The Debate

Hat tip Bo Diddley

This might sound like rambling, but just some thoughts on the debate.

I have to agree with the local (Los Angeles) Fox commentator who called it a "dumpster fire". Indeed it was. Neither candidate came off as impressive. It reminded me of one of those old "chop fights" we used to have in high school, where you insulted each other's mama. At least they didn't go that far.

I have to admit that Trump was the more aggressive, meaning he did more interrupting than Biden. I also have to admit that Biden didn't self destruct into a senior moment where he forgot where he was. He was muddled at times but did better than I expected. 

Chris Wallace disappointed. He had little control and seemed biased toward Biden. I expected him to be tough on both candidates.

I thought that Biden was at his worst when he twice called Trump a clown. He also told him to shut up. Not classy. Whatever you think of Trump, he is the president, and Biden should have used more restraint. In addition, within the space of a few seconds, he stated that the Green New Deal would pay for itself then said he didn't support it. He also claimed he saved Chrysler (or was it General Motors?)

But Trump wasn't classy either; he was Trump. 

I thought that Trump missed a golden chance to score when the discussion turned to election fraud and ballots. He talked about things that happened in various states but said nothing about the Project Veritas expose on Ilhan Omar and her machine in Minneapolis.

Of course, much is being made of Trump's statement when pushed by Wallace and Biden to denounce white supremacy including the Proud Boys.  "Sure, I'm willing to do that. But I would say almost everything I see is from the left-wing, not the right-wing. I am willing to do anything. I want to see peace.” Biden then asked Trump to specifically condemn the Proud Boys, to which Trump said, "Proud Boys, stand back and stand by""  What did he mean by "stand by"? To me, it was Trump's typical inartful way of expressing himself. But the mainstream media is saying that he refused to speak out against white nationalists, and that is a lie. Biden for his part dodged the chance to condemn Antifa. Instead, he described it as an "idea, not an organization". I've heard Italians say the same thing about the Mafia, but they exist even if they don't carry membership cards in their wallets.

Trump threw out the Hunter Biden issue, which Biden angrily denounced as "discredited"  which it is not. He did not refute the charges other than saying they were discredited.  

All in all, I think it was disappointing all around. The conservative media is saying Trump was the winner while the liberal media says the opposite. Here is how Vanity Fair is describing the exchange over Hunter Biden. 

 "He turned to the lens a fourth time after the president shamelessly, disgustingly ignored the military service of Beau Biden to resume his attacks on Hunter Biden: “My son, like a lot of people, like a lot of people we know at home, had a drug problem,” Biden said, somehow hanging on to his dignity. “He’s fixed it. He’s worked on it.” It was honest and identifiable and vulnerable and decent—or, more succinctly, the very opposite of Trump—and it was Biden’s best emotional touch of the night."

Nothing about Hunter Biden's dealings with China, Ukraine and Russia. Nothing about how Joe got the prosector in Ukraine who was investigating Burisma fired. Hunter's drug issues are the least of the problem.

Does this debate change anybody's minds? I doubt it. People have their minds pretty well made up except if your name is Rip Van Winkle.

Murder-Rape:Just Another Day in Sweden

Hat tip Fria Tider-Translation by Fousesquawk. 

The Swedish news outlet, Fria Tider, is reporting on a court case concerning a  murder-rape case that committed last May in the northeastern Swedish town of Härnösand.  It has become all too commonplace in the socialist paradise. The defendant is Aboubaker Mohamad Awad. (He is reportedly Sudanese.)

  https://www.friatider.se/han-ar-rasist-han-har-en-sd-keps-abukals-kommentar-innan-han-mordade-tommie-lindh

                              Abubaker Mohamad Awad- after arrest!!

Caption below photo: Abubaker Mohamad Awad mocked and grimaced before police camera when he was arrested after rape and murder. On the right: Shelf in Tommie Lindh's living room.

"He is a racist, he has an SD cap": Mohamad's play before he murdered Tommie Lindh

Published 29 September 2020, 17:42

Abubaker Mohamad Awad accused Tommie Lindh of being a racist since he had an SD (Sweden Democrats) cap in his apartment. He then stabbed the 19-year-old  and raped the victim's girlfriend in the dying Tommie's blood.

Tommie Lindh-victim

The extensive investigation that the police conducted after the murder of Tommie Lindh in Härnösand on May 10 this year has now been released.

It appears that the accused, Abubaker Mohamad Awad, just before the murder, had reacted to (the fact that) Lindh had an SD cap in his apartment where a late party was being held.

The accused 23-year-old had come into the room where Tommie Lindh's girlfriend slept on several occasions, although she had asked him to leave her alone.

The African finally demanded that the young girl answer why Tommie Lindh had an SD cap on the shelf in the hall.

 "And then I explained to Abubaker that Tommie was very involved in politics and thought that it was interesting. He then called Tommie a racist and so on," the woman said in interrogation.

The African then began to accuse the woman of being a racist, and when she said that she wasn't, he explained that he could not trust her.

"Then he got even angrier. Then he said again if I didn't stand up, he would kill Tommie and me," said the rape victim.

The 23-year-old held a knife to the woman and inside the toilet, forced oral sex on her.

Then another Swedish man, who the woman had alerted earlier, came into the apartment. He was also immediately accused of being a racist by the rapist, and was stabbed when he tried to get the African to leave the residence.

At the same time Tommie Lindh and the rape victim were in the bathroom, the 23-year-old went in there and stabbed Tommie in the neck, back and chest.

While Tommie Lindh lay bleeding, the African dragged the girl with him to the bedroom, where he raped her.

"There is blood on the bed, it is Tommie's, " the woman said in interrogation.

After a lot of ifs and buts, police came to the scene and arrested the perpetrator. 

The woman had earlier called in several emergency calls, but only after an hour and a half, when it was already too late, a police patrol arrived at the scene. 

After Abubaker Mohamad Awad was arrested for the crime, he laughed in front of the camera at arrest, made grimaces and victory signs with his fingers.

In interrogation, he claimed that it was the woman's "brother" who had forced her to say she was raped.

"Her brother, who is racist, wants to report it as rape. Otherwise it would be a disgrace for her and her brother that she slept with a dark-skinned guy," the 23-year-old said.

Project Veritas' Expose on Ilhan Omar and Voting Fraud

Here is part 2 of Project Veritas' expose on Ilhan Omar and the voting fraud scandal in Minneapolis (het tip Vlad Tepes).

 

Back the Police Rally in Irvine

 On Sunday, I joined about 50 other folks at a support the police rally in Irvine. A couple of conservative candidates also showed up, Katherine Daigle, running for mayor of Irvine, and Mark Newgent for city council. The rally lasted from 3-4 pm, and the response from passing motorists was overwhelmingly positive and supportive. In addition to American flags, there were Blue Lives Matter flags and a few Trump posters.  Naturally, there was a handful of young folks screaming F-bombs out their car windows, but they were only a few.  I took a few pictures and shot a few videos, but I am having trouble downloading (or uploading?) the videos. I have one up, but there area couple more. I will keep trying to get them up.

                                                         Meeting up in the parking lot

At the corner of Alton and Culver

 A chat with Katherine Daigle, who is running for mayor of Irvine.

                                                                                                    Heading home

Ilhan Omar and Crooked Elections

Is the Congressional race in Ilhan Omar's district already rigged?

Hat tip Project Veritas and American Thinker

It looks like James O'Keefe's Project Veritas may have uncovered another major scandal. The one involves the Queen of Scandal, Ilhan Omar (at least since Hillary Clinton is no longer in public office or running for same). This one concerns what appears to be massive voter fraud in Minneapolis.

https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2020/09/omar_political_machine_linked_to_ballotharvesting_stuffed_ballot_boxes_and_cashforvotes_in_minnesota_project_veritas.html

This cries out for an investigation by the Department of Justice. It also buttresses our fears of a nationwide stealing of the 2020 presidential election.

The Paris Knife Attacker (Cont)

On September 25, two people were stabbed outside the former office of Charlie Hebdo in Paris. There have been conflicting reports on whether there was one attacker or two. At any rate, one Pakistani man is definitely in custody. He is identified as Zaheer Hassan Mehmood. He reportedly has told police he was attempting to exact revenge for cartoons insulting the Prophet Mohammad.

https://www.foxnews.com/world/https-www-foxnews-com-world-paris-attack-suspect-wanted-to-avenge-prophet-muhammad-cartoons-cell-phone-video

California Ethnic Studies Curriculum: California Residents Please Add Your Voice

Hat tip Stand With Us

If you are a resident of California, please consider signing the below-linked petition to stop California's planned Ethnic Studies Curriculum. Aside from merely being politically correct, it is designed to focus on only a few groups. In addition, there are elements in the plan that single out Jews as "privileged whites" and push pro-Palestinian talking points against Israel. This is a prime reason why Jewish students are facing rising anti-Semitism on our campuses. 

 https://www.standwithus.com/post/urgent-action-needed-ca-ethnic-studies-curriculum

More on the London Police Shooting

Sgt. Matt Ratana

As we previously reported, the UK is in deep shock over the murder of a London policeman at a police station in South London. Matt Ratana was shot and killed by a prisoner during the booking process. The shooter is in critical condition after having apparently shot himself. It is reported that he actually died in the hospital but was brought back by medics. There are possible links to terrorism which the police are further exploring.

The British tabloid, Daily Mail, has a lot of new details.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8777555/Sergeant-Matt-Ratanas-suspected-killer-23-revived-dying-hospital.html

Of course, the question that is puzzling everyone is how a man handcuffed behind his back managed to draw a gun and shoot off so many rounds. Reports say he was still handcuffed when he drew the weapon from his pants, but keep in mind that at some point in the booking process, the handcuffs are removed.

The other question is how the gun was missed during the initial pat-down at the scene of the arrest. This, of course, is the question that will haunt the arresting officers for the rest of their lives.

London: Cop Shot and Killed While Booking Prisoner

"THE suspect who shot a cop dead at a London station during a Covid check was reportedly known to terror police."

-The Sun

-The Sun

Britain is shocked today after a shooting in a South London station house early Friday morning left a police officer dead. According to the report by The Sun, the suspect, who is not named, was "known to the terror police". The victim has been identified by other news outlets as Matt Ratana (54).

https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/12768874/suspect-shot-police-officer-croydon-station-known-terror-cops/

Here in America, we see way too many killings of our police officers, but they have historically been rare in the UK. Times are changing, however.

France: Where Are the Men in Strasbourg?

Hat tip Gates of Vienna, Vlad Tepes and France Bleu Alsace. Translation by Miss Piggy.

It's becoming an all-too-often story in France and other parts of Europe these days. This week in Strasbourg, a young French lady, identified only as Elisabeth, was insulted and then assaulted by three young men identified only as "three young men". The reason? She was wearing a skirt (as opposed to a burqa I guess). As she was being grabbed and punched in the face by these animals, about a dozen by-standers stood by and did nothing. In the videotaped interview, Elisabeth describes what happened. Of course, French media will not provide any clue as to the identities of these three young men, but I am going to go out on a limb here and bet the farm that they were Muslim. If they were not, the media would be falling all over itself informing the public that the culprits were native Frenchmen with full descriptions so that the womenfolk of Strasbourg could be on the lookout. You can see how the politically-correct BBC reports the incident at: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-54277235

*Update (10-7-2020): Le Figaro is reporting now that there is doubt over the story of the young French woman who made the accusation. According to Le Figaro, surveillance cameras fail to show the incident, and no witnesses have been found to corroborate the woman's account.

"Jews Are 'Privileged Whites"': What California Will Be Teaching Our Kids

We have been reporting on the bill passed by the California legislature, which would mandate the teaching of "Critical Ethnic Studies" to our youth. This insidious bill, now in the form of AB 331, would mandate that students in California be indoctrinated with the idea that certain ethnic groups are victims of systemic racism in the US. In addition, while doing the bidding of the pro-Palestinian lobby, students would be taught how Israel (Jews) are "oppressing" Palestinians. Not only is that a debatable point, but the past couple of decades have shown that this pro-Palestinian/anti-Israel drive on America's university campuses has led to a dramatic increase in campus anti-Semitism against Jewish students.

My friend and colleague, Tammi Rossman- Benjamin of the Amcha Initiative, has written an op-ed the (Los Angeles) Jewish Journal that I am cross-posting.

"According to this theory, Jews are perceived as “white” and “privileged,” squarely on the oppressor side of the race-class divide. This negative perception of Jews is apparent in a unit in the curriculum’s appendix on “Irish and Jewish Americans: Redefining White and American,” the only lesson to even touch on the Jewish-American experience. The unit requires all students to write a paper “detailing certain events in American history that have led to Jewish and Irish Americans gaining racial privilege” and asks them to “think critically about why and who is allowing this evolution in white identity.” At a time when anti-Jewish sentiment is on the rise, asking students to view Jews as “white” and “racially privileged” while implying that such “privilege” is the result of some conspiracy, reeks of anti-Semitism, and is tantamount to putting an even larger target on the back of Jewish students."

Fousesquawk comment: First of all, students in California do not require a biased education relative to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict half a world away-especially when this propaganda serves to increase anti-Semitic feelings against our Jewish students. Governor Gavin Newsom and the Democrats who control California in Sacramento are fully aware of the above problem, yet they push ahead with this radical leftist agenda that only increases hatred against Jews. It is sickening, and it is wrong. All decent Californians should reject this bill.

What Happened in LA Thursday Night

On Thursday night, a BLM protest occurred (apparently without prior notice or authorization) on Sunset Blvd in Hollywood. On two separate occasions, motorists who came into the area, apparently unaware of the protest, were caught up in the crowd, and struck protesters while trying to escape. Below are videos of both incidents.  Both drivers have been arrested.

In the first incident, a white Prius (apparently) strikes a couple of protesters on the side while attempting to escape the crowd and is chased by people on foot and vehicle. He is eventually cut off by another vehicle, boxed in by a third vehicle, and attacked by the protesters before taking off again and eventually being stopped-and arrested- by police. 

https://twitter.com/i/status/1309477216326213638 (Hat tip Ezra Levant)

The Daily Mail (UK) has two videos of the second incident in which a black pickup truck first strikes a woman blocking the street and then runs over her attempting to flee the mob attacking the car. It is the second video (KTLA) and lasts 37 seconds. The video begins with the pickup truck in the lower-left corner of the video. The Daily Mail also has a video of the incident involving the white Prius from a different angle.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8771393/Shocking-moment-pickup-truck-hits-female-BLM-protester-Hollywood.html#v-6174585961296449391

Videos don't always show everything necessary to come to a conclusion, but it seems to me that the white Prius was, indeed, being menaced by some in the crowd and probably felt a sense of danger. There doesn't seem to be any deliberate intent to injure anyone on his part. The second incident, involving the black pick-up truck is more troubling, but then again, he is going to claim fear for his life and self-defense. Based on what I see in the videos, I expect charges against the driver of the white Prius to be dropped.

From what I heard on local Los Angeles radio today, these marches were unannounced and not previously authorized by the city, so I assume the drivers arrived at the scene unaware of the protest. These events are to be avoided (unless, of course, you are a protester), and if you wind up in such a situation, it's best to remain in your car. 

Here's another piece of advice:

The Real Reason Why Pelosi Doesn't Want Debates

Nancy Pelosi has doubled down on her opinion that Joe Biden should not debate President Trump. The reason she gives is that Trump (unlike Biden) "won't tell the truth". She also refers to "his henchmen". Since Trump will be the only one debating Biden, I assume the "henchmen" are the employees of Fox News, which is hosting the debate. The moderator will be Chris Wallace.  Of course, we all know the real reason Pelosi is panicking over Tuesday night's scheduled first debate. She knows Biden will be a disaster.

Let's be frank: Joe Biden is becoming increasingly senile. His public appearances are few, usually held in his basement, and his declining mental state is there for all to see. It will be indoors, so he won't be able to wear his sunglasses as he increasingly does to hide his sunken eyes. (I predict that if elected, Kamala Harris will ascend to the presidency within the first year.)

Let's go back to 2012 when Biden debated vice-presidential candidate Paul Ryan. Biden had all his mental faculties then, and that was still an embarrassment. Biden continually interrupted Ryan, spoke over him, and generally acted like a jerk. Now he rambles and is unable to put coherent thoughts and sentences together. 

Whether you like Chris Wallace or not, I am comfortable that he is going to ask pointed questions to both candidates and will follow up if he doesn't get a straight answer. He is precisely the moderator people like Pelosi fear. Of course, they will complain that he works for Fox News, but I don't believe that Wallace is going to show any favoritism. 

Barring any unforeseen "disaster", the event will go on as scheduled. Any cancellation will be seen by the public for what it is.

Knife Attack in Paris in Front of Ex Office of Charlie Hebdo

Hat tip Paris Match and AJC (Atlanta)

Photo-AJC

Two people were stabbed today in front of the former office of the Charlie Hebdo satirical news outlet. Two young men, tentatively identified as a Pakistani and an Algerian, are reportedly now in custody. The victims are expected to survive. 

There are still varying reports on the victims and attackers. AJC reports that they are in custody.

This article from Paris Match is translated by Fousesquawk. 

Knife attack in Paris: The lives of the two victims "not in danger"

-Paris Match- Published 9-25-2020 15:04-Updated 9-25-20 17:45

Caption below photo: First responders at work during the attack in the 11th arrondissement (district)

-Reuters/Gonzalo Fuentes

The two victims of the knife attack which took place Friday in the 11th arrondissement (district) are two employees of the France 2 magazine, "Cash Investigation", working for the production company, "Premieres Lignes" (First Lines), located in the former premises of Charlie Hebdo. Their lives "are not in danger", stated the Prime Minister.

Two employees of the France 2 magazine, "Cash Investigation", working for the production company, "Premieres Lignes, were wounded in the knife attack that took place Friday in the former location of Charlie Hebdo in Paris, stated Elise Lucet and an employee of the enterprise. 

Among the wounded, are two employees of the Premieres Lignes Television, the production company that produces notably, "Cash Investigation", declared the host of the broadcast pon France 2, Elise Lucet. "I have the producers and several employees of Premieres Lignes Television on the phone (...), What is confirmed to me now with certainty, is that two of our employees are wounded, a man and a woman,who were wounded by a man on the street in front of the former premises of Charlie Hebdo," she added.

"I heard screams"

One of the employees saw this man running with a butcher's knife or a machete after one of our employees who had already been wounded and was also bloody," stated the journalist.

One employee of Premieres Lignes, contacted by APF (Agence France Press), also testified that two of her colleagues had been wounded in the attack. "Two colleagues were smoking a cigarette in front of the premises on the street. I heard screams. I went to the window and I saw one of my colleagues, stained in blood, being chased by a man with a machete in the street. We know that our two colleagues are wounded, but we don't know any more at the moment," she stated.

The Prime Minister, who went to the scene of the attack in the early afternoon, gave news on the state of health of the hospitalized victims, noting that their lives "are not in danger, thank God." 

Free Speech on Trial in Sweden

Hat tip Gates of Vienna, Vlad Tepes, and RAIR Foundation. Translation by Tania Groth 

Ingrid Carlqvist and Maria Celander are two Swedish journalists who have been charged with hate speech (against Muslims) for publishing an op-ed in which the writer expressed concern that so many Muslims were working in pharmacies (see below video). In the below video (with English sub-titles) they are interviewed about their upcoming trial and the implications for freedom of speech in Sweden. Both ladies run a Swedish blog entitled, Ingrid och Maria (in Swedish). It is linked on our site under the section entitled, "Our real European allies".

https://gatesofvienna.net/2020/09/ingrid-and-maria-neither-of-us-will-ever-be-silenced/

Portland, Seattle and Louisville

 Portland

(Hat tip Andy Ngo)

Seattle

Louisville

Italy: Migrants Intercepted in NE Italy

 Hat tip Gates of Vienna, Vlad Tepes, RAIR Foundation -Translation by Fousesquawk.

Migrants and so-called refugees are not just arriving in Italy across the Mediterranean. The northeastern border with Slovenia is also a prime crossing point for illegal migrants traversing the Balkan countries, primarily Pakistanis and Afghanis. This week, 56 were intercepted by Italian border guards. It is expected they will be turned back to Slovenia.

The Nicholas Damask Case: CAIR Files Notice of Appeal

Back in August, we reported that a judge had dismissed a lawsuit filed against Scottsdale Community College and Professor Nicholas Damask over material he was presenting in class about Islam. 

We have now learned that CAIR has filed a notice of appeal with the court. Thus, this farce will drag on a couple more years.

We are confident that ultimately, the bully boys at CAIR will lose this suit. Their lawsuit has no merit, just as CAIR has no merit. As I once told CAIR's CEO in Southern California, Hussam Ayloush, CAIR is a despicable organization.

The Breanna Taylor Case

 Today, Daniel Cameron, the attorney general of Kentucky, announced that a grand jury had indicted one of the three officers who were involved in the shooting death of Breanna Taylor last March in Louisville. The officer who was charged with reckless endangerment, Brett Hankinson, is alleged to have fired about ten rounds into Taylor's apartment, which, while not striking Taylor herself, traveled through the walls into a neighboring apartment where others were residing. The two other officers involved are not charged since it was judged by the grand jury that they acted in self-defense in firing after Taylor's boyfriend open fire on them and wounded one of the officers. 

The two officers who fired their weapons are Johnathan Mattingly and Myles Cosgrove. Forensics determined that the fatal wound to Taylor was fired by Cosgrove. Mattingly was the officer who was shot in the leg by Taylor's boyfriend, Kenneth Walker.

I am not yet ready to express an opinion on this because it is complex and there are conflicting news reports coming out as to whether the affidavit for a search warrant was truthful, and whether the officers hit the wrong apartment or were looking for a suspect who did not live there. These are important points.

The officers had obtained a "no-knock" warrant for the address, but apparently did knock and announce their identity and purpose. Not receiving any response, the decision was break to breach the door.  All of those steps are lawful under those circumstances.

A "no-knock" warrant is issued upon request by the police when there is reason to believe the suspect is armed and dangerous, there is risk of flight, or evidence being destroyed. It is a decision to be made with extreme caution because if you don't knock and identify yourselves, the suspect is within his right to defend himself if he believes his life is in danger. Of course, once the officers come through the door, they announce, but the tactic increases the suspect's defense if he assaults the officers, purportedly not knowing they are police.

As a DEA agent and Customs agent before that, I am well familiar with "no-knock" warrants. To me, the main consideration is whether you believe the suspect inside is ready to shoot it out with law enforcement. Many are prepared to do just that, while others will submit to police. If they think this is some sort of gang attack or rip off, they will react differently. At any rate, charges against Taylor's boyfriend, for wounding one officer before being shot himself have been dropped.

I also know first hand that once in a (great) while, police can hit the wrong door. I was involved in two such incidents that I  can remember. One involved a hippy commune in Oakland when I was in Customs. In fact, both occasions were when I was in Customs.

What I want to know more about is whether the cops hit the wrong place, was it the right place, but their information was faulty, or just what was the circumstance? A lot of prosecutors would say this case is a mess.

Zoom Cancels Leila Khaled's Speaking Apperance at SFSU

 Hat tip End #Jew Hatred, Liberate Art, and Paul

“Zoom is committed to supporting the open exchange of ideas and conversations, subject to certain limitations contained in our Terms of Service, including those related to user compliance with applicable U.S. export control, sanctions, and anti-terrorism laws. In light of the speaker’s reported affiliation or membership in a U.S. designated foreign terrorist organization, and SFSU’s inability to confirm otherwise, we determined the meeting is in violation of Zoom’s Terms of Service and told SFSU they may not use Zoom for this particular event.”

San Francisco State University "professor" Rabab Abdulhadi must really be seething today. She had a planned Zoom webinar for September 23 featuring former skyjacker Leila Khaled, a darling of terrorist supporters everywhere. (She now resides in Jordan.) That set off a wave of protests asking SFSU and its lefty president, Lynn Mahoney, how that institution could tolerate having Khaled address its students. Maknoey, for her part, had prepared a response about free speech and how a university must allow even speech it disagrees with. (Except SWSU, at least Abdulhadi, fervently agrees with the position of Khaled.) SFSU, under Mahoney and her predecessor, Les Wong, have always protected Abdulhadi and her followers in the General Union of Palestine Students.

Yesterday, in response to numerous complaints, including from a Republican congressman from Colorado, Doug Lamborn, Zoom decided that giving a platform to an unrepentant terrorist was going too far and pulled out. The below press release was sent out by Liberate Art, one of the groups protesting Khaled's appearance.

Press Release September 22, 2020 Contact: Lana Melman, CEO, Liberate Art inc. Email: bookings@lanamelman.com Thanks to the work of #EndJewHatred and the vocal opposition by dozens of other groups and individuals – the Zoom Corporation has agreed to de-platform Leila Khaled, a leader in the terrorist organization the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PLFP). Khaled participated in two attempted plane hijackings, including TWA flight #840 in 1969, and has refused to renounced violence as a means of social change. Yet, she was invited to speak to students at San Francisco State University on Zoom’s platform. The announcement was made just minutes ago at a protest rally organized by #EndJewHatred in front of Zoom headquarters in San Jose, California. Zoom’s official response to our demands: “Zoom is committed to supporting the open exchange of ideas and conversations, subject to certain limitations contained in our Terms of Service, including those related to user compliance with applicable U.S. export control, sanctions, and anti-terrorism laws. In light of the speaker’s reported affiliation or membership in a U.S. designated foreign terrorist organization, and SFSU’s inability to confirm otherwise, we determined the meeting is in violation of Zoom’s Terms of Service and told SFSU they may not use Zoom for this particular event.” Liberate Art, Inc. was among a group of organizations hosting the rally including Institute for Black Solidarity with Israel, Yad Yamin, Herut North America, The Lawfare Project, Almost Jewish, Shield of David, and Club Z. The group is calling off a request for a Zoom blackout tomorrow, September 23, and expresses deep appreciation for Zoom's decision to recognize our rightful objections. The success of this effort is proof that there is power in numbers. The work to #EndJewHatred has just begun. Lana Melman, CEO Liberate Art, Inc.

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

Update: This is still breaking, but I am informed that YouTube had agreed to put on the Webinar with Khaled, but has now reversed that decision due to a flood of protests that they were, in fact, hosting an unrepentant terrorist. Stay tuned. 

Update: I am informed that YouTube pulled the plug on the Webinar 23 minutes after it started and before Khaled spoke live. Here is the latest report on this mess from the student newspaper of SFSU, Golden Gate Express. It was prior to the entrance of YouTube into the story. I added my comment in the reader thread. 

The Supreme Court Circus Is Coming Back to Town

This article first appeared in New English Review. 

                                                                                                  Ruth Bader Ginsburg

The death of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has thrown an already chaotic election into more chaos. Ginsburg, a liberal icon, now stands to be replaced by a conservative under PreisTrump and a Republican-controlled Senate. Democrats and liberals are, predictably, in an uproar. They are demanding that Trump hold off a nomination until after the election hoping that a Biden victory, coupled with a Democrat re-taking of the Senate, would allow Biden to make the next selection. They say that a president should not make a Supreme Court nomination in an election year. They are even talking about another impeachment if Trump goes ahead and makes a selection. They are talking about packing the Supreme Court if they take over in January. Others, like former CNN host and UC Riverside professor Reza Aslan, are talking about more drastic measures, like burning everything down.

Unfortunately, the sheer importance of the Supreme Court in the great liberal-conservative divide makes that institution one of the biggest political footballs in the country. Thus, we have been subjected to some very ugly confirmation battles. This one promises to be no different.

To be sure, there has been inconsistency, if not hypocrisy from both sides as to the question of whether a president in the last year of his/her presidency should nominate a Supreme Court justice. It's a classic case of the shoe being on the other foot.

In the last year of his presidency (2016), President Obama nominated Merrick Garland to succeed conservative justice Antonin Scalia, who had passed away unexpectedly. Republicans argued that in an election season, Obama should have held off nominating anyone and left the pick to his successor. Democrats demanded that hearings be held and a vote taken on Garland, up or down. The Republicans held Congress, so they simply refused to hold hearings until the 2016 election was decided. Trump was elected, and he filled the seat with Neil Gorsuch. Had the circumstances been reversed, like now, the two parties would have reacted according to their political interests.

Take Joe Biden, for example. In 1992 and 2016, he took opposite positions on the question depending on who was president.

It's not pretty, but that's how the sausage is made in Washington. It basically comes down to which party holds the White House and the Senate. Reasonable people can agree or disagree with the election year argument, but what matters is this: The president is not bound by whether he or she is in the last year of his or her presidency. The president has the constitutional right and duty to nominate someone when a seat becomes vacant. The Senate has the constitutional right to hold hearings, vote, or not hold hearings at all depending on who controls the Senate. President Trump and Senate leader Mitch  McConnell (R-KY) know this, and so they plan to go ahead. They have the Constitution and the law on their side.

They also know that this is going to bring out the worst in the Democrats and the radical left. There is going to be more civil unrest. The Democrats in Congress will react in a manner that is going to turn off most Americans. Trump will likely appoint a woman, and the Democrats in the Senate are going to have to think very carefully before they subject her to what they subjected Clarence Thomas, Robert Bork, and Brett Kavanaugh to.

In short, this should be a plus for Trump and the Republicans in November. Another gallon of gas just got tossed onto an already existing fire.  Let the Democrats howl, the louder the better. Similarly, if the Antifas, BLMs, and Reza Aslans want to start burning things, Trump will reap the benefits in November.

Geert Wilders in Swedish

 Hat tip Kronans Martell and Ullis News

                                                                                            "Me, speak Swedish??!!

Dutch politician Geert Wilders is, like so many educated Dutch, multi-lingual. When he goes to Germany, he speaks in public in German. Same with an English-speaking audience. I believe he also speaks French. But, as far as I know, he doesn't speak Swedish.

Until now, thanks to our friend and colleague, Kronans Martell. Once again, Kronans has taken one of our sub-titled videos and created his own Swedish sub-titles.

Of course, if you don't know Dutch or Swedish, the video will drive you crazy, but there are a lot of people in Sweden who don't know much about Wilders-or despise him because they are at the mercy of the Swedish media, and you know they are not going to say anything positive about the man who is leading the struggle against Islamic immigration into his country. So here it is. Enjoy.

Can You Criticize Islam in Sweden? The Question of Free Speech

Hat tip Ullis News and Kronans Martell 

On September 18, Swedish journalist Jan Snunnesson spoke near a Stockholm area mosque during Friday prayers on the topic of whether there was free speech in Sweden when it came to criticizing Islam. This is worth a listen.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V-aiuCfyRQc&feature=youtu.be

Reza Aslan on the Death of Ruth Bader Ginsburg

Hat tip Newsthud.com

No sooner has Ruth Bader Ginsburg passed away, and the left is already promising more violence if President Trump and the Republicans in Congress try to fill the seat. One of the most obnoxious statements is coming from Muslim activist and UC Riverside professor Reza Aslan. Here is what he tweeted.

Really, Professor?

Of course, UC Riverside administrators will no doubt decline to take any action against Aslan citing his right to freedom of speech especially on his own personal, social media. I myself am not advocating he be arrested. However, given the actions recently taken against professors at places like Cornell and UCLA who merely criticize Black Lives Matter or refuse to give special test breaks to black students, UCR would be well advised to at least consider what statements like Aslan's do to their reputation as a university. This is a guy who has a history of threatening to punch people in the nose-not to mention eating human brains on TV. I myself have seen this arrogant twit speak twice in person, and take it from me, he is a strange duck indeed.

                                                                                                                                                                    

                                                    Aslan in happier times

No doubt there will be more threats of violence coming from academia and other quarters, more than I can keep up with. All it does is sully the memory of Ginsburg, by all accounts, a decent person to whom we should be paying proper respect  even if we disagreed with her judicial philosophy.

 

Trump Rally Disrupted by Man with Knife

Showing support for President Trump can be dangerous in California, and this was exhibited Wednesday in the southern Orange County community of Aliso Viejo when a man showed up with a knife and assaulted some people including an 84-year-old woman. Alvin Gary Shaw, 33, was arrested by police . 

If you are an undecided voter, consider  how many times Trump supporters do this to Biden supporters. It's like asking yourself how many of the anarchistic riots taking place in recent months are being done by Trump supporters vs Trump enemies. It might help you decide which side deserves your vote November 3.

It's not complicated.

UCLA Reinstates Professor Gordon Klein

Hat tip Legal Insurrection

Good news out of UCLA. The school has reinstated Professor Gordon Klein after putting him through turmoil all because he refused to grant special breaks to his black students amid all the George Floyd/Black Lives Matter controversy.

 https://legalinsurrection.com/2020/09/ucla-reinstates-prof-suspended-for-refusing-to-change-exam-or-grades-for-black-students/

Even though this came to a good conclusion, it is an embarrassing situation for UCLA all the same. They should have backed Klein from the beginning. After all, what he did was to insist that all students be treated equally rather than treat certain students as if they were handicapped children.

Joe Biden for Quartermaster!!

Hat tip Real Clear Politics

Joe Biden was in Tampa campaigning Tuesday when he said this:

 "Cause if you could take care, if you were a quartermaster, you can sure in hell take care runnin' a, you know, a department store uh, thing, you know, where, in the second floor of the ladies department or whatever, you know what I mean?"

 https://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2020/09/15/biden_speaks_gibberish_if_you_were_a_quartermaster_you_can_run_the_second_floor_of_the_ladies_department.html

What did Joe mean? Does he think that's the job he's running for, or is he explaining why he picked Kamala Harris to be his running mate? Just what the Hell did he mean?

I know I shouldn't make light of this. The man clearly has dementia. And yet, the Democrats selected this poor guy to run for president. How can this be happening in America? I really wonder why his wife never put her foot down and said it was time for Joe to retire and concentrate on his health.

No wonder Nancy Pelosi and other Democrats don't want to have debates. It's going to be very ugly.

Lies and Hypocrisy at SFSU

As we have previously written, San Francisco State University is set to host a webinar on September 23 featuring a former Palestinian hijacker, Leila Khaled. Her appearance (via Zoom) is being sponsored by SFSU professor Rabab Abdulhadi, a radical Palestinian who uses her professorship to indoctrinate her students against Israel-which is exactly what this upcoming event is all about. 

Not surprisingly, SFSU president, Lynn Mahoney is defending the appearance of this former terrorist by claiming academic freedom. Here is a sample of her responses to those who have emailed her in protest, and here is a message she recently sent the campus community.

Mahoney points out that since the university is a ":marketplace of ideas" (except those that are conservative, pro-Israel, pro-America, or pro-Trump), they must sometimes host speakers and ideas with which they do not agree.

But as the AMCHA Initiative effectively points out in their latest letter to Mahoney, the sponsor, Abdulhadi, enthusiastically endorses Khaled's point of view. I would be shocked if there are any opposing voices in this webinar or whatever they call it. This is simply the latest exercise in indoctrination for which SFSU has become so famous over the last several decades.

Below is the AMCHA letter:

"Dear President Mahoney,

We are 86 organizations, many representing university faculty and other academic stakeholders throughout the state and across the country. We are writing to ask you to clarify your interpretation of academic freedom with respect to an upcoming “open classroom” event hosted by SFSU College of Ethnic Studies’ Arab and Muslim Ethnicities and Diasporas (AMED) program and the Women’s Studies Department [1]. The event features Leila Khaled, a convicted terrorist who has engaged in violent acts against Israeli and Jewish civilians. In an email you sent to numerous individuals who had written to express their deep concern about the likely antisemitic content of this event and its harmful impact on Jewish students, you responded that “San Francisco State University supports academic freedom,” and stated:

“An invitation to a public figure to speak to a class should not be construed as an endorsement of point of view...An important outcome of the college experience is to learn to think critically and come to independent, personal conclusions about events of local and global importance.” [2]

 

But what if an invitation to speak to a class -- in fact an entire event -- is an endorsement of a point of view and a political cause? And what if the intention of the faculty member who extended such an invitation and organized such an event was not to encourage students “to think critically and come to independent, personal conclusions about events of local and global importance,” but rather to promote the faculty member's own narrow political view and to weaponize students to be foot soldiers in the faculty member’s own political cause?

Specifically, in your view, does academic freedom protect faculty who intentionally use their classrooms or other academic platforms not to educate their students but to indoctrinate them with propaganda consistent with their own political causes and to encourage their students to engage in political activism consistent with those causes? 

We recognize that it is not always easy to know whether a faculty member intends to educate or politically indoctrinate students. However, sometimes it is crystal clear, as in the case of AMED director Professor Rabab Abdulhadi, who organized this event and specifically invited Leila Khaled, a leader of a US State Department-designated terrorist organization [3], who continues to make public statements in support of armed violence against Israel [4]. It should also be pointed out that, like Khaled, the four other invited event participants have a history of engaging in politically-motived violence and/or been associated with organizations that engage in armed violence, and they have each publicly expressed anti-Zionist sentiments including support for the anti-Israel Boycott, Divest, Sanctions (BDS) movement.

Prof. Abdulhadi, a founder of the US Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel and a leader in the BDS movement, has not only been extraordinarily open about her personal anti-Zionist views in her classroom and other professional spaces – for instance, she proudly exclaimed at an AMED-co-hosted event earlier this year [5], "I am anti-Zionist, I have no problem [saying it], I am a proud advocate!” -- she has also been forthright in expressing her belief that she is fully entitled to promote anti-Zionism and encourage anti-Zionist activism in her classroom, at AMED-sponsored events and on AMED’s social media platform. Indeed, Prof. Abdulhadi has argued that such advocacy and activism are “part of my job duties…reasons why SFSU hired me in the first place.” And to that end, Prof. Abdulhadi has relentlessly used her professional position and the name and resources of the university in order to purvey virulently anti-Zionist propaganda that vilifies Israel and defames Israel’s supporters on and off campus; to call for the destruction of Israel and condone terrorism to achieve that end; and to actively encourage students to engage in BDS efforts and other anti-Zionist activism. For example: 

• In 2013, AMED co-sponsored an on-campus event that involved students using stencils to create placards and T-shirts with the image of a keffiyeh-clad Leila Khaled holding an AK-47 rifle accompanied by the message, “Resistance is Not Terrorism,” and other stencils with the message, “My Heroes Have Always Killed Colonizers” [6]. In the wake of public outrage over the event’s unambiguous lionizing of a convicted terrorist and promotion of terrorism against Israel, Prof. Abdulhadi defended the event as a legitimate use of academic freedom [7].
• Since 2015, at least 43 AMED-sponsored classes and events have contained expression so blatantly anti-Zionist that it meets the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition of antisemitism [8], and more than one-third of the AMED-sponsored classes and events involved the promotion of BDS [9].
• Prof. Abdulhadi has frequently used the “AMED Studies at SFSU” Facebook page, which bears the official AMED logo, to post messages vilifying Israel, promoting BDS [10], and denigrating Israel’s supporters, including and especially Jewish and pro-Israel students at SFSU, such as when she posted a message to the AMED Facebook page stating that “welcoming Zionists to campus…[is] a declaration of war against Arabs, Muslims, [and] Palestinians”[11].

We fully acknowledge that faculty members like Prof. Abdulhadi have every right, as private citizens, to express anti-Zionist views and engage in anti-Zionist activism. However, we believe Abdulhadi's continuous and intentional use of her SFSU position and the name and resources of the University to indoctrinate students with her own personal animus towards the Jewish state and its supporters and to promote anti-Israel activism, does not constitute a legitimate use of academic freedom, but an abuse of it. In addition, we believe Prof. Abdulhadi’s blatant politicization of her classroom, conference hall and other professional spaces violates state laws prohibiting the misuse of SFSU’s name and resources for personal or political purposes, including for the promotion of a boycott (e.g. CA Government Code §8314 [12] and CA Education Code §89005.5 [13]); deprives her students of access to vital information about complex topics of global importance, as well as their fundamental right to be educated and not indoctrinated; foments a divisive and toxic atmosphere, both inside and outside the classroom, that incites hatred and harm towards Jewish and pro-Israel students; and seriously erodes the public trust in your university to uphold its academic mission and ensure the safety and well-being of all of its students.

In light of the above considerations, we ask whether you still believe the upcoming event is a legitimate expression of academic freedom, and if not, what you intend to do about it.

Thank you for your leadership in these challenging times,"

Academic Council for Israel

Alpha Epsilon Pi Fraternity (AEPi)

Alums for Campus Fairness - National

Alums for Campus Fairness - UC Davis

Alums for Campus Fairness - UC Riverside

Alums for Campus Fairness - UCLA

AMCHA Initiative

America Israel Cooperative Enterprise

American Association of Jewish Lawyers and Jurists

American Institute for Jewish Research

American Jewish International Relations Institute

American Truth Project

Americans Fighting Antisemitism

Americans for a Safe Israel

Americans for Peace and Tolerance

B'nai B'rith International

BEAR: Bias Education, Advocacy & Resources

Black Americans for Inclusive Ethnic Studies

Bobcats for Israel at Ohio University

Boston Israel Action Committee

Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law

Bulldogs for Israel (Brooklyn College)

California Association of Scholars

CAMERA on Campus

Campus Anti-Semitism Task Force of the North Shore

Chovevei Zion

Christians and Jews United for Israel

Club Z

Coalition for Jewish Values

Combat Anti-Semitism Movement

Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting and Analysis (CAMERA)

CUFI on Campus

Davis Faculty for Israel

Eagles Wings

Education Without Indoctrination

Endowment for Middle East Truth (EMET)

Facts and Logic About the Middle East (FLAME)

Grandchildren of Holocaust Survivors

Hasbara Fellowships

Herut North America, U.S. Division 

Institute for Black Solidarity with Israel

Iranian American Jewish Federation

Iranian Jewish Women’s Organization

Israel in NYC

Israel Matters

Israel Peace Initiative (IPI)

JAM

Jewish American Affairs Committee of Indiana

Jewish Student Union at San Jose State University

Jewish War Veterans of the USA

Jews Indigenous to the Middle East and North Africa (JIMENA)

Latinx for Quality Education

Magshimey Herut

Michigan Jewish Action Council

Middle East Forum

Middle East Political and Information Network (MEPIN)

National Christian Leadership Conference for Israel

National Council of Young Israel

NCSY

NH4Israel

North Carolina Coalition for Israel

Proclaiming Justice to the Nations   

Rabbinical Alliance of America

Rhode Island Coalition for Israel

Ruach Fund (Real Estate Against Crimes of Hate)

Russian Jewish Community Foundation

Scholars for Peace in the Middle East

Simon Wiesenthal Center  

StandWithUs

StandWithUs Center for Combating Antisemitism

StandWithUs Saidoff Legal Department

Stop Anti-Semitism Now

Stop BDS on Campus

Students and Parents Against Campus Anti-Semitism

Students Supporting Israel at Columbia University

Students Supporting Israel at Drake University

Students Supporting Israel at Foothill College

Students Supporting Israel at UCLA

Students Supporting Israel National

Swarthmore Alumni Against Antisemitism on Campus

The Israel Christian Nexus

The Israel Group

Tufts Friends of Israel

World Jewish Congress North America

Zachor Legal Institute

Zionist Organization of America

Cc:  California State University Chancellor Timothy White

       California State University Trustees

       California State University  Exec. Vice Chancellor and General Counsel Andrew Jones

California State University Associate Vice Chancellor and Dep. Gen. Counsel Leora Freedman

       Senator Connie M. Leyva, Chair California Standing Committee on Education

       Assembly Member Jose Medina, Chair California Assembly Higher Education Committee

       Senator Ben Allen, Chair Jewish Legislative Caucus

[1] https://www.facebook.com/events/754000115385200/ 

[2] https://amchainitiative.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Mahoney-Sample-Email-Response-September-2020.pdf

[3] Leila Khaled is a member of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, which has been designated by the U.S. State Department as a Foreign Terrorist Organization. See: https://www.state.gov/foreign-terrorist-organizations/ 

[4] In 2013, at a conference at the University of British Columbia, Khaled argued that “armed struggle [against Israel] is the only and the shortest way towards liberation” (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vSfvBKGWDLk); in a 2014 interview she said, “I would advise violence” (https://www.972mag.com/interview-with-leila-khaled-bds-is-effective-but-it-doesnt-liberate-land/ ); and in a 2016 interview she stated, “I choose arms and I believe that taking up arms is one of the main tools to solve this [conflict]” (https://www.euronews.com/2016/06/30/interview-meet-the-first-woman-to-hijack-a-plane).

[5] https://www.facebook.com/events/1314074192135881 

[6] https://amchainitiative.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Stencils-11.7.13.pdf

[7] https://www.change.org/p/president-leslie-wong-condemn-baseless-attack-against-gups-and-amed/c/28169782

[8] https://amchainitiative.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/AMED-Events-Anti-Zionism-Examples-9.15.20.pdf

[9] https://amchainitiative.org/search-by-incident#incident/search/display-by-date/search/ 

[10] For example, see: https://www.facebook.com/AMEDStudies/posts/907963842889537

[11] https://www.facebook.com/AMEDStudies/posts/573870589632199 

[12] https://codes.findlaw.com/ca/government-code/gov-sect-8314.html 

[13] https://codes.findlaw.com/ca/education-code/edc-sect-89005-5.html

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Of course, none of this is going to have any effect on Mahoney, whose academic expertise is in the "fields of study" of the "construction of whiteness in the US" and "construction of gender globally"-whatever that means. Obviously she is the perfect fit for this joke of a university.