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Tuesday, January 31, 2017

Trump Ban Protest in Irvine



On January 31, a protest was held in front of the Irvine office of Rep. Mimi Walters (R-CA) against President Trump and his travel ban. Walters represents the Irvine district. It wasn't much as demonstrations go. There were maybe 75 people, including a few Muslims. They were of all ages. As I stood around watching and listening to poetry recitals ("Hey hey, Ho Ho. Donald Trump has got to go") one of the protest leaders (holding a bull horn) handed me a notice announcing a meeting of the Democratic Socialists of America, Orange County. At one point, a lady walked through the crowd showing people the home address of Paul Ryan (D-WI) in Wisconsin on her cell phone and urging people to write to him not to cut out Planned Parenthood funding. People were copying it on their cell phones. So did I. I don't want to show it here until someone can show me how to blur out the address.


Almost all of the people were well behaved, but I noticed there were two young men off to the side, one of whom was holding a poster which read, "Donald Trump is my hero". His friend was being confronted by a middle aged man who was irate and swearing at him. By the time I got my video camera out, he had somewhat calmed down and walked away. The young man kept his cool as did his friend with the poster.




So I walked over to the young man holding the poster and asked him if anyone was giving him any problems. He said that one older woman had gotten in his face and tried to grab the poster away from him. I asked him if I could interview him on video, and he complied.



While I was talking to the young man, the aforementioned woman walked past and said, "I see you put your sign down" in a not so friendly manner.

As I left, the man with the bull horn was urging the crowd to show up at the UC Irvine flagpoles for a vigil that evening. So I am going to assume here that this protest and the later one at UCI were at least partially organized by the Democratic Socialists of America/Orange County.

All in all, it was just another day at the office (of Mimi Walters).

Zuhdi Jasser Goes Against Salam al Marayati

On January 25, the World Affairs Council of Orange County hosted a panel discussion on the topic of the Muslim Reform Movement  The panelists were Zuhdi Jasser of the Muslim Reform Movement and Salam al Marayati of the Muslim Public Affairs Council, an arm of the Muslim Brotherhood and persistent critic of law enforcement efforts to monitor radical Islam in the US. An individual with whom I am personally acquainted attended the event and made some notes. Thew writer wishes to remain anonymous.

http://worldaffairscouncil.org/muslims-in-america/

I did attend it.  It was entitled Muslim Reform Movement: Is This Necessary and Why? It was hosted by the World Affairs Council of OC.  Panel with Dr. Zuhdi Jasser and Salam Al Marayati.   Here were my thoughts:

I attended it for two reasons.  First to hear how Islamists are now deflecting and attempting to avoid this discussion and secondly to gauge the audience's level of knowledge.

Here are my take aways. CAIR was there in large number.  They are not nearly as self confident as in the past.

The non Muslim audience is not as easily deterred from receiving answers.

Salam Al Marayati said many of the predictable things that an Islamist does.  "Jihad means inner struggle." He said the Quran does not claim expressly a need to establish a state (which I believe is correct), and claims that " it is the American understanding of Islam which needs a reform". He also claimed that since 9-11 Right wing extremists have killed 4 times more people than Islamic extremists.


Al Marayati states that the 5 Goals of Sharia are to:

protect life

protect freedom of speech

protect freedom of religion

protect property rights

know your lineage


Also note worthy is that while Al Marayati did not say that Islam needs any reformation he did say that Muslim reform means that Muslims should not live in ghettos and that Jews and Christians are people of the book not infidels.


Al Marayati stated that "political Islam is a failure....my kids don't know what political Islam is because they only have Islam in their hearts."


(And lucky for them that they live in the USA instead of an Islamic republic!!!)


Zuhdi Jasser was as always composed, articulate and forthright in presenting an alternative narrative. He said that we need to address this domestically to effect change globally.


Cards were passed out for the Q and A session at the end but the moderator said that the questions written on the cards were too passionate and directing so he chose not to use them. The Q and A's were skipped and he let Jasser and Al Marayati both have a final thought at the end instead.
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Fousesquawk Comment: I have heard Marayati speak several times, and I consider him a dissembler. In December 2012 I spoke with him at the MPAC annual conference in Pasadena and asked him about Nonie Darwish's Freedom Pledge, a letter sent to him and hundreds of other Muslim leaders in the US asking them to sign a simple statement that US apostates from Islam should not be harmed. (Islamic law mandates death to apostates and is still often carried out in many parts of the world sometimes with government law (Saudi Arabia, Iran) Marayati and all the others excepting 2 never signed the letter or acknowledged. Marayati told me the letter was unnecessary since there is no law in Islam mandating death to apostates . I then gave him a copy of the letter that had been addressed to him. It was never signed.


My Thoughts on the Sally Yates Firing

Hat tip Dov


The left is reacting predictably in horror MSNBC and CNN are dredging back memories of Richard Nixon's Saturday Night Massacre. Lawrence O'Donnell of MSNBC calls the Monday Night Massacre.President Trump's firing of acting attorney general Sally Yates fro trying to sabotage the President's travel ban. She is now the hero of the left.

Sally Yates was confirmed as deputy attorney general last year despite some Republican opposition due to her involvement in defending the government against a lawsuit by 26 states over the Obama administration's granting status to millions of illegal immigrants.  See the below article by Josh Gerstein (Politico)  from last year.,

Sally Yates confirmed as No. 2 at Justice Department


05/13/15 02:35 PM EDT
The Senate easily confirmed a veteran federal prosecutor from Georgia as deputy attorney general Wednesday, despite a protest by some Republicans angry over President Barack Obama's executive actions on immigration.
Senators voted, 84-12, to confirm Sally Yates in the Justice Department's No. 2 job — a post she has filled on an acting basis since January.
On the floor a couple of hours before the vote, Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) urged his colleagues to defeat Yates. Sessions said he had no quibble with her track record, but objected to what he said was her involvement in defending the federal government against a lawsuit 26 states have filed challenging unilateral actions Obama took in November to grant millions of illegal immigrants quasi-legal status and work permits.
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Based on what I see I support this firing and would add that there are differences between this firing and Nixon's firing of his attorney general, Elliot Richardson, in 1973 at the height of the Watergate scandal.


At that time, Nixon was resisting the demands of special prosecutor Archibald Cox to turn over white house tapes. Richardson refused Nixon's order to fire Cox, at which time Richardson was fired. The next AG in line, William Ruckelshaus, also refused to fire Cox and was fired as well. The job then fell to Robert Bork, who complied with Nixon's order.

In my view and with the benefit of history, I think Nixon was acting as an outlaw. He was attempting to evade detection of his role in the Watergate cover up. In this case, Trump was faced with an insubordinate acting AG who was attempting to have DOJ ignore the order, which is being legally challenged in court, but which I think will be upheld.

Rightfully or wrongfully, the Justice Department, like other federal agencies, has many political hires. Trump will surely place his own. Yates was a holdover from the Obama DOJ. She was attempting to inject her own political views in opposition to the President's policy. She is no hero. She is just another political hack and she needed to go.

Temple Univ SJP Pays Tribute to Late Terrorist

Hat tip Algemeiner and Stop Jew Hatred on Campus


I have always said that Students for Justice in Palestine, which was co-founded by UC Berkeley professor Hatem Bazian, is a despicable organization. Once again, they have proven me right. This time, the SJP at Temple University has paid tribute to the late Palestinian terrorist George Habash.

https://www.algemeiner.com/2017/01/29/temple-u-chapter-of-notoriously-anti-israel-group-pays-tribute-to-late-founder-of-deadly-palestinian-terrorist-organization-on-8th-anniversary-of-his-death/


Temple University in the past few years has been a hotbed of anti-Semitism. This is just the latest chapter.

Rep. Kyle Biedermann's Homeland Security Forum in Texas

On January 26, Texas State Representative Kyle Biedermann held a homeland security forum on the problem of radical Islam. Not surprisingly, it aroused the ire of CAIR in Texas. Below is a report on the forum from Biederman's web site. Among those who testified were Muslim reformer Zuhdi Jasser and Nonie Darwish and Karen Lugo. The latter two I happen to know personally. The event corresponded with the upcoming Muslim Day at the Texas state capital , in which Muslims go to lobby legislatures.


http://kylebiedermann.com/texas-homeland-security-forum-focuses-on-defending-against-radical-islamic-terrorism/

Below is what Karen Lugo wrote of the forum:

Report on Texas Homeland Security forum sponsored by Rep. Kyle Biedermann, Muslims for Reform, and Former Muslims United.

1. "There were between 8 and 10 Texas state representatives who attended either for the entire 2-hr. forum or stayed for at least an hour. There were other staffers in the audience. There was media from all major Texas outlets and some national new sources. Some reporters just showed up at the end. In my opinion, they all should have been honest and just appear for salacious interviews at the end. The coverage was as dishonest as I have ever seen. While great care was taken to bring in current and former Muslims who could speak as authorities to the sharia supremacist problems in America their insight was completely ignored. The news coverage centered on a former representative's outburst during a side interview. Some mentioned the testimony of Mayor Beth Van Duyne but cast it skeptically as if she has it in for the Islamic tribunal that is in her jurisdiction. They went back to old and biased news stories and, again, refused to look at compelling evidence that the tribunal is obfuscating and potentially hiding questionable sharia activities. There are reasonable legal and political questions that may be asked of the tribunal but reporters only see that they have a responsibility to smear a public official that recognizes her duty to uphold equal rights and state law. 

Here is a thumbnail summary of the salient presentations during the forum:

Nonie Darwish, Former Muslims United: Nonie described the wrenching long-term anguish suffered by Muslim women who are in sharia communities but decide to assimilate to the point of embracing American culture. She spoke of her own experience and the alienation and ostracization that she endured as she expressed her intent to "Westernize." She described the very harsh terms of sharia and the punishments that Muslims endure -- yes, even in America -- when they choose to cease being Muslims or when they challenge sharia foundations. 

Beth Van Duyne, Mayor of Irving, Texas: The mayor presented an articulate plea for help with investigation of the Islamic tribunal from the state legislature. She described the duplicity of the tribunal's website and recounted the website revisions that have been documented as inconsistencies with American or Texas law were noted. She quoted from an interview of the chief imam (called "judge") where he apparently contradicted himself on the issue of whether fiqh jurisprudence or American law should prevail in tribunal "arbitration" proceedings. The "constitution" that appears on the website confirms this confusion as the arbitrators (called "lawyers") are trained in fiqh jurisprudence and it is considered authoritative. The mayor only requests a basic inquiry as to whether there are violations of Texas law that do not allow for "unlicensed" practice of law. 

Dr. Zuhdi Jasser, President of American Islamic Forum for Democracy: Dr. Jasser spoke of the need to identify Islamist supremacists as distinct from Muslims and the importance of vigilant security monitoring of radical Islamist activity. He emphasized the foundational importance of protecting lawful rights to privacy but also said that many proper law enforcement opportunities to monitor radicalization leading to dangerous mindsets and violence have been missed. 

Chris Gaubatz, infiltrated CAIR and worked as an intern: Mr. Gaubatz presented documentation showing that CAIR's origins were as a front group for Hamas and that this is still -- and always has been -- CAIR's animating mission. 

Karen Lugo, attorney and author of "Mosques in America": I spoke of the need for state action in calling for a report on the investigation of the Islamic tribunal in Texas. The legislature has the authority to ask the committee established for the purpose of inquiring into the unlicensed practice of law in Texas for an investigation and a report. I also spoke of improper educational activities that emphasized Islamic beliefs and history, in some cases while also denigrating Christianity and Judaism, and the need for a task force to determine how these curricula supports have been allowed. I mentioned the need for multi-state coalitions that will look at standards for declaring Muslim Brotherhood organizations not eligible for state consultation (both Louisiana and Oklahoma have considered legislation on point). 

This was largely an informative and credible session. Rep. Biedermann presented experts and members of the Muslim community. Yet, reporters relied on each other to be equally dishonest and sensational. The coverage was generally as if they had filed their stories before they arrived at the hearing. But then, they were more than happy to add off-topic colorful comments arising from a post-session interview. To them, this was the real news. And, most were more than happy to quote CAIR's complaints, as if no reason had been provided to question the Muslim Brotherhood-affiliated group's authenticity."



Prior to the forum, questionnaires were sent to several prominent Muslim leaders and clerics asking them about their views on various Islam-related issues of concern. Several recipients went public with their objections.

http://www.dallasnews.com/news/texas-legislature/2017/01/19/state-lawmaker-sends-sharia-law-poll-texas-mosques

What is important to note is that Rep. Biedermann signed off on the letters along with the Muslim Reform Movement (Zuhdi Jasser) and Former Muslims United (Nonie Darwish). Darwish had previously sent out letters in 2009 and 2012 to hundreds of Islamic leaders across the US asking them to sign a simple statement that apostates in the US (like Darwish) should not be harmed. She received only two signatures, one of which was Jasser. It is hardly surprising that a Texas CAIR official would tell the latest recipients in Texas not to answer the letters.

In addition, we should remember that no less than the then-director of CAIR in Dallas, Mustafa Carroll, made a very alarming statement on the occasion of Muslim Day in 2013 when he declared that Muslims were above the law of the land.

http://usherald.com/muslim-leader-if-we-are-practising-muslims-we-are-above-the-law-of-the-land/

In light of all of the above, it strikes me that Rep. Biedermann's forum was well-founded.

Monday, January 30, 2017

Erwin Chemerinsky Says Trump's Ban is Unconstitutional

UC Irvine Law School Dean Erwin Chemerinsky has an editorial in the LA Times attacking President Trump's travel ban.


http://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-chemerinsky-trump-refugee-order-20170129-story.html

"To start, it’s illegal to bar individuals from entering the country based on nationality. The Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965 explicitly says that no person can be “discriminated against in the issuance of an immigrant visa because of the person’s race, sex, nationality, place of birth or place of residence."

I seem to recall that President Carter banned people from Iran to enter the US during the hostage crisis. I also understand it was upheld by the courts as being the President's prerogative. I also recall that a lot of Iranian students were sent home.

http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/?pid=31732

http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/?pid=33233

"On Saturday night, a federal judge in New York issued a temporary stay, allowing green card or visa holders detained at airports to enter the country. The judge declared that the challengers have a “strong likelihood” of prevailing in showing that Trump’s order violates due process and equal protection."

And I could find a federal judge tonight who would rule that there is a strong likelihood the Earth is flat.


"Furthermore, Trump’s order unconstitutionally discriminates on the basis of religion. Under the 1st Amendment, the government may not favor one religion over others. Although Trump’s executive order does not expressly exclude Muslims, that is obviously its purpose and its effect as it bars entry to individuals from predominantly Muslim countries. It also instructs Homeland Security, after the 120-day period, to prioritize refugee claims “made by individuals on the basis of religious-based persecution, provided that the religion of the individual is a minority religion in the individual’s country of nationality.” (Emphasis mine.)
What does that mean? Trump told Christian Broadcast News that he intended to give priority to Christians. The Constitution does not allow such religious discrimination or permit the government to assume that a person is more likely to be dangerous because of his or her religion, national origin or race."
So which is it, nationality or religion? The order says nothing about religion. It lists seven countries, which happen to be majority Muslim as are virtually all terror-connected nations.  As for the priority given to those fleeing legitimate religious persecution (Christians, Yazidis, Baha'i etc.) I say why not give priority to those who are truly victims of religious persecution? It is an inconvenient fact that in Muslim majority countries-especially Syria and Iraq, Christians and Yazidis are fleeing from a campaign of genocide. But Chemerinsky would ignore that even though he says:
"Barring individuals fleeing persecution from entering the U.S. is simply inhumane." 
This sounds like a contradiction. Yes, many are fleeing war, but Muslims are not being persecuted for their religion (possible exception Shia) . The ones suffering persecutions are the Christians etc. They were all but ignored by the Obama administration..

" Adding irony to injury, Trump’s executive order was issued on Holocaust Remembrance Day, which should have been an occasion to atone for turning away refugees during the 1930s — some of whom died in concentration camps.  For example, in 1939, the United States turned away the St. Louis, a boat filled with refugees, many of them German Jews. According to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, 254 passengers from the St. Louis died in the Holocaust."

This is a cheap and false analogy. Yes, the US' refusal to accept Jews fleeing Europe in the 1930s was shameful. Yet, the Jews were not committing acts of terror in Europe or killing anybody. They were not a danger to anybody. There was no fear that any of them might be terrorists.
"One of the most astounding aspects of Trump’s executive order is that he seems to have singled out countries where he has no business interests, while giving a reprieve to nearby nations Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, among others, where the Trump Organization is active."

This has nothing to do with his business interests. Personally, I would be satisfied if a ban was applied to all  Muslim countries until this terror ends (which will not be anytime soon). The fact that most Muslim countries are not on the list disproves the claim that this is a universal Muslim ban. 

There is no question in my mind that countries like Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, and Pakistan are not on the list is simply because we have long-established diplomatic ties with them and they are considered key strategic "allies" (quotes mine). You will note that our diplomatic relations with the seven countries are either weak or non-existent.
"The order is also nonsensical in that foreigners from the seven listed nations killed exactly zero Americans in terrorist attacks on U.S. soil between 1975 and the end of 2015, according to the Cato Institute. None of the terrorists from the 9/11 attacks or the Boston Marathon bombing or the San Bernardino shooting or the Orlando, Fla., massacre came from the seven countries listed. The home countries of those responsible were not included."


True to a point, but the FBI has arrested numerous Somalis in the US for terrorist plots, many of whom were en route to join Al Shabaab. Some 80,000 Somalis were resettled in the USA as refugees in the 1990s. Chemerinsky specifies on US soil, but four Americans died in a terror attack on the US consulate in Benghazi. (Libya is on the list.) In addition, the Tsarnaev brothers, (Boston Marathon) came to the US as asylum seekers from Daghestan.

"There is no indication, moreover, that refugees pose a special threat or that the existing screening procedures are inadequate. Syrian refugees in the United States have not been linked to any terrorist acts."

Not yet, but it will happen. It has happened in Europe already. ISIS has stated that they will infiltrate their men into the refugee flow. If Chemerinsky thinks the screening procedures are adequate, how does he think we can get identification and background information on all these people who claim to be Syrians, many without papers? Does he think the police and intelligence services of Syria are providing us with the information we need? Seriously.

Finally, I would point out to the learned dean that no person who is not a US citizen has a Constitutional right to enter the US. That is a simple point of national sovereignty.

It can be fairly argued that the implementing of the travel ban was messy given the number of people who were in transit, the visa holders and green card holders. In all, 109 people were inconvenienced and scrutinized this weekend. The fact remains that Trump took this action for one reason- to protect American lives in a dangerous time. We have let too many dangerous people into this country, and we have and will pay the price in terms of human lives. I may not be a constitutional lawyer, but I believe the President has the legal right to ban people from this country who may do us harm. It is not about religion. It is about the beliefs that many hold that would lead them to kill others. In the Cold War, we banned communists from entering the US based on their ideology, which was deemed harmful to our democracy. By the same token, the ideology of jihad is dangerous to our country. Thank God we have a president who recognizes it.

Breaking: Trump Fires Acting Attorney General

Image result for trump as the apprentice
"You're fired."


Acting Attorney General Sally Yates, a holdover from the Obama Justice Department, has been fired by President Trump for trying to thwart his executive order on banning travelers from seven countries.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/live/2017/jan/30/trump-travel-ban-executive-order-world-protests-live


Quebec: What We Now Know

It appears much of the dust has settled and we can make some safe conclusions about the shooting attack at a Quebec City mosque that killed 6 people.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4173602/Quebec-mosque-gunman-arrives-court.html

One shooter has been charged and police say he is believed to be the lone gunman. He is Alexandre Bissonnette. Another person who was in custody, previously identified as Mohamed El Khadir or Belkhadir, is now listed as a witness.

At this point, without sticking my neck out too much, this appears to be the act of a young man who wanted to kill Muslims.

Last night, the Internet was buzzing with rumors about who the shooter(s) were. Many on the left were quick to point to white supremacists. Two French Canadian names were floating around until it was reveled that these names had earlier appeared in some sort of Reuters parody. Others on the right were claiming it was two Syrian refugees who had arrived in Canada a week prior and gave two Arabic names supposedly picked up on a police radio. Then it was a Moroccan, a Moroccan (presumably El Khadir) and a French Canadian, who might be an Islamic convert. Many of these reports went out as confirmed fact.

This should serve as a lesson for all of us to wait and let the investigative facts play out until definitive facts are known. It's one thing to report what others are saying, but when it comes to publishing names, caution must be exercised.

As far as I know, this is the first case of an armed and deadly assault on a mosque in North America
( not including the deadly assault on a Sikh temple in Wisconsin a couple of years back). Hopefully, it will be the last. To lash out at innocent Muslims is inexcusable. Murder is murder.

Does this mean that we should stop speaking out against Islamic terror? No. We have to speak out and defend ourselves from the threat of extremist Islam. But we have to do it in a responsible manner. This is not about hating Muslims.

Let's hope this does not happen again.

Conservative Demonstration at UC Irvine Angers Some

Hat tip The College Fix


(Micro-aggression)


On Friday, the College Republicans at UC Irvine held a small demonstration featuring some posters with conservative thoughts-which apparently Janet Napolitano (UC President) and her chancellors think are "micro-aggressions". Some students and professors were not amused.

http://www.thecollegefix.com/post/30956/

"America is the land of opportunity". That's a micro-aggression? You bet'cha. I remember a couple of years back when that was included on the official list.

My Interview on WPGP-Pittsburgh

This morning I was interviewed by Rose Tennent, conservative host of "Rose Unplugged" on WPGP in Pittsburgh. they had contacted me regarding an article I wrote for Eagle Rising last year. The topic was President Trump's immigration policy. We spoke for about ten minutes on the events of the past few days regarding the travel ban and related topics.

http://eaglerising.com/27465/trump-is-mostly-right-instead-we-should-press-pause-on-all-immigration/

Elizabeth Warren Unhinged



Elizabeth Warren, Democratic Senator from Massachusetts, who is considered a front-runner for the Democratic nomination for the presidency in 2020, is proof positive that nothing good ever comes out of a bullhorn. On Saturday, she grabbed a bullhorn at Boston's Logan Airport and led her clones on a  series of chants against Trump's travel ban. She must have been reliving the good old days when she was a loopy professor at Harvard.

Quebec Update

Alexandre Bissonnette


As of one hour ago, the NY Times is reporting that of the two men in custody in Quebec City, one is listed as a suspect, and one is listed as a witness. They have released two names, Alexandre Bissonnette, 27, and Mohamed el Khadir, who was said to be in his late 20s or early 30s.

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/30/world/canada/quebec-mosque-shooting.html

Here is more from Fox News.

http://www.foxnews.com/world/2017/01/30/at-least-five-killed-in-shooting-at-quebec-city-mosque.html

So we still are somewhat in the dark as to the involvement of these two men and their motive.

More from Daily Wire:

http://www.dailywire.com/news/12941/breaking-suspects-quebec-mosque-shooting-james-barrett

It may be that Bissonnette is the only one responsible. If so, this points to a terroristic hate crime against Muslims.

Interfaith Event at Bat Yahm Synagogue in Newport Beach

Trump Bashed by Speakers


Last night, I attended an interfaith event at Bat Yahm synagogue in Newport Beach, California organized by the Jewish Federation of Orange County with the support of others. It was attended by some 150-200 people from the local Jewish, Muslim and Christian communities and included speakers from two local mosques, LAPD, Orange County Sheriff's Department, the OC Human Rights Commission, and others. If I could summarize, there was a lot of talk about hate and the need for all to come together. There was also a clear anti-Trump sentiment. As to who was perpetrating all the hate and the hate crimes, there were only vague references to Trump supporters, KKK, and other assorted white racists. What was noticeably missing from any discussion was anti-Semitism coming from Islamic quarters (except one brief reference to Hamas) especially on college campuses such as UC Irvine.

Bat Yahm Rabbi Peter Levy led off the evening by saying that they were going to talk about those people who were "marginalized". They were going to talk about hate, civil rights and organizing.

The first speaker was Michael Downing, the chief of the counter terrorism squad of LAPD. Downing led off by asking, "How's everybody feeling? Not so good," referring to the first week of the Trump presidency. I have encountered Downing previously in Orange County, and I have been very critical of him for what I see as his refusal to recognize local threats of radicalization. Other than his opening remarks, he spoke in generalities of constitutional protections for all Americans.

He was followed by local Muslim activist Anila Ali, who spoke of how bad she felt in recent days over what she described as attacks against Muslims. She said that history will mark this day as our darkest hour. She brought three young Muslim women up to the stage and described their experiences along with her of receiving vicious social media messages. Her theme was, "America: It is not OK to hate." She talked about Muslim schoolchildren being called "terrorists" in school.  She particularly thanked her Jewish friends for supporting her.

Lisa Armony of the Jewish Federation, Rose Project and OC Hillel talked about hate crimes as tabulated by the Southern Poverty Law Center. She said that in the 10 days  following the election of Donald Trump, 867 hate crimes were recorded, 100 of which were directed against Jews. Of those, 80 consisted of vandalism and graffiti and 20 involved harassment. She then went on to give a brief history of modern anti-semitism and said there was a surge during the campaign mentioning the "alt-right". She referred to social media, of threats and Nazi imagery bringing up old anti-Jewish conspiracy tropes. She quoted one threat which read, "Don't mess with our boy Trump. You'll be the first in line for the camps." She referred to white racists, white power, swastikas  and "sieg Heils". In addition, she reported more than 30 bomb threats against Jewish institutions. There was also mention of swastikas on college campuses and pro-Trump graffiti. She told of a man who came onto the University of Florida campus sporting a swastika. She told of the Neo-Nazi Richard Spencer of Whitefish, Montana who was trying to organize a march in that town which would feature skin heads and a representative of Hamas, who would speak on the international threat of Jews. The event was nipped in the bud due to the reaction of anti-hate groups.

"We will not be silent", said Armony.

Except that not one word was spoken about the involvement of Muslim students and Students for Justice in Palestine when it comes to campus anti-Semitism.

Next up was FBI agent Mathrew Quait (*phonetic). He is head of the FBI civil rights group in Southern California. He explained that the FBI cannot get involved in investigating hate only but does get involved when it goes over the line into action and criminal activity. He added that they still want to know about it before hand and urged the audience to report it.

Rabbi Levy then made a few more remarks and as to a proposed Muslim registry, that it would behoove us all to say that "I am a Muslim."

The audience was asked to write their questions on a card, which would be passed up to the front for the speakers. My question asked Ms Armony to comment on the situation at UCI and who was responsible. After taking my card, she came back a few minutes later and said she didn't want to get into that during this event.

Imam Mahmoud ( I didn't get his last name) of the Ahmadiya Muslim mosque in Chino told the audience during q and a that the Koran spoke of love and that Islam was not that religion (which was carrying out terrorist acts). Not mentioned was the fact that the Ahmadiya Muslims are regarded as heretics by mainstream Muslims and are badly persecuted in places like Pakistan.

One of the questions asked what was being done at UCI about anti-Semitism and other forms of bigotry. That brought Douglas Haynes the director of UCI's Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion to the stage.He referred to the UC Regents' Statement of Principles on Intolerance and the fact that some months ago Chancellor Howard Gillman had tasked him with studying the issue and how it was being implemented. He said they had come up with 18 recommendations and mentioned a new lecture series on bias and bigotry, raising awareness, and how to equip students to recognize bigotry. He then turned the floor over to Vice Chancellor Thomas Parham, and here is where things got interesting. Parham begin by saying that years ago UCI was a poster child for tensions between Muslim and Jewish students. He claimed that "we" had changed all that. He developed a "narrative" on those issues and that the campus was committed. Now he started to get warmed up by quoting Martin Luther King. He said that they would not betray their principles. Getting emotional he referred to the new attorney general (Jeff Sessions) as a "racist from Alabama" and a president (Trump) who doesn't have the "moral decency" of a cockroach. From there he began rambling toward his conclusion whatever that was. It was  a disgusting display of demagoguery in my view, especially for a man representing the University of California at Irvine in public.

Armony came back and added that they are working with UCI on the problem of anti-Semitism and referred to criticism of Israel when it crossed the line.

A question was directed to FBI agent Quait (phonetc) about the KKK and white supremacists. He stated that in the past 3-6 months they had not seen a rise in hate crimes in Orange County and added that he knew  this "went against the narrative" (emphasis mine).

Then Levy talked about how people could organize, write letters, and  meet elected officials. He referred to this week's airport protests.

Muzammil Siddiqi, the imam of the Islamic Center of Orange County, recited a prayer for love all around. The final event was a singing performance by a group of high school students.

Conclusions

The Bat Yahm synagogue (Reform) is clearly in the hands of liberal activists like Levy. A close friend of mine who has belonged to this synagogue for 30 years says they are leaving foe this reason. He reported that the head rabbi was using religious classes to rail against Trump, which caused his wife and others to walk out.

It was fascinating to hear so much talk about hate without going beyond the politically correct references to Trump, his supporters, the KKK, and white supremacists. Muslim bigotry against Jews or Christians? Not mentioned. After the event, I spoke at length with Ms. Armony and outlined my objections. She reiterated her feeling that it was not the time or place to discuss who was responsible for anti-Semitic acts or speech at UC Irvine.

Correction: Rabbi Peter Levi is from the Anti-Defamation League, not Temple Bat Yahm.






Quebec City Mosque Attack: Update

There is still nothing definitive as to the identity of the two suspects in custody in Quebec City in connection with the attack on a mosque that left 6 dead. La Presse of Montreal is reporting that one of the suspects is of Moroccan origin.

https://twitter.com/LP_LaPresse/status/825973446509223937

There are other reports that the two are students at Laval University. There is also speculation that the attack may be a result of some sort of dispute between rival mosques. None of that is confirmed.

Sunday, January 29, 2017

Mosque Shooting in Quebec City, Canada

A mosque in Quebec City was attacked by three gunmen tonight. It is reported that five people were killed and one or possibly two men have been arrested.

http://www.cnn.com/2017/01/29/americas/quebec-mosque-shooting/index.html

Update: There are multiple conflicting reports and I will proceed cautiously. Six people are reported dead and two suspects in custody. Witness accounts say the men yelled, Allahu Akhbar,  as they began firing. Other accounts say they had Quebecoise accents.

I have seen a twitter report that says the police have identified the two suspects as white supremacists who have French-Canadian names. This is countered by reports that the names come from some previous Reuters spoof. I choose not to put up the names at this point.

Atlas Shrugs and many other internet sources are reporting two Arabic names and identifying the suspects as Syrian refugees who arrived in Canada a week ago.This supposedly captured from a police radio. Similarly, I will not put up the names at this time.

We just don't know at this point.

Initial comments coming in, official and otherwise, are assuming all kinds of things and many are blaming Trump naturally for his travel ban and his rhetoric. At this point, it could be a hate crime against Muslims or possibly an internecine feud (Shia-Sunni?). In order not to have egg on my face tomorrow, I am going to withhold judgement here and just say no matter who the culprits were, this is a horrendous act, and I feel for the victims and their families.

Ashley Judd: "A Lister"

Among the performers at last Saturday's March on Washington were stars from the stage and screen. None were more memorable for their performances than that great Hollywood icon, Ashley Judd. I say icon because no longer can we call her a Hollywood B lister. No Sir. Ashley gave a Shakespearean performance for the ages with her rendition of "I Am a Nasty Woman". I mean she nailed it! In case you missed it, here it is.




                                                                                                                                                   




                                                                                            "Cheeto dust!"


Ahem. You miss the point, my friends. This was not comedy; it was a serious performance. This will go down in history with the great performances of our time. This was Lionel Barrymore. This was Ralph Bellamy portraying FDR. This was James Whitmore portraying Will Rogers. This was Vincent Price portraying Henry Jarrod in the House of Wax. This monumental work now replaces Dolphin Tale 2 as Ashley's piece de resistance, her tour de force, her signature work. I mean, Rolling Stone is raving!

This is one of those productions you will want to watch over and over again, kind of like Dr. Zhivago or Scarface.

So, do you wanna see it again? Here it is:





Image result for empty theatre


Obviously, some of you don't appreciate talent. Ashley Judd is now a Hollywood A Lister. From now one when people think of nasty women, they will think not only of Hillary Clinton; they will think of Ashley Judd.

German Reichstag Member En Route to Washington to Fight Trump

Hat tip Gates of Vienna


Norbert Röttgen, a member of the German Reichstag and the CDU party of Angela Merkel, is heading to Washington to team up with allies in Congress (like Nancy Pelosi) to stop President Trump's agenda.

Hopefully, he will be put on a watch list and intercepted at the airport where he lands. Maybe Jerrold Nadler can rush to his aide. I suggest Mr Röttgen pay more attention to the EU. They need all the allies they can find right now.


Meanwhile at Texas "Christian" University

Hat tip The College Fix


“Every student is expected to attend this service,” states the syllabus, a copy of which was obtained by The College Fix. “This visit is part of your participation in class. Many other students from our department will join us. It is a religious experience visit. No student is required to participate in mosque’s service during our visit.”

Yushau Sodiq, a Muslim professor at TCU, is scheduling a required visit to a mosque as part of his World Religions class. It was even originally scheduled to take place on Good Friday.


http://www.thecollegefix.com/post/30861/

This is becoming all too common. One wonders when we will see Islamic schools require their students to visit a synagogue or church.

When pigs fly.

To Trump: Shut Up and Keep Doing What You're Doing

This article first appeared in Eagle Rising.


After one week of the Trump presidency I am jumping on the band wagon. He may be a lot of talk, but he is backing it up with a lot of action. Let me count the ways. Already, he has started getting the Pipeland into action. Add that to great cabinet selections, the border wall, freezing Obama's last day release of $221 million to the Palestinian Authority, withdrawing from the Trans-Pacific Partnership, end to sanctuary cities, a new Supreme Court selection scheduled for next Thursday, and fixing our fractured relationship with Israel. At the Pentagon, he signed executive orders to rebuild our military and put in place extreme vetting for Middle East refugees. I also understand he will give priority to those suffering from religious persecution. That means the Christians, who are fleeing genocide.

What have I left out?

To a conservative, especially one who did not support Trump's nomination to begin with, this is great stuff. Just as I thought the country was lost, I see it coming back again.

During the campaign, conservative commentator Michael Medved, one whom I respect greatly, said that while Hillary Clinton would certainly be a terrible president, Trump had the potential to be a catastrophic one. He did not vote for Trump, but today even he admits Trump is off to a great start. Without trying to be too gushing, I think Trump has the potential to be a great president, in fact, the greatest of my lifetime.

Now if I may come back partially to earth, I have to say this: I just wish he would stop paying so much attention to the nay-sayers, especially in the media, and just keep his nose to the grindstone. For example, does he really have to make such a big deal about the size of the inauguration crowd? Does he really have to find a way to overcome Clinton's popular vote margin by arguing over the number of illegal voters? I firmly believe that the Democrats do engage in voter fraud, but I doubt they were able to garner 3 million of them. Let's just agree that my own goofy state of California is what gave Clinton her popular vote "victory". By all means I hope his order for DOJ to investigate voter fraud uncovers some wrong-doing and corrects the problem.

In addition, one thing that worries me about Trump is whether he can lead the rest of the world into doing the right things. Sometimes, a little diplomacy is needed. This week's flap with Mexico is one example. Yes, I want the wall built. Yes, I think Mexico should help share the cost since they (the Nation of Mexico) are largely the culprits with their official corruption, drug trafficking, and unwillingness to provide decent education and job opportunities to their poor masses, thus, forcing them to seek opportunity elsewhere.  This week, Enrique Peña-Nieto, the Mexican president, cancelled his scheduled visit to Washington over Trump's continued statements that Mexico would pay for the wall. President Peña had no choice but to save face with his public. We now know that work will begin on the wall, and in some form or another, Mexico will pay at least part of the costs either through increased tariffs or some other form of reimbursement (which they have not agreed to either). Tariffs may or may not be the answer, but why not just quietly reduce foreign aid to Mexico and claim victory?

Similarly, Trump is going to need to convince (current) European leaders, who are skeptical of him that they need to reverse their disastrous refugee and immigration policies and help him take on ISIS. I say current leaders because elections in 2017 could very well bring in new leaders who are already on board, people like Marine LePen in France, Geert Wilders in the Netherlands, and anybody but Angela Merkel in Germany. This past week, several of them met in Koblenz, Germany for a conference of conservative leaders opposed to mass migration and the EU itself. Matteo Salvini of Italy spoke in Italian, but offered these words in English: "Good job-good luck, Mr Trump."

So to Mr. Trump I offer this advice (not that he needs my advice): Don't get sidetracked with the small stuff. Don't try to win every battle with the press. They are going to be fighting you every day of your presidency. Get used to it. Most of the public now understands them for what they are.

Don't waste time on the side distractions. Just keep doing what you are doing.

Saturday, January 28, 2017

Trump's Ban and the Airport Protests

As 11 Muslims have been detained at New York's JFK Airport and protesters arrived. The ACLU and other groups have gone to the courts to stop the ban on immigrants from 7 Muslim countries. A judge has already ordered the people who hold valid US visas to be released.

The dust has far from settled. I think it is safe to say we are heading for a period of turmoil. It is easy to blame President Trump for causing it, but sooner or later, the battle lines had to be drawn. Whether Trump's action is wise or not from a diplomatic point of view, I think he has the legal authority to do it though those with visas may be able to enter.

In Europe, the people have had enough and are rising up against their feckless governments as evidenced in Italy, Germany, France, the UK and other countries fed up with a massive influx of young Muslim men who are wreaking havoc.

In the US, our Muslim population is different, longer established, better educated, and most are peaceful, working, or in school. As to their degree of radicalization, who can say?

Trump understands the threat from unvetted Islamic immigration and is merely trying to protect the public from terror attacks. I support him as long as civil right are protected. No non-US citizen has the right to enter our country.

As stated, we are headed for a period of high tension on this issue. It had to happen sooner or later. I still hold to the belief that no hostile action should be taken towards our Muslim citizens. While I have criticized many individuals who I consider troublemakers, radicals, Islamists, and problematic, we cannot lash out at the ordinary Muslim man or woman on the street or in their mosques.

The Hypocrisy of French Feminists

Hat tip Vlad Tepes

In this fantastic video clip (French with English sub-titles) Marion LePen gives the what for to French feminists in the Parliament for their hypocrisy.


Why Trump Is Right With His Immigration Ban

The hysterical reactions are already coming in. New York Congressman Jerrold Nadler (D)  is leading a throng at JFK Airport because 11 Iraqis who landed have been denied entry under the President's new immigration ban from seven countries. I am support of President Trump on this and here is why.

It is true that there are many Muslim countries left off the list including Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Pakistan that are more problematic than some of those on the list. However, let's face it. Those are countries they are considered "strategic allies", with whom we have long-established diplomatic relations, and  on whom we depend on for cooperation. I am hardly comfortable with their citizens coming here as well.

Let us also keep in mind that the reason for this action is to save American lives. Yes, 15 of the 9-11 hijackers were Saudis, but the Boston Marathon bombers were so-called asylum seekers from Daghestan. Numerous Somalis (whose country is on the list) have been identified as Al Shabaab sympathizers who have been arrested by the FBI trying to return to Somalia to join the jihad. One of the San Bernardino bombers (the wife) was admitted from Pakistan as the wife of the other attacker.
It is also true that several terrorists in the US were born here while others immigrated. Yet, there is one common thread.

Islam.

What we must curtail is the massive influx into this country of an ideology that wants to conquer us one way or another. That ideology is political Islam, as Muslim reformer Zuhdi Jasser calls it.

The Syrian refugee situation has already resulted in many deaths in Europe from Paris to Nice to Brussels to Berlin. Just this week, Austria has made a roundup of would be terrorist attackers. True other nationalities have been involved, but the common thread is once again Islam. This is jihad. Part of it is violent jihad, part of it is civilizational jihad-a populating of non-Muslim lands by Muslims with a clear intent to change the demographics. That is another thing that any country has every right to control.

Let us also remember that nobody has the right to enter our country who is not a citizen. It is our decision whom to admit and whom to refuse. Admittedly this is tricky business diplomatically. We will probably see violent demonstrations on the streets of Muslim countries and American flags burned. But what else is new? Iran (on the list) has already stated that in retaliation, no Americans will be admitted into their country. Who cares other than people like Iran-lovers Abdul Alim Musa  and Neturei Karta rabbi Ysroel Dovid Weiss?

Trump has also announced that Christians in the Middle East will be given priority, a reversal from the absurd Obama policy. Already, the left is complaining about that calling it discriminatory against Muslims. Actually, this is long overdue and the moral thing to do. It is Christians who are running for their lives in the Middle East especially from the hands of ISIS in Syria and Iraq. Why shouldn't victims of a campaign of genocide get preferential treatment as opposed to those who are killing them (Muslims)? Would we admit Nazi German refugees over Jews at the end of World War II? (I fully recognize that we shamefully turned Jews away during Hitler's rule.)

As for the widows and orphans that Obama loved to bring up, when you look at the hundreds of thousands of "refugees" you see running around Europe, they are mostly young men in their 20s and unaccompanied. Even if it is different here, we have already learned that full vetting is impossible. And those children? Who knows how many will grow up here and become radicalized? It's a crap shoot, pure and simple. Make no  mistake; American lives will be lost to some of these refugees in the future.

We need to get behind the President on this. He is only trying to protect us. It will be a legal battle for sure. I hope and pray that Trump sticks to his guns and prevails.




Danish "Anti-Fascists" in Action

Hat tip Vlad Tepes




It's not your father's Copenhagen and certainly not the Coipenhagen I used to know and love. Vlad Tepes has a film showing what happens when a Jewish bjournalist goes to the heaviuly-Muslim quarter of Norrebro to interview ANTIFA (Anti-Fascist) members at a meeting.

https://vladtepesblog.com/2017/01/27/denmark-antifa-shows-its-true-values-when-they-attack-jewish-reporter-at-public-community-centre/

So I ask you: Who are the Fascists?

UC Berkeley Chancellor Affirms Yiannopoulos' Right to Speak

Hat tip The College Fix and Daily Californian


Out-going UC Berkeley Chancellor Nicholas Dirks, in a rare display of gumption, has announced that he will not cancel the up-coming appearance of conservative pundit Milo Yiannapoulos despite  requests from many professors that he do so.


http://www.dailycal.org/2017/01/26/uc-berkeley-chancellor-affirms-milo-yiannopoulos-right-speak-campus/

I hope the campus cops have plenty of officers available to keep order. It's going to be areal lollapalooza.

Teachers Who Cancelled Classes on Inauguration Day

I taught part-time at UC Irvine for 18 years and I never cancelled a class one time because I was unhappy over world events. When Barack Obama won two elections, I still showed up to teach and never said a word about it. Furthermore, I never bad-mouthed Obama (or Bill Clinton) in class one time.

Unfortunately, we have so many teachers in college who can't be as professional. Last Friday, there was a peaceful but ugly protest at UCI by a few dozen students unhappy over the fact that Donald Trump was being inaugurated. Campus Reform now reports that some professors cancelled classes so students could protest and apparently participated in an ugly display where people displayed signs saying "F--- Amerikkka".


http://www.campusreform.org/?ID=8683

As I said before, those few students do not represent the majority of students at UC Irvine. Nevertheless, it was a disgusting display, which once again has brought a black to the university.