Belgium: Two Schools Afraid to Participate in Holocaust Memorial Ceremony

Two local schools in Anderlecht, Belgium refused to participate in a memorial the Greater Brussels municipality had planned to commemorate the Holocaust due to possible "eruptions". This has led to considerable bad publicity and the town is scrambling to ease tensions.

The below article in La Derniere Heure is translated from French by Fousesquawk. Here is more perspective from JNS (Jewish News Syndicate).

Anderlecht: The refusal of two schools to participate in a commemoration of the Holocaust sparks emotions

Two public schools in Anderlecht sparked polemics Thursday after the announcement in the press of their refusal to participate in a ceremony scheduled Friday in memory of the victims of the Holocaust.

According to information from DH (La Derniere Heure), the two community establishments, namely the Carrefour School, as well as the Marius Renard Insititute, refused the invitation they received to participate Friday in the laying of memorial stones in the territory of the municipality.

The two schools reportedly justified their refusal to the organizers due to the fear of possible "eruptions" due to the conflict in the Middle East.

This attitude has sparked several reactions on the part of Jewish organizations, but also from the Center for Secular Action (CAL), as well as several liberal personalities, including the Education Minister, Valerie Glatigny, who announced on X that she has sent a letter to the two schools to remind them that the observation of the memorial was part of the school missions.

Faced with the polemics, the municipality of Anderlecht tried Thursday to ease the tensions.

In a statement from Mayor Fabrice Cumps and Alderwoman Luiza Duraki, the municipality  has announced that a delegation of pupils from these municipal schools will, indeed, participate Friday at the ceremony "to illustrate the will of the scholastic community to participate in the duty to commemorate."

As for the decision by the Carrefour School and the Marius Renard Insititute, the municipality refutes any "external pressure" on the management.

"In a preliminary analysis, the managers considered, in regard to the international situation, that it was undoubtedly more prudent to approach it in a complete pedagogical perspective. Actions in this direction have already been programmed by the schools," the statement notes.

Stand With Us Report on Jewish Voice for Peace

Stand With Us is a pro-Israel organization that exposes and combats campus anti-Semitism. They have just come out with a report on the activities and alliances of the curiously-named Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP), an organization that teams up with other despicable groups like Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP). Their activities include disrupting Jewish, pro-Israel events on campuses across the nation.

In 2011, I attended a speaking event at UC Irvine featuring three representatives of JVP, Matan Cohen, Rachel Roberts, and Estee Chandler. They expressed the sentiment that pro-Israel students should not be able to feel comfortable on campus and that whatever pro-Zionists had to say was "useless discourse".

 In spite of its deceptive name, JVP has no interest in peace between Israel and the Palestinians. They side totally with the forces that would destroy the Jewish state of Israel. They contribute to the spreading anti-Semitic climate that exists on college campuses. Both JVP and SJP need to be investigated by the incoming  Justice Department. For starters, they could investigate a nationwide coordination (conspiracy) to disrupt the functions of universities and deprive Jewish students of their rights to get an education free of fear and intimidation, anti-Semitic harassment, disruptions of their events, and violation of their free speech rights. 

The Stand With Us report can be accessed here along with an introductory statement.

Italy: Rioting in Bologna

-La Repubblica

On the evening of January 11, mobs gathered in Bologna to attack police as revenge for the death of 19-year-old Ramy Elwami in Milan as he and a friend were involved in a police chase in November. Riots have broken out in Milan, Turin, and Rome as well.

The below article from Il Giornale is translated by Fousesquawk. I note that the words of Bologna's mayor, Matteo Lepore, are welcomed, but this is the same mayor who has hung a Palestinian flag at the city hall. You can view the photo of that display by the mayor here.

Assaults, 10 police officers injured, and threats to the synagogue: Violent processions also in Bologna

Aside from Rome, there was guerilla warfare also in Bologna between antagonists and law enforcement during the procession for Ramy: Construction sites demolished, outdoor areas destroyed and street signs uprooted.

-By Francesca Galici, 12 January 2025-10:42

Caption: Clashes between law enforcement and antagonists in Bologna

Not only in Rome, on Saturday evening, January 11, but also in Bologna serious classes occurred between demonstrators for Ramy in the streets and law enforcement. Ten police officers were injured in (Bologna), and in all, two were charged, but investigations are in progress to identify those who with their faces covered, assaulted police and Carabinieri in riot gear with rocks thrown, smoke bombs, outdoor furniture, barriers, and street signs. During the demonstration, officially organized to ask for justice for Ramy Elgami, but which eventually led to the usual urban guerrilla warfare, there were also threatening acts against the local synagogue on the part of antagonists and social centers. 

"I express my complete solidarity with the Jewish community. Just as I express solidarity with the business people and workers who have suffered damage, we will be at your side,"  Mayor Matteo Lepore wrote in a message posted on social media. From the first moment, the personnel of Hera (utility company of Bologna) and local police responded to handle the situation, and for the entire evening, they worked to clean up and fix the damage caused. A job that will also continue Sunday," the mayor said. "Particularly distressing (were) the acts of vandalism and the threats against the Bologna synagogue," his message continues. Many locations have suffered serious damage from the violence, with outdoor areas completely devastated. Some commercial buildings, including some banks, suffered shattered windows.

"There are no just causes for devastating Bologna. Tonight, groups of violent persons have devastated the historic city center of our city, burning trash bins, throwing rocks and all sorts of objects at police and firefighters. There were broken windows, acts of vandalism, graffiti on walls, planters and outdoor areas turned upside down. We are still measuring the damage, which appears to be extensive, on many streets and squares. Notwithstanding the proclamations of those on social media who promoted this violent gathering, this was no political demonstration but just devastation. An incident of enormous gravity," Lepore continues.

During the night, entire construction sites were demolished, tourists chased, and numerous (improvised) paper bombs and fireworks were thrown at the Due Torri San Francesco police headquarters. The officers were the targets of bottles and rocks thrown. 

Italy: Anti-Police Violence in Turin

-La Stampa

We have previously reported on outbreaks of violence in Northern Italy following the death of Ramy Elwami, an Egyptian man (19) who died in a motorscooter crash as he and a friend were being chased by police through the streets of Milan in November. Earlier this week, a procession for Elwami was organized in Turin, and it spiraled into violence against the police and Carabinieri.

The below article from La Stampa is translated by Fousesquawk. The article contains a video of the violence.

Procession for Ramy in Turin, assault on police vehicles, improvised paper bombs (thrown) at police station

The images of the clashes at the demonstration organized in Turin by student collectives: assault on a Carabinieri van, improvised paper bomb (thrown) at Dora-Vanchiglia police station, and eggs, paint, and objects thrown at the kaserne at Carlina Square. 

Video by Alberto Giachino (Ag Reporters)

January 9, 2025 at 02:14

Italy: More "Justice for Ramy" Violence

Busto Arzizio (Varese), Italy

We have previously reported on outbreaks of violence in Northern Italy following the death of Ramy Elwami, an Egyptian man (19) who died in a motorscooter crash as he and a friend were being chased by police through the streets of Milan in November.

In addition to Milan and this week in Turin, There was another incident Friday night in the northern Italian town of Busto Arzizio, 22 miles north of Milan, when police tried to identify two Moroccan men who were assaulting drivers and businesses in the city. When police intervened, they were surrounded by about 40 foreigners and had to call in reinforcements.  

The below article in Il Giornale is translated by Fousesquawk.

Harassment, chants for Ramy, then attacks against the police by foreigners: "You need to die"

The calm and quick intervention by police officers in Busto Arzizio prevented the foreigners from causing harm to citizens and damage to cars and commercial businesses

Francesca Galici  11 January 2025 at 17:14

In an ever-growing climate of insecurity and disorder, it is not only the large cities having problems with public order. The incidents of New Year's Eve in Milan have been noted, as well as those in Turin a few days ago when groups of organized antagonists tried to assault a police station and Carabinieri kaserne. But recent problems were also reported in Busto Arzizio, in the province of Varese, where on the night of Friday, 10-11 January, National Police officers were encircled by dozens of immigrants with the objective of preventing the identification of two subjects who were disturbing the peace. 

It all began with the reports from some drivers who called 112 to report the presence of two subjects who were trying to stop cars in the city, not just with insults and threats, but also with the dangerous throwing of bottles. They damaged cars and also commercial businesses throughout the center of the city until the arrival of law enforcement. When a patrol car arrived at the scene, the officers were encircled by a group of dozens of foreign men, about 40, who positioned themselves between the officers and the two attackers trying to prevent their identification. "Police sh--", "You all need to die", they yelled in the direction of the officers, chanting for Ramy Elgami and against the government. The agents were forced to call headquarters for intervention by reinforcements and only later, when more patrols converged in the area, could the identification of the two attackers proceed, Moroccans of 25 and 33 years of age. 

A complaint was filed against them for damage, threats, and resisting police. But it was also decided to open an investigation to identify everyone who participated in the attempt to intimidate the National Police officers. In the area, there are numerous surveillance cameras that captured the most exciting moments. Only the calmness of the officers prevented the situation from degenerating into the height of tension.

Yet again the officers found themselves confronting a potentially very dangerous situation, which increasingly often is part of the routine for the street patrols. Their intervention prevented the citizens from being injured by an evil attack perpetrated without reason by two foreigners against passing cars.

Columbia University: A National Disgrace

"...........antithetical to our values and go against the principles of open inquiry, tolerance, and inclusivity that define us.”

For years now, Columbia University has been one of the most notorious universities in the country when it comes to anti-Semitic harassment of Jewish students. The overwhelming majority of incidents are linked to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and since October 7, 2023, the incidents have exploded as they have on so many other countries around the nation. Yet no campus seems to have outdone Columbia. The utter indifference to the problem on the part of former Columbia President Minouche Shafik led to her resignation after her disastrous performance testifying before the US House of Representatives, Committee on Education and the Workforce. 

I am linking a current article in The Free Press which describes the experience of two Jewish students from Columbia's sister campus, Barnard College, when they attended a pro-Palestinian exhibition at the Alpha Delta Phi (ADP) Literary Society near the Columbia campus. It was a two-day exhibition featuring among other things paraphernalia used to break into and occupy a campus building last April during the months that followed the October 7 attacks in Israel when encampments and occupied campus buildings were the order of the day. It also glorified the October 7 attackers and featured a talk by activist Nerdeen Kiswani, who ranted about taking over the city, which she described as a world finance capital, not so subtly linking finance to Zionism. You get her drift. There was even a recitation of words from the will of Yahya Sinwar, the butcher who planned and led the October 7 attack.

In recent years, Columbia has had one of the largest numbers of Jewish students of any university in the nation. Yet, in spite of that, few if any other universities have had more problems than Columbia when it comes to anti-Jewish incidents. As mentioned in the article, the notorious Columbia professor, Joseph Massad is still employed there, and in fact, will be teaching a class on Zionism in the spring.

It is clear that Columbia has learned nothing from the events of the past year or so. All they can do is prattle on about how incidents of anti-Semitism on campus are  "antithetical to our values and go against the principles of open inquiry, tolerance, and inclusivity that define us.”

It doesn't wash.

So what is the solution? I would personally like to see this university shut down, but not by government decree or one of those famous FBI raids, like the one at Mar-a-Lago. What is needed is a cutting off of all public funding and grants to Columbia. True, Columbia is a private university, but they still receive money from outside sources. Alumni and other donors should wake up and cease their giving to such an institution. In addition, parents, especially Jewish parents, should send their kids to other universities that are more welcoming.

Near the end of his first term as President, Trump put universities on notice that if they failed to protect their Jewish students, government funding might be cut off. That should be a hallmark of this second administration. I expect that his Department of Education, Office of Civil Rights will play an active role in investigating offending schools. In fact, since October 7, 2023, they have opened investigations into several universities, and I hope this will increase dramatically under Trump. We don't have to use police state tactics. Just shut off the flow of money.

France: Commemoration of 2015 Jihadist Attacks

"Indestructible!"

On January 7, France commemorated the 10th anniversary of the jihadist terror attacks on the office of the satirical weekly, Charlie Hebdo, as well as other terrorist attacks over the ensuing two days, including a Jewish kosher food store.

The below article by Paris Match is translated by Fousesquawk.

Video: Charlie Hebdo attack: Ten years after, France remembers

Caption: On Tuesday, France commemorated the deadly jihadist attack ten years ago against the satirical weekly, Charlie Hebdo, which still defends freedom of expression loud and clear.

Editorial staff with Agence France Presse, video by William Smith

January 7, 2025 at 10:46. Updated January 8, 2025 at 12:30

On January 7, 2015, the Kouachi brothers, fighters of al Qaeda, attacked the editorial staff of the Charlie Hebdo newspaper in Paris,. Twelve people died in the Islamist attack.

On Tuesday, France commemorated the deadly jihadist attack ten years ago against the satirical weekly, Charlie Hebdo, who still defends freedom of expression loud and clear.

The gleefully anarchist and anti-clerical newspaper, Charlie Hebdo, was the target of jihadist threats since the publication of caricatures of the Prophet Mohammad in 2006.

At the exact time of the attack at 11:30 (10:30 GMT) on rue Nicolas-Appert, where Charlie Hebdo was located in 2015, the victims' families and numerous personalities gathered. Names of the victims were read, wreaths were laid, bells were rung for the dead, a minute of silence, the Marseillaise: The sequence was sober in a neighborhood blocked off by police.

Hands crossed, the director of Charlie Hebdo, Riss, seriously wounded on January 7, 2015, looked thoughtfully at the facade for a long time, a journalist with AFP noted.

President Emmanuel Macron, former head of state, Francois Hollande, in office at the time, the mayor of the capital, Anne Hidalgo, Prime Minister Francois Bayrou, and several members or former members of the government were present.

"The sadness is the same, the emotion too," Francois Molins, prosecutor of Paris at the time, stated on the France 2 channel. "The spirit of Charlie has never left me," said Anne Hidalgo.

The head of state spent a few minutes with the families in the absence of the press.

"Total solidarity"

These ceremonies open a heavy memorial series, ten years after a series of jihadist attacks that hit France in 2015, notably with the November 13 attacks against the Bataclan  Hall, the outdoor cafes, and the Stadium of France.

From January 7-9, 2015, the brothers Cherif and Said Kouachi and Amedy Coulibaly targeted Charlie Hebdo, police, and the Jewish community during "coordinated" attacks although responsibility was claimed by two distinct entities, Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, and the Islamic State organization, causing a total of 17 deaths.

Twelve people, including eight from the editorial staff of Charlie Hebdo, lost their lives during the attack by the Kouachi brothers. After two days of being tracked, these two French nationals of Algerian origin, who had pledged allegiance to Al Qaeda, were shot and killed by an elite group of the gendarmerie in a printing house where they had hidden themselves.

Other Islamist attacks near Paris cost the life of a police officer the next day in Montrouge, then four people of the Jewish faith at a kosher store in Porte de Vincennes (Paris) on January 9.

Tuesday's ceremonies continued on Boulevard Richard Lenoir, where police officer Ahmed Merabet was killed by the Kouachis during their flight. Then in front of the Hyper Kosher store, where the same ritual was repeated with the laying of wreaths and a minute of silence.

Near the store, Stars of David and the inscription, "Jew" were discovered Sunday and Monday on the buildings at Saint-Mande and Vincennes. The synagogue of Rouen, in northwest France, was the target of anti-Semitic tags between the end of December and the beginning of January.

"It has never ended," and "the battle against this Islamist anti-Semitism continues," reacted the president of Crif (Representative Council of Jewish Institutions in France), Yonathan Arfi. 

The rector of the Grand Mosque of Paris, Chems-eddine Hafiz, expressed Tuesday his "total solidarity" with the victims of the January 2015 attacks, which, "in no way can be justified by Islam," in emphasizing his "unshakable attachment to freedom of expression". 

Terrorism Memorial 

On Monday, Mr. Macron called for the continuation of the fight against terrorism without "respite". 

On Tuesday, a source close to the case indicated that he wanted to maintain the project for a terrorism memorial, a place of homage to all the victims of terrorism in France and those threatened with abandonment abroad. 

Germany shares, "the pain of our French friends," noted Chancellor Olaf Scholz on X, adding: "The barbaric attack targeted our common values of freedom and democracy-we will never accept that."

The attack provoked worldwide emotion and gave birth to a slogan of support that remains famous: "I am Charlie".

On January 11, 2025, demonstrations brought together nearly 4 million people across France with numerous heads of state and government in the Paris procession.

Charlie Hebdo "embodies a fight for liberty," Fabrice Nicolino, a member of the surviving staff on January 7, 2015, noted Tuesday on radio Franceinfo. And describing the editorial room today, protected by a large metal door, a series of double doors, a room teeming with cops, or even a panic room in case of attack.

For this sad anniversary, Charlie Hebdo is releasing a special issue with 32 pages, where on the front page, it reads, "indestructible".

Alongside Charlie Hebdo in the kiosks, several French dailies are devoting their front pages to the 10th anniversary of the attack: "Liberty, liberty, Charlie!" headlines Liberation, while Le Figaro worries about seeing "France still under the Islamist threat."

*Update: Here is the video in the above article with English subtitles added. Hat tip Vlad Tepes and Gates of Vienna for subtitling. Translation by Fousesquawk.

Italy: Reported Sexual Assaults in Milan on New Year's Eve

Piazza Duomo, Milan on New Year's Eve

-Il Giornale

This past week, we reported on the outrageous behavior of many foreign youths on New Year's Eve in Milan. It now seems that the problems were not confined to climbing onto monuments and insulting Italy. A group of young Belgian females have reported to a local paper in Liege, Belgium, where they are attending university, that they were present in Milan on Pizaa Duomo New Yera's Eve and were sexually assaulted by dozens of young men, not Italians, who groped them. The matter is now being investigated by local police and prosecutors in Milan.

The below article from Il Giornale is translated by Fousesquawk. Note: This article reports the number of victims as 4. The French-language Belgian daily, Sudinfo, mentioned in the below article, reports the number of victims as 6, 4 females and 2 males.

"Gang violence": Investigation begins in Milan

The prosecution moves on the case of the Belgian girls who were molested.  Chief of Police: 

"25,000 people on the square, largely foreigners."

Cristina Bassi, January 7, 2025-05:00

The Milan Prosecutor's Office is opening an investigation on the (cases) of sexual violence, first reported in a newspaper in their country and quickly reported formally to the police, of 4 young tourists who arrived in Milan for New  Year's Eve. The case is for the crime of gang sexual violence committed by persons, for the moment, unknown (form 44). 

The girls, students from Liege between the ages of 20-21, were in Duomo (Cathedral) Square for the festivities together with two friends. They told the daily newspaper, Sudinfo, of having lived through a "nightmare with their eyes open" that lasted about ten minutes: They were surrounded by a group of 30-40 young men, who appeared not to be Italian, some of them held the hands of the victims while others groped them over and under their clothes. The tourists were also insulted and shoved among the crowd that shielded the attackers, then were helped by "an Italian gentleman whose wife was also molested." A situation that brought back memories of what happened New Year's Eve 2022, for which some young men of North African origin were sentenced on appeal to up to five years in jail.

Sudinfo explains that the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bernard Quintin, is following the story "closely". And that the "group of friends will file a complaint in the coming days to the Liege police". Also whether that office can proceed against the crime of sexual violence. Meanwhile, the Vulnerable Groups Section, led by (Italian) Assistant Prosecutor, Letizia Mannella, is coordinating the cases with the Mobile Squad (National Police, Milan Police Hqs). The investigators are downloading the images from the surveillance cameras, and in the coming hours, will begin to analyze them to try to find confirmation of the account given by the Belgian student who provided her name and was interviewed by the local paper. The officers are also identifying other members of the group to hear their testimony. The identifying details and telephone number of one of the boys have already been discovered, and he will be contacted to take his statement, as will be the student who spoke personally. The 20-year-old, who is in shock and now in the care of psychologists of the Liege University Hospital, has stated that "the attack happened after midnight. I think about 20 minutes after, at the entrance to the Galleria (shopping arcade), not very far from where some police officers were positioned." According to the young woman, the policemen were not in position to see the attacks "because we were behind a column. There was a lot of confusion, so many people. We were surrounded by so many men." Yesterday, the Minister of Tourism, Daniela Santanche, along with a delegation of the Fratelli d'Italia (party), met with the chief of police of Milan, Bruno Megale. "In Milan," he said, "there is a security emergency that is clear to all". And he added: "We are in solidarity (with the police, editor's note) after the serious acts on New Year's Eve in Duomo Square". (He was referring) to the videos in which some foreign boys insulted Italy and the police. 

Megale emphasized that the square "was handled in the best possible way. I can only state that we had a very large deployment of security with more than 800 people, and that in the square, we had to handle 25,000 people, of whom a large number were foreigners."

Shamsud-Din Jabbar and Where He Worshiped

 Hat tip Memri TV and The Religion of Peace

If there is still anybody out there searching for the motive as to why Shamsud Din Jabbar drove his vehicle into a crowd of people in New Orleans on New Year's Eve, all doubt should have been removed with the news of his final postings shortly before he committed his act of terrorism.  Jabbar, who converted to Islam several years ago, spoke of his intention to target "disbelievers" (non-Muslims).

And where did he get that hatred toward non-Muslims? A look at the mosque(s)where he was known to worship would be instructive. The Masjid al Bilal Mosque in Houston has had its share of controversy in recent years due to the intemperate language of certain imams.

First, let's take a look at the statement that the Islamic Society of Greater Houston (ISGH), which oversees the al-Bilal Mosque, issued in the aftermath of the attack.

Fair enough. The Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR) has also issued a statement condemning the act as well as Deash (ISIS).  What else can they say? Obviously, they cannot defend the action as an act of jihad (which it was).

However, it is noted that the above ISGH statement doesn't mention the fact that the attacker was a Muslim, nor the fact that he had attended the al-Bilal  Mosque in Houston, just around the corner from where he lived. And while the above statement encourages its members to report information to law enforcement, at the same time,  ISGH is advising its members to refer any FBI inquiries to ISGH or CAIR (Hat tip JNS).

“If anyone is contacted by the media, it is very important that you do not respond,” the post added. “If approached by the FBI and a response is necessary, please refer to CAIR and ISGH. It is crucial that we stay united at this time as we condemn these terrible acts. Please stay safe.”

Turning back to the al-Bilal Mosque, there have been several disturbing reports about this mosque and its imams in recent years.

In the wake of the attack, Daily Mail (UK) ran an article on one of the al Bilal mosque's imams, Zoubir Bouchikhi of Algeria. He reportedly once described non-Muslims as "lower than animals", among many other things ((See MEMRI TV video in the above link). He has since been deported back to Algeria (2011), reportedly for immigration violations.

Well, that was in 2011, and perhaps, before Jabbar started attending that mosque (I don't know). Yet, as recently as August 2024, MEMRI TV reported that an imam at al Bilal Mosque named Mohammed ElFarooqui was making all sorts of derogatory comments about Jews in his sermons, referring to them as "monkeys, rats, and pigs" (see video in the above link).

In addition, MEMRI TV reports that back in November 2023, another imam at al-Bilal, Eiad Souman, also went on a rant about Jews in a sermon at that mosque (see video) in the above link).

In addition, Middle East Forum writes that yet another imam associated with a 2nd mosque under the umbrella of the Islamic Society of Greater Houston, the Masjid Abubakr Mosque, a gentleman named Furqan Sayed, has been invited to address some sort of Harris County (where Houston is located) governing body. The Abubakr Mosque has a long history of association with Islamist organizations. And this invitation is in the wake of the New Orleans attack. The article states that Jabbar also attended this mosque.

I cannot state with certainty whether Jabbar ever heard any of these imams give a sermon or was ever influenced by them. It seems more solidly established that he had an association with the al-Bilal Mosque as opposed to the Abubakr Mosque. Both are under the umbrella of the ISGH. But given the fact that Jabbar was radicalized, it is reasonable to question the influence that the mosque(s) he attended contributed to that radicalization and desire to kill the "disbelievers". In light of these reports, the words of the ISGH in the above statement hardly seem credible.

I want to reiterate in closing that this post is not meant to characterize all Muslims, especially those who worship at al-Bilal Mosque or any of the ISGH mosques in the Houston area, as being potential terrorists or sympathizers. As always, we must not blame or punish innocent Muslims. At the same time, we must not shrink from pointing the finger at individuals, institutions,  or groups that propagate hate and encourage murder and other forms of violence. Given all the above information, it is entirely legitimate and appropriate for law enforcement to investigate the question of whether the New Orleans attacker was inspired or influenced in any way by the mosque(s) he attended.

Spain: 4 Juvenile Moroccans Arrested for Planning Attack on Basilica

Santa Maria Basilica, Elche (Alicante), Spain

The jihadist target

The news has just been released this week in Spain that on December 19, Spanish police arrested four Moroccans between the ages of 14-17 for planning to carry out a terrorist attack against a basilica in the town of Elche (Alicante). 

The below article from OK Diario España, dated 12-31-2024 is translated by Fousesquawk.

Terrorism

Four  Moroccan minors detained, accused of preparing a jihadist attack on the Basilica of Elche

The detained minors, born in Morocco, are between 14 and 17 years of age.

By Paula Gonzalves, journalist and editor. Trained in criminology,  editorial marketing, and film.

12-31-2024 at 11:57. Updated 12-31-2024 at 12:42

Caption: Basilica of Santa Maria in Elche

The National Police have detained four minors, born in Morocco, for planning a terrorist attack on the Basilica of Elche. The youths were arrested on December 19 in a police operation against jihadist terrorism. The alleged terrorists had been living for some time in the Alicante town. They are between 14-17 years of age, and one of them was taken into custody in the secondary institute in which he was studying.

The officers of the operation decided to proceed with the detention of the minors, whom they had been tracking for some time, for fear they would act, taking advantage of Christmas and the crowds of people on the streets and at places of leisure. The Basilica of Santa Maria in Elche was not the only possible target; all (were) in the same area of the Mediterranean coast.

Following their arrest, the National Court- charged with terrorism cases-ordered their placement in the Teresa de Calcutta Juvenile Center in the community of Madrid, per the request of the Office of Juvenile Prosecutor. While the authorities further the investigation, the youths will remain confined in a closed regimen* in the Madrid center. They are accused of terrorist crimes although, given their ages, the charge will have to stick to the confines of the Law on Minors, which punishes the above crime with a maximum of 5 years imprisonment in a closed regimen in a center for minors, with another three years of supervised release.

* Translator: Closed regimen (most restricted regimen for the most dangerous prisoners).

The penalties increase when those convicted are 17 years of age-in this case, they are between 14 and 17- and can go up to 8 years imprisonment. 

Despite the penalties imposed by law, data indicates that the majority of minors sentenced for similar acts face only one year. This short period of time incarcerated is one of the principal obstacles facing security forces in combating terrorism. Partial secrecy of the proceedings has been ordered, according to information published by El Confidencial (newspaper). 

Presence of minors

The presence of minors among the suspects in relation to jihadist terrorism is increasingly common, according to police sources, especially among adolescents of 14 and 15 years of age. Without going further, last October, a young Syrian 17 was sentenced to 4-1/2 years imprisonment in a closed regimen by the Central Juvenile Court of the National Court. He was planning to commit a jihadist attack with explosives prepared in his house in Montellano (Sevilla). Previosly, he had appeared on social media as a "cyber soldier" of Daesh (ISIS), "tremendously homophobic and anti-Semitic" and on Telegram claimed that he would attack a police station: "I will be a martyr if Allah wants".

At the end of November, the Civil Guard arrested a man in Ceuta for his alleged connection with jihadist terrorism.  This was the 5th person arrested in the zone in only one week in anti-terrorist operations.

Four days previous, the National Police dismantled a jihadist group in Spain and Morocco, connected to the DAESH terrorist organization that constituted a "real threat", with the intention of carrying out violent actions. Six arrests were made in Spain- four in Ceuta, one in Ibiza, another in Madrid, and three in Morocco.

Italy: Matteo Salvini to Arab New Year's Eve Miscreants: "Go Home, We Don't Need You"

 Earlier we posted a report on the disrespectful behavior of young, mostly North African (and other Arab) migrants in Milan on New Year's Eve. Italy's Deputy Prime Minister, Matteo Salvini, has a message for those people. If they don't like it in Italy, they should go back home.

I completely agree with Salvini's sentiment. Thank God there are people in Italy who are not afraid to say it. 

Hat tip to RAIR Foundation USA for this video. Subtitling by Gates of Vienna and Vlad Tepes. Translation by Fousesquawk.

Sweden: Three Afghans Charged for Gang Rape

Another heartwarming success story about three Afghan men who are now sitting in jail on charges of gang rape, among other things. The incident allegedly happened in Kristianstad, in southernmost Sweden. The below article from the conservative Swedish news site, Samnytt, is translated by Fousesquawk.

Kristianstad (Scania County)

Three Afghans detained for gang rape in Skåne

Published 13:37

Three young Afghan men, ages 18, 19 and 23 respectively, have been detained by a Kristianstad court for suspicion of rape, assault, and unlawful detention of a 20-year-old woman this weekend. The local Kristianstadsbladet  (newspaper) that reported on the incident is misleading the readers with the claim that the perpetrators "are natives of Kristianstad."

According to court documents obtained by Samnytt, the crime was committed in a residence in Kristianstad Saturday night-Sunday morning. The three foreign suspected gang rapists were arrested at 01:30 the same night, booked into jail early Sunday morning, and remanded to custody on Monday by the district court in Kristianstad.

"The three prisoners are acquainted with each other. I know nothing about the relationship between them and the woman," says Anja Steiber, press spokesperson for the prosecutor's (office) in a press statement.

Kristianstadsbladet misleads

According to Kristiananstadsbladet, which is reporting on the incident, the three men are "natives of Kristianstad'. However, that is not true. Instead, all of them are natives of Afghanistan.

The 19-year-old  and the 23-year-old have been previously convicted for crimes in Sweden, including assault, vandalism, and drug crimes, but have been allowed to remain in Sweden. That decision became the misfortune of the gang rape victim on Sunday.

Prosecutor  reticent

Formally, the Afghan trio are in custody for rape, assault, and unlawful detention. The arrest is based on probable cause, which is the higher grade of suspicion, and which is used when the prosecutor and the court view the evidence as strong.

Prosecutor Magdalena Petersson, who is handling the case, is at this time, reticent as to further information about the gang rape.

"They are all three in custody. I can't say much more than that," she says to Kristianstadsbladet.