Anaheim Mosque Controversy: Letter to Anaheim City Officials

     Hat tip RAIR Foundation USA

    This past week, the RAIR Foundation USA blog cross-posted my article on my efforts to inform the Orange County Register of the reported anti-Jewish remarks contained in a sermon posted online on February 1, 2023 by head imam Moustafa Kamel of the Al Ansar Mosque in Anaheim, California. RAIR posted the contact information of the Anaheim mayor and city council members asking readers to contact them to register their concern over the story.

     Today I have sent emails to all of the referenced officials. If you the reader wants to do the same, the contact information is below. Please be respectful.

February 27, 2023       

Dear Council Member,

     My name is Gary Fouse, and I am a resident of Orange Country. Earlier this month, I came across a story with an accompanying video from MEMRI-TV, a pro-Israel news outlet based in New York. The article concerned the head imam of the West Coast Islamic Society Mosque, aka Al Ansar Mosque in Anaheim. In an online sermon posted on his YouTube account on February 1, 2023, imam Moustafa Kamel reportedly made several violent and hateful references toward Jews including the wish that they be "annihilated". Kamel also reportedly quoted an old hadith (the reported sayings of the Prophet Mohammad), which states, "On the Day of Judgment, Jews and Muslims will fight, and the Jews will hide behind trees and rocks, and the trees and rocks will call out: 'O Muslim. there is a Jew hiding behind me. Come and kill him." The above statements were in Arabic, which MEMRI-TV translated into English subtitles. (I do not know Arabic, so I cannot personally vouch for the translation.)

      I passed on this news to the Orange Country Register. Rather than relate the story all over again, I refer you to this article which I posted on my blog, Fousesquawk). 

https://garyfouse.blogspot.com/2023/02/is-orange-country-register-hiding-from.html

     I am passing this on for whatever action you deem appropriate. I would hope that you would want to look into it, and, if appropriate, make some sort of public statement. Perhaps, the imam should be asked to give an explanation of his remarks on the video. Obviously, I am concerned that this type of rhetoric is allegedly coming from an Anaheim mosque. I also find it curious the Register has apparently decided the story is not newsworthy, or they simply don't want to touch it. I should note that during the same period, the Register did see fit (rightfully) to print a story about a high school teacher in Northern California (East Bay) who was making anti-Semitic comments in class and giving the Hitler salute.

    This is not designed to attack the Muslim community as a whole or those who attend this mosque, and who might decide, if they are aware of these statements allegedly made, to find another mosque. But hate is hate, and it must be exposed and countered no matter who the targets or perpetrators might be. 

      I thank you for your attention.

    Gary Fouse

 

1.    Mayor  Ashleigh Aitken (Democrat) (714) 765-5247 Email:  aaitken@anaheim.net 

2.   City Council Member Jose Diaz (Democrat) – Phone: (714) 765-5247 Email: jodiaz@anaheim.net

3.   City Council Member Carlos Leon (Democrat)- Phone: (714) 765-5247 Email: cleon@anaheim.net

4.   City Council Member Norma Campos Kurtz (Democrat) – Phone: (714) 765-5247 Email: nkurtz@anaheim.net

5.   City Council Member Stephen Faessel (Democrat): Phone: (714) 765-5247 Email: sfaessel@anaheim.net

6.   City Council Member Natalie Meeks (Democrat): Phone: (714) 765-5247 Email: nmeeks@anaheim.net

 

Migrant Shipwreck off Italian Coast: At Least 59 Dead

-CNN

Once again, there has been a humanitarian disaster off the coast of Italy. A boat carrying 200-250 migrants exploded off the Calabrian coast. At this time, at least 59 are dead, and many more missing. There are 81 survivors. A suspected smuggler has been arrested by Italian police.

The below article from RAI News is partially translated (due to its length) by Fousesquawk. The article has several images and videos of rescue efforts.

 https://www.rainews.it/articoli/2023/02/strage-di-migranti-trovati-27-cadaveri-nel-crotonese-8f98eabc-0169-477f-a482-4475d77245d7.html

Mass death of migrants at Crotone: Among the 59 bodies recovered, 12 minors and 33 women. 81 survivors

The number of victims is provisional. Guardia di Finanza and firemen continue the search. "There was an explosion on board," says a survivor. Interior Minister Piantedosi is at Crotone. An alleged smuggler arrested

25 February at 23:47

Mass death of migrants before dawn in the sinking of a barge broken into a thousand pieces in front of the Calabrian coast. The number of bodies recovered has reached 59, among them 12 minors and 33 women after the tragedy at Steccato di Cutro. Fourty-six were found at the scene and another three on the beach at Botricello (Catanzarese). Another eight at "La Castella" (Capo Rizzuto Island) and one at Crotone, where the body was transported after recovery.

At this time, 81 persons have been saved after the attempted landing at Cutro, some 20 kilometers from Crotone.

Survivors (BBC)

  -Giornale di Sicilia

  

The bodies are being recovered at sea as time passes, whether offshore or on the beach. Among the victims is also a newborn a few months old: His body, according to the dramatic testimony of a fireman, is among those taken out of the water by rescuers and police who are continuing operations, complicated by strong wind and rough seas.

-La Repubblica

The survivors, all under 30 years of age, were treated on the beach and (given food and water) by 118 (emergency) personnel and the Red Cross, but many people are still missing.

The Interior Minister, Matteo Piantedosi is at Crotone. After a brief inspection on the beach at Steccato di Cutro, he proceeded to the prefecture for a meeting with all the representatives of the territory and police.

Of the 81 survivors, 59 were lodged at the asylum center of Capo Rizzuto Island, while others were treated at the civilian hospital at Crotone, among them and 9-year-old child in intensive care.

The prefect of Crotone, after having activated the Rescue Coordination Center, ordered that the bodies of the victims recovered be transferred to Pala Milone, the sports center located within the city.

Police are trying to gather statements from survivors to understand how many were on the sunken boat, which seems to have been carrying between 200-250 migrants coming from Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, and Syria. An alleged smuggler has been arrested.

This was one of so many trips of hope that follow the Turkish route, the one most used by migrants coming from countries in that area.

"There was an explosion on board," one of the rescued migrants told rescuers. "Some bodies, in fact, showed burns."

The Georgia Grand Jury

 

Emily Kohrs

A great legal controversy is brewing over the Fulton County (Georgia) grand jury investigation into charges that former-President Trump illegally tried to get the results of the Georgia presidential election overturned.  What has caused a firestorm are the TV interviews with the young woman, Emily Kohrs, who served as the grand jury foreperson. Astoundingly, this obviously immature young woman has discussed the grand jury proceedings on CNN, MSNBC, and others, coyly implying that the grand jury voted to recommend charges against Trump and several others. As a former DEA agent, I have testified at several grand juries, and I am shocked that this woman would violate the grand jury secrecy laws by going on a media blitz.

Like federal grand juries, the Georgia state grand juries are governed by strict secrecy laws. They are not adversarial proceedings with defense counsel, defendants  (as yet, there are no defendants), defense witnesses etc. They are a tool of the prosecution. Therefore, the secrecy laws also serve to protect the rights of potential defendants from unfair publicity, especially since some persons under investigation may never be charged.

What this young woman has done is to undermine the very sanctity of our criminal justice system. Her silly, giggly manner and her weird facial expressions call into particular question the fairness and seriousness of the Georgia criminal system itself. In short, her actions are a prosecutor's worst nightmare.

No doubt, lawyers for Trump and anyone else who might be indicted are chomping at the bit to go into court and ask the judge for a dismissal of all charges, and if I were the judge, I would do so. The best thing the prosecutors in Georgia involved in this case would be to scrap any recommendation from this grand jury and impanel a new grand jury-in short, start all over again.

And shame on our news media for putting this woman in front of a camera and asking her about their deliberation/decision on Trump et al. They knew it was unethical and damaging to our judicial system, but their zeal to nail Trump once again prevailed.

Al Ansar Mosque in Anaheim

I have been writing quite a bit about the controversial sermon posted online by the head imam at the Al Ansar Mosque in Anaheim (also known as the West Coast Islamic Society Mosque). There is some additional information regarding the imam, Moustafa Kamel, and the mosque, which I am linking below.

This should not be construed as accusing Kamel of being a terrorist supporter or the mosque being a nest of terrorists.

In May 2015, two men, Nader Elhuzayel and Muhanad Badawi, were arrested by the FBI for conspiring to provide aid to ISIS. Both men reportedly worshipped at the Al Ansar mosque. In December of 2015, Kemal, who immigrated from Egypt circa 2002, was interviewed by the media and complained about the FBI, as well as then-President Obama's initiative to counter extremism in the mosques in general. Another mosque official, identified in the article as Taher Herzallaj, offered a curious explanation of the motives of the above two men who had been arrested the previous May: 

“They have not said anything here about attacking America or being a threat to U.S. national security,” he said. “My guess is they were trying to join ISIS to do something for Syria,” he added, using another acronym for Islamic State.

Herzallaj added: “There is no trust of the FBI here. They spy on us. We feel like we are always under surveillance. And out of all the hundreds of mass shootings, I don’t see Obama talking to the Christian communities about them. It’s insulting he would say that.”

There is more on this from a 2015 report done by the Israel-based International Institute for Counter-Terrorism outlining Islamic radicalization in California (pp 47-48).

As stated above, none of this suggests that Kemal and/or his mosque are guilty of anything in connection with the 2015 arrests. (As for that distrust of the FBI, many in this country share that distrust but mostly for other reasons.) It is the mosque's position that the two men were radicalized online-not at the mosque. That may be the case, but whether fairly or unfairly, questions are always raised when these arrests occur as to what influences may or may not have been present in the mosque and the contents of the sermons given in that mosque.

Especially in light of this month's revelation of Kamel's online sermon posted on February 1, 2023.

 

The Orange County Register: A Tale of Two Similar Stories-One Reported, the Other Not Reported

 The Orange County Register (OCR) is the largest newspaper in Orange County, California. It was founded on libertarian principles and once could be considered conservative or center-right. In the past, I had the opportunity to write a couple of op-eds in the Register, one on the issue of marijuana legalization, and the other on anti-Semitism at UC Irvine, where I was teaching part-time from 1998-2016. Over the years, it has moved more in line with most American newspapers, if not downright liberal, politically correct. 

So it was this past week when I posted this article on my most recent attempts to pass on information to the OCR, specifically a video discovered online by MEMRI TV featuring a local Anaheim mosque leader named Moustafa Kamel, who recited the old hadith about the Day of Judgment when Jews will hide behind trees and rocks, and the trees and rocks will call out to the Muslim, " O Muslim. There is a Jew hiding behind me. Come and kill him." In addition, in the video of Kamal's sermon, which he himself posted on his  YouTube channel on February 1, he reportedly called for the "annihilation" of Jews. (MEMRI TV translated his remarks from Arabic to English.) 

As the above link shows, I got nowhere with the OCR. To this date, I have not been able to speak with anyone. (I sent emails to a couple of individuals at the OCR, but I choose not to mention any names.) The story, to my knowledge, has not been mentioned in the paper.

Curiously, at the same time, the OCR was, rightfully, covering the story of a school teacher in Hayward, California (East Bay) who was giving the Nazi salute in class, making derogatory comments to his students about Jews, and quoting the recent anti-Jewish comments by Kanye West. The teacher is also, reportedly, some sort of cleric for a Black Hebrew Israelite church, temple, or whatever they may call it, in Alameda, California. In spite of its name and the fact that they consider blacks to be the real Israelites, this is a very anti-Jewish sect.

The teacher has been placed on suspension by his school. 

So here is my question: Why has the OCR chosen to publish the story about a teacher/cleric who made anti-Semitic comments in the classroom in Northern California, but, apparently, chosen to ignore a story about an Imam right here in Orange Country who is on videotape calling for the annihilation of Jews?  I think it is clear. They are afraid of creating a firestorm within the local Muslim community and have CAIR breathing down their backs. Perhaps, they are also afraid of losing readership. There can be little question that had a local Christian pastor made violent and hateful comments about Jews or Muslims to his/her congregation, the OCR would be all over the story as they should be. There is obviously a double standard here. This is emblematic of how the American mainstream media ignores stories that do not fit their narrative.

I reiterate here what I previously said. This should not be construed as an attack against the Muslim community as a whole. Indeed, it is my hope that peaceful Muslims who attend this mosque and who harbor no ill feelings against Jews would be motivated to find another mosque to worship in. 

France: Arrest in Case of Dismembered Woman (Husband)

Last week, we posted an article on the discovery of the dismembered remains of a North African woman in a Parisian park. The woman had earlier been reported missing by her husband.  It is now reported by the French media that the husband has confessed to the murder.

The below article from today's Le Figaro is translated by Fousesquawk.

https://www.lefigaro.fr/faits-divers/femme-demembree-aux-buttes-chaumont-le-mari-a-avoue-l-avoir-tuee-20230224

Dismembembered woman in Buttes-Chaumont: The husband confessed to having killed her

By Le Figaro with AFP

Posted 2 hours ago, updated 21 minutes ago

This man was placed in custody Thursday morning after the discovery of a plastic bag in a Parisian park containing the pelvis and thighs of a 46-year-old woman on February 13.

Ten days after the macabre discovery of a dismembered woman in the Parisian park of Buttes-Chaumont, the husband of the victim has confessed to having killed her, Agence France Presse learned Friday, February 24 from a source close to the case.

The husband was placed in custody Thursday based on judicial information opened on February 17 for murder, desecration of a corpse, and concealment of a corpse. He will appear in court in the evening, the same source added. He had reported the disappearance of his wife to the police on February 6, while on social media, he had mentioned it on January 31.  The dismembered body of this 46-year-old mother who lived in Montreuil (Seine-Saint-Denis) was discovered on February 13-14.

On February 13, a plastic bag containing the pelvis and thighs of this woman was discovered under a pile of green waste in Buttes-Chaumont by employees of the municipal parks and gardens. The woman, aged 46, was still dressed in blue jeans with a floral decoration at thigh level, according to a police source. The large park in the northeast of Paris, heavily frequented by strollers, was immediately evacuated and searched by police.

The next day, other remains, including the head, were recovered. Less than 48 hours after the discovery of the first part of the body, police from the Criminal Brigade, assigned to the case, had identified the victim thanks to an analysis of her fingerprints.

Inconsistencies of the husband

Several media had revealed last Friday that the statements of the husband, judged to be inconsistent, had raised the suspicions of the investigators. According to  BFMTV (news), he notably, "stated that she had left the night of 30-31 January while the video surveillance cameras of the building did not show that." The investigators, "found that he had not gone to certain locations in the capital to look for his wife, as he had claimed at first," according to the news channel.

Located in the eastern part of Paris, Buttes-Chaumont Park was created in 1867 under Napoleon III, who wanted to make Paris more open. Today, it is frequented by numerous joggers, families on weekends, or partiers who appreciate its trendy bars.

Hitler Salutes in the Classroom

There is a disturbing story out of the San Francisco-Oakland (East Bay) area this week about a teacher who engages in anti-Semitic discourse in his classroom including giving the Nazi salute in front of his students. (No word as to whether he goose-steps into class.)

1oth grade teacher Harry Bens has been suspended by Mt Eden High School in Hayward, California. Bens is apparently a subscriber of a radical group called the Black Hebrew Israelites. They are black folks who claim to be the real Jews. In truth, they are about as anti-Semitic as they come. Bens, who is also black, is reportedly a pastor of a "synagogue" in Alameda, California called Congregation Rehoboth. He also quotes from the rants of Kanye West.

The below article is from the East Bay Times.

https://www.eastbaytimes.com/2023/02/23/antisemitic-conspiracy-theories-circle-in-hayward-high-school/

Hopefully, this character will be permanently removed from the classroom.

Anthropology at UC Irvine

 Darn! I just received this news, and I missed it! This is the event at UC Irvine today. Is it any coincidence that this lady's name is Faux?

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

Italy: Saman Abbas Case- Day 2 of the Trial

Danish Hasnain in court

This week, the second session of the Saman Abbas murder trial took place in Italy. Saman was murdered in 2021, allegedly by her own family because she refused to marry an older cousin in an arranged marriage in Pakistan. It has now been disclosed that Danish Hasnain, Saman's uncle, who is suspected of being the person who actually killed Saman, has told investigators that it was Saman's mother, Nazia, who actually carried out the "honor-killing" and that he (Hasnain) was only notified of the deed after Saman was dead.

Saman's mother is currently a fugitive and believed to be somewhere in Pakistan. Thus, Hasnain is pointing the finger of blame at the one person charged who is not actually in custody and is in hiding. How convenient. Talk about "honor" and "shame".

 https://www.ilgiornale.it/news/cronaca-nera/nostra-cultura-cos-zio-racconta-l-omicidio-saman-2119408.html

"It's our culture"- That is how the uncle recounts the murder of Saman

23 February 2023-11:35

The uncle of Saman Abbas talked a lot, providing his own version of the murder and concealment of the body: For him, it was the mother who killed his niece.

By Angela Leucci

By whose hand killed Saman Abbas? The investigators have always focused attention on the uncle, Danish Hasnain, but now the man is talking and gives a version that he will probably have to repeat and integrate into the trial.

"Who Saw it?" (program) has broadcast some images transmitted by Tgr (news) in Emilia Romagna, parts of videos gathered during the investigation by the prison police. In these clips, Danish tells a version different from that reconstructed by the investigators.

In fact, Danish says that he was called by the parents, who directed him to the 5th greenhouse, where he reportedly found Saman already dead. It was the night of April 30 and May 1, 2021, (at) the farm where the Abbas family worked in Novellara.

Danish's story

"When I took her, Saman didn't weigh much, 60 kilos," Danish explained, losing himself in various narratives. He says that he and Samas used to play on a large scale used to weigh food. He says he was in a lot of disagreement with his brother, Shabbar Abbas, and that he did a lot for the nephews. " When I got my pay, I put a little in an envelope for Saman and her brother. After I bought cigarettes, Abbas took all the money," he adds. And he explains that Shabbar was behind in his gas and light bills, so much that Danish reportedly asked his employer for loans and advances on his pay in order to be able to pay (for the bills). "I did it for the children, not for Abbas," Danish noted, inviting the investigators to ask the employer for confirmation.

Then Danish tells who reportedly killed Saman. "I took Saman"- he continues, "I picked her up, came here (indicating the 4th greenhouse, editor) Then I remember that two or three minutes later, she was here with her head on the ground. Ikram and Noumanoulaq told me, "Don't worry. Nazia killed her, not Abbas. In our culture, the police cannot take a woman, for us, that is shameful". Nazia is Nazia Shaheen, Saman's mother.

Danish also claims he felt sick during the concealment of the body and that he never took the shovel. He will probably have to respond to the court in relation to the video surveillance film in which he along with the two cousins is captured as they walked off with tools toward the greenhouses the day before the disappearance of his niece. 

What the attorney says

The lawyer for Danish, Liborio Cataliotti explained to "Who saw it? that Danish had decided to talk only after the arrest of Shabbar out of fear, so much that he also asked for the transfer of his partner to Italy. "As defense counsel, I do not subscribe a priori to his version," the attorney comments. "The choice made in a trial is to (use) all the instruments, as well as and above all, those that offer the technology, in order to verify."

Cataliotti dismisses the video of the day before the disappearance as "media-induced suggestions," recalling how Danish had (enabled) the discovery of the body and pledging that he (Danish) will very probably make spontaneous statements in the trial.

Saman's Brother's version

The investigators, however, have relied on the testimony of Saman's brother, who claimed that the material perpetrator of the crime was Danish. Naturally, these initial statements will also have to be evaluated. From the Carabinieri reports, it also appears that Saman's brother never missed an opportunity to show his co-nationals the videos that the 18-year-old posted on her social media with her boyfriend, Saqib Ayub.

For the moment, there are 5 charged: The father, Shabbar, the mother, Nazia, the uncle, Danish, and the cousins, Ikram Ijaz and Noumanoulaq Noumanoulaq. Shabbar is in custody in Pakistan, and there is no news as to a possible extradition, while Nazia is a fugitive. They are accused of kidnapping, premeditated murder, and concealment of a body. The hypothesis of the investigators is that the relatives killed Saman because the young girl was opposed to a forced marriage with an older cousin.

Italy: Justice for Pamela

Pamela Mastropietro

We have been following the horrific story of Pamela Mastropietro, an 18-year-old Italian girl who was raped, tortured, murdered and her body cut into pieces by a Nigerian named Innocent Oseghale and possibly others in 2018. Oseghale has already been convicted of the homicide, but curiously, a life sentence could only be imposed if it was determined that he had also sexually abused Pamela.  

This week, an Italian court has determined that was sexual violence, and Oseghale has now been sentenced to life in prison.

Pamela's mother, Alessandra Verni, has been prominent during the proceedings demanding justice for her daughter. She has particularly raised eyebrows by holding a poster with images of Pamels's dismembered body.

This is just another tragic chapter resulting from the insane immigration/asylum policies of Italy's government and EU policies. It is hoped that Italy's new prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, can turn this around. Too many innocent people are dying.

The below article from Ansa (Italy) is translated by Fousesquawk.

https://www.ansa.it/sito/notizie/cronaca/2023/02/22/chiesta-la-conferma-dellergastolo-a-oseghale-gia-condannato-per-lomicidio-di-pamela-mastropietro_c565daf9-fcdc-468a-ba66-67f01467c385.html

Pamela Mastropietro homicide, Life in prison confirmed for Oseghale

The girl's mother: "There are other monsters out there to be arrested"

Caption: Photos and banners in front of the Palace of Justice

Life imprisonment is confirmed for Innocent Oseghale, accused of having murdered and cut 18-year-old Pamela Mastropietri into pieces in January 2018 at Macerata

The accused was not present in the courtroom at the time the sentence was read.

On the hand, the parents of the young girl were there. The supplementary appeals trial only concerned the crime of sexual violence and was sent to Perugia for procedural questions after the court of Cassation had definitively confirmed the conviction for homicide.

 Alessandra Verni, the mother of Pamela Mastropietro, calls the decision for the confirmation of sexual violence and thus, life imprisonment for Innocent Oseghale, "just", but maintains that "there are other monsters out there to arrest". She said that at the end of the supplementary appeal in Perugia, dressed in a t-shirt with the face of her daughter. "I hope it is life without any reduction of sentence. As I said in Macerata, one down. Now let's see the others," she added. "We want the others- Pamlea's mother said again- because there is proof that there were also others. This sentence gives me a bit of relief."

Is the Orange Country Register Hiding From a Major Story?

Imam Moustafa Kamel

Recently, we cross-posted a report and video clip from MEMRI TV exposing an Anaheim imam who had recently posted a "sermon" (in Arabic) on YouTube in which, according to the MEMRI translation, he recited the infamous "hadith of hate" that describes how Muslims will kill Jews on the Day of Judgment. In addition, Imam Moustafa Kamel made other hate-filled references to Jews. Kamel is head imam at the Al Ansar Mosque in Anaheim.

I am leaving out individual names, but below is an account of how I attempted, apparently, unsuccessfully, to get the Orange County Register, Orange County's largest newspaper, to cover the story. 

On February 12, 2023, I sent an email to a reporter at the Orange County Register whom I had previously met with a link to the Moustafa Kamel video posted by MEMRI TV. 

That same date, I received an automated email back from this reporter who was on vacation until February 16. I then sent a copy of my original email with the video to another reporter at OCR who was listed as an alternate. On the same date, I received a second email from the first reporter stating that we should talk when the reporter returned from vacation. On February 17, I started calling the reporter but was unable to get through or leave a message because the "mailbox was full". I have continued to call this number over the past few days, as recently as February 22, with the same result. Also on February 17, I sent a follow-up email to the reporter asking if the Register was going to follow up with the story. No response. On February 21, I left a message on the OCR News Room answering machine. No response.

To date, nobody from the Register has gotten back to me. In addition, I have been checking the online edition of the Register to see if the story has been reported. I have seen nothing. (If I have simply missed it, I would be happy to retract that last sentence.) The OCR online search box engine comes back negative for either Moustafa Kamel or the Al Ansar Mosque in Anaheim.

I hope I am wrong, but it appears that the Register has no interest in running this story for the benefit of its Orange County readership. There is no way one can argue that this story is not newsworthy. This appears to be yet another example of how our news media, aside from what they do print, can simply ignore news when it doesn't fit their narrative.

This is not to single out and attack the Muslim community of Orange Country. I would hope that decent, peaceful Muslims, who bear no ill will toward Jews, would see this video and come to the conclusion that they might want to look for another mosque. They may not be aware of it since it is on YouTube. They could have been made aware of it had the Register chosen to cover the story.

Again, if any of the above is in error, and the Register is, in fact, working on this story, I would be happy to correct the record. 

Mexico: Comments of President Lopez Obrador on Conviction of Garcia Luna

Yesterday, we reported on the reaction in Mexico to the conviction in New York of the former head of Security in that country, Genaro Garcia Luna, for taking bribes in exchange for allowing the Sinaloa Cartel to operate and smuggle drugs to the US.

The below article from Excelsior (Mexico) reports on a statement by President Andreas Manuel Lopez Obrador on the conviction. The below article is translated by Fousesquawk. We are working on translating the video of Lopez Obrador's comments.

 https://www.excelsior.com.mx/nacional/caso-garcia-luna-amlo-quiere-sea-testigo-y-revele-si-recibia-ordenes-vicente-fox-felipe

Lopez Obrador wants Garcia Luna to be a witness and tell if he took orders from Fox and Calderon

Lopez Obrador said that he hopes, "for the good of Mexico", Garcia Luna becomes a witness and reveals if Fox and Calderon knew of the connections to drug trafficking.

Jimena Campuzano at 08:37 

Caption: Genaro Garcia Luna was found guilty of the 5 charges in the US.

President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador suggested that Genaro Garcia Luna become a witness in the US after being found guilty of 5 charges, 4 of them for drug trafficking, in exchange for revealing if he took orders from Vicente Fox and Felipe Calderon.

"There is still the possibility that Garcia Luna (becomes) a witness, and I would say, as President of Mexico, for the good of the country, that hopefully, in exchange for informing if he received orders or informed the ex-presidents, Fox as well as Calderon, Fox when he (Garcia Luna) was in the AFI (Agencia Federal de Investigacion), and Calderon when he (Garcia Luna) was secretary," he said in his (press) conference this Wednesday, 22 February, one day after the verdict.

In addition, he said that Garcia Luna could also reveal what his connections were with the US authorities, which he considered was "good" not only for that country but for Mexico.

He considered that the trial against the former official under Felipe Calderon was also "a  good contribution" to continue cleaning up the corruption in Mexico, though he also clarified that this trial is not against the country, since it is made up of people and not one person like Garcia Luna, the current president (himself), or former presidents.

"I believe that Garcia Luna, including Felipe Calderon, the current president, we are not Mexico, we are representatives of a country, Mexico is its people, not equating- that is wrong-, if they are prosecuting a Mexican official, it is not a trial against Mexico, that makes it manifest, I would say that it helps to continue cleaning up the corruption in Mexico, " he pointed out.

He reiterated that this trial itself, "is a good contribution" and though the contribution could have been better, the lesson is that, "these incidents must never be repeated".  

Genaro Garcia Luna was convicted yesterday, 21 February, by 12 members of the jury, of the 5 counts he was charged with by the US authorities, 4 of them for conspiracy to import and possess cocaine (with) the Sinaloa Cartel, led by Joaquin El Chapo Guzman and Ismael El Mayo Zambada.

After a month of trial and 3 days of deliberations, the jury reached a decision, and at 13:54, the judge, Brian Cogan, read the unanimous verdict, in which it was decided that the ex-Secretary of Security was guilty of the 5 charges against him.

The Prosecutor's Office of New York presented 26 witnesses, 9 of them collaborators who are confessed former drug traffickers and serving sentences in that country, as evidence of the connection between Garcia Luna and the drug traffic and how he benefited from million-dollar bribes in exchange for allowing their operation.

*Update: Here is the translated video referenced above. Translation by Fousesquawk.

Mexico Reacts to Garcia Luna Verdict

Genaro Garcia Luna

Today, former Mexican chief of Security, Genaro Garcia Luna was convicted of drug trafficking conspiracy charges in the Eastern District of New York. Garcia Luna had been the equivalent of the FBI director in Mexico. He had pledged to crack down on drug cartels, but in truth, was taking bribes from the cartels, principally the Sinaloa Cartel.

This case has been followed very closely in Mexico. Today's article from Excelsior is translated by Fousesquawk.

*Note: This article is still being updated including during the translation, so there will be a few disparities as to paragraphs (which have just been added by Excelsior).

 https://www.excelsior.com.mx/nacional/genaro-garcia-luna-jurado-lo-declara-culpable-narcotrafico-en-eu/1571480

Jury finds Genaro Garcia Luna guilty of drug traffic in US

Genaro Garcia Luna was found guilty of the 5 counts he was charged with in the US, 4 of which were for drug trafficking.

Jimena Campuzano at 13:58

Caption: Genaro Garcia Luna was found guilty in the US.

Genaro Garcia Luna, secretary for security under Felipe Calderon, was found guilty of the 5 counts he was charged with by the Prosecutor of New York, 4 of them related to drug trafficking, as announced by Judge Brian Cogan in reading the verdict today, 21 February 2023.

After more than two days of deliberations, during which (the jury) requested extracts of the testimonies of some of the witnesses, such as that of Jesus El Rey Zambada, as well as that of Sergio Villarreal Barragan, El Grande, the former to (confirm) that Garcia Luna was in the pay of the Sinaloa Cartel, among others, the 12 members of the jury reached a verdict and determined that Garcia Luna was guilty.

At 13:54 (1:54 pm), Judge Brian Cogan read the sheet with the jury's verdict in the courtroom in Brooklyn, New York in the presence of Garcia Luna, his wife, Cristina Pereyra, and their two sons, as well as the prosecutors and the ex-official's defense. Garcia Luna showed no expression, only a red face and a serious countenance while with his family, there were no tears or complaints.

After being found guilty in a trial that lasted one month, after being delayed for 3 years after the arrest of the ex-Security secretary in December 2019, now Garcia Luna will wait until June 27 to know what his sentence will be, which will be decided by Judge Brian Cogan.

Garcia Luna is the first high-level ex-official in Mexico to be brought to trial and found guilty of having conspired with the Sinaloa Cartel to introduce tons of cocaine into the US. For that, the prosecutors presented 26 witnesses, and their testimonies were the evidence in proving the nexus of the ex-secretary to drug trafficking.

Caption: Oscar Nava Valencia, El Lobo (the Wolf) was one of the prosecution witnesses against Genaro Garcia Luna in his trial in the US (Reuters)

Ex-drug traffickers, ex-police, DEA agents, and even an ex-ambassador took the stand and made different revelations. They put into evidence the outline of the government corruption that allowed the drug traffic in the Mexico City International Airport itself, and that the US anti-drug agency (DEA) had (information) as to the above criminal plot since it knew the location where bribes were paid to ex-officials.

Jesus El Rey Zambada was one of the prosecution's key witnesses, and in his statements, he claimed to have personally met two times with Garcia Luna in a Mexico City restaurant to pay him bribes totaling  5 million dollars, which made it clear that the former official was in the pay of the Sinaloa Cartel.

However, Garcia Luna not only received payments from the Sinaloa Cartel, but also from the Beltran Leyva, according to the testimony of Sergio Villarreal Barragan, El Grande, who also revealed that Garcia Luna was kidnapped on a highway in Morelos on the way to Cocoyoc on the orders of Arturo Beltran Leyva, who was annoyed by the operations against his criminal group.

Caption: Sergio Villarreal Barragan, El Grande, was the first witness in the trial against Genaro Garcia Luna in the US (Reuters).

The testimony of El Grande was not the only one in which Garcia Luna was tied to Arturo Beltran Leyva, since ex-federal police officer Francisco Cañedo Zavaleta claimed that he himself saw the former official talking to El Barbas and with Edgar Valdez Villarreal, La Barbie, on a highway in Morelos and observed that they entered into a sub-division.

In the trial, ex-President Felipe Calderon was also named for the first time after the ex-prosecutor of Nayarit (State) claimed that in a meeting with ex-Governor Ney Gonzalez, he (Gonzalez) told him that in a meeting with the ex-president and Garcia Luna, they told him, "the line is with Los Chapos".

Garcia Luna's defense, led by the attorney, Cesar de Castro, attempted to discredit the testimonies as evidence by rejecting the quality and the value of the witnesses pointing out that they were criminals who held a hatred for the ex-official due to his arrests and who were not seeking some benefits for their statements.

Crimes against Mexico will not be forgotten: Spokesman for the Presidency

After the verdict in the trial against Garcia Luna was announced, Presidential Spokesman, Jesus Ramirez Cuevas, stated that the crimes of the ex-secretary of Security in Mexico "will not be forgotten".

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Anti-Semitism: High School Girls' Basketball Game in LA Turns Ugly

A high school girls' basketball game in  Los Angeles turned ugly Saturday night when a team from a Jewish school (Shalhevet) and its fans were taunted by the opposing team's (Buena Park High School) fans with anti-Semitisc chants and images of the swastika and the Palestinian flag. The below article is from the (Los Angeles) Jewish Journal. The game took place at Shalhevet in Los Angeles.

https://jewishjournal.com/news/356346/antisemitic-incident-reported-at-shalhevet-girls-basketball-game/

“My friend was standing across the gym by the other team when she texted me and told me they were chanting Kanye West at her the entire game. They were shouting at her and yelling that they were going to fight after the game.”

It is no coincidence or accident that images of the swastika and the Palestinian flag were exhibited at the event. Jew-hatred and the Palestinian cause go hand in hand.

Twenty years ago, we were watching this pro-Palestinian, anti-Jewish movement spreading like a cancer on our university campuses. Now it has already metastasized into society at large-including our high schools.

I see as yet no mention of this incident on the webpage of Buena Park High School.

CSU Monterey Bay Eats its Own

Hat tip Campus Reform

You have to wonder why any professor would want to teach at California State University at Monterey Bay unless he or she were so "woke" they would have no worries about being reported by students to the university.

This week, CSU-Monterey Bay is in the spotlight after it advised its "students of color" (which I consider a patronizing and asinine term in itself, to report any undue stress imposed upon them on campus or in the classroom. And we are not talking about the truly ugly indignities and violence that were once prevalent in the country, but something as innocent as a student who feels he or she is not called upon in class often enough when they raise their hands.

You talk about a boss who doesn't have your back.

I have checked the campus website/campus news and the campus newspaper, and I see nothing about this matter. Perhaps, in the coming days, they will address it.

I think a couple of points are being overlooked in this controversy. First of all, as I have said many times, America is not back in the 1950s. That is not to say that some minority communities are not struggling with problems, particularly the inner city black communities. They are dealing with crime, low education, drugs, gangs, and violence. But as Larry Elder has stated many times, white racism is very low on the list of problems facing black Americans. In Elder's view (he is a black conservative commentator who is nationally syndicated), the biggest root cause of the problems facing black  Americans is an out-of-wedlocjk birth rate of over 70%. In the darkest days of  segregation and discrimination some 70 years ago, it was 25%. Many young black children are being raised without a father. That is tragic. Why is it that we have this seemingly illogical statistic? I can think of no other reason than the well-intentioned welfare system that has discouraged two-parent families.

Returning to the universities, I reject the idea that black and other minority students are vulnerable on college campuses. On the contrary, the "woke" universities bend over backward to cater to their minority students (maybe not so much the Asian students, and certainly not the Jewish students). "Students (and professors) of color" are put on a pedestal, and white students, professors and people in general are demonized as some sort of racists, privileged grandsons of slave owners who are the Eternal Enemy of "people of color". That may have been true 60-70 years ago, especially in the Souith, where segregation carried the force of local and state laws, but it is not true today.

In short, we are not the enemy. Nobody is trying to keep black and brown students down on university campuses. Everything about campus life today follows politically correct guidelines. So now we are reaching the point that our own universities are laying down rules, supposed to ensure "inclusivity" that are the exact opposite. Our universities are starting to resemble universities in Germany between 1933-1945, where Jewish students and teachers had no place, and those of the Soviet Union. Opposing views (conservative, pro-Israel, pro-America, Republican, etc) are not welcome. Peruse any university campus paper, and you will 99% of the content is liberal. Only occasionally does a conservative student get an op-ed published. As for the subject of Jews, the pro-Palestinian movement has successfully isolated and harassed Jewish students on campus over the Israeli-Palestinian conflict-with virtual impunity from the universities.

Another point I want to make is that this kind of wokeness and "concern" for minority students is basically treating them like small, handicapped children who cannot make it through life on their own without societal assistance. That is an insult, and one could argue that, in a perverse way, it is racist in itself. During the Civil Rights era, blacks wanted one thing: equality and equal opportunity to get a good education, a good job and to be treated as equals. That is what the country has been striving for for decades-until now. Now every white person is thought to be Bull Connor.

Finally, can anyone really argue that this kind of wokesnss in academia is designed to bring people together-at a time in our history where we need to stand together? No way. When Lenin and his Soviet cronies and successors were plotting how to bring about the downfall of the West, they could not have devised any better tactic than dividing Americans by race. And divided we are. Some of it is naturally due to the natural course of events over the decades. But I believe that much of this is devised by people within our country who literally want to bring it down. That includes many in government who are running this country today.

So here we are. A university in California has told its "students of color" to report teachers who have slighted them just because they raised their hand and were not called on.
 

Muslim Brotherhood in France (7)

This is the latest in our series of translations from European articles regarding the Muslim Brotherhood in Europe and the 7th on France. In this interview of Mohamed Louizi, a former member of the Muslim Brotherhood, he talks about the now-deported imam, Hassan Iquioussen, and the MB finances in France.

 https://global-watch-analysis.com/mohamed-louizi-les-freres-musulmans-dissimulent-un-immense-empire-immobilier-en-france-et-en-europe/

Mohamed Louizi: The Muslim Brotherhood is hiding an immense real estate empire in France and Europe

The author of  "Why I left the Muslim Brotherhood," was the first in 2016 to publish an investigation into the real estate holdings of the imam, Hassan Iquioussen, and his family. For him, the Iquioussen case is, in fact, the tree that hides the forest. For decades, the Muslim Brotherhood has been discreetly accumulating real estate, houses, local businesses, apartments, and land. The objective is to build up a "war chest" that would permit them to be financially independent, so as not to further depend on money coming from Gulf countries.

Interview by Ian Hamel

-The Canard enchaine (the Chained Duck-satirical paper)  claims that Hassan Iquioussen is subject to the wealth tax and that his assets exceed 1.3 million euros. Do you share that estimate?

- Mohamed Louizi: I think this number is very underestimated. This family not only has real estate assets in northern France. Investigations should also be conducted on the coast of Bordeaux and its region. The reportages published at the time of the announcement of the expulsion of Hassan Iquioussen have shown that he and his children, through a multitude of civil real estate companies (SCI), had built up impressive capital investing in stone, renting dozens of apartments in numerous municipalities in the north. In spite of this fortune, Hassan Iquioussen has succeeded for a long time in presenting the image of an ascetic, living modestly. I recall one of his trips to Villeneuve-d'Ascq: He had arrived in an old, dented car. On the other hand, he was living more than comfortably in a very expensive house.

-But do all these assets really belong to Iquioussen?

-That is the principal question that must be asked. Who really owns all the properties purchased in their names by the Iquioussens and their relatives? In fact, Hassan Iquioussen is nothing more than the tree that hides the forest of the Muslim Brotherhood. At present, we must begin to attack the forest. For at least 30 years in all of Europe, the Brotherhood has been accumulating considerable assets, essentially based on stone. The Muslim Brotherhood is buying apartments, houses, real estate, businesses, and land everywhere. With the complicity of elected officials, whether on the left, center, or right, they are seen being sold assets at laughable prices, often without calls for bids. You would have to list all the acquisitions of the Muslim Brotherhood and publish a sort of "black book" for public opinion to finally realize their strategy. The concept of Tamkine, of which I talk about in "Why I left the Muslim Brotherhood", this global project of domination of the West, of the victory without sharing political power, is not only a mental image. It is a strategy, and this is being realized concretely, year after year.

- Why is there so much complicity by elected officials? We have often mentioned the conclusion by Anne-Lise Dufour-Tonini, the Socialist Party mayor of Denain.

-For a long time, these elected officials, either out of true ignorance or simple calculation, have confused Islam and political Islam.  They believed that by showing themselves to be complacent about the Muslim Brotherhood, they would automatically gain their votes in elections. Obviously, this confusion is (perpetuated) by the Brotherhood. The Union of Islamic Organizations in France (UOIF) became Muslims in France in 2017, always seeking to make others believe that they represent all French Muslims. 

- Can you define the concept of Tamkine?

- The dream of Hassan al-Banna, the founder of the Muslim Brotherhood in 1928 in Egypt, (was) to recreate an Islamic caliphate dominating all of the Arab-Muslim countries, but also the West. The concept of Tamkine is part of the lexical elements of the fundamental terminology of the expansionist ideology of the Muslim Brotherhood, whether in Egypt, or Qatar, or Europe and France. The term, in Arabic, is used here. To attain Tamkine, there are several steps, the first being the propagation of Islam, and the next is selecting the individuals who will carry and transmit the Islamic message. The last step is victory, that is to say, domination, without sharing of political power, so that Sunni Islam dominates the hearts and organizes society according to the laws of Allah and in strict respect for the tradition of the Prophet Mohammed. It is simply the creation of an Islamic state.

-So are there not dozens, if not hundreds of Iquioussens in France?

-Hassan Iquioussen, despite everything, has a profile that is somewhat particular insofar as he is known, where he shows himself. Generally, the Muslim Brotherhood chooses its (lesser-known) people in order to fly under the radar. Discreet members of the Brotherhood or even trusted sympathizers. It is they who appear in the SCI, who are officially the managers in regard to the administrations. But in fact, they are no more than figureheads because the real estate and the businesses, in reality, belong to the Brotherhood. It is almost systematic: Beside each mosque, each school, and each establishment connected to the Muslim Brotherhood, you find not just one SCI, but several that gravitate around (it). It is true for the Verreoes school in Lille, the European Institute for Human Sciences (IESH) in Chateau-Clinon, or Syria Charity, etc.

- But how are all these purchases made? Is it solely through donations by the faithful in the mosques?

-Of course not. All of these operations are done in cash. The use of cash evades all control. The donations are mixed with the money coming from outside, mainly the Gulf countries. I will give you a concrete example: In a mosque, the imam announces a project. He turns to a Muslim, a small businessman, for example, and he says to him in front of the whole assemblage: "You, you can give at least 10,000 or 15,000 euros." The designated person then complies. However, when you know a little about the finances of this grocer, his lifestyle, you know that he is incapable of coming up with such a sum. In fact, he is content to give back to the mosque the money that this same mosque previously gave him in all discretion. For the trouble-because he is himself completely (involved) in a money laundering operation, he will, perhaps, keep a small commission for himself. 

- How is it that the (tax police) don't stick their noses into this money laundering?

-There are two periods. Before and after the 2015 attacks. Before 2015, the Muslim Brotherhood had succeeded in that the authorities had equated the Muslim religion with Islamist ideology. The Brotherhood passed as the legitimate interlocutor of power. There had been no investigation in the mosques, as there had been none in the churches, the temples, or the synagogues. The few researchers and journalists who denounced radical Islam were singled out, and presented as extremists, people who saw evil everywhere, as Islamophobes. Certainly, the agencies had already written reports, but the politicians did not want to see them due to certain connections with Arab countries.

-Did the 2015 attacks permit the authorities to (finally) open their eyes?

All of a sudden, faced with the horror of the attacks, the Islamists' belly dance no longer seduced (them). We understood that the Muslim Brotherhood encouraged separatism, and was putting out hateful discourse against the values of France. As for me, I have been able to meet with people who have dared to complain about Iquioussen, who no longer described him as an irreproachable imam, but as a real estate developer, a slumlord, who rents unsanitary residences, (who is) implacable with vulnerable people. An individual a thousand leagues from the ideas he pretended to defend. 

- Thanks to a vast real estate stock, is the Brotherhood very rich in Europe?

-Absolutely. The goal is that in the years to come, the Muslim Brotherhood will have no further need of money from Muslim countries, primarily, the Gulf countries in order to develop themselves. Their own resources will suffice. I have no figures, but I suspect that their war chest is already gigantic. Hasson Iquioussen now has the tax authorities on his heels as Le Canard enchaine writes. Controls must be expanded, and the fiscal agencies must question all the figureheads as to the origin of their funds. 

-Bio Express

Born in 1978 in Casablanca, Mohamed Louizi is an engineer, with a degree in electrical engineering. Former member of the Attawihid wal'Isah movement and the PJD party in Morocco, then with the UOIF in France. He has notably been president of Muslim Students in France (an organization connected to the (French) branch of the Muslim Brotherhood in Lille.

He is notably the author of, "Why I left the Muslim Brotherhood: Enlightened return to apolitical Islam" (Michalon, 2017) and "The Republic at home, Islam at home" (Fauves editions, 2019).

 
• frères musulmans
• Iquioussen
• Mohamed Louizi

Sweden: National Police Chief Has No Clue as to Gang Problem

Hat tip Fria Tider

Anders Thornberg

"There are those who claim there is an elephant in the back of the room."

In a truly depressing interview, Sweden's top cop, Anders Thornberg says he has no idea why the country is having such a big problem with murder and other violent crimes. The below article from Fria Tider is translated by Fousesquawk.

 https://www.friatider.se/rikspolischefen-ingen-forklaring-pa-varfor-just-sverige-har-sa-manga-kriminella-gang

Mystery: As many shot to death in little  Järva as in all of Norway during 2022

National police chief: "No explanation " why Sweden has so many criminal gangs.

Posted 15 February 2023 at 12:05

Domestic: National police chief Anders Thornberg has agreed to a major interview with Dagens Nyheter (news), where he says it is inexplicable why Sweden has such a big problem with murder, guns, and bombings compared to other countries. 

The highest police chief, however, concedes that "there are those who claim" that immigration could have a role to play.

However, he prefers to leave unsaid whether immigration really has anything to do with the issue. 

"There are those who say that it could have been poor immigration and we have gotten these vulnerable areas," Thornberg tells DN.

When the newspaper (asks) why other comparable countries lack Sweden's problem, Thornberg says:

"I don't have any good explanation for that either. That should be researched."

During 2023, Stockholm has been in the focus for escalated gang conflicts with many deaths.

Already during 2022, as many were shot to death in the little immigrant ghetto Järva in Stockholm as in all of Norway during the same years, Folkbladet (news) writes.

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Fousesquawk comment: Let me help you out here, Chief. Those people you refer to who claim it is due to Sweden's failed immigration policies are spot on. Sweden not only has criminal gangs, which are almost exclusively made up of foreigners, largely people from Muslim countries, but the country also leads Europe in murders per capita, rapes, and bombings. Again thanks to the friendly folks from places like Afghanistan, Somalia, the Middle East, North Africa, and on and on.

I should note here that we have our own problems here in the US, and with the current administration, led by a senile empty suit named Joe Biden, we have an administration full of similar people like DHS Chief Alejandro Mayorkas, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, Vice President Kamala Harris, AG Merrick Garland and others like Rachel Levine, Sam Brinton (now out of government thanks to a robbery charge), Lloyd Austin, and General Mark Milley. I'll stop here because I'm getting tired. None of the above have any clue as to the myriad of major problems festering under their tenure.

We feel your pain, Sweden.