bibas family, mother Shiri, and sons, Kfir, and Ariel, all slaughtered by Hamas, it was then painted over with "Free Palestine" and an inverted red triangle. The latter is a symbol used by Hamas to identify Israeli military targets. Apparently, whoever painted over the rock decided that a tribute to the Bibas family was a "military target". For that matter, Hamas considers women and tiny children to be military targets, don't they?

This speaks volumes about the moral values of the pro-Hamas crowd on college campuses-or anywhere for that matter. Hamas slaughters a mother and her two small children, one an infant, and any tribute to their memory is defaced.

I often write about the articles posted by University of Michigan professor Juan Cole, a fierce enemy of Israel, on his blog, Informed Comment. As yet, I see nothing on his blog about this. I wonder if he will have anything to say about this. I am not optimistic, but if he proves me wrong, I will post it.

As yet, there is nothing in the campus paper.

Video of Pro-Hamas Protester Insulting NYPD

The website Jews of NY has posted a video reportedly from a demonstration at City College of New York in which a young Muslim woman is insulting a line of New York City police officers, apparently singling out those with Muslim names for particular abuse. The video is undated, and thus far, I can see no other reports on this incident. It appears to be recent and can be viewed here. 

No matter when it occurred, it is outrageous that officers of NYPD, including Muslim officers, would be abused in this manner. As for the woman shouting the vile abuse, we don't need folks like this in our country.

Germany: Update on Mannheim Attacker

 Hat tip New English Review.

The driver of the car involved in the Mannheim car attack is identified in the German press as Alexander S., a resident of  Ludwigshafen. Police are still investigating his motive and say there is no indication of political or religious motivation in the attack.

German newspapers are publishing photographs of the suspect with his face blurred out, for example, RTL (Germany) 

The German news site, Welt, has also reported that the suspect began drastically changing his appearance about 4 years ago. He gained a lot of weight, shaved his head, grew long sideburns, and posted a photo of himself shirtless with what Welt described as a possible tattoo on his torso of what might appear to be a bullet wound.

Then there is this appearing on X, alleging that the photo (below) is Alexander S.:

I am not going to call a posting on X the smoking gun. In other words, I cannot accept as conclusive that the man in the X photo above is Alexander S., but it does appear to be the same photo described in Welt. Has it been photoshopped? I have no idea, so I am looking for more corroboration.

But here is what I am driving at: Is it possible given what the German authorities and media are putting out about the suspect that they are withholding something from the public? Just askin'. 

*Update ( 3-5-25): Today, various sources are identifying the attacker as Alexander Scheuermann (40), of Ludwigshafen. 

*Update (3-6-25): It should be noted that a Pakistani taxi driver is being heralded as a hero for his actions during the attack. The Pakistani man was instrumental in helping stop the attacker enabling police to arrest him.

 

Jewish Man and 5-Year-Old Son Kicked out of Oakland Coffee Shop: Files Lawsuit

-Jewish News of Northern California

Jonathan Hirsch, a Jewish man from Oakland, has filed a lawsuit against the Jerusalem Coffee House in Oakland and its owner alleging anti-Jewish discrimination. In October 2024, Hirsch entered the coffee shop with his 5-year-old son. At some point, the owner of the establishment, Abdulrahim Harara, ordered Hirsch to leave because he was wearing a (navy) blue hat with the Star of David on it. Despite the name of the coffee house, the owner is anti-Israel (which is his right). Whether he has the right to order a customer out of his establishment because he is wearing a cap with the Star of David on it is another matter that will now be settled in court. 

The lawsuit is being brought by the Louis D Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under the Law. There is a video of the encounter, which can be accessed below. It was posted by Jewish News of Northern California. 

The below text is copied and pasted from an email I received from the Brandeis Center. The link to the video is in the 6th paragraph.

 MAN KICKED OUT OF OAKLAND CAFÉ FOR BEING JEWISH SUES OWNER

 

Washington, D.C., March 3, 2025: The Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law, representing a man who was ejected, along with his five-year-old son, from an Oakland coffeehouse because he is Jewish, filed a lawsuit today in the Superior Court of the State of California, Alameda County. According to the lawsuit, the defendants’ denial of services violates California’s Unruh Civil Rights Act, among other laws.

 

This marks the first lawsuit brought by the Brandeis Center’s recently launched public interest litigation group, the Center for Legal Innovation (CLI). With incidents of anti-Semitism skyrocketing in the U.S., CLI was formed to serve as the first law firm to litigate exclusively against anti-Semitism in all sectors. Advisory board members include U.S. Attorney General Bill Barr, Solicitor General Paul Clement, and chairmen and renowned litigators representing some of the nation’s most prestigious law firms, including Paul, Weiss; Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP; Holtzman Vogel; Schaerr | Jaffe LLP; Consovoy McCarthy; and Cooley and Susman Godfrey LLP. 

 

The incident in question occurred on October 26, 2024, when Jonathan Hirsch and his five-year-old son entered the Jerusalem Coffee House, owned by Abdulrahim Harara.  After lunch at a local restaurant, Casper’s, Hirsch’s son needed to use the restroom, but Casper’s did not provide restrooms for their customers, and the staff directed Hirsch to the coffee shop across the street.  Hirsch was wearing a blue baseball cap that depicted a white Jewish Star on the front.  The baseball cap was a recreation of a 1938 baseball cap associated with the Hebrew Orphan Asylum, a large Jewish charitable institution based in New York that hosted many Negro league baseball games.  Hirsch ordered a latte, his son used the restroom, and they started playing chess while waiting for their drink. 

 

Within minutes, Harara approached Mr. Hirsch and demanded to know if he was a “Zionist.” When Mr. Hirsch refused to answer the question, Harara demanded that Mr. Hirsch leave the premises, threatened to call the police, subjected him to physical contact and verbal slurs. Harara raised his voice at Hirsch and he and another employee attempted to physically push Hirsch toward the exit.  Harara stated, “this is a violent hat and you need to leave.” 

 

An employee of the East Bay Community Space, which rents the space to Harara, arrived on the scene. Echoing Harara’s right to evict Hirsch, she claimed, “the only reason they know you’re a protected class is that you’re putting on your hat. You’re choosing to be here in this situation.”  The police arrived, Hirsch and his son stepped outside, his son frightened and in tears, while Harara continued yelling at Hirsch. Harara shouted “Fuck Israel. Fuck Zionists,” called Hirsch a “bitch” and told Hirsch’s son “Hey, your dad’s a bitch. Your dad’s a bitch.”

 

A video of Harara verbally attacking Hirsch and demanding he leave the establishment can be viewed here. Hirsch had never discussed Israel, Zionism, Judaism, or any related topics with Harara or anyone else inside the business.  Other than the Jewish Star, his hat had no other writing or symbols.

 

Hirsch is an American Jew and United States citizen who resides in Oakland, California, with his wife and three children. The Jewish Star on Hirsch’s hat, also known as a Star of David, is a symbol that represents Judaism and Jewish identity. It appears in Jewish synagogues, on Jewish tombstones, on the Israeli flag, and was used by the Nazis to identify Jews; it is inextricably linked with the Jewish people and the Jewish religion.

 

“The anti-Semitism that Mr. Hirsch and his son experienced is utterly shocking, as was the Defendants’ ignorance of basic morality and the law,” said Brandeis Center Senior Counsel Omer Wiczyk, who is representing Hirsch. “We look forward to educating the Defendants – and anyone that shares their distorted views – in a court of law. In the United States of America, a business cannot refuse to serve someone because they are Jewish, or any other race, religion, or ethnicity. The fact that this needs to be said in 2025 is a frightening reminder of the growing anti-Semitism that far too many have experienced in recent years.”

 

California’s Unruh Civil Rights Act, Civil Code § 51 et seq. broadly prohibits business establishments from discriminating in the provision of goods and services. Harara’s and East Bay Community Space’s refusal to permit Hirsch and his son to enjoy the services, privileges, accommodations, and facilities of a business establishment, solely because he was wearing a baseball cap with a Jewish star, constitutes discrimination. Hirsch is suing both Harara and the East Bay Community Space and seeks compensatory and punitive damages as well as injunctive relief and declaratory relief.

 

Victims of anti-Semitism seeking pro-bono counsel and support from CLI can reach out to David Dince, Brandeis Center Director of Litigation, at ddince@brandeiscenter.com or 917-509-1203 (mobile), 202-559-9296 (office). 

 

The Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law is an independent, unaffiliated, nonprofit corporation established to advance the civil and human rights of the Jewish people and promote justice for all. LDB engages in research, education, and legal advocacy to combat the resurgence of anti-Semitism on college and university campuses, in the workplace, and elsewhere. It empowers students by training them to understand their legal rights and educates administrators and employers on best practices to combat racism and anti-Semitism. More at www.brandeiscenter.com

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Another Car Attack in Germany

-Unser Mittel Europa

Today at about 12:15 in Mannheim, a driver drove his car at high speed into a crowd of people near Paradeplatz. Apparently, this was a location being set up for Fasching activity. The driver fled the scene but was apprehended by police. According to news reports, (Welt) at the moment of arrest, he shot himself in the mouth with a blank pistol. He is now in a local hospital, reportedly in critical condition.

At this point, two are dead and several injured, some critically, including a small child.

As for the perpetrator's identity, police have told media that he is a German citizen, about 40 years old, from Rheinland-Pfalz, with no immigration background. In addition, the registered owner of the vehicle, a black Ford Fiesta, was previously known to authorities for some kind of writing linked to him of a "terrorist or right-wing extremist" nature. It is not known if the registered owner of the car is one and the same as the driver. The suspect is believed to have acted alone.

So it remains to be seen if this was an act of Islamist-inspired jihadist terror. We will update this story as it progresses.

Fasching in Germany Under Terrorist Threat

This article first appeared in New English Review.

(Previous) Fasching in Nuremberg

-Nueremberg Stadtportal

The Fasching (Carnival) season is a great time to be in Germany. Everybody dresses up in crazy costumes, and there are parties and parades galore. When I was serving with the US Army in Erlangen, just outside Nuremberg, in the 1960s, I remember participating in Fasching parties in some of the GI bars that we frequented. It was great to be able to participate in this wonderful German tradition.

But that was then. Now Germany is under terrorist threat from Islamic extremists who have nothing but contempt for the country that has given them asylum and its traditions, like Fasching. ISIS has issued specific threats against Fasching celebrations in Germany. Is it coincidental that Ramadan is also currently in progress, or does ISIS think it is evil for Germans to be having a giant party while Muslims are fasting during the day? 

As a result of the threat, several cities in Germany are canceling certain Fasching events normally organized by the cities and states. Munich has canceled some of its main events, partly due to its own recent Islamist car attack that left two dead this month, and many other cities are looking for ways to cut down on the risk of attacks. Parades in particular are being canceled in many cities across the nation.

In Nuremberg, a city I am quite familiar with, the city has decided to allow the major parade, scheduled for today, but has canceled the Fasching Children's Parade scheduled for Monday, March 3. It is unfortunate and sad, but one can understand the reasoning. God forbid that some jihadist(s) would go on a rampage in the middle of a children's parade with guns, knives, cars, or bombs leaving dozens of dead children in their wake.

So this is the time we are living in. It speaks volumes that a city like Nuremberg has to cancel its children's parade for fear of an Islamic attack. In addition, Jewish Passover is on the way, and no doubt there will have to be beefed-up security at synagogues and other Jewish locations. The reason? The same.

In contrast, Muslims in Germany don't have to worry about their Ramadan observances being attacked by terrorists, and that's the way it should be. No decent person wants to go on a murderous rampage against anyone, including innocent Muslims. During this month of fasting, Muslims are supposed to reflect on how to be better Muslims. Unfortunately, for some, that means attacking the "unbelievers". The result is that Ramadan is hardly a month in which non-Muslims don't have to fear being attacked. It is quite the opposite.

In my view, this should be a time for decent Muslims observing Ramadan in Germany to reflect on why a children's Fasching parade has to be canceled due to fear that the children could be slaughtered by jihadists. They might also reflect on how that affects the way the German people view Islam and those who follow it. 

My hope is that Fasching goes ahead and the Germans don't allow terrorists to interfere with their cultural celebrations. And of course, I pray that it can go forward free of attacks.