Belgium: Adding Insult to Injury

Hat tip Algemeiner


In the wake of the Brussels attacks this month, a member of the country's Jewish community was trying to help arrange the return home to Israel of two persons who were wounded in the attacks. That's when the operator in a Belgian crisis call center took exception to the caller's reference to Israel and insisted on calling it Palestine.  Algemeiner has the report. There is a link in the article to Joods Actueel, a Jewish Flemish language website in Belgium (also linked on this site), which has the recording. The conversation is in Flemish without sub-titles.

http://www.algemeiner.com/2016/03/31/belgian-call-center-fires-employee-for-denying-israels-existence-during-conversation-with-jewish-volunteer-following-isis-bombings/

"IPG profoundly regrets that an employee, when answering a call to the crisis centre of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, systematically used “Palestine” to indicate the country of Israel, and by doing so sought confrontation with a Jewish volunteer.

IPG distances itself fully from this inappropriate behaviour.

Being a strictly isolated incident, it goes entirely against all IPG values and rules of conduct.

Moreover, the incident sharply contrasts with the excelling dedication shown by our crisis centre teams who have answered thousands of calls, day and night. We are very grateful for their commitment.

Given the severity of the facts the collaboration with the person concerned has been terminated with immediate effect.

IPG apologizes to all who may have been offended by the acts of our former employee.

IPG would like to take this opportunity to express our deepest sympathy to all the victims of the tragic events of last week in Brussels, as well as their relatives."

Street Celebrations in Belgium Over Brussels Attacks

Hat tip Jihad Watch






Just days prior to the attacks in Brussels, Belgian police arrested Salah Abdeslam, who is believed connected to the deadly attacks in Paris last year. He was captured in the heavily Muslim district of Molenbeek (Brussels). Not only had nobody turned him in to the police, but a riot broke out after the arrest.

Now comes this report that the attacks in Brussels were met by street celebrations in Muslim neighborhoods of Belgium.

http://www.jihadwatch.org/2016/03/belgian-vice-pm-admits-muslims-celebrated-in-the-streets-following-the-brussels-jihad-massacre-media-ignored-them

There is not much to add to JW's analysis. There is no hope of assimilating this into European society. Just a few days ago hooligans broke up a Brussels street memorial to the victims of the Brussels attack with cries of, "Death to Arabs", coupled with Nazi-style salutes. While I absolutely do not support that, it is easy to see where Europe is headed if this Islamic immigration/invasion is not halted. Civil war. The people in Europe have had enough, but their leaders and the EU are not listening to them. Hopefully, they can sweep these weak governments out through the electoral process and install leaders who will solve the problem through legal and constitutional means.  The longer this drags on the more radical the solution will have to be and time is running out.

Who Is Aijaz Ahmad?

UC Irvine School of Humanities is announcing amid much fanfare the hiring of Professor Aijaz Ahmad as a professor of comparative literature.

Oops. Make that a Chancellor's professor.

"Aijaz Ahmad, renowned political and literary theorist, joins the School of Humanities as Chancellor’s Professor in the Department of Comparative Literature"

http://www.humanities.uci.edu/SOH/about/press_release_det.php?id=347

So who is Aijaz Ahmad, other than being a "renowned political and literary theorist"? Apparently, he is a Marxist, anti-Israel, anti-Democracy and anti-Capitalist. Here is an interview of Ahmad by Asian Net TV News in 2014.



For one thing, he apparently isn't wasting any time attaching his UCI position to a petition he signed urging an academic boycott of a conference on India scheduled at Hebrew University in Israel this coming June.

http://www.usacbi.org/2016/02/south-asian-studies-scholars-statement-of-boycott-of-academic-workshop-at-hebrew-university/

Ahmad is number 4 on the list.

And look who is number 22 on the list: Why, none other than Jasbir Puar of Rutgers University. Great. A "renowned literary and political theorist" who doesn't believe in true academic freedom. I wonder what kind of "comparative literature" he will be teaching.

So it looks like we have another Marxist foe of democracy and Israel coming to UC Irvine-just in time for the May week of anti-Israel festivities, which will be brought to us by the Muslim Student Union and Students for Justice in Palestine. I wonder if he will be a featured speaker.

Just what UCI needs.

What You Can Learn at UNC-If You Listen

Hat tip Campus Reform


"I don't have to listen to this."


You can't put a price tag on four years in college, they always say. For example, at the University of North Carolina, you can learn that putting on a flesh colored band aid is an example of white privilege. It's part of a workshop being offered by some office called "Student Wellness" at UNC.

That's right.

http://www.campusreform.org/?ID=7423

And what has more to do with student wellness than a band aid?

Of course, you don't have to listen to anything you don't want to at Chapel Hill. For example, if conservative pundit Ben Shapiro comes to speak, you can just get up and walk out as some students did.

Here is the report on the event from the Daily Tarheel.

You think there is any connection between these two stories?

"Uhhhhhhh.....yeaaaaah."

Is ISIS Right on Islam?

Every time ISIS commits another heinous atrocity in the name of Allah, we hear the Western apologists tell us that they are not true Muslims because Islam forbids such acts. I am talking about people like CAIR,  the numerous Western-based imams, and even President Obama himself. Of course, those of us who have taken the time to study the teachings of the Koran, the hadith, and the life of Mohammad often come to a different conclusion.

This is not to suggest that all or even most Muslims approve of ISIS or agree with their ideas. Most Muslims do not engage in violent jihad. Yet we in the non-Muslim world must come to grips with this phenomenon because we are all threatened by it. Thus, we have the right to openly discuss it, and we should without having to worry about being called Islamophobes or bigots.

But in discussing ISIS, Al Qaeda, Hamas, Hizbollah and other Islamic terror groups, there are certain questions that keep popping up in my mind. Let me focus on ISIS in particular.

We already know that literally thousands of Muslims residing in Western countries have traveled to Iraq and Syria to join ISIS. My question is how many Western Muslims have we documented that have gone to Iraq or Syria to fight against ISIS? I am unaware of any. I am only aware of a few non-Muslim Westerners who have gone to join forces with fighters such as the Iraqi-Kurdish Peshmerga.

It is true that ISIS has killed many more Muslims than Christians or other minority religions. One reason is that ISIS is made up of Sunni Muslims, and they have an age-old hatred of Shi'ite Muslims, witness the Sunni-Shi'ite split in Iraq or the Sunni-Alawite split in Syria. Among the Alawites, a division of Shia Islam, is the Assad ruling family.

Then there are the various Muslim armies fighting against ISIS. Here I include the Syrian army, the Iraqi army, and the Iranian army, the latter of whom are Shia. Of course, these soldiers are not fighting to take back Islam from those who have "hijacked" it. They are fighting because their rulers have sent them to fight in order to maintain their political power, or in the case of Iran, to exert hegemony in the region.

In addition, there are the Kurds, who are fighting for their independence. The Peshmerga is the fighting force of Iraqi Kurdistan. They are engaged in battle against ISIS and badly need our weaponry. Instead, Obama prefers to supply the Iraqi army, but that is another topic.

So my question returns to the point: If ISIS is made up largely of previously non-military types who have joined the jihad fighting under no national banner, where are their civilian Muslim adversaries? Where are the armies of Mohammad who have banded together to rescue Islam from this evil force that has given it such a bad name? If jihad is such a positive concept in Islam, where are the anti-ISIS jihadis? If one definition of jihad is defending Islam, where are the jihadis defending Islam against the "perversions" of ISIS, perversions that are doing so much damage to Islam's reputation in the world?

Or does ISIS really represent the pure teachings of Islam?

As always, my Muslim readers are invited to weigh in. I promise you a respectful exchange of ideas. I think it is a fair question and deserving of discussion.

Important Conference on Anti-Semitism Upcoming at Indiana University

Next week, Indiana University is hosting a conference on anti-Semitism.

http://www.algemeiner.com/2016/03/30/eminent-holocaust-scholar-to-bring-peers-together-to-address-serious-threat-of-rising-antisemitism-interview/

I view this as an important development in the struggle to get universities to confront the problem of campus anti-Semitism. I look forward to the results.

UN Names Israel World's Worst Human Rights Violator

Hat tip Ted

"No, it's not N Korea. It's not Sudan. It's not Syria. It's not Iran. It's........"



For any of you holdouts in Never Neverland who still think the the UN  has any shred of credibility left, take a look at this.

http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2016/03/29/can-t-make-it-up-un-names-democratic-israel-as-world-s-top-human-rights-violator.html?intcmp=hphz04

Can we get out of this useless, Jew-hating organization now?

Hungary Says No

Hat tip Gates of Vienna


Viktor Orban
"Oppose and Resist"


Recently, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban gave a powerful speech in which he said no to the wishes of the EU in Brussels to import ever more migrants who are not assimilating and who seek to change the face of Europe-not to mention kill some folks in the process.

This speech is still being translated into several languages. Here is the English version along with text.

http://gatesofvienna.net/2016/03/viktor-orban-the-time-has-come-for-opposition-and-resistance/

"Cultural Appropriation" at SF State University

Hat tip Vlad Tepes


San Francisco State University has a tradition of radical behavior going back almost 50 years. Here is the latest incident captured on video two days ago. In this scene, an African-American woman, who is reportedly a school employee, gets up close and personal with a white male student. His offense?

CULTURAL APPROPRIATION

That is defined as when a member of one particular ethnic group (almost always a white American) "steals" an aspect of another (almost always non-white) ethnic group's culture. In this case, the white male student has some sort of braided hair. Apparently, in university culture, only black people can have braided hair. Got it?

"Uhhhh.....yeaaaah."

(That may qualify as cultural appropriation.)




You can't put a price tag on a college education, Folks.

*Update: University is investigating incident.

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2016/03/31/san-francisco-state-university-launches-probe-into-dispute-over-mans-dreadlocks.html?intcmp=hpbt3

Admissions Flap at University of California

Zuppa a'la Napolitano


It looks like the University of California and its (always) embattled president, Janet Napolitano, are back in the soup again. For years, it has been known that the university has been favoring out-of-state students at the expense of California residents because the former pay about 3 times the tuition as the latter. It's what they call "revenue enhancement".

"Uhhhh.......yeaaaah."

Now a state-released audit has sharply criticized UC and adds that in some cases, standards for out-of-state students have been lowered in order to admit them.

http://www.ocregister.com/articles/students-371084-ocprint-california-university.html

http://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Audit-shows-UC-admission-standards-relaxed-for-7215364.php

Of course, Napolitano, who bends over backwards to provide goodies to so-called "Dreamers" (illegal alien students, who by the way, get in-state tuition rates) does not accept the findings. "We need the dough," says she.

Of course, if she would look at other ways to save money, like cut down on the top-heavy bureaucracy (folks, who make 6-figure salaries), eliminate BS courses like gay studies, gender studies, ethnic studies, and stop building non-gender specific bathroom facilities and other nonsense, all kinds of dough could be saved. But she won't do that.

Cornell Black Law Student Group Apologizes For Offending Ad

Hat tip The College Fix


I came across the below article this morning in The College Fix. It appears the school's Black Law School Student Group sent out a karaoke ad that featured an Asian singer and a spoof on the Asian pronunciation of "r's" and "l's". The group has appropriately apologized.

http://www.thecollegefix.com/post/26793/

This brings back memories of 2013 at UC Irvine when some members of  an Asian-American fraternity made a black face video.

http://garyfouse.blogspot.com/2013/04/uc-irvine-in-turmoil-over-video.html

Of course, one can debate about whether the two different universities reacted exactly the same way. I know the UCI Asian-American kids involved were deeply apologetic once they learned the actual history of black face. As I recall, they self-suspended their own fraternity for a quarter.

Incidentally, it would be more accurate to say that Koreans and Japanese are the two specific nationalities that have problems with the English r's and l's. That is because in both Korean and Japanese, they have one sound that is between our l and r sounds. Thus, when they are learning English, they tend to use that sound for both the r and the l, which can cause mispronunciation issues. There is a way to correct that, and I often show this to my Japanese and Korean students. Of course, this doesn't apply to Asian-American kids whose native language is English, so there is some stereotyping involved here.

So in the immortal words of Rodney King, "Can we just all get..........."- never mind.

Women Only Train Cars in Germany

Budapest train station-migrants trying to go to Germany
"What could possibly go wrong?"


It has gotten this bad: A regional train carrier in Germany is instituting women only cars in an effort to protect women from-guess who- migrant men. Maybe they should call them "Merkelwagen"

http://www.foxnews.com/world/2016/03/28/german-rail-service-to-roll-out-women-only-train-cars-amid-fears-over-migrant-assaults.html?intcmp=hplnws

I have a better idea: How about getting rid of the men who are causing these problems-you know-like throw them out of the country?

Anti-Semitic Speech and Free Speech

Hat tip Frontpage Magzine and Squid


Richard Cravatts of Scholars for Peace in the Middle East has written a recent article in the wake of the UC Regents' statement of principles on intolerance, which addresses anti-Semitism. Frontpage Magazine has posted it, so I am cross-posting it as well. Here Cravatts addresses the issue of anti-Semitic speech and free speech.

http://www.frontpagemag.com/fpm/262314/confronting-anti-semitism-california-campuses-richard-l-cravatts


There are certain forms of what we consider-or what some consider-to be hate speech that are still protected under the First Amendment. The university also enjoys a right of free speech and can condemn what it considers to be anti-Semitic expressions when they occur. On the other hand, if a student scrawls a swastika on a campus wall, he or she can be expelled-and prosecuted for vandalism as well.

In "Defense" of Melissa Click

Hat tip Campus Reform

Andrew Hoberek
PhD


Andrew Hoberek is an English professor at the University of Missouri (Yes, that University of Missouri) whose academic interests include Jay-Z, Kanye West, and comics.

So it is hardly shocking that he would come out with a defense of fired professor Melissa Click (Yes, that Melissa Click) chock full of all the left-wing talking points about "proto-totalitarian state" and all that good stuff.

Campus Reform has the report.

http://www.campusreform.org/?ID=7421

No wonder Mizzou's enrollment is now in the tank.

Interesting Report Out of San Bernardino County

Hat tip Jim


I don't have a lot of details on this, but it was passed to me by a friend and is being reported by a news outlet called the Victor Valley News (CA). It appears that a group of men of Middle East origin were detailed Sunday morning (and released) by San Bernardino Sheriff's deputies after they had been reported camping out overnight and firing weapons in the desert.

http://www.vvng.com/report-of-15-men-with-guns-detained-at-deep-creek/

Here is a later report from the same outlet:

http://www.vvng.com/update-subjects-in-deep-creek-incident-detained-and-released/

This has also just been reported on local NBC-TV News (Los Angeles).

Mark this filed for future reference.

Fjordman's Indictment of the EU

Hat tip Gates of Vienna

 "The EU is no longer merely a corrupt and useless organization. It is an actively evil organization."
-Fjordman


I am cross-posting this article by the Norwegian writer, Fjordman, which is a pseudonym because Fjordman is under the threat of death from the jihadis. It appears on Gates of Vienna.

In this article, he recounts the carnage in Europe and indicts the criminal negligence or malfeasance, if you prefer, of the EU. It is the EU that has allowed this situation to come to pass.

http://gatesofvienna.net/2016/03/fjordman-war/#more-39232

In case you didn't know, Fjordman was studying Arabic in Cairo on 9-11. He was so disgusted by the celebrations he saw taking place that he left Egypt. He has been writing about the situation in Norway and Europe for years now. In addition to the death threats, he must also worry about being prosecuted by the politically correct government in Norway.

Dirty Saudi $$ in Our Universities

Hat tip Ted and Conservative Papers


I am cross-posting this article by Ezequiel Doiny on the Saudi money that is flowing into the US to fund their intolerant Wahhabi version of Islam. Much of it has been used to set up mosques staffed by Wahhabi imams Many universities have accepted millions of dollars to set up Middle East Studies departments that are little more than anti-Israel-anti-West centers of propaganda.

This article is quite long, but very informative.

http://conservativepapers.com/news/2016/03/25/the-link-between-saudi-donations-to-us-universities-and-the-israeli-apartheid-week/

I wonder if any of these universities have any quality control checks to see what kind of education is coming out of these Middle East Studies departments. Never mind. I already know the answer to that question. For example, we already know that UC Berkeley has none other than Hatem Bazian, the co-founder of Students for Justice in Palestine on their staff.

This is a disgusting example of the corruption of our universities.

Angela Merkel's New Order in Germany

Hat tip Atlas Shrugs and Information Liberation





Here is what German schools have become under Angela Merkel's open immigration policy. German kids are routinely being beaten up by immigrant kids.

Marquette's Firing Folly

Hat tip The College Fix and Marquette Wire




Marquette University is determined to fire professor John McAdams, who is a conservative. This saga has been going on a long time-as most sagas in universities do because administrators usually can't figure out what to do from day to day in contested matters. Here is the latest from The College Fix.

http://www.thecollegefix.com/post/26752/

Here is the Marquette campus paper report that McAdams has been suspended through the fall 2016 semester.

http://marquettewire.org/3946547/news/mcadams-suspended-through-fall-2016-semester/

Islam: The Price of Blasphemy and Apostasy (Death)

The below article concerns a group of women who are marked for death by militant Islamists. Their crime? Some are guilty of leaving the religion and speaking out publicly about it. In addition, at least one (Pam Geller) never was a Muslim, but has publicly criticized Islam. Either way, the punishment for those two "offences", which is affirmed by virtually every leading school of Islamic thought and sharia law, is death.

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2016/03/28/women-marked-for-death-by-islamic-fatwa-face-threats-with-fear-courage.html?intcmp=hpbt3

Full disclosure: I have come to know Nonie Darwish. We have met at several events and exchanged several email communications. On certain occasions, I have personally delivered her Freedom Pledge letter to addressees who had previously never responded to her. It goes without saying that I respect and support her just as i respect and support the others mentioned in this story.I
I have often directly asked local Muslim leaders like Muzammil Siddiqi, Maher Hathout, Salam Al Marayati and others about the death penalty in Islam for apostates and those who criticize the religion. Of course, they equivocate, hedge, and deny what is a known fact. It is part of (hudud) sharia law and is affirmed by every leading Islamic school of thought and jurisprudence.

Explain to me how such an ideology is compatible with Western standards of freedom and plurality. It is unacceptable that people in the United States of America have to live under such a threat. This week, I posted an article critical of Pope Francis. Yesterday, I attended Easter services in our local Catholic church. Was I afraid for my life? Hardly. Muslims, at least American Muslims, must enjoy the same rights.

2016: Could This Be the Year for the Cubs?

As I do each spring, I write a piece on my Cubbies and their long search for a World Series title (108 years and counting) or even a National League pennant (71 years and counting). This year, however, the experts say that all the stars are aligned. In other words, the Cubs have the best team on paper and are favorites to go all the way.

That's because the rebuilding program under team president Theo Epstein has been a fabulous success. Last year, the team won 97 games and made it to the NLCS where, of course, they flopped against the Mets. In the off season, they added right fielder Jason Hayward, pitcher John Lester, and second baseman Ben Zobrist. There is optimism everywhere even though their won-lost record in Spring Training has been less than stellar.

Let's take a look at their roster, which brims with youth, potential and versatility..

The infield looks rock solid with Anthony Rizzo at first base, last year's rookie of the year Kris Bryant at third, slick fielding Addison Russell entering his second season, at short and Ben Zobrist at second backed up by Javier Baez, who can also fill in all over the infield and outfield if needed (as can Zobrist). Baez still has superstar potential if he can cut down his strike outs and crack the starting lineup.

In the outfield, there is Hayward in right. He is the best defensive right fielder in the game and appears to have pushed Jorge Soler to the bench at least temporarily. Soler, like Baez, has superstar potential, but must improve his outfield defense plus show he can hit consistently over a full season. Look for him to platoon in left with Kyle Schwarber, who has a great bat but is still learning to hit against lefties. Schwarber may also work on his catching abilities and catch Jason Hammel. Back in center is Dexter Fowler, who had a fine season last year in terms of getting on base and scoring. I look for Hayward to have one of his best offensive years. Finally, there is Albert Almora, a former number one draft pick starting in Triple AAA. He is great defensively and impressed this spring while playing with the Cubs. Look for him to come up at the end of the season and take over center field in 2017. The Cubs farm system is still one of the best though their top prospects have graduated to the majors. More are on the way.

Catching appears to be solid with Miguel Montero the everyday catcher with David Ross handling Lester. Schwarber will also be available occasionally behind the plate, and if that isn't enough, we have a fine prospect in Willson Contreras who will begin in triple AAA after winning a double AA batting title last season.

The rotation appears good headed by last year's Cy Young award winner Jake Arrieta. Second in the rotation is John Lester, whose biggest weakness is a psychological problem in throwing to first base -or any other base for that matter. He should improve on last year's W-L performance. The rest of the rotation is filled out with Lackey, Jason Hammel and Kyle Hendricks, all of whom could turn in solid seasons especially backed up by a potent offensive lineup.

In the bullpen, we have depth and strength with closer Hector Rondon and setup man Pedro Strop. In addition, there is Travis Wood, Adam Warren (obtained from the Yankees for Starlin Castro), Jason Grimm, Trevor Cahill, Clayton Richard, and possibly Neil Ramirez if he can get his speed back up after injury problems last year. In addition, Wood, Cahill and Warren are swing men, which means they can start if necessary.

One of my biggest concerns with the additions of Zobrist and Hayward is the amount of playing time for Soler and Baez, both of whom have superstar potential. The additions were necessary, however, in order to improve contact and cut down on the high strikeout rate in the lineup last year.

Everywhere you look, there is youth, depth, and versatility not to mention the budding potential of Russell, Bryant, Baez, Schwarber, and Soler.

And, of course, there is manager Joe Maddon.

Of course, I don't predict anything with the Cubs having lived and died with this team since 1963. I well remember 1969, 1984 and 2003 when we "had it in the bag". But there is so much to be optimistic about not just this year but for the years to come.

Hopefully, it won't come down to a pick off throw by Lester when it's all on the line.

Anti-Jewish Flyers Appear at UC Berkeley and Other Campuses

Hat tip Pro-Israel Bay Bloggers




Now you know why the UC Regents needed to come up with a strong statement against anti-Semitism this past week. No sooner had that happened than this flyer started appearing at UC Berkeley and other campuses around the country.


http://proisraelbaybloggers.blogspot.com/2016/03/uc-berkeley-also-targeted-with-anti.html

I don't know who this Daily Stormer is, and I welcome a full scale investigation into those who put up these flyers. This is the kind of hateful expression that should cause alarm on campus not Trump 2016 messages. Contrary to the above, neo-Nazis have not been the prime cause of today's worldwide resurgence in anti-Semitism.

I am holding out many possibilities as to who is behind this, but prior to commenting, it is best to await further information.

Feds to Interview Hillary

"Agent Schultz! Long time no see."


This signals that they are nearing the conclusion of their investigation


If this report is accurate, it appears that the FBI investigation into Hillary Clinton's email server is nearing its conclusion. Only after gathering all the other facts would it be time to conduct interviews of Clinton and the main figures around her. That would mean Cheryl Mills, Huma Abedine and Jake Sullivan.

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2016/03/28/feds-reportedly-eye-interview-with-clinton-reach-out-to-aides-in-email-probe.html

Of course, this leaves other related investigations still open, such as the Clinton Foundation and any possibly false testimony Clinton might have given before Congress in regards to Benghazi.

When this interview takes place, Clinton is going to have to be careful about 18 USC 1001-lying to federal investigators during an investigation. She will likely be asked question, to which the investigators already know the answers. Any lies on her part will provide additional evidence of guilty knowledge in addition to the 1001 crime itself.

Who knows? Maybe Hillary will take the 5th. It might be the best thing she can do.

But Fousesquawk....

"A Clinton campaign spokesman told the newspaper they are ready to cooperate with investigators.

“She first offered last August to meet and answer any questions they might have,” Brian Fallon said. “She would welcome the opportunity to help them complete their work.”

I know. Write that down for future reference.



"On second thought........."