Sweden Prepares for Easter and Eurovision

Riddarholmen Church, Stockholm

Like most every other Western European country, Sweden is increasing security for its churches and Easter masses in the run-up to Easter Sunday. In addition, Malmö, the third-largest city and the city with the highest percentage of Muslims, will be hosting the Eurovision (song) event in May-with Israel participating. What could possibly go wrong?

The below article from Samnytt is translated by Fousesquawk.

 https://samnytt.nu/terrorhot-mot-kyrkor-i-pask

Terror threat against churches at Easter

March 28, 2024

Before Easter and in the wake of the Muslim terror attack in Moscow, the terror threat in Europe has lately been judged as high. In addition to Easter masses, many large events are coming up in Sweden, such as Eurovision in Malmö.

At least 137 people were killed in the terror attack against Crocus City Hall outside Moscow. In France, the terror threat level has been raised to the highest (level), and in Germany, an "acute risk" is accessed. In Italy, armed police will be on patrol. 

On the eve of  Easter, which is the Swedish Church's busiest period of the year after Christmas, the country's churches are on guard.

The Swedish Church's civil preparedness chief, Lisa-Gun Bernerstdt, tells SVD (news) that there is no information that the church would be especially singled out, but that all faith communities should be alert.

"It is clear that with an increased threat level, preparations and awareness have increased. The importance of making assessments prior to every event that brings in a lot of people is important," she tells the newspaper.

Regardless of the world situation, the Swedish Church will remain open, and wants to "signal (its) presence, openness, and hope".

Eurovision in Malmö

In the beginning of May, it is time for Eurovision in Sweden's most multicultural and Islamized city, Malmö, and both the municipality and police are working intensively on security. According to police, 100,000 people are expected in the city during the event.

"Even though what happened in Moscow is unfortunate, it does not directly influence our preparation prior to Eurovision. But it is clear that we closely follow what happens around the world. And if there is a chain of events that in some way affects Sweden's security, then we will check that out as well," says police spokesperson for Eurovision in Malmö, Nils Norling.

Norwegian churches potential targets

In Norway, security police warn that churches and Christian gatherings can be targets for terrorism during Easter.

Police, who are usually unarmed in Norway, have been given permission to carry weapons during the holidays.

Berkeley's Brownshirts at it Again

 Hat tip Breitbart and Legal Insurrection

"Free free Palestine!"

On Tuesday, the Berkeley City Council was meeting to discuss the coming observance of Holocaust Memorial Day in April when the pro-Palestinian brownshirts once again showed up to scream profanities and anti-Jewish slurs. You can read about it here on Breitbart, which also has a link to a video of the incident. In addition, Legal Insurrection has a video of the brownshirts disrupting an 89-year-old Jewish woman who survived the Holocaust. It is disgusting.

As far as I can tell, nobody was arrested!

Muslim Brotherhood in Sweden (18)

This is the latest in our series of translations from European sources on the presence of the Muslim Brotherhood in European nations and the 18th such article on Sweden. The article is translated by Fousesquawk from the conservative Swedish site, Nyheter Idag. It concerns the resumption of financial support from the city of Stockholm to the Ibn Rushd Study Association, a documented branch of the Muslim Brotherhood.

 https://nyheteridag.se/stockholms-stad-beviljar-miljonbidrag-till-ibn-rushd-stoppar-bidrag-till-forening-mot-hedersvald/

City of Stockholm grants one million (kronors) to Ibn Rushd- stops contributions to association against honor violence

Thursday, 28 March 2024

Last December, the city of Stockholm paused a planned payment of 3.9 million (kronors)  to the controversial study association, Ibn Rushd after the Public Education Council determined that the study association's teaching materials dealt with child abuse, child marriage, and described homosexuality as a sin. But on Tuesday, the Cultural Committee in Stockholm decided to resume the payments, Swedish Radio reports. 

The criticized material was reportedly used by the study association in other places than in Stockholm, and after Ibn Rushd came back with a plan of action as the city was visiting the association's operations, the payments to the association were resumed.

At the same time, the city of Stockholm stopped payments of 600,000 (kronors) per year to the association, "Never forget Peta and Fadime" (GAPF), which works against honor oppression. The reason is that a board member of the association, put up postings on his private Facebook page that the city views as breaking the city's guidelines.

GAPF states in a press release that it has distanced itself from the board member's now-deleted posts and that the association has taken measures such as updating its communication policy and ethical guidelines, as well as conducting training for staff and personnel, but the city of Stockholm is standing fast to its decision.

"We wonder how the city really works within democracy. How can a study association that has links to the Muslim Brotherhood and has been involved in brokering temporary marriage contracts, i.e. trafficking in women's bodies according to a disclosure by Uppdrag Gransking (Assignment Examination) qualify for support but not us, who strongly help and protect vulnerable women and girls?" says Sara Mohammad, founder of GAPF, in a statement.

Since the election, the city of Stockholm is run by a coalition made up of Social Democrats, the Left Party, and the Green Party.

Gaza: One Hostage's Story

This article first appeared in New English Review.

Amit Soussana

-Reuters

Amit Soussana, a 40-year-old Israeli woman who was taken hostage on October 7 by Hamas and later released in a prisoner swap, has come forward to tell her story. It is beyond disturbing and should serve as a lesson for all the people in the West who are demonstrating on behalf of the Palestinians-in effect, Hamas. It is a tale of beating, torture, and sexual abuse, not just by the terrorists of Hamas who kidnapped her and took her to Gaza, but apparently by “civilian” men who kept her prisoner in their homes and abused her. Her story, which appears in the Times of Israel (as well as many other major news sources), can be read here. (Reader warning.)

Putting aside the obvious barbarity of Hamas on October 7 (and beyond), according to many reports, it appears that not all the hostages have been kept in the subterranean tunnels where Hamas terrorists are hiding. Many have reportedly been turned over to people in their homes for guarding.  On October 7, videos from the terrorists themselves showed howling mobs of civilians celebrating the arrival of the Israeli hostages in Gaza. There is the infamous video of a young German woman, kidnapped from the music festival she was attending, lying motionless, half naked in the bed of a pickup truck, and Palestinian civilians spitting on her body and striking her. Gaza was cheering on October 7, just as they were cheering on 9-11. Make no mistake: Hamas enjoys the vast support of the civilian population in Gaza (and the West Bank as well). Today, it is those same civilians in Gaza that the world is expressing so much concern for. Of course, nobody should celebrate the death of innocents. There are surely women and children in Gaza who have died during the Israeli invasion who are not guilty of anything, and that is regrettable. Their blood, however, is on the hands of Hamas, who cowardly uses civilians as shields and refuses to surrender even as the Gaza Strip has been decimated. I am not afraid to state that any sympathy I might hold for the citizens of Gaza is tempered by the horrors that most of them celebrated.

Yet, here in the US, Canada, and Europe, thousands take to the streets to condemn Israel. Many are of Middle East descent, many are not, just gullible “woke” activists jumping on the anti-Israel, anti-West bandwagon. What occurred on October 7 has not changed their point of view one iota. The beheading and burning alive of innocent civilians-including infants(!) has not changed their minds. The fact that Americans are among the hostages matters nothing to them. The ongoing plight of the hostages, people like Ms. Soussana, has not changed their point of view one iota. I have no doubt that her tale will not change the opinion of the pro-Palestinian mobs one iota. Nor will any of this change the opinions of the leftist university professors, Students for Justice in Palestine, Jewish Voice for Peace, and all the other “woke” mobs that infest our university campuses from the East Coast to the West Coast, from Columbia to UC Berkeley and points in between. The warped professors will continue to hold their teach-ins, condemning Israel for fighting back, demanding a cease-fire, and devoting all of their compassion to the civilians of Gaza, including those who cheered October 7, including those who joined in the abuse of the hostages on that day, including those that are helping keep hostages under guard, and including those who have so horribly abused people like Amit Soussana.

 

The Continuing Turmoil at Columbia

Columbia University business professor, Shai Davidai, who is of Israeli-Jewish background, is charging that the university's Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action office is investigating him. Davidai claims that this is in retaliation for his criticism of the university's alleged failure to protect Jewish students from anti-Semitic harassment. The (Los Angeles) Jewish Journal has a report here.

In querying the campus newspaper of Columbia, the Spectator, I found this article on Davidai dated February 13, 2024. It concerns a complaint against Davidai by a group of Columbia students who allege that he has "targeted" pro-Palestinian students, as well as other "vulnerable racial groups".

So it appears that Davidai has criticized both the university and certain pro-Palestinian student groups in regards to the anti-Semitic climate at Columbia. In return, some students are complaining that Davidai has targeted them in some manner, which Davidai explicitly denies in the above Jewish Journal article.

Davidai is not alone on the campus. He is part of a group called Faculty and Staff  Supporting Israel. On March 8, the Spectator published this article, which is an open letter from the group. 

On the other side, a group of anti-Israel Columbia faculty issued their own letter dated October 30 basically defending the October 7 attack by Hamas as a legitimate military operation. Hamas itself, a terrorist organization, is not mentioned. Two of the most notable signers of the letter are Columbia professors, Rashid Khalidi and Joseph Massad.

In fact, Columbia has been suffering campus anti-Semitism for several years now disguised as pro-Palestinian advocacy. In 2016, Algemeiner published the results of a survey in which Columbia was rated number one among the top forty universities in terms of anti-Semitism. The Amcha Initiative, a group founded to expose and confront campus anti-Semitism, keeps a database of universities and reported incidents of anti-Semitism. Here is their page for Columbia. 

There are too many Columbia-related articles on this blog to even count, but like so many other campuses, Columbia's problem has exploded since October 7.

Personally, I find it repulsive that professors at Columbia could write such a letter about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that basically excuses the barbarous attack on October 7 and not even mention the perpetrators of the attack, Hamas. How ironic that they choose a name for their group like "Columbia University and Barnard College Faculty in Defense of Robust Debate About the History and Meaning of the War in Israel/Gaza" when anti-Israel student groups at Columbia and virtually every campus refuse to engage in any civil discussion with pro-Israel students. Instead, their preferred tactic is robust disruption and intimidation.

Equally disgusting is that the campus Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action office at Columbia is investigating Professor Davidai for his criticism of the actions of pro-Palestinian students against Jewish students and his criticism of Columbia itself. Maybe they should take a look at the findings of Algemeiner and the Amcha Initiative if they want to find real problems on their campus.

Netherlands: Free Speech in Question

Raisa Blommestijn

Raisa Blommstijn is a conservative commentator in the Netherlands who has been outspoken when it comes to the problem of migrant crime in her country. Until recently, she appeared regularly on the conservative broadcast, Ungehoord Nederland. I have watched her several times, and to me, she is no more controversial than say, our Dana Perino on Fox News.

Yet she now finds herself under investigation by prosecutors over tweets she made on what is now X last year calling attention to violent migrant crime. In the below article (translated by Fousesquawk), the conservative Dutch site, Nieuw Rechts, discusses the issue and also calls attention to conservative Dutch politician, Gideon van Meijeren, who used the term, "Negroid primates" to refer to a gang of migrants who violently attacked an Italian tourist at a train station and threw him on the tracks.  When the statement by van Meijeren created a ruckus, Blommestijn ( it appears from the article) adopted the language in support of van Meijeren.

While I certainly would not have used the above term, I ask whether the actual use of that term in public should be a cause for criminal prosecution. Certainly not in the US, but this is the Netherlands, and their free speech laws are not the same as American free speech laws.

https://nieuwrechts.nl/97281-raisa-blommestijn-strafrechtelijk-vervolgd-vanwege-haar-tweets

Raisa Blommestijn criminally prosecuted due to her tweets

News   24 March 2024  

The Public Prosecutor's Office has filed a criminal prosecution against legal (commentator) Raisa Blommestijn. The reason for this is her comments on social media from last year. "This is indicative of the state of the West," Blommestijn wrote on X. 

The Public Prosecutor's Office filed the prosecution last year due to Blommestijn's tweets about migrant violence. This was confirmed by the legal commentator herself on X after an earlier report by opinion maker Ashley St. Clair.

Violent video at Bijimar Arena Station

The reason for this is the tweets that Blommestijn wrote after a violent video went viral last year. In the video, an Italian tourist at the Bijimar Station was beaten and thrown onto the tracks by a group of youths with a migration background. The images went all over the Internet.

Blommestijn devoted a number of reports on X (formerly Twitter). "Every day, people are raped, beaten, intimidated, and slaughtered by migrants. The elite have opened the borders and deliberately forfeited our safety. Our home destroyed. And we let it happen. We let it happen. When is enough enough?" wrote the legal commentator, among other things.

For years, people with a migration background have been overrepresented in crime statistics. Not just in the Netherlands, but also in Belgium, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, France, and Sweden. meanwhile, the Hungarian capital, Budapest, where there is hardly any mass immigration, is considered the safest place in continental Europe. 

"Negroid primates"

Shortly afterward, Forum for Democracy MP, Gideon van Meijeren, denounced the violent incident in the Second Chamber (House of Representatives). Here he used the term, "Negroid primates" to describe the rioters at the station. A ruckus arose over this terminology, to the dissatisfaction of Van Meijeren. He did not think it was racist, but a factual designation: "Primates" refers to the primitive behavior of the youths, "Negroid" referring to their skin color.

To show support, Blommestijn decided to use his terminology in her tweets. But a few months later, she noticed that her tweets were deleted because she was reportedly in conflict with Dutch law. Therefore, the legal commentator decided to repost the tweets, in her words, "to show how far censorship now goes".  

Criminal prosecution

For the Public Prosecutor's Office, this was a step too far. In August, Blommestijm received a telephone call that a criminal prosecution was being filed against her on suspicion of insulting a group (of people) and provoking hate and discrimination (Article 137c of the Criminal Code).

Blommestijn was subsequently interrogated by two police officers. According to her, it was a "very intense" experience. "For about three hours long I was grilled about my intentions with the tweets-which is understandable- but also, for example, how I react when I see people with a head covering. Also discussed were my purported connections with political parties, organizations, and other things.  It was downright surreal, and, as I also told the officers, deadly scary. At such a moment, you are literally looking a totalitarian government straight in the eye," she writes on X.

Now, three-quarters of a year later, Blommestijn is still awaiting a notice from the Prosecutor's Office. At any moment, she can be summoned to appear before the judge. But whether this will happen is as yet unclear. For a long time, Blommestijn has kept her prosecution out of the media due to her work for Ongehoord Nederland. But given that she broke with the broadcast group in January, she sees no further reason to be silent.

Personal data queried

Blommestijn has long been in the sights of Dutch authorities. Her personal data in the population register (BRP) is regularly queried by ministries, police, and the Marechaussee (National Gendarmerie Police). The legal commentator discovered this herself last year, through her own inquiry at the National Identity Data Service (RVIG).

Until March of 2022, the queries were still sporadic. But since then, the number of inquiries has increased explosively to an average of one every three days. This would amount to about 180 inquiries over one-and-a-half years. Blommestijn herself suspects that this has to do with her activist work.

"Dissidents are prosecuted"

The legal commentator views her criminal prosecution as part of a wider trend in the West. On X, she writes, "The fact that the Public Prosecutor's Office is going after me (and other dissidents) instead of tackling the real violence of these migrants is indicative of the state of the West."

For example, it was revealed last week that Flemish politician Dries Van Langenhove has been sentenced to one year in prison. In addition, he may not hold any public office, such as a political position. According to the judge, Van Langenhove was guilty of "racist, hateful, and Nazi" ideas and would incite "physical and psychological violence". Van Langenhove himself speaks of a politically motivated trial.

Blommestijn on X:

"I have never publicly said anything here- primarily because of Ongehoord Nederland, but (now) the word can get out: In August 2022, I was told that the Public Prosecutor's Office was filing a criminal prosecution over a number of tweets about a defenseless white man who was beaten by migrants at a station- and the danger of mass immigration for our society.

I was interrogated for 3 hours (!) by two police officers, and at any moment, I can be summoned to appear before a judge.

The fact that the Public Prosecutor's Office is going after me (and other dissidents) instead of tackling the real violence of these migrants is indicative of the state of the West."

Austrian Security Forces Gear up for Easter

Stephansdom, Vienna

Easter is fast approaching. In Europe, that spells danger due to the danger of Islamist attacks upon Christian places of worship and public gatherings. How is it in Christian Europe that Christians have to fear for their safety in their own countries from Muslim extremists? It is outrageous.

In Austria, security measures are being beefed up by security police.

The below article from Heute (Austria) is translated by Fousesquawk.

 https://www.heute.at/s/hohe-terrorgefahr-karner-erhoeht-polizeipraesenz-120027238

At Easter

"High" terror danger-Karner increases police presence

Due to the danger of terrorism, Easter celebrations will be monitored by more police. Reportedly no indication of concrete dangers.

By Newsdesk Heute

March 23, 2024, 12:04

Caption: Police special forces guard the Stephan Cathedral. Easter celebrations reportedly to have stronger monitoring,

The danger of terrorism remains high in Austria, according to Interior Minister Gerhard Karner. Therefore, during the days of Easter, more police will be deployed. In particular, the Easter markets and Easter masses will have increased police monitoring.

There will likely be a larger contingent of police in uniform and plainclothes in the coming days, the (Austrian Peoples' Party) Interior Minister reported on Saturday. However, there are currently no indications of a concrete danger. 

"High" (threat) level for terrorism and extremism

The risk level in relation to Islamist extremism and terrorism continues to be rated "high" by the State Security and Intelligence Service. This is the second-highest level. Although "to date, there is no indication of a concrete danger," Easter celebrations and Easter markets are "symbols of a high Christian festival combined with peoples' gatherings in public space".

The Federal Police Directorate has ordered special protective measures, "in order to ensure as safe a process as possible for participants", they state. This also applies to the Jewish Passover festival from 22-30 April.

"The police work around the clock for the safety of Austrians, and this is also required at Easter.  Everything will be done there to ensure the safety of Easter markets and Easter celebrations as best as possible, Interior Minister Karner assured.

Due to attack plots against the Vienna city center, the police had already increased security measures shortly before Christmas and warned of attack plots against Christmas markets and worship services. During the Christmas holidays, Stephan's Cathedral was guarded by elite police.

The Latest Absurdity from UC Berkeley

Hat tip The College Fix

Here we go again. A professor at UC Berkeley is in hot water after giving his advice to a frustrated student who was not having success with the girls in the Bay area. In response, Professor Jonathan Shewchuk (Electrical Engineering and Computer Science) suggested the young man look outside the Bay area for a girlfriend.

 Sounds like good advice to me.

But to the Jacobins at UC Berkeley, especially two departmental chairs, Shewchuk had crossed the line.  The College Fix has the report. It also has a link to the reportage by UCB's campus fishwarp, the Daily Californian.

I don't want to draw unnecessary attention to any specific people here, but (as I commented in the DC reader comments), I find it ironic that for years, the DC has regularly featured op-eds by female students describing their sexual encounters and practices. Maybe the university officials who are dragging this professor over the carpet should read some of these op-eds, past and present. The same goes for whoever is in charge of the DC before they use labels like "misogynist" to refer to Shewchuk. I know nothing about Shewchuk, but I do sense some hypocrisy here, especially when people at UC Berkeley talk about their "values and principles". 

One Fine Day on a Flight to Philadelphia

Hat tip The Religion of Peace 

On March 19, a flight from Tampa to Philadelphia was set to take off when an unruly passenger stood up and began making a nuisance of himself. At one point, he reportedly called a female flight attendant a "kike". .At another point, he told all the passengers on the plane that he was trying to get to his home country (Philadelphia?) and that they (the "mostly white passengers) were preventing him. Ultimately, the unruly mope got in the face of the wrong man, a burly off-duty police officer, who, assisted by another female off-duty cop, dragged the mope off the plane and presumably to jail. Hopefully, that will be his home for a while followed by immediately sending him to his home country- wherever that is.

The Daily Mail has it all including videos taken by passengers.

The Moscow Terror Attack-Time for Putin to Change Course

 

-BBC

We still don't know all the facts from yesterday's horrendous attack on a concert in Moscow. As I write, Russian authorities put the death toll at 133 with hundreds wounded. As for the perpetrators, there are varying reports of arrests being made, four or eleven? ISIS quickly claimed responsibility for the attack. Most likely, the gunmen themselves were Chechen, but that is yet to be confirmed.

It seems that the US tipped off the Russians several days ago that an attack like this was imminent. Putin is calling that warning a "provocation" on the part of the US. Typical Putin. Russia and the US are adversaries, but we did the honorable thing and warned the Russians for the purpose of saving innocent lives from the barbarities of ISIS. 

I sincerely hope the Russians have arrested (or killed) the true culprits as opposed to just "rounding up the usual suspects". It's hard to tell with the Russian justice system.

One final point: If this attack is, indeed, the work of ISIS, I would hope that Mr Putin learns his lesson. That is instead of sacrificing hundreds of thousands of Russian soldiers in his unjustified invasion of Ukraine, he will order them home and put them to use against the true enemy-ISIS and Islamic terrorism. 

Whatever we think of Russia under Putin's rule, we must condemn what happened in Moscow. 

Florida International University: Jewish Shabbat Dinner Disrupted

On March 8, a campus Shabbat Dinner hosted by Hillel at Florida International University in Miami was disrupted by a pro-Palestinian protest led by -you guessed it-Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP). The dinner was featuring two IDF (Israeli Defense Forces) speakers.

Here is how the campus newspaper, Panther Now, reported it. According to their account, campus police arrested one protester for loudly disrupting the event. In contrast, the Jerusalem Post is reporting that a protester was arrested for assault and battery.

The same edition of Panther Now features a letter to the editor from a Jewish student who was present.

Whatever the actual circumstances of the arrest, for SJP to hold a protest in front of the campus Hillel facility holding a Shabbat dinner is outrageous. I don't think they would have appreciated it if Jewish students or anyone else were to show up to protest at an Iftar dinner. being held by Muslims.

But this is SJP. This is just another example of why they are a despicable organization that doesn't belong on any campus.

Netherlands: Arnhem Mayor Bans Pegida Leader

Hat tip Vlad Tepes and Gates of Vienna

Edwin Wagensveld

Edwin Wagensveld wanted to burn a Koran in Arnhem on Saturday

Arnhem (Netherlands) Mayor Ahmed Marcouch has issued a 6-month ban on Pegida leader Edwin Wagensveld from entering Arnhem. Wagensveld was planning to hold a demonstration in the town on Saturday to burn a Koran. In January, he attempted to do so in Arnhem but was prevented when a riot broke out. Marcouch is citing concern for public safety if Wagensveld is allowed to enter the city.

The below article from Nu.nl is translated from Dutch by Fousesquawk.

 https://www.nu.nl/binnenland/6306119/pegida-voorman-krijgt-gebiedsverbod-van-zes-maanden-in-arnhem.html

21 March 2024 at 18:45

Pegida leader gets 6-month local ban in Arnhem

Edwin Wagensveld, the leader of the radical-right group, Pegiga, cannot enter the city of Arnhem for 6 months. Mayor Ahmed Marcouch has imposed a (local) ban on Wagensveld. The ban goes into immediate effect.

Marcouch will reconsider the ban after three months, he has informed Wagensveld.

The Pegida leader wanted to burn a Koran next Saturday on Jans Square in Arnhem. On Wednesday, Marcouch forbid that on the advice of the police out of fear of chaos and because there would be concrete terrorist fears.

Wagensveld said on social media that he would definitely come to Arnhem on Saturday. The mayor reacted that the Pegida leader would definitely not enter Arnhem. Now Marcouch has imposed a local ban on him.

Wagensveld is not allowed to appear anywhere in Arnhem because of the ban. He is allowed to travel through Arnhem by train or bus but is not allowed to get off. Arnhem is a central station for trains to and from Germany, where Wagensveld lives. There is also an exception in the case that he has to appear in the courthouse in Arnhem.

Police cannot guarantee safety

The mayor of Arnhem fears that the arrival of Wagensveld will attract groups and individuals who will try to stop him with violence or try to prevent his actions.

In addition, there are probably groups who also want to commit acts of violence. Marcouch speaks of a "high degree of probability". There are concrete threats against the Pegida leader.

Marcouch expects that many more counter-demonstrators will come to Arnhem via calls on social media shortly before the demonstration, "which increases the unpredictability and thus, the uncontrollability of the anticipated serious disorder". Police say safety cannot be guaranteed, even with the deployment of a large police presence.

Wagensveld tried to burn a Koran in Arnhem on January 13. That did not occur because there were many counter-demonstrators. The demonstration turned into riots and fights.

Muslim Brotherhood in Sweden (17)

Last year, we posted a translation of a Swedish article about a researcher conducting dissertation research at the University of Lund on the Muslim Brotherhood in Sweden. Sameh Egyptson's research actually came under investigation as reported here. Here is a follow-up report on the case, which we translated last December. We are now pleased to translate an update from Nyheter Idag that the prosecutor has closed the case. The entire dissertation (in Swedish) is linked here.

The below translation is by Fousesquawk. It is part of a series on the Muslim Brotherhood in Europe and the 17th such article on Sweden.

 https://nyheteridag.se/forundersokning-mot-egyptson-laggs-ned/

Preliminary investigation against Egyptson dropped

The preliminary investigation against Sameh Egyptson's attention-grabbing and debated dissertation on political Islam has been dropped, Prosecutor Pia Björnsson tells TT (News).

In February last year, researcher Sameh Egyptson presented the dissertation, "Global Political Islam? The Muslim Brotherhood and Islamic Federation in Sweden" at Lund University.

In the dissertation, Egyptson advanced the thesis that the Islamic Federation is a branch of the Muslim Brotherhood, which means that Sweden is infiltrated by political Islam.

In the dissertation, several persons were named as being active in the Islamic Federation in Sweden or some of the Islamic Federation's sub-organizations, which led to several reports to the Appeals Board for Ethics Review (Önep).

Önep prosecuted the dissertation since it was considered that Egyptson used sensitive personal information without ethics review permission, and in February, Prosecutor Pia Björnsson initiated a preliminary investigation into Egyptson's dissertation to determine if Egyptson had permission to conduct the research.

"I consider that I did research within the framework of academic freedom. This is an attempt to deter researchers from working on important societal issues," said Egyptson to Dagens Nyheter when the investigation was initiated.

But now the investigation has been dropped. "This was expected since I began my dissertation before the law (2003:460) on ethics review even existed, something my critics didn't care about when they reported me," Egyptson writes in a posting on the X platform.

"My hope now is that the Ethics Review law will be reworked so that researchers will be able to feel free without fear to choose controversial and debated topics, and that it will be possible to research public persons in leading positions, based on public sources and their own public statements, without this being deemed as 'sensitive personal information' and being forbidden from researching it," Egyptson further writes.

.

Jonathan Glazer: A (Partial) Correction

 A few days ago, I wrote a piece for the Times of Israel Blogs (which was cross-posted on this site) about Jonathan Glazer's controversial acceptance speech at the Oscars. A reader on this site took me to task for misinterpreting a critical line in the speech-which I highlighted. It was this:

"Right now, we stand here as men who refute their Jewishness and the Holocaust being hijacked by an occupation......."

I also re-emphasized the point here: 

"To think that at this moment in time, when anti-Semitism is now running rampant worldwide, largely thanks to the Palestinian propaganda machine, people can stand up in public and "refute their Jewishness" and imply there is a moral equivalency between Hamas' actions on October 7 and the Israeli military response is sickening to this non-Jew."

Most observers have agreed that Glazer's speech was confusing in its wording. I am willing to concede that I probably erred in my own interpretation of this line. My interpretation was that Glazer was refuting his Jewishness in his criticism of Israel's "occupation". In fairness, I feel I should give Glazer the benefit of the doubt and concede that what he actually meant was that his Jewishness and the Holocaust were being hijacked by the Israeli occupation of Gaza and/or the West Bank. That is my error, and I take responsibility for it. I have also submitted my correction to the Times of Israel Blogs.

That being said, my overall criticism of Glazer (and others) who refuse to support Israel's response to October 7 stands. 

UC Faculty Anti-Israel Activism on the Rise (1,100%) Since October 7

The Amcha Initiative, founded to expose and combat campus anti-Semitism, has come out with a new study that is being forwarded to the University of California Regents. The study shows that since the October 7 attack against Israel and its citizens, UC faculty activism against Israel has increased by 

1,100 %.

This is highlighted not only by professors holding "teach-ins" and other events in support of Palestinians, but in at least one case, a UC Irvine professor canceling a class in protest of Israel's military response. In addition, UC professors, like many other universities across the nation, have formed a "Faculty for Justice in Palestine" chapter in open support of Students for Justice in Palestine, the latter, I might add, is responsible for countless disruptions and violent protests on several university campuses where they have a chapter. They are the prime instigators of anti-Semitism and disruption on campus, and now we have this new faculty group that supports them and their odious activities.

Regrettably, the campus where I taught part-time (UC Irvine) is mentioned in Amcha's report, specifically the fact that one UCI professor canceled all her class sessions in week 3. She also notified students that a faculty teach-in would be held January 23 on campus. By chance, I attended the event, which was open to the public. Unfortunately, I didn't get any extra credit, however. 

This report by Amcha speaks volumes about how our university professors are indoctrinating our children to their political point of view, in this case, against Israel. Not that Israel or any other country should be immune to criticism. It is when we delve into the nature of the criticism that we uncover the anti-Semitism that largely lies beneath the surface. As I have pointed out countless times, the result on campus after campus, has not been a respectful dialogue between opposing opinions, rather a drastic rise in anti-Jewish harassment of Jewish students on campus and disruptions of their own events. This is unacceptable.  

Yet our university leaders refuse to confront the problem. It is clear that they fear their students as well as their radical faculty. They have allowed this situation to fester and grow over the last couple of decades until it has reached the fever pitch we now see.

And how interesting that practically none of the rhetoric and discourse we see from these pro-Palestinian activists masquerading as professors even mentions the words, "Hamas" or "October 7". Barely a word or just in passing. There is no condemnation of what Hamas did on October 7. That was just "legitimate resistance". As if the slaughter of civilians, rape, torture, and infanticide by beheading and burning alive are all part of "legitimate resistance".  The innocent hostages still languishing in inhuman conditions, and gradually dying in Gaza as we speak? According to these people, who cares?

Also take note of the use of "intersectionality" by these faculty members. They also throw in irrelevant topics like capitalism, Critical Race Theory, George Floyd, racism, Native American land, colonialism, Islamophobia, etc. That is because to them, nothing is irrelevant; they are all tied to evil Israel, the evil West, and evil America. This latest trendy concept in academia is a perfect example of muddled thinking at its worst.

I hope the UC Regents read the report carefully and take some sort of action. There is a lot of work to be done. 

The Latest Kate Middleton Doctored Photo

 

She's done it again!

The Oscars and Jonathan Glazer

 This article first appeared in Times of Israel Blogs.

Full disclosure: I don't watch the Oscars. To me, it's nothing but three hours of watching people tell each other how wonderful they all are and interspace that with acceptance speeches that all too often lecture us on what our values ought to be. Coming from Hollywood, no thanks. Throw in an obnoxious host like Jimmy Kimmel, and some guy walking onto the stage with no clothes on, and.... I think I have made the right choice.

It has taken me several days to digest the words spoken by Jonathan Glazer, a British Jew who got an Oscar for a film based on the Holocaust. Here is what he said:

"Thank you so much. I’m gonna read. Thank you to the Academy for this honor and to our partners A24, Film4, Access, and Polish Film Institute; to the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum for their trust and guidance; to my producers, actors, collaborators. All our choices were made to reflect and confront us in the present — not to say, “Look what they did then,” rather, “Look what we do now.” Our film shows where dehumanization leads, at its worst. It shaped all of our past and present. Right now we stand here as men who refute their Jewishness and the Holocaust being hijacked by an occupation, which has led to conflict for so many innocent people. Whether the victims of October the — [Applause.] Whether the victims of October the 7th in Israel or the ongoing attack on Gaza, all the victims of this dehumanization, how do we resist? [Applause.] Aleksandra Bystroń-Kołodziejczyk, the girl who glows in the film, as she did in life, chose to. I dedicate this to her memory and her resistance. Thank you."

I have not seen Glazer's film, so I have no opinion on the award itself. While I didn't watch him live, I am appalled by what he said, as are many other people. His words were mostly jumbled and confusing, but what stood out were the words, "Right now, we stand here as men who refute their Jewishness and the Holocaust being hijacked by an occupation......."

I'll end the quote there. This was said as pro-Palestinian demonstrators were blocking traffic outside the Oscars venue to wave their Palestinian flags and scream about genocide-which they know nothing about. 

As a gentile teaching at the University of California at Irvine  (1998-2016) and seeing first-hand the anti-Semitism disguised as anti-Zionism and human rights for the "beleaguered" Palestinians on our campus, I got involved in fighting this campus Jew-hatred. For the first time in my life, (and I grew up amongst many Jews in West Los Angeles), I learned that there were more than a handful of Jews who were siding with the Palestinians, actually marching hand in hand with the very people who wished to bring an end to the Jewish state-by any means necessary. I have come to hold contempt for these people, especially those in academia who are using their positions to advance the Palestinian cause-even in their classrooms in many cases. Let's call it what it is: They are indoctrinating our youth. Even worse, the result of this never-ending anti-Israel campaign on campus is that Jewish students are living and studying in a climate of fear, bullying, and intimidation.

However, since October 7, the worst day in Jewish history since the end of the Second World War and the Holocaust, I have been downright shocked at the refusal of these same people who, rather than come to their senses after October 7, are actually doubling down on their condemnation of Israel. They continue to give aid and comfort to the monsters of Hamas and their followers. My contempt has turned into something much worse- I can't even find the right word to describe it.

To think that at this moment in time, when anti-Semitism is now running rampant worldwide, largely thanks to the Palestinian propaganda machine, people can stand up in public and "refute their Jewishness" and imply there is a moral equivalency between Hamas' actions on October 7 and the Israeli military response is sickening to this non-Jew. I can only imagine what the vast majority of Jews must feel hearing those words, particularly Israeli Jews.

During World War II, we reduced most major German and Japanese cities to rubble and killed hundreds of thousands of civilians. Nobody spoke then of genocide. We were not trying to exterminate the German or Japanese people. We had been attacked, and we were desperately fighting a war for our very survival as is Israel today. Has Glazer forgotten that it was British and American bombers dropping bombs on German cities. His nation was also fighting for its survival. Does this man really understand his history?

I can't speak for Britain and the rest of Europe, but most Americans are supportive of Israel even while our population changes demographically and people come from certain parts of the world who are opposed to Israel. They are still a minority. Their words and actions, however, do hurt. We also have a few people in Congress like Michigan Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib. She is of Palestinian descent, born in the US, and has often said things many consider anti-Semitic in her constant campaign against Israel. But from the Palestinian point of view, who needs Rashida Tlaib when you have people like Jonathan Glazer? In Britain, you have your George Galloways and Jeremy Corbyns, among others, who have been accused of being anti-Semites. Similarly, who needs them when you have Jonathan Glazer?

Fallout from the Qom, Iran Incident

On March 11, we posted an article from the Italian press about an incident that had occurred a couple of days prior in Qom, Iran. A woman with her sick child angrily attacked a mullah who was taking her picture apparently because her head was uncovered.

The story and the video from the hospital's surveillance camera have gone viral. Now the Iranian government has reacted as it would be predicted. They are starting to arrest people for disseminating the video. What has happened or will happen to the woman in question is not known.

This article from France24 is translated by Fousesquawk.

https://observers.france24.com/fr/moyen-orient/20240313-je-suis-une-salope-aussi-femmes-iraniennes-hashtag-harc%C3%A8lement-mollahs

#I am a slut too: Iranian women launch a hashtag against harassment by the mullahs

In a hospital in the very religious city of Qom, a woman, her sick child in her arms, was taken to task by a mullah because her veil was down on her shoulders. The video surveillance of the scene, posted on March 9, raised an outcry in Iran, women accusing the mullah, cell phone in hand, of wanting to report the mother using an app from the Islamic regime. Its users called the woman a "slut"....and unleashed a massive reaction on social media.

Posted March 13, 2024 at 18:41.

Caption: Video appeared on March 9 on social media in Iran showing a young mother accusing a mullah of taking pictures of her and her child without asking her for permission. The mullah is accused of having used an app furnished by the government.

An initial excerpt of the video surveillance camera of the hospital shows the mother crouched in a corner, the veil on her shoulders, and her hair visible while a mullah stands nearby and uses his phone.

In a second excerpt. we see the angry mother, who accosts the mullah, whom she accuses of taking photos of her and her child without her permission. "Give me your phone, let me see the photo, and delete it," she says. Several other women, some wearing hijabs, others not, come to her aid. One of them seizes the phone from the hands of the mullah and checks it.

Caption: Screenshot of the Qom hospital video disseminated on March 9, 2024. The mother is crouched, her hair uncovered while a mullah uses his phone in the proximity.

A year and a half after the start of the demonstrations by the "Woman, Life, Freedom" movement in September 2022, Iranian women reacted to these images with virulence. The videos of the scene have been viewed hundreds of thousands of times on social media.

Many comments suggest that the mullah was using an app furnished by the government on his telephone, known under the name of "Nazer" (observer or informant in Persian). It is furnished to informers approved by the Iranian (government), to notify authorities of the violations of the wearing of the veil, to which they are witness. The women who are reported receive "unveiling notifications" by text message, in some cases, sanctions such as the confiscation of their vehicle.

In this message posted March 9, 2024, Iranian women shars excerpts from the video surveillance (camera) of a hospital in Qom, in which is seen the mother accusing the mullah of having taken photos of her with her sick child. The mullah is called a "dirty pig" because he is suspected of having used an app furnished by the government to report the young woman for not wearing a hijab.

For supporters of the regime, "shameless behavior"

On March 10, 2024, the general prosecutor of Qom, also a mullah, announced his strong support of the mullah in the video. "We are pursuing the disruptors of public order and the people implicated in the dissemination of the video on social media and Persian opposition media abroad," he declared. On March 12, the deputy prosecutor of the city, Rohollah Moslemkhani, told local media that four persons had been arrested for disseminating the video.

On social media, pro-regime users placed responsibility on the mother. Some accused her of "shameless behavior". They used the Persian insult, "salifeh", which can be translated as "slut" because she let her scarf fall down to her shoulders while she was taking care of her child.

Caption: After the video was posted by opposition media, certain pro-regime accounts on social media called the mother a "slut". "What clearly emerges from this video is the slutty behavior of this woman," says one of these accounts.

What was the mullah doing with his phone?

After the death of Mahsa Amini subsequent to her detention by the Iranian morality police in September 2022 and the massive demonstrations that followed, the Islamic Republic changed strategy. The morality police street patrols were discontinued, and the regime exhorted Iranian citizens to report women in public without hijabs. 

The regime created websites, telephone lines, and a smartphone app allowing citizens to easily report women without the veil. The citizens who download the app, Nazer, must register, be approved, and take a brief training course. Their reports are then used to impose fines, and even, in certain cases, arrest the women reported.

Caption: This message, posted March 10, 2024, mentions the possibility that the mullah at the Qom hospital was using an app furnished to confirmed agents of the regime, Nazer (observer or informant). This app permits its users to report women who do not respect the hijab regulations to the authorities.

The partisans of the Woman, Life, Liberty movement reacted by creating the hashtag #I am also a slut to express their support for the mother. "The Woman, Life, Liberty revolution is alive," writes one woman on X. " "It cannot be stopped, and it has an impact on our lives and our culture every time the occasion presents itself. Sometimes, we resist by removing our scarves, sometimes by using the words:#I am a slut too". 

Germany: Two Afghans Arrested for Planning to Attack Swedish Parliament

Gera

Today, German federal police arrested two Afghans in the eastern German town of Gera for planning to carry out an attack against the Swedish Parliament on behalf of ISIS. This was to be in retaliation for the Koran burnings in Sweden that were carried out last  summer

This article from the Sueddeutsche Zeitung (Munich) is translated by Fousesquawk.

Thuringia

Two terror suspects arrested in Gera

19 March 2024 at 14:37

Caption: The Federal Prosecutor's Office in Karlsruhe is responsible for investigating terrorism cases.

The two men from Afghanistan allegedly planned an attack not far from the Swedish Parliament, according to the accusation by the Federal Prosecutor's Office.

By Nadja Lissok and Alex Ruele

On Tuesday, the Federal Prosecutor's Office had two alleged Islamists arrested in Gera (Thuringia) for suspicion of terrorism. The two men are accused of planning an attack near the Swedish Parliament with firearms, a spokeswoman in Karlsruhe reported.

The attack would be a reaction to the Koran burnings in Sweden and other Scandinavian countries last summer. The two Afghans reportedly received directions from an affiliate of the Islamic State (ISIS) in Afghanistan and Pakistan, the prosecuting authorities report. Their mission was reportedly to kill police and other people in and around the Swedish Parliament. According to the Federal Prosecutor's Office, the two suspects scouted out possible attack sites on the Internet and unsuccessfully attempted to obtain weapons. In addition, they allegedly collected donations in Germany for the Islamic State of some 2,000 euros.

Revenge on behalf of the Islamic State

In December last year, two Syrian brothers who were living in Germany were sentenced to prison for having planned to explode an explosive belt in a Swedish church. Their motive was revenge for the repeated Koran burnings. The Islamic State had given them the assignment to target a church. In October, a Tunisian Islamist, who was living illegally in Brussels, shot two Swedish football fans on the street and injured two others during a qualification game. In a confessional video, he also claimed to be acting in the name of ISIS. The man was shot by police.

The accused from Gera are expected to be brought before an investigating judge on Tuesday or Wednesday. There the arrest warrants will be opened, which were issued almost two weeks ago. The (question) of a possible pre-trial detention will also be decided. Specifically, the investigators accuse the two of belonging to and supporting a terrorist association abroad and conspiracy to commit a crime, in this case, murder, as well as violations against the Foreign Trade Law.

Free Speech at UC Berkeley Once Again Put to the Test

"The resolution condemns “all acts of discrimination, harassment, or intimidation against Palestinian students or any student based on their nationality or political beliefs.” 

"It also calls on the administration to take “concrete steps to protect Palestinian students” and “accurately investigate” acts of discrimination and harassment."

"The ASUC will also form a working group open to all campus community members to set guidelines for speakers brought to campus."

-Daily Californian

                 "I need protection."

We have been following the story about the February 26 disruption of a speech by Israeli lawyer and IDF veteran, Ran Bar-Yoshafat, at UC Berkeley and the ensuing fallout. 

It has now been announced that he will return to UC Berkeley this evening to finish his speech as well as any other unfinished business.

The pro-Palestinian bullies are naturally upset and are demanding protection from the university. How ironic is that? The bullies and disruptors are now hiding and apparently applying for the Witness Protection Program to shield them from the "harmful" words of Yoshafat. The Student Government is hard at work passing resolutions protecting the Arab, Palestinian, and Muslim students.

(From what-themselves?)

It is all happening this evening, and we will follow up on what happens. I predict that the little rascals will crawl out of their hiding places long enough to disrupt this event as well. No doubt the campus police will be out in force-to protect the Arab, Muslim, and Palestinian kids from the harmful words of Ran Bar-Yoshafat.

*Update ( 3-19-24):

It appears last night's event went off almost without incident. Police presence was beefed up, nothing notable took place outside, and only one protester managed to get in and shout, " Shame on all of you," before being escorted out. All in all, that's good news.

I also welcome the announcement of an investigation into the February 26 incident. While protest is legitimate, breaking windows, assault, and disrupting the free speech rights of others is not. We will probably never know what disciplinary action is taken against students by the university because that is covered by privacy regulations. Any criminal charges, of course, become public knowledge. If property was damaged or people were assaulted, I hope some sort of criminal charges will be filed. 

German Chancellor Visits Jerusalem

What came out of the joint press conference with Netanyahu and Scholz

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz visited Israel today and met with President Netanyahu. It appears from the press conference they held today that Scholz agrees that Hamas must be eliminated. It also appears he expressed concern over the high number of civilian casualties.

The below article from the German-Jewish outlet, Juedische Allgemeine, is translated by Fousesquawk.

 https://www.juedische-allgemeine.de/israel/netanjahu-und-scholz-die-hamas-muss-eliminiert-werden/

Netanyahu and Scholz: Hamas must be eliminated

"We have no future if Hamas, who is determined (to carry out) genocide against us, remains intact," stressed the Israeli head of government.

March 17, 2024 at 19:44

After a conversation with the (German) Federal Chancellor, Olaf Scholz (SPD), Israel's President, Benjamin Netanyahu, explains that he and his German guest are in agreement that, "Hamas must be eliminated".

There will be no peace as long as the Islamist terror organization remains in the Gaza Strip, said Netanyahu on Sunday in a joint press conference with Scholz in Jerusalem. "We have no future if Hamas, who is determined (to carry out) genocide against us, remains intact."

On Friday, Netanyahu approved a ground offensive in the town of Rafah on the Egyptian border. Before a planned offensive in Rafah, the civilian population will be brought to safety, Netanyahu said. Israel is also undertaking every effort to enable aid deliveries for the people in the Gaza Strip, "over land, over sea, and from the air".

At a meeting with Netanyahu, Scholz emphasized that Israel has the right to defend itself against the terror of Islamist Hamas. At the same time, he expressed doubts as to the military action of Israel in the Gaza war in view of the high victim toll. He urged Netanyahu to rethink his strategy in the Gaza Strip.

In the 5 months or so of the war, the number of civilian victims has reached an extremely high (level). "Many would say too high," said Scholz. No matter how important the goal may be, can such a terribly high cost be justified, or are there other ways to reach this goal?' Scholz asked.

Scholz arrived in Israel for a visit on the same day, the second since the start of the Gaza war on October 7.

In addition to Netanyahu,  Scholz wanted to meet with President Isaac Herzog and Minister Benny Gantz, as well as relatives of hostages. It is believed that there are still about 100 of them alive. He previously met with Jordanian King Abdullah II in the Jordanian seaside resort of Akaba.

The federal Chancellor first traveled to Israel 10 days after the Hamas attack to assure the nation of German solidarity. "Israel's security and (that of its) citizens is a German reason of state," he said then. "Our responsibility growing out of the Holocaust makes it our duty to stand for the security and the existence of Israel".

Also for German reasons of state, Scholz has been very reserved in his criticism of Israeli military operations against Hamas, in contrast to other allies.  That has met with criticism in the Arab world. Step by step, however, Scholz's warnings have become clearer.

With a view to a planned resumption of indirect talks over a provisional ceasefire, Schoilz said in Jordan: "For me, it is very clear that it is now a matter of making concrete the possibility to come to a longer-lasting cease-fire, which is shown in the existing talks."