Austria: Move to Ban Sharia Law

In an interview with an Austrian newspaper, Austrian Chancellor Christian Stocker has called for a ban on the use of Sharia law in Austria. Whether that happens apparently depends on the opinions of other coalition partners in the government, as well as certain government ministers.

The article below in Die Presse is translated by Fousesquawk.

Sharia-ban: Neos (New Austria and Liberal Party) and SPO (Social Democrat Party of Austria)  generally agreeable to change in law, Justice Ministry skeptical

The coalition partners of the SPO (Social Democratic Party of Austria) are generally in agreement with the changes. The SPO, however, first wants to hear specific suggestions. The SPO-led Justice Ministry warns of hasty decisions. 

Caption: Federal Chancellor Christian Stocker wants a Sharia ban

December 30, 2025 at 11:10

In an interview with the Standard, Federal Chancellor Christian Stocker has called for a ban on Sharia. He is not willing to accept Sharia being applied in Austria, even in individual provisions.  This would be a legal system for a religious state, which contradicts our values. We should send a clear signal even if, in specific cases, there is no contradiction to our own laws. The Austrian People's Party now wants to ban the use of Sharia law in Austria permanently. If it were up to them, a corresponding proposal could be adopted in January at the government retreat. However, that would first need an agreement with the coalition partners. 

On Tuesday, the SPO took a wait-and-see attitude, but did not reject the proposal out of hand. "It is our opinion that Austrian law applies to all and must stand above Sharia law," says a spokesperson for Philip Kucher, head of the Parliamentary group. If legal clarifications must be given, we are open to that. However, the Integration Ministry must now be involved. Minister Claudia Plakolm must say which legal changes are necessary in her view. After that, the usual coordination process will take place within the coalition. Therefore, it is too early to say what the SPO's position will be.

The Neos are in favor of a change in law, in principle. "In our governmental program, we have agreed that we want to prevent the use of Sharia law in personal and marriage issues in Austria, and thus, take a further step against oppression and for full equality of women and men," they say in a (Neos) statement. That is currently being negotiated and should be implemented as quickly as possible. However, only those laws passed by the national Council are currently valid.

The Justice Ministry, led by Anna Sporrer (SPO), views changes with skepticism. International private rights would also be affected by changes-and in this area, many people, as well as our economic relations with other countries, would be affected. "The area of international arbitration is especially considered an economic engine in Austria. This is no place for hasty political decisions," the Ministry says in a statement.

In its government program and, most recently, within the framework of the National Action Plan against violence against women, the Federal Government has agreed to examine potential changes in international private rights within the framework of a working group in 2026. The working group already began its work in December.

"Possible legal changes must be coordinated broadly and with care. If one aspect is adjusted here, that has repercussions on many other legal areas, for example, family law, where a possible nullification of a marriage could lead to disruptions in custody and alimony rights or to undesired polygamy," the Justice Ministry states. Because of the international component and relations with other countries, the Foreign Ministry will also have to be involved in the matter.

The Sharia issue in Austrian law became more acute this year when a civil court validated an agreement between two business persons based on Sharia law. The specific provisions did not violate the fundamental values of Austrian law. Austrian courts also frequently apply foreign laws in family law matters, including Sharia. That applies in cases in which marriages were entered into on the basis of foreign law. However, even here, Islamic rules cannot contradict Austrian legal principles.

Italy: 9 Arrests in Genoa for Funneling 7 Million Euros in Charitable Funds to Hamas

Mohammad Hannoun

-Ansa (IT)

Italian authorities have arrested 9 people in Genoa accused of funneling 7 million euros to Hamas through 3 charities, ostensibly set up in Italy to benefit the Palestinian people. The most significant arrestee is Mohammad Hannoun, considered one of the top leaders in the Palestinian community in Italy. 

We are in the process of providing English subtitles to a Corriere della Sera video contained in this article from today's edition.

*Update (January 29, 2025

Here is the aforementioned video from Corriere della Sera. Subtitling by Gates of Vienna, Vlad Tepes, and RAIR Foundation USA. Translation by Fousesquawk.

2025 Fousesquawk Jerk of the Year: Tim Walz

This year's winner of the Fousesquawk Golden Penguin Award is Minnesota Governor Tim Walz.

Walz, of course, already showed the world in 2024 that he was a jerk when he became Kamala Harris' running mate for vice president. She couldn't have picked a worse running mate. The guy became a national joke as he repeatedly came out bouncing around the stage like a jack-in-the-box.

This year, Walz has denounced the ICE raids in his state, calling them "public theatrics".

Now, it has been revealed that under his watch as Minnesota governor, one of the biggest frauds in US history was going on right under his nose within the Somali community, largely in Minneapolis, the largest Somali community in the US. Whether Walz has any active involvement in all this remains to be seen, but, regardless, Tim Walz is the winner. He is the 2025 Fousesquawk "Jerk of the Year". 
 

France: Multiple Stabbings in Paris Metro

This afternoon in Paris, three women were stabbed at 3 different Metro stations by the same attacker. The suspect, identified tentatively as a 20-year-old man from Mali and previously known to police, was arrested at Sarcelles (northern suburb of Paris).

The French blog, Francois deSouche, has posted 2 excerpts of updated articles from Le Figaro and Le Parisien-with links to the entire articles. The excerpts are translated by Fousesquawk.

Note that there is a discrepancy in the articles, one stating that the attacks occurred on Friday, while another reports it as Saturday. The reference to Saturday is clearly incorrect since this attack occurred today between 4:15-4:45 pm, Paris time. 

(Since this translation was completed, the headings of Francois de Souche's post have been updated. The updated information indicates that he had previous arrests for robbery and sexual assault, had been given an order to leave the country, was placed in a detention center, but since he could not be deported within 90 days due to lack of appropriate travel documents, he was under house arrest,)

Paris: 3 women stabbed in the Metro at 3 different stations: Assailant already known to police. He was born in 2000 and is of Malian origin. He was arrested at Sarcelles. (Update)

12-26-2025 at 18:56

Born in 2000, the individual was already known to police services for various crimes, including property crimes, the Paris Prosecutor's office told Le Figaro

Le Figaro

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

According to our information, the terrorist theory is ruled out; it is more likely the work of an unstable or psychologically fragile person.

The attacks took place on Friday between 16:15-16:45, a police source told us, at the stations of Arts-et-Metiers, Republique, and Opera, information confirmed to Le Parisien by RATP (Public Transport). The victims were quickly treated by Paris emergency personnel. Fortunately, these 3 women only have slight injuries, 2 of them, specifically, to the back and thigh, a police source states. "The young woman was injured in her thigh, a woman who was present at the Republique station at the time of the attack stated, "there was a lot of blood, it was a deep cut."

Le Parisien

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

The attacker, who was reported to be on the run, was reportedly arrested at Sarcelles, according to our information. The vital prognoses of the victims are not critical, and the injuries were reportedly superficial. 

The individual in question, "thin, of African origin, and wearing a khaki coat", first attacked a woman with a knife at the Republique station before continuing his rampage at the Arts-et-Metiers station, then Opera (station).

{-------}

Le Figaro

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

Several women were attacked with a knife when they were at the Metro on line 3. The incidents occurred on Saturday between 16:15- 16:45. The perpetrator fled.

The suspect fled and is reportedly still being sought. Of Malian origin born in 2000, according to a police source, he is dressed in a puffy, green and black jacket.

{....}

Le Parisien

Netherlands: Eritrean Human Smuggler Extradited to Netherlands

An accused Eritrean human smuggler has been extradited from the United Arab Emirates to the Netherlands, where he is charged with human smuggling and extortion.  Kidane H., along with Walid D. (already on trial in the Netherlands), are both charged with imprisoning Eritreans on their way to Europe in camps in Libya, where they were beaten, tortured, and raped. In addition, family members, many of whom were living in the Netherlands, would be extorted for money to release their relatives.

Torture camp in Libya.

-Algemeen Dagblad

This is another aspect of the migration issue in Europe that is often overlooked.

The article below in NOS is translated from Dutch by Fousesquawk.  

NOS News Today 18:31

Notorious Eritrean human smuggler extradited to the Netherlands

A notorious Eritrean human smuggler was extradited today from the United Arab Emirates to the Netherlands. 41-year-old Kidane H. is suspected by the Public Prosecution Office of atrocities against migrants who were on their way to Europe.

He stands charged in one of the largest human smuggling cases ever in the Netherlands. Last month, the Public Prosecutor's Office demanded 20 years in prison for the other main suspect in the case, Walid D.

The two men allegedly ran a very violent organization together. Eritreans on the way to Europe were imprisoned by them in camps in Libya. There, the migrants were tortured and raped.

At that time, family members of the victims were called. They had to listen to how the victims were beaten and then pay to have them freed. If they did not do that, their family members were held longer. One of the victims told NOS (News) how traumatic the time in Libya was.

Escape in Ethiopia

According to the prosecution, the main suspects made a lot of money from the beatings and extortion of primarily Eritrean refugees. Since many of the extorted family members of the Eritrean victims are living in the Netherlands, the Public Prosecutor's Office is prosecuting the men here.

Kidane H. was originally charged with human smuggling in Ethiopia, but he escaped from there in 2021 during a court hearing. Since then, he has been sought internationally. 

On January 1, 2023, H. was arrested in Sudan in an international police operation led by the United Arab Emirates. That country suspected him of money laundering. For that, he has since served a prison sentence, after which he could be extradited.

Life sentence in absentia

The verdict in the case against co-defendant Walid D. is scheduled for the end of January. His lawyers would like to call Kidane H. as a witness. It is not yet clear when that would happen, and if it would affect the verdict. Kidane H. will be tried in a separate trial.

In Ethiopia, he was ultimately sentenced to life imprisonment in absentia for human smuggling in Africa. In the Netherlands, he will stand trial for other charges. The Public Prosecutor's Office suspects Kidane H. as well as Walid D. of participating in a criminal organization between 2014 and 2020, in which they engaged in human smuggling, hostage taking, extortion, and violence.

In addition to the 2 main suspects, there are also 5 others standing trial on suspicion of receiving and transferring money. The investigation is being led by the Royal Marechausee (Military Police), who, among others, is working with Italy, the International Criminal Court (ICC), Europol, and Interpol police services.

News Hour produced this video on the human smuggling network.

Italy: Attempted Sexual Assault Against 14-Year-Old Boy: 25-Year-Old Egyptian Charged

Hat tip Gates of Vienna and Vlad Tepes

Reggio Emilia

Italian media is reporting the arrest of a 25-year-old Egyptian migrant and asylum-seeker in Reggio Emilia, who allegedly accosted a 14-year-old boy after they both got off a bus. The man allegedly approached the boy, stripped down naked, and groped his victim in his private parts before the boy managed to escape into an ice cream shop.

The below article from  Gazetta di Reggio is translated by Fousesquawk

Reggio Emilio, sexual attack at bus stop. The victim is a 14-year-old student who was returning from school. 25-year-old arrested

The suspect targeted him on public transport, then once he was off the bus, chased him from behind trying to touch him. The boy escaped to an ice cream shop and asked for help. Now the break thanks to the investigation by the Mobile Squad (police).

December 21, 2025 09:24

Reggio Emilia- A 14-year-old was victim of a sexually based attack in the early afternoon of November 19, near via Settembrini in Reggio Emilia. The incident occurred around 2 pm after the boy had gotten off the bus and was heading home, returning from school. According to what was reconstructed by the investigators, the attacker reportedly noticed him on board the public transport and followed him when he got off. Under a pretext, he allegedly tried to initiate a conversation, but the boy, suspecting bad intentions, tried to get away. The man then came up from behind, stripped down naked, and groped his private parts. The boy escaped into an ice cream shop asking for help, and they called the police from here.

Following the investigation, the National Police Mobile Squad executed a pre-trial jail custody order against a 25-year-old man of Egyptian nationality, with minor violations against property and (who is) an asylum-seeker, suspected of sexual violence against a minor.

The video cameras installed inside the bus and those of the commercial businesses, in fact, allowed the reconstruction of the events before and after the attack. The 14-year-old, after getting off the bus, with his backpack on his back and drawing folder in hand, was walking back home when the delinquent approached him, and, under a pretext, began talking to him. The victim, however, perceiving the bad intention, tried to get away in various ways, but the man suddenly came up behind him, stripped down naked, and groped him in his private parts. The boy managed to escape, finding refuge in an ice cream shop, and the intervention of passersby caused the attacker to flee.

The victim's account, which was immediately confirmed by the images on the video surveillance acquired and analyzed by the Mobile Squad invesigators, in the witness statements, and a video that the victim himself managed to capture in the tense moments prior to the attack, provided the prosecutor's office with a solid evedentiary framework, fully shared by the judge of preliminary investigation, who issued the custody order. The 25-year-old was put in jail, where he will remain pending an evidentiary hearing.  

Informativa

Sweden: SD Wants to Revoke Foreigners' Right to Vote in Municipal/Regional Elections

The Swedish Democrats party, which opposes mass migration into Sweden, wants to change a law that allows non-Swedish residents to vote in municipal and regional elections.

The article below from Insikt24 is translated by Fousesquawk.

 

Sweden Democrats want to revoke the right to vote for foreign citizens

December 16, 2025

The Sweden Democrats want to revoke the right to vote for foreign citizens who now have the possibility to vote in municipal and regional elections. The party believes that only Swedish citizens should have the right to vote in Swedish elections.

Currently, foreign citizens have the right to vote in municipal and regional elections if they have turned 18 on election day, and have been registered in Sweden for at least 3 consecutive years before election day. According to figures from the Central Statistics Bureau, SCB, there are currently just over 600,000 foreign citizens who can vote in this election. In some municipalities, the proportion who lack Swedish citizenship is over 10% while some municipalities have as many as over 20% foreign citizens.

Insert:

Right to vote in regional and municipal elections

You have the right to vote in regional and municipal elections if you:

*  Have turned 18 years on election day

*  Are a Swedish citizen or are registered in the municipality, region, or 

* citizen of an EU country, Iceland, or Norway and are registered in a municipality and region or

* citizen of another country, or stateless, and have been registered in Sweden at least 3 consecutive years prior to the election, and are registered in a municipality or region.

These rules apply to those who reside in Sweden as well as to those who reside abroad, for example, if you study or work abroad but are still registered in Sweden.

Caption: These have the right to vote in municipal and regional elections. Source: Electoral Authority

The Sweden Democrats, however, want to change the fact that foreign citizens have the right to vote in municipal and regional elections. In a posting on the X platform, formerly Twitter, the SD states that they "believe that only Swedish citizens should have the right to vote in Swedish elections," and that the current system, therefore, needs to be changed. In an image in the posting, the party has also written a text with the message, "foreigners should not vote in Swedish elections."

In the current election system, non-Swedish citizens are allowed to vote in municipal and regional elections, with certain restrictions.

We believe that only Swedish citizens should have the right to vote in Swedish elections and therefore, we want to change the present system.

FOREIGNERS SHOULD NOT VOTE IN SWEDISH ELECTIONS.

SD

Sweden: Iraqi Convicted of Raping 100-year-old Woman: 4 Years and No Deportation

Shakir Mahmoud Shakir

-Expressen

This week in Sweden, a 38-year-old Iraqi man was convicted of raping a 100-year-old woman in a home care setting. Rather than getting 30 years or so in jail and deportation, the rapists got 4 years in jail and no deportation, apparently thanks to the presiding judge, Mohamed Ali.

One juror is now saying that he favored deportation. He himself is an immigrant from India, who says he is "tired of criminal immigrants".

The article below from Fria Tider is translated by Fousesquawk. Note that the reference below to jurors/political judges refers to people who are appointed by political parties.

Caption: "I am a native of India, and sometimes I think the Sweden Democrats are right," says juror Pran Malhotra (on right) after the verdict against Shakir Mahmoud Shakir (on left).

Juror: "I want to deport the rapist. I am tired of immigrants."

Posted December 18, 2025 at 12:56

Law and Justice: The news that Iraqi Shakir Mahmoud Shakir, 38, is escaping deportation after having raped a 100-year-old in home care has sparked severe criticism. Now, one of the jurors says that he wanted to deport Shakir, but after a conversation with District Court Judge Mohamed Ali, they came to the conclusion that the rapist should stay.

"I am tired of these immigrants. I am an immigrant myself. I was born in India," says juror Pran Malhotra to Riks (News).

Shakir Mahmoud Shakir was sentenced yesterday to prison for raping a 100-year-old woman in home care.

At the same time, he was acquitted of another charge involving a very similar aggravated rape of a different 94-year-old woman.

Although the prosecutor requested deportation, it was not granted. Behind the judgment were District Court Judge Mohamed Ali and jurors (political judges) Inger Grönberg (MP), Pran Malhotra (S), and Eva Svalling. None of the jurors gave any dissenting opinion, but stood behind the line that deportation would be "disproportionate".  

In an interview with Riks, Malhotra says that he actually had a different point of view than his official one.

"I want him to be deported, " he says.

Malhotra states that the question of deportation was discussed after contact with the (presiding) judge of the court, Judge Mohamed Ali, and that the position changed.

"But then, it was last week, the (presiding judge) said that I should call again. So that he would investigate what more he could do in this case. And one day, we had a short conversation in the morning. And that was when the position changed from deportation to 4 years," Malhotra tells Riks.

When asked about his views on criminal immigrants, the juror expresses himself sharply.

"They should be severely punished and just sent back. No more discussion on it."

"I am a native of India, so sometimes I think the Sweden Democrats are right. Those are my opinions, " he tells Riks.

Riks says that they have sought out Judge Mohamed Ali, who was appointed by the (coalition) government in June of this year.

The Brown Shooting

 Since I have posted numerous articles about Brown University over the years, I am following the shooting case there with great interest. The reason I haven't posted anything about it yet is that we don't have all the facts. As Providence authorities themselves have cautioned, there has been so much speculation and chatter going around online.

Keep in mind that the name of the original "person of interest" made its way into the public sphere before he was released. As to the primary person captured on surveillance cameras that is the object of a manhunt, there is at least one name that has been bandied about online without any basis in fact, and it would be irresponsible for me to throw it out here. 

So there is so much we don't know, such as were the two victims who died specifically targeted? What was the motive of the shooter(s)? As to the second individual whose image was released to the public yesterday, I suspect that person will be identified. The problem is that after almost a week of the incident, those 2 individuals now being sought could be anywhere by now.  

At any rate, I think it is best to await the facts and not rely on wild Internet speculation or even fake news.

  

Pakistani Imam Issues Fatwa Against Geert Wilders

Pakistani imam Muhammed Ashraf Jalali has been sentenced in absentia to 14 years in prison for issuing a fatwa calling for the death of Dutch politician Geert Wilders (PVV), a critic of Islam who has been living under police guard for over 20 years due to all the threats against him. 

Wilders has posted a video of a sermon by Jalali in which he again calls for his death. I assume the sermon is in Pakistan. Dutch subtitles have been added. We are posting the video here with English subtitles. Hat tip to RAIR Foundation USA, Vlad Tepes, and Gates of Vienna for the subtitling. Translation to English is by Fousesquawk.

I want to note here that upon the conclusion of the video of the imam's sermon, there is written messaging on the screen in Dutch making negative statements about Prophet Mohamed.  After giving it some thought, I went ahead and translated the words, but with misgivings. As I have often said, I think that kind of language is counter-productive and hurtful to every single Muslim on the planet. Maybe it was Wilders' way of showing defiance to the imam. I do think that a serious discussion of Mohamed's life and his actions is relevant, but I don't agree with the manner in which the video goes about it. That said, I support Wilders, and I condemn every effort to kill him. To me, the imam's words are disgusting. Even if Wilders' words are sometimes intemperate, that is no justification for murder.

The words in Dutch that appear above the video are translated as follows (I have added their first names and full positions):

"Tell me, Minister President (Dick) Schoof, (Justice and Security) Minister  (Foort)Van Oosten, and (Foreign Affairs, Migration and Asylum) Minister (David) Van Weel, what have you done to get this imam, who last year was sentenced to 14 years in prison because of the fatwas against me, arrested and extradited?"

The Intifada Is Globalized in Australia

 This article first appeared in New English Review.

According to the news coming out of Australia in the wake of yesterday’s massacre on Bondi Beach in Sydney, the Australian people are angry. They are fed up. They should be. Yet, as is all-too-often the case, their political leaders are never fed up. Presently, Australia has a prime minister, Anthony Albanese of the Labour Party, who seemingly doesn’t care if his people are fed up with Islamists, Jihadists, Jew haters, and people screaming, “Globalize the Intifada”. In September, his government recognized a Palestinian state, in effect, rewarding the atrocities of October 7, 2023. Australia, thus, joined other countries like Canada, Spain, and France who have followed the same naïve path in recent months. Did Albanese think that by placating the Palestinian lobby, Australian Jews and Australians in general would now be safe from Islamic terrorism?  Welcome to the real world, Mr. Albanese. Have we all not learned by now that rewarding Hamas and the Palestinians for their horrible massacre of October 7 goes against common sense? Have we not learned by now that the only thing these barbarians understand is strength and brute force?

Last September 7, that same Bondi Beach was the scene of a pro-Palestinian demonstration in which people were proclaiming the Holy Intifada, as pro-Hamas lunatics have been doing for years all over the world, including the US. I’ve heard it so many times  on campuses and on the streets that it’s ringing in my ears. It is nothing more than a call to kill Jews, around the world, “wherever you find them” as that 1400-year-old ditty goes. That is exactly what “Globalize the Intifada” means, and it played out yesterday in Sydney.

It is also playing out in New York, Paris, London, Vienna, Berlin, Stockholm, Malmo, Amsterdam, Rome, Brussels, and countless other places in the Western world. Places where Jews cannot go out in public wearing distinctive Jewish garb (also places where women don’t go at night no matter what they wear, but that’s a different story even though the perps are the same). If it is true that Australians are fed up, it is also true that Europeans are fed up. Canadians and Americans are also fed up.  Yet, with the exception of the US and Italy, their governments are not listening to them. The flow of new arrivals just keeps on coming. Crime and welfare costs keep rising, terrorist attacks keep happening (Europe is presently dealing with attacks and plans to attack their Christmas markets), Jews keep getting attacked, anti-Semitism has reached levels not seen since the 1930s, and our leaders wring their hands.

So now we have a Pakistani-born father and his son (born in Australia), who are so indignant about the plight of the Palestinians that they go out and kill 15 or so Jews who were simply celebrating Hannukah on a beach. When and where will this happen next in the Western world?

As I so often do after events like these, I repeat that we should not respond by attacking Muslims on the street or setting fire to their mosques.  Indeed, it appears that a Muslim street vendor in Sydney named Ahmed al-Ahmed actually grabbed one of the killers and disarmed him. The man is a hero, and I pay tribute to him. There have been differing accounts on the Web as to whether he is a Muslim or a Christian, but God forbid that he would have to suffer discrimination because of his religion or Middle Eastern appearance. I have no desire to write about Muslims what the notorious Jew-baiter of Nuremberg, Julius Streicher, wrote about Jews in his weekly, Der Stuermer. I admit, I am walking a fine line, but we cannot remain silent.

And that is the quandary we are faced with. We now have millions of Muslims in our Western countries, most of whom have done nothing (wherever their inner sympathies may lie). I wish them no harm, but in a certain respect they are becoming increasingly irrelevant to the discussion which we must have even if it hurts their sensibilities. The simple fact we must admit is that pure Islam is not compatible with Western values. While many, if not most Muslims may practice their religion peacefully and with tolerance, Islam is not a religion of peace and tolerance. It is anti-Christian and even more so anti-Jewish. And above all, it is violent. The fact that most Muslims are peaceful is irrelevant. The fact is that too many are not peaceful, too many are ticking time bombs, and too many are one mouse click away from becoming radicalized and joining the jihad.

We cannot continue to allow millions of Muslims to enter our countries and expect our innocent people to pay for it with their lives. This is exactly what is taking place in Western Europe more than anyplace else. Too many people are dying, and too many women are being raped. And it is all a result of their government’s mistaken migration and asylum policies, and our own political correctness. The term “Islamophobia” was coined a couple of decades ago by Islamists precisely for the purpose of silencing any criticism of Islam and its terrorist associations. It is time to laugh that word out of usage. Phobias are supposed to be irrational fears, not fears based on reason.

Whatever the proportion of the Muslim population in our respective countries is, that percentage must not be allowed to grow. If we have to put the brakes on all immigration (so as not to be discriminatory), so be it. The so-called asylum-seekers who do not have a valid claim should be sent home. The same goes for any foreigner (of any stripe, actually) who commits a crime in our countries.

We are not bigots, racists, or xenophobes. We are just fed up.

Germany: Teenager Stabbed at Christmas Market

 Hat tip Gates of Vienna and Vlad Tepes

Christmas market in Herford

Christmas season in Europe is now a season of increased risk and danger. In recent years, they have been the targets for vandalism and even terrorism at the hands of people who have a problem with Christmas celebrations. This week in Herford, Germany (North Rhine-Westphalia), a 15-year-old Iraqi boy has been arrested and charged with stabbing a 16-year-old boy at that town's Christmas market. The victim was initially in critical condition, but seems to be stable now after emergency surgery. 

The motive for the attack is unclear. 

Hat tip to RAIR Foundation USA, Gates of Vienna and Vlad Tepes for subtitling the video below from Bild in English. Translation is by Fousesquawk.

Germany: Police in Bavaria Thwart Christmas Attack

Hat tip Gates of Vienna and Vlad Tepes

Dingolfing

In Bavaria, 5 men are in custody for allegedly having planned a terrorist attack on a Christmas market near Dingolfing. The planned attack reportedly involved some sort of vehicle(s). One of the suspects is an Egyptian (56), a Syrian (37) , and three Moroccans, ages 22, 28, and 30.

The below article from Bluewin (Switzerland) is translated by Fousesquawk.

"Kill as many as possible"

5 Islamists arrested-Police in Bavaria thwart attack on Christmas market

Caption: When the attack on a Christmas market in Lower Bavaria was to take place, or how concrete the plans were, remains initially unclear.

DPA, Blue News 

December 14, 2025 

Five men allegedly planned an attack on a Christmas market in Lower Bavaria with a vehicle. Now they are sitting in custody. The authorities suspect there was an Islamist motive.

* In Bavaria, 5 men were arrested for a suspected attack plan on a Christmas market in the area of Dingolfing.

* Investigators suspect there was an Islamist motive. The attack was reportedly to be carried out with a vehicle.

* 4 suspects are in custody, 1 in preventative detention. Details of the plan are unclear at this time.

Update December 14, 06:55. The arrests took place on Friday. Yesterday, on Saturday, the men were taken before a magistrate. Arrest warrants were issued on four of them. One was placed in preventive custody.

According to reports, no foreign intelligence service was involved. Where the suspects were arrested is not known. The stated goal of the Egyptian, according to the State Prosecutor's Office, was, " to kill or injure as many people as possible."

Five men were arrested for attack plans against a Christmas market in the area of Dingolfing in Lower Bavaria. Arrest warrants were issued against 4 of them-one was placed in preventative custody, as confirmed by the Munich State Prosecutor's Office.

(Authorities) are currently going on the assumption of an Islamist motivation. The attack was reportedly going to be carried out with a vehicle. As the State Prosecutor's Office stressed, the presumption of innocence applies. BILD had previously reported on the case.

The arrests reportedly took place Friday-on Saturday, the men were taken before the magistrate.  According to the State Prosecutor's Office, they are a 56-year-old Egyptian, a 37-year-old Syrian, and 3 Moroccans, ages 22, 28, and 30.

According to the current state of the investigation, the Egyptian allegedly called for an attack in a mosque in the area of Dingolfing-Landau. As for when the possible attack was planned for and how concrete the plans were was initially not clear. The State Prosecutor's Office said that it was still too early to make a statement. 

The Central Office for Combating Extremism and Terrorism led the operation, in which, among others, the State Office for Protection of the Constitution was also involved. 

Italy: Rape Outside Rome Metro

Italy, like every other Western European country, continues to be plagued by migrant crime.

Last Sunday, outside a Metro station in Rome, a 23-year-old female was allegedly raped by three men, two who held her down, and one who reportedly committed the rape. Police are searching for three men whom they describe as being from Gambia.

It is not clear from the article below how police have determined that the suspects are from Gambia, or if they know specifically who they are looking for by name. Possibly, there was some conversation between the victim and the alleged attackers before the rape took place.

At any rate, the article from Il Giornale is translated by Fousesquawk. 

Rape in the street outside Rome Metro. Three Gambians being sought

The 23-year-old has reported the sexual violence that took place last Sunday outside the Jonio station of Metro B shortly before midnight.

December 9, 2025 16:46 

Rape in the street in Rome, in front of the Jonio station of Metro B. The victim is a 23-year-old girl who was outside the Metro in the NW quadrant of the capital, shortly after midnight, Sunday, December 7.  The prosecutor's office is looking for 3 persons: They are reportedly three men from Gambia. The Carabinieri are investigating the matter. The attack was reported by the victim herself when she arrived at the Pertini Hospital. She told of being held down by two men while being raped by a third. 

The circumstances are being evaluated by the investigators.

Efforts are underway to reconstruct whether the three had followed her inside the Metro or if there was a casual encounter at the exit of the station. To reconstruct the circumstances, the video surveillance cameras in the zone are being examined.

Germany: Nativity Scene Vandalized and Donkeys Tortured

Hat tip Gates of Vienna and Vlad Tepes

Erbach (Hesse)

It's Christmas season, and in Europe, that means fantastic Christmas markets. Sadly, it also means that these markets are the targets of terrorists and/or vandals who object to Christianity and Christians in general. In the small town of Erbach (Hesse), unidentified vandals broke into a Nativity Scene display in the wee hours of the morning a few days ago. Not only did they vandalize the place, but they also brutalized two live donkeys in the enclosure.

How sick and disgusting can you get?? 

The below article from BILD is translated by Fousesquawk.

Disgusting attack!

Donkeys Lily and Max tortured at Christmas market

Caption: Max and Lily stand in a live Nativity Scene at the Christmas market in Erbach

By Bianca Weiner

December 5, 2025 16:53

Erbach (Hesse)- What a disgusting act! In the small town of Erbach (14,000 residents) in Odenwald, as yet unknown perpetrators left a trail of destruction on Saturday night/Sunday morning (November 30), and in the process even tortured two defenseless donkeys.

Donkeys Lily and Max brutally attacked

The two friendly donkeys Lily and Max, part of the beloved "Live Nativity Scene" in the Christmas market in Hesse, were beaten and tortured around 4 am in their enclosure. That is confirmed by the city administration.

A resident observed the scene by chance from his balcony and yelled at the perpetrators, whereupon they fled. The police are investigating the case for animal cruelty.

Vandalism in the city center

But it was not limited to the abused animals. Apparently, the same perpetrators had already vandalized the Erbach Palace Christmas market. There, electrical boxes, light bulbs, and Christmas decorations were destroyed, several stalls were robbed, and toilets were defaced with graffiti.  

Especially disgusting: In the Protestant church in the central city, the vandals left behind feces and damaged candlesticks as well as pews. The church had to be closed after the attack.

Caption: For their safety, Lily and Max were taken back to their farm after the cowardly attack.

Animals taken to safety

To protect the animals, the donkeys were taken back to their farm. Therefore, the visitors to the Nativity Scene will no longer see them. The city has filed a criminal complaint.

Police urgently seek witnesses

Police are hoping for clues from the public. A spokesperson stressed they are investigating all leads and are taking the statements of the witness very seriously. The officers are now seeking more witnesses: 06062/95 30.

Germany: 13-Year-Old Attacked by Syrian and Ukrainian Boys

Hat tip Gates of Vienna and Vlad Tepes

In Lindau, Germany, near the German/Austrian/Swiss borders, 4 youths between the ages of 11-13 are accused of stealing emergency hammers from a bus and attacking a 13-year-old Austrian boy with them.  Fortunately, the victim did not suffer serious injuries. The 4 boys are described as two brothers from Syria and two Ukrainians. They were quickly apprehended after they tried to hide behind a police station!

The article below from Rheintal24 (Switzerland) is translated by Fousesquawk. 

Syrian and Ukrainian children (11-13) beat an Austrian (13) with emergency hammers*

* Translator's note: Emergency hammers are hammers used to break through vehicle windows or windshields in emergency situations and traffic accidents.

Two Syrian brothers and two Ukrainians beat a 13-year-old resident of Vorarlberg and fled. Among other things, they allegedly struck him with stolen emergency hammers.

Shocking scenes came to Lindau on Friday evening, December 5. Several children from Ukraine and Syria (all residents of Vorarlberg and between 11-13 years of age) stole emergency hammers from a city bus and went after a 13-year-old resident of Vorarlberg with them.

As reported by Blick, they beat the Austrian child with punches and kicks, and even with stolen emergency hammers. The (child) fortunately came out of it without serious injuries. The trigger was reportedly a verbal altercation.

The Syrians and Ukrainians fled, but were quickly arrested because, ironically, they hid behind the Criminal Police building. The alleged attackers were later turned over to their parents, and the authorities were notified. The investigation continues. 

Those Ill-Fated Drug Boats: Is it Justified?

 

Now that the Department of War has blown up some 20 or so boats, mostly in the Caribbean, carrying drugs from Venezuela, everybody is debating the legality and the morality of what we are doing under President Trump. As a retired DEA agent, I am following this with great interest. In addition, I have discussed this with many of my fellow DEA retirees, and the opinions vary. But here are my thoughts:

First of all, what has been occurring is not part of American law enforcement protocol. It is part of military protocol in times of war. As far as I know, neither DEA nor any other law enforcement agency is involved in these operations or providing the intelligence in identifying boats transporting drugs. (I hope that is not the case). In my opinion, law enforcement should play no role in these operations, nor should they supply the intelligence for such strikes.

But since the administration has labeled these people as narco-terrorists, and terrorists are a legitimate target for the military in my humble view, does this legitimize the acts of our military of blowing up these boats in the water and killing all aboard? That, I guess, will ultimately be decided by people smarter than me. In that vein, the fentanyl epidemic, some would argue, has been a game-changer since some 200,000+ Americans have been dying from fentanyl poisoning every year. (It is reported that since our border with Mexico has been secured, deaths are down, with some other factors also playing a part.) With those considerations in mind, is it legally justified to blow these boats up to save American lives?

From a law enforcement perspective, the answer is no. Law enforcement, drug law enforcement in particular, involves arresting people, not ambushing them with deadly force. Yes, there are occasional gunfights between traffickers and police, and deaths sometimes result. (I have been there.) But up to now, US law has not exercised the death penalty for drug traffickers, even the biggest kingpins, unless they have also been convicted of murder. I can assure you that those who have been killed in these attacks are not kingpins. They are in the lower rungs of the trafficking-"mules" or couriers. Were they to be arrested and prosecuted in the US, they might get 15 years in prison, depending on their individual circumstances, but clearly not the death penalty.

In addition, from a law enforcement perspective, the preference is to interdict these boats, seize the drugs as evidence, and possibly obtain the cooperation of the couriers in identifying and arresting the recipients and the sources. That, of course, has been lost with the deaths of the people on the boats. 

So in my view, this must be justified in military terms. But herein, there is another wrinkle. Just recently, it has been disclosed that one boat required 4 missile attacks before it was sunk, and that at least a couple of suspects were in the water after the first strike.  Under the international law of warfare on the high seas, survivors in the water are supposed to be rescued if at all possible, not finished off. There is an exception to that in that if the survivors are still fighting, and/or if the boat is still operational, additional strikes are justified. Whether that was the case here, I don't know. I expect we will know soon.

So how will the traffickers react? Will they cease using boats entirely and change their patterns, as traffickers generally do when one route or method of transportation is shut down? Or will they resort to other methods, like putting innocent hostages or children on the boats? The Venezuelan government also has a political desire to discredit the US in the eyes of the world. The Maduro regime is decidedly evil and not above resorting to such inhuman actions. Would that be the next step? I have said from the start that all Hell would break loose once we sank one innocent boat. There is a definite need to proceed with caution here.

The last factor is the question of fentanyl. The drug primarily involved here is cocaine, and most of these boats are allegedly coming out of Venezuela, whose government is definitely involved in the international traffic to the US. But have any of these boats contained fentanyl? I don't yet have a definite answer to that question, but from what information I have been able to gather from some of my contacts, the answer, at this point, is no.

Food for thought.

Wacko College Courses (4)

We begin episode 4 with news from the University of Oklahoma, where a student was given a failing grade of 0 out of a possible 25 points by a teaching assistant for a reaction essay she wrote on gender norms in a "Lifespan and Development" class. Apparently, the student's Christian beliefs got in the way of writing a politically correct reaction. Fox News has the report here.

Then it's off to where else-UC Berkeley, where the campus is facing an URGENT crisis in...........

ANTI-FATNESS!

                                 

And apparently, there is an INTERSECTION with anti-black racism.

A task force-task force, mind you- has been formed to tackle the urgent problem. Campus Reform has the report here.

“Body Diversity and Weight Inclusion Work Group,”

"The university reiterates its “commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion” on a page titled “Body Diversity & Weight Inclusion,” but finds that “anti-fatness, rooted in the same systems of oppression as anti-Black racism, remains a largely unaddressed issue.” 

Italy: 3 North Africans Charged With Gang Rape in Rome

 

Italian police have arrested three North African men and charged them with the gang rape of an Italian woman in a Rome park before the eyes of her boyfriend. The alleged attack happened in October as the young couple was sitting in their car. A gang of about 5 young men broke the window and attacked both victims, holding the young man down while his girlfriend was raped. Now, 3 men have been identified, arrested, and charged with the crime. In the above video, the 3 are all described as being Moroccans. In other accounts, one of the suspects is reported to be Tunisian.

The above video is posted by RAIR Foundation USA with subtitling by RAIR, Vlad Tepes, and Gates of Vienna. The translation is by Fousesquawk.