Switzerland Terrorist Stabbing in Lugano

On November 24, in the Swiss city of Lugano, near the Italian border, a 28-year-old Swiss woman stabbed another woman in a department store and attacked a second woman. Investigation has revealed that she had attempted to travel to Syria in 2017 to join a jihadist fighter she had met online. The below report from Corriere del Ticino is translated from Italian by Fousesquawk.

 https://www.cdt.ch/ticino/lugano/la-donna-si-era-innamorata-di-un-combattente-jihadista-HN3483494

The woman was in love with a jihadist combattant

Attack at Manor: She had met him on social media and had tried to join him in Syria- Suffered from psychiatric problems

-25 November 2020

Translation of below notice from Fedpol Switzerland:

New updates from Fedpol (Federal Police) regarding the 28-year-old who stabbed a woman and attacked another on the 5th floor of Manor (department store) in Lugano yesterday afternoon. From police cases worked in 2017, it emerged that the person in question had fallen in love on social media with a jihadist combattant located in Syria. The woman had tried to join him, but was arrested by Turkish authorities at the Turkish-Syrian border and subsequently repatriated to Switzerland. At the time, the woman was suffering from psychiatric problems. On her re-entry she was placed in a psychiatric institute. From 2017, the woman no longer appeared in Fedpol files connected to terrorism. 

Switzerland: Terror Trial Opens

Bellinzona (Ticino), Switzerland

In November 2020, a Swiss woman (converted to Islam) attacked two women with a knife in a department store in Lugano, Switzerland. This week, her trial began in the Ticino cantonal capital court in Bellinzona. The woman has expressed no remorse for her actions. (Note is not clear based on the various articles whether only one person or both suffered actual injuries.)

The below (partial article) from Corriere del Ticino is transcribe3d from Italian by Fousesquawk.

https://www.cdt.ch/news/ticino/accoltellamento-alla-manor-lo-rifarebbe-si-ma-meglio-292016

Trial- Stabbing at the Manor (department store): "Would you do it again?" "Yes, but better"

The 29-year-old who stabbed two persons in Lugano is questioned: "I wanted to show that a woman can also carry out a terrorist act," The expert: The perfect storm.

"If you could go back, would you do it again?" asked the judge, Fiorenza Bergomi, toward the end of the questioning of the woman in the trial before the Federal Penal Tribune for having stabbed two persons at the Lugano Manor on 24 November 2020. "Yes," she answered. "But better". 

There is no remorse for what the defendant did, a Ticino woman of 29 who converted to Islam with a history of mental problems and a 2016 attempt to travel to Syria to marry ( "I want you, I want to fight with you," she herself recalled today in court). "They don't make me either hot or cold," she added shortly afterward as the photographs were shown on the TPF screen of the wounds she inflicted on her victim, a woman who survived the assault..........

The remainder of the article is restricted to subscribers.

Switzerland: Female Knife Jihadist Sentenced

 In November 2020, a woman in the Swiss city of Lugano went on a stabbing rampage in a department store as an act of jihad. Two women were stabbed (both survived). This week, the woman was convicted by a Swiss court and sentenced to 9 years in a lockdown mental facility.

The below article from the local Corriere del Ticino is translated by Fousesquawk. (Due to a subscriber block, this is a partial translation.)

 https://www.cdt.ch/news/quello-alla-manor-e-stato-un-attacco-terrorista-294097

Sentence- The Manor (Dept store) was an act of terror

Punished by the federal criminal tribunal, which condemned the perpetrator, a 29-year-old resident of Ticino, who had stabbed two women, for repeated attempted murder to 9 years confinement in a closed treatment facility

by Federico Storni

9-19-22, 10:44

The stabbing of two women-one seriously wound in the neck on 24 November 2020 in the household section on the 5th floor of the Manor Department Store in Lugano by a 29-year-old resident of Ticino (Canton) is an act of terrorism. This was punished a few minutes ago by the Federal Criminal Tribunal through the words of the president of the court, Fiorenza Bergomi (assistant judges Monica Galliker and Roty Garre). Thus, the woman is sentenced to treatment in a closed facility and 9 years imprisonment for repeated attempted murder. The 29-year-old suffers from a psychiatric disorder and mild mental retardation (two experts, from whom the court did not depart, warned of a medium grade liability and a high-medium risk of recidivism). The prosecution, the public prosecutor, Elisabetta Tizzoni had asked........

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Muslim Brotherhood in Switzerland (3)

Hat tip Infosperber.ch

This is another translation of original language articles on the Muslim Brotherhood in Western Europe-country by country and the third on Switzerland. Previously translated articles on the MB in Switzerland in Italian French can be viewed here and here. Switzerland is a multi-lingual country with four official languages, German, French, Italian, and Romansh (the latter spoken in the canton of Graubunden). The below article, from Infosperber.ch, is in German. Translation by Fousesquawk.


https://www.infosperber.ch/FreiheitRecht/Muslimbruderschaft-Gelder-fliessen-in-und-durch-die-Schweiz

Muslim Brotherhood: Money Flows in and through Switzerland

Tobias Tscherria/23 Sept. 2019- Reliable documents show how political Islam in Europe is strengthened. The clues also lead to Switzerland.

The illegal transport of money over the Swiss border; Confusing financial networks and contracts, with which Islamic associations in Europe are awarded money- if they stick to backward conditions. An NGO which, under the  cloak of charity, exports the fundamentalist views of the Muslim Brotherhood to Europe; Connections to the power structure in Qatar.

The 90-minute "Arte-Documentation Qatar: Millions for Europe's Islam" shows in detail how the Muslim Brotherhood wants to influence European Islam: It also shows that this is only possible because European nations do not provide the means for their Muslim citizens to practice their religion.

Switzerland is also an issue:  With the help of leaked documents, "Arte" shows that the Muslim Brotherhood is not only active in Switzerland, but uses it as a transfer location for financial help.

"Qatar Charity" Doubtful Charity

The central actor of the documentation is the Qatari NGO, "Qatar Charity". Qatar's largest aid agency was established in 1992 and is active in over 70 countries worldwide. Soon it gained a reputation for being closely tied to the power structure in Qatar- and exporting the goals of the Muslim Brotherhood into other countries. To do this, it would use the contributions of conservative Muslims, who fulfill their Zakat duty: They are obligated to hand over a certain proportion of their ownings to the needy and other designated groups of people. Moreover, among the financiers of "Qatar Charity" are counted powerful and financially strong individuals.

Since 2014, Qatar Charity has been accused of "under the cloak of humanitarian aid, financing radical Islamic groups" by Egypt, Bahrain, the UAE and Saudi Arabia. Qatar's ruling family, the Al-Thani clan, is allegedly involved. The ruling elite of the emirate, indeed, denies all accusations. "Qatar Charity" is an independent organization with no direct connections to the State. The Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, defended himself against the accusation that Qatar Charity finances jihadism and political Islam. Moreover, Qatar also denies any financial engagement in Europe.

The accusation that Qatar finances Islamist groups, especially from Saudi Arabia, is hypocritical. Although the desert state is fighting the MB and Qatar, it itself supports terrorist jihadists, extreme fundamentalists Wahhabis and their mosques.

Qatar Charity's European Program

On the basis of the reliable documents, which an anonymous whistle blower passed on to two French journalists, "Arte"  researched the MB's network over two years. The conclusion is rather clear:The documents revealed  a program for strengthening political Islam in Europe. The Europe-wide funding of 140 mosques, cultural centers and schools are all related to the Muslim Brotherhood.

The leaked documents show transfers, e-mail correspondence and donor lists from "Qatar Charity". On the donor lists there are prominent names, for example, several members of the Qatari ruling family. As analyzed by "Arte", the documents testify to the financing of "an extensive, Europe-wide network of organizations that are close to the MB ideology.

Altogether, these organizations are believed to have advanced 140 projects in Europe with a total amount of 260 million euros. "Qatar Charity" is believed to be the largest donor with 120 million euros. With the money, according to "Arte", mosques, Islamic center or schools are believed to have been funded. The funding of projects is concentrated in a few countries: In Italy, 47 projects were financed, in France, 22, in Spain and Great Britain, 11 each, and in Germany, 10 projects. And: Donations from "Qatar Charity" have also flowed in and through Switzerland.

Karmous: Influential in Switzerland

Between 20-11 and 2014, according to "Arte", "Qatar Charity" is said to have converted around 3 million (Swiss francs in several Muslim projects in Switzerland: in Biel, Prilly, in Lugano, and La Chaux-de-Fonds. Other sources talk of funding in the amount 4 million francs.

In this, the Algerian-French Karmous (married) couple plays a central role. Nadia and Mohamed Karmous are controversial Islamic figures in Switzerland. The couple have been active in Neuenburg Canton since the 1990s.  Together, they lead a dozen associations, cultural centers and mosques in French (speaking) Switzerland and Ticino. Nadia Karmous is particularly cosmopolitan and says in response to "Arte" that she does not belong to the Muslim Brotherhood.

Nadia Karmous began the Museum for Islamic Culture in La Chaux-de-Fonds, which opened in 2016. As part of this, Karmous published a list of donors, who financially contributed to  the project. These mostly came from the Gulf States. Nor did she hide (the fact) that part of the donations came through Qatar Charity. Against "Arte" she defended this method. "The people couldn't contribute this money directly, rather they had to do it through an organization." Qatar Charity transmitted a small amount on one occasion. One, thus, has had no choice: Either take the donations from Qatar Charity- or get no money at all. But nobody knows the people from Qatar Charity.

Regular transfers to Karmous

As "Arte" points out, however, there are much stronger connections. In the library of the Museum are found writings of the most important ideologues of the Muslim Brotherhood. Among them are also writings by Youssef al-Qaradawi, the leading thinker of the Muslim Brotherhood- also texts by advocates of armed jihad belong among the offering(s).

Though Nadia Karmous underplays her connections to Qatar Charity in response to "Arte", the documents, those available to the TV station- speak otherwise. They show that in 2014,  Karmous signed an agreement with the leaders of Qatar Charity. This concerned the renovation of the museum building. Altogether, according to "Arte", they show 14 receipts for regular transfers to the Cultural Institute, in which the Museum is located.

The "Arte" journalists, however, also found supporting documents for transfers to another cultural institute in Lausanne and an association in Lugano. According to "Arte", they concern facilities  managed by Nadia Karmous' husband.

With 50,000 Euros to Paris

"Arte" doesn't stop there and uncovers further discoveries about the Karmous couple. Qatar Charity helped spread the influence of the NGO also in France. That was discovered by the French journalist Antoine Peillon based on a report from the French interior intelligence service.

According to the contents of the report, Mohamed Karmous was searched by French Customs in April 2007 when he was traveling in a TGV (train) from Zurich to Paris. He had 50,000 euros in cash with him and stated that he was given the sum by Ahmed Al Hammadi in Geneva. As Peillon explains, Hammadi (is) a patron of the noted Egyptian sheikh Youssef al-Qaradawi, the leading thinker of the Muslim Brotherhood, who he (Hammadi) serves as a mediator. According to the report, the money was for the European Institute for Religious Science (IESH) in Nievre, France, where imams are trained. The institute is run by the Muslims of France (UOIF), the former Union of Islamic Organizations. An organization close to the ideology of the Muslim Brotherhood.

According to the report of the French interior intelligence service, Mohamed Karmous is believed to be a member of the Muslim Brotherhood, and moreover, suspected of belonging to the Tunisian Ennada Party. The report ends with the conclusion that Nadia Karmous shares the goals of her husband.

Although he lives in Switzerland, Mohamed Karmous is believed to be functioning as president today of IESH. According to "Arte", Qatar Charity supported the IESH several times. Just in 2012, about 140,000 euros are believed to have been donated.

Addendum 1: As Arte writes, Qatar Charity stopped payments to the Muslim Cultural Center in Switzerland, the sponsor of the Museum of Islamic Culture in La Chaux-de-Fonds, shortly after the research.

Addendum 2: Infosperber is publishing only excerpts from the "Arte" documentation. The journalists from "Arte" investigated over two years in all to uncover the connections and the goals of the Muslim Brotherhood in Europe. A comprehensive picture emerges by viewing the entire documentation. Since November 22, 2019, it is available online.

An Example of State Department Security

When I was a DEA agent stationed at the US Consulate in Milan, Italy from 1982-87, there was a lot going on terror-wise. While I was there, terrorists attacked the Rome and Vienna airports simultaneously. The Achille Lauro cruise ship was hijacked.

Our consulate was housed on two floors of a downtown office building. (We moved from one building to another during my stay.) Security consisted of two or three Italian security guards who would screen visitors. I remember one young guy named Gianni. He had to be the ugliest man in Italy and he was usually preoccupied shmoozing with the good looking ladies who came looking for visas.

At any rate, we had a contingent of Secret Service agents stationed at the consulate. They were involved in investigating the traffic of counterfeit US dollars, which was a big business in Italy. They had little faith in the operations of the State Department.

At one point, the consulate set up a procedure to be followed in case of a terror attack. There was a system set up by which, one employee would call another, who would call another and relay instructions, etc. The USSS guys figured, "screw this". Their procedure was simple: In case of such an emergency, they were all to head to Lugano, just across the Swiss border and meet at a certain hotel.

As I have often said, even during the best of administrations (This was during the Reagan administration), the DOS is a screwed up agency full of arrogant pin heads who think they are smarter than other Americans.

With all the sordid revelations about how State handled security in Benghazi and Hillary Clinton's incredibly cavalier attitude toward classified communications, all this was brought back to me. It's really scary.