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Europe

French experts say Sweden has become a base for jihadist gangs

2025-05-29

Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
by Victor Lavrinenko

[REGNUM] Recently, an expert report on the activities of the extremist group Muslim Brotherhood (an organization banned in the Russian Federation) in the EU, prepared at the request of the French government, was published. The strengthening of Islamist extremists is observed not only in France itself, but also in some other EU countries,

The authors of a report prepared for the French government warn that the extremist Muslim Brotherhood* movement has gained a foothold in the country, threatening both the values of local secular society and the safety of ordinary citizens.

It has been estimated that the group controls at least 200 mosques in France and has hundreds of subsidiaries.

The report stresses that the further growth of the influence of radical Islamism will have devastating consequences for the country.

At the same time, the document did not ignore the situation in other EU countries, where Islamists feel especially at ease. First of all, Sweden was named among these countries, where, according to French experts, very favorable conditions have been created for Islamic radicals.

Indeed.

Sweden is mentioned in the report several times, and it is noted that it is the active branch of the Muslim Brotherhood* that has established itself in this Scandinavian country.

The report explains this as follows: “The favourable position of the Muslim Brotherhood* in Sweden is explained by the great tolerance of Swedish multiculturalism and the good relations between the movement and local political parties, especially the Swedish Social Democrats.”

SWEDEN'S REACTION
In Sweden itself, the report did not go unnoticed.

Local Labour Minister Mats Persson has announced that he is putting together his own expert group to draw up a full picture of the spread of radical Islamism in the country.

Run a search of the Rantburg archives, your Excellency. There you’ll find much of what you need to get started.

Persson threatens that he will not let this go so easily: "We will cut off foreign funding for religious communities, especially where foreign countries finance radical mosques."

The Swedish Social Democratic Party is alarmed - they deny that they have supported or assisted extremists in any way.

On the contrary.

Party Secretary Tobias Bodin justifies himself: "We have zero tolerance for connections with extremist organizations."

“Call them something else, though, and we’re good to go!”

It should be noted that in the spring of 2023, the Social Democrats were already harshly criticized for the fact that their MP Jamal El-Hajj took part in a conference organized by the Palestinian organization Hamas.

See?

The Social Democrats then asked El Hadj to "take a break" from his parliamentary duties, but did not expel him from the party. However, a year later, the Swedish press revealed that the deputy had tried to obtain refugee status in Sweden for a certain Egyptian imam whose sermons were openly extremist. Only then did the Social Democrats ask their disgraced colleague to leave the party.

At the same time, the Swedes remember how the “social democrats”, in the name of their misunderstood “tolerance”, while they headed the government from 2014 to 2022, opened the country’s doors wide to migrants from “third world” countries.

It is not surprising that Sweden was the third country in Europe after Belgium and Austria from which the largest number of Muslims left to fight for the Islamic State*.

Definitely not surprising, no, except that France is lower on the list.

DEFENSE UNIVERSITY REPORTS
Experts have been sounding the alarm about the radicalization of Sweden's Muslim community for a long time. Back in 2018,

…alarms were sounded considerably earlier than that…

the local Defense University prepared a study on the increase in the number of Salafists in the country — supporters of "pure" Islam, advocating, in particular, for jihad against "infidels."

One of the most famous Salafi jihadists was, in particular, Osama bin Laden. Salafis advocate for the restriction of women's rights, and many of them also insist on not having friends among the "infidels" and keeping communication with them to a minimum.

At the same time, as noted at the university, radicalization often goes hand in hand with ethnic crime. Criminals really like to imagine themselves as “warriors for the faith” - this is how they justify their own actions in their own eyes.

"A gang of bastards walk into a grocery store. If the cashier isn't wearing a hijab, they take whatever they want without paying. They call the cashier a 'Swedish whore' and spit at her," says a police officer from the city of Västerås.

"Often young Muslims ask Syrians and Kurds, restaurant or shop owners, about their religion. If the answer is 'not Islam', they are persecuted. We have also seen Muslims as young as 10 or 12 say to older Swedish women: 'We are at home here,'" he adds.

In Gothenburg, Salafists demanded that Muslims not vote in local elections because it is "haram." The radicals threatened their fellow believers that they would answer "on the day of judgment" for all the actions of the dishonest politicians for whom they voted.

“In some areas they raised the flag of the Islamic State (an organization whose activities are banned in the Russian Federation),” the local police shared.

And there they told about the preacher Said Regea (a native of Somalia) who came from Canada and, speaking in one of the mosques in Gothenburg, emphasized the importance of “purity.” In order to maintain it, it is important, according to him, not to allow children to be interested in the customs of “Jews, Christians or Zoroastrians.”

Seven years ago, the Defense University emphasized that cafes and shops owned by non-Muslims periodically become victims of vandalism, and that Christian priests are threatened with beheading.

However, the radicals are no better at treating so-called "secular" Muslims who do not adhere to Salafism. They are often harshly ostracized and discriminated against in every possible way. As a result, some refugees have begun to complain that, having moved to Sweden, they are faced with scenes familiar to them from their native Iraq or Afghanistan - for example, they see three-year-old girls in niqabs.

BANDIT JIHAD
In addition, as already mentioned, experts from the Defense University noted the alarming fact of the fusion of religious radicalism and organized crime - sometimes jihadists and members of ethnic gangs join forces to make it easier to terrorize the surrounding population.

Salafis and Islamists are actively taking control of mosques and Muslim cultural associations, as well as businesses created by former refugees, forcing them to pay tribute.

At the same time, the native Swedes, for a time, simply had no idea what processes were taking place in the vicinity of their large cities, where people from Asia and Africa settled.

The police didn’t open files, the news media didn’t report about it, and the politicians kept their eyes firmly shut while piously lecturing the voters about the necessity of tolerance. And when the native Swedes tried to talk about the viciousness of thr Moslem newcomers, they were shut up, by force if necessary.

But there are areas where local legislation has lost its force: gender segregation is actively practiced; radical religious leaders order women not to complain to the authorities about their husbands’ cruelty.

The text of the study ended with criticism of the Swedish authorities for their inability to put obstacles to the spread of radical ideology. In particular, examples were given from the activities of ordinary Swedish secular schools, where the administration, having yielded to the demands of radical parents, forced girls to wear hijabs.

Seven years have passed since then, and the problem has become even more acute. And it’s not as if Sweden’s current moderate-conservative ruling coalition, which replaced the migrant-loving Social Democrats in 2022, is doing nothing at all to counter radicalism.

For example, the authorities are closing radical Islamist schools, trying to legislate against women covering their faces, tightening entry rules, and promising migrants money to return home. The trouble is, these measures are both insufficient and long overdue.

Fortunately for the Swedes, the numerous ethnic gangs do not act as a united front, otherwise the natives would have a very bad time. Criminal organizations fiercely fight each other for food supplies - they shoot and blow up competitors with enthusiasm. In this case, selfish interests are higher than empty slogans about the "unity of brothers in faith."

INVASION OF NORWAY
The fierce competition between Swedish gangs has already led to them, like a cancerous tumor, beginning to subjugate neighboring countries, in particular Norway.

The head of the local National Criminal Investigation Service (Kripos), Christine Quinje, recently addressed the government with a warning about the growing threat from organised crime.

Despite all the efforts of the police, criminal networks in Norway continue to grow and develop, according to Kvinje.

And although the national budget for 2024 allocated 600 million Norwegian kroner (52 million euros) to combat organised crime, according to Kvinje, this has not produced tangible results.

She seriously fears that organised crime will grow to such proportions that it “will threaten democracy and the welfare state and will cause destabilisation of society.”

A characteristic feature of Swedish gangs is the hiring of minors, who do not face the same harsh penalties as adults. According to police, the number of underage robbers in Oslo has doubled between 2023 and 2024.

And in Norway in 2023, 21,800 criminal cases were initiated against minors, which is 28% more than in 2022. The Norwegian publication Aftenposten writes that more and more criminal elements are now appearing in this country, having managed to “leave their mark” in Sweden.

According to Norwegian police inspector Yngve Myrvoll, branches of the Swedish gangs Foxtrot and Gottsunda have emerged in the country, actively recruiting young people. These gangs are involved in large-scale drug trafficking and various fraudulent operations.

Foxtrot's presence in Norway was widely reported after a powerful explosion rocked the streets of the local town of Drøbak last October. Fortunately, no one was hurt, but police suspected attempted murder.

Experts noted that this is a typical “Swedish manner” – it is members of Swedish criminal groups who have recently taken to blowing up competitors in the criminal business right in their homes.

These suspicions were confirmed during the investigation - it turned out that the explosion was carried out by members of Foxtrot.

Since then, members of this network have given Norwegians many more reasons to speak ill of them. The criminals who came from Sweden, who so often like to pose as "true Muslims", make Norway forget that until recently it was considered a peaceful and safe country.,

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Europe

'Lovers quarrel.' The French are thinking about who will replace Macron

2025-05-28

Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
by Olesya Orlenko

[REGNUM] The start of French President Emmanuel Macron's Asia-Pacific tour was positioned as a continuation of the head of state's wise strategy in the region and pursued ambitious political goals. But it began with a scandalous scene of a family squabble.

The reaction of both Macron himself and his administration has only worsened the situation. It will not remain without political consequences.

Official events within the framework of Emmanuel Macron's visit to Vietnam began on May 26. This is the fifth visit of the head of the French Republic to this country, diplomatic relations with which were established in 1973.

During all previous visits, the parties concluded profitable contracts for investments by French businesses related to the purchase of civil aircraft, urban transport, construction of railways and highways, etc.

This time, a contract was also signed with private airline Vietjet to purchase aircraft from Airbus. And the French delegation includes representatives of such major companies in the energy, trade and defense sectors as EDF, Dassault Aviation, Naval Group and CMA GCM.

However, Vietnam is not the same as it was ten years ago.

Now it is one of the most dynamically developing countries in the Asian region. Vietnam is diversifying its relations, building partnerships with many countries, including Russia.

France is undoubtedly an important partner for him, but its influence has declined in recent years. The main foreign investments in the country come from Singapore and China.

Moreover, the share of French investments among EU countries is far from leading. France is in fourth place, behind even the Netherlands and Denmark.

The former colonizer's cultural influence has also fallen significantly: today, less than 1% of Vietnam's population speaks French. It is no surprise that Vietnamese media, covering Macron's visit, note that this time it is France that needs Vietnam, rather than the other way around.

On May 28, Macron is expected in Indonesia, and on May 30, he will attend the largest Shangri-La Dialogue forum, which is taking place in Singapore and is dedicated to defense issues.

During all his visits, the French President intends to promote two ideas: to convince his partners of France's decisive role in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and to persuade them to actively take Ukraine's side in the war that has now lasted 11 years.

The Middle East issue is likely to be a hot topic in Indonesia, whose predominantly Muslim population sympathizes with the humanitarian tragedy of the people of Gaza. But, apart from Macron’s declarations about the need to create a Palestinian state, France has taken no steps to resolve the conflict. And the main actor in the peace process is the United States.

As for the Ukrainian issue, it is obvious to everyone that Europe, having exhausted its resources, is looking for new sources of financing military actions. Countries whose main task is their own development do not benefit from interfering in a confrontation that requires huge expenditures and brings only damage, not dividends.

Moreover, France’s weight and Macron’s authority in the region leave much to be desired.

The termination of the contract with Naval Group for the construction of submarines for the Australian Navy in 2021 and the internal problems of New Caledonia, where a civil war has been going on for more than a year, which the French authorities are unable to stop, also had an impact.

A logical question arises: is Macron aware of how those around him perceive him?

The scene, caught on camera by journalists, of the French president being beaten by his wife before exiting the plane, has flown around the world. But the main thing was not even the incident itself, but the fact that both the president and his administration initially denied the authenticity of the video. And only then did such explanations as "relaxation", "foolishness", etc. follow.

Macron's recent rise in ratings after record lows has undoubtedly had a dizzying effect on him. It has affected his foreign policy activities, particularly in the Ukrainian direction. But the overall picture remains dismal.

His exclusive interviews, presented as a high-profile media event, are spoken of in the spirit of "the president spent three hours saying that nothing would change." And some publications directly call the president a laughing stock. In this situation, the question inevitably arises of who could replace Macron at the head of France.

The French press has become increasingly frequent in publishing articles about the participants in the next presidential campaign. And although there are still two years left until the election of the country's leader, potential candidates are declaring their intentions and trying to work on their image.

The Ipsos polling institute has published a study according to which the French prefer the classic right and center. Among the most popular candidates for the post of president are the head of the pro-presidential party "Renaissance", former Prime Minister Gabriel Attal, the mayor of Le Havre and the founder of the "Horizons" party Edouard Philippe, the Minister of Justice Gérald Darmanin, as well as the Minister of the Interior Bruno Retaillo.

By the way, Retaillo's intentions are more than serious. After all, he already allows himself to speak publicly on issues that are beyond the competence of his department. An example is his statements about diplomatic relations with Algeria, which caused indignation on the part of President Abdelmadjid Tebboune.

One can also recall his behavior after the report on the penetration of the Muslim Brotherhood (a terrorist organization banned in the Russian Federation) into France, which was heard by the Defense Council under the presidential administration on May 21.

Following this report, Retailo spoke to journalists, where he assessed the seriousness of the problem and made public some of the text's points without coordinating this with the president and without waiting for the official publication of the document.

Another Ipsos study shows the possibility of a scenario where a National Rally candidate will enter the second round with one of the above-mentioned candidates. Moreover, both Marine Le Pen and the current party leader Jordan Bardell have equal chances of this.

Parties that identify themselves as left-wing are expected to field Jean-Luc Mélenchon and Raphaël Glucksmann, with some on the left calling for primaries next year to determine candidates that will attract the support of a majority of the left.

However, oddly enough, even Macron himself has political ambitions.

Of course, he can't run for a third term. But he told reporters a few weeks ago that after the end of his second term he would "think about" running in the 2032 campaign.

This assumption may cause laughter now, but French history knows various examples. When François Hollande left the presidency in 2017, everyone considered him a political corpse, so disastrous was his rule. And yet, in the last snap parliamentary elections in 2024, he won in his district. And now he gradually appears in the media, commenting on the current political situation.

It’s not that he has “reformed.” It’s just that the situation in France is so bad that even his leadership over time seems tolerable compared to what is happening now. It’s entirely possible that in seven years, the French will look back with nostalgia on Macron, too.

Link

Europe

Watch: Macron's Wife Filmed Pushing Him in the Face During Vietnam Trip

2025-05-27

[Breitbart] In subsequent images, Macron and his wife, wearing a red jacket, appeared at the top of the stairs. He offered an arm but she didn’t take it. They walked down the carpeted stairs side by side.

Video via youtube.com

Could not pick up the embed code...sorry.

Link

Europe

Sweden to Investigate 'Islamist Infiltration' After Muslim Brotherhood Report [from France]

2025-05-25

[Breitbart] The Swedish government has announced an investigation into the “Islamist infiltration” in the country following the publication of the bombshell French report claiming that the Muslim Brotherhood has waged a decades-long campaign to penetrate European institutions with the aim of subverting the West and imposing Sharia law.

A French intelligence report published this week by the Ministry of Interior warned of Islamist fifth columns embedded across Europe, with EU institutions, Muslim associations, and migrant communities all falling prey to a vast network of sworn Muslim Brotherhood members operating in plain sight, often using Western liberal values to veil their nefarious aims in a shroud of legitimacy.

While the report focused heavily on the Brotherhood’s activities in France and the EU, the Paris intel identified numerous other countries throughout Europe, including Austria, Belgium, Germany, and the United Kingdom.

The report also said that “evidence collected attests to the active presence of the movement” in Northern European countries like Denmark, the Netherlands, and Sweden.

Following its publication, Swedish Minister for Integration Mats Persson said: “I will convene an expert group to get a picture of the situation of Islamist infiltration in Sweden. This is against the background of what has emerged in France.”

“Sweden is mentioned in the French report and in many respects has similar challenges to France in terms of integration and counteracting parallel social structures that challenge liberal democracy,” he added.

Persson went on to say that the government will “strangle foreign funding of religious communities, where states fund radical mosques” to push back against “these Islamist and undemocratic forces.”

According to the French report, Sweden “hosts an active branch of the movement which, in addition to its small size, is characterised by its influence on European movement structures.”

The Muslim Brotherhood’s operation in Sweden accomplished this influence with the backing of money from Qatar, Paris claimed.

Additionally, Sweden appears to have been an easy target for the Islamist movement given the Nordic nation’s “great tolerance of multiculturalism,” the report found.

The French government investigation also alleged that the Muslim Brotherhood took advantage of “good relations” with local political parties, particularly the Swedish Social Democratic Party, the traditional party of government in Stockholm, which oversaw the vast majority of recent mass migration into the country.

Social Democrats Party Secretary Tobias Baudin said that the report “does not elaborate” on the alleged ties between his left-wing party and the Muslim Brotherhood, but said: “We have zero tolerance for association with extremist organisations. That line is crystal clear in our party.”

However, some have noted that just last year, the leftist party was forced to expel one of its members of parliament, Jamal El-Haj, over his alleged ties to Hamas and for reportedly attempting to lobby the Swedish Migration Agency on behalf of a Muslim Brotherhood-linked Imam to remain in the country.

“Jamal El-Haj is no longer a member of our party. It is because we are clear: There should be no interaction with extremist organisations,” Baudin said.

Link

Europe

French Report Warns Of Islamist / Muslim Brotherhood 'Entryism' As Risk To National Cohesion

2025-05-23

[BBC] Islamists are infiltrating France's republican institutions and are a threat to national cohesion, according to a report presented to President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday.

It’s only been going on for two generations, but still — congratulations on noticing.

The report, drawn up by two senior civil servants, claims to find evidence for a policy of "entryism" by the Muslim Brotherhood into public bodies like schools and local government.

The French do like their philosophical jargon.

After a meeting of his security cabinet, Macron asked the government to come up with "new proposals" by early next month in light of the seriousness of the report's conclusions.

Secularism is a core tenet of France's national identity.

According to an Élysée official speaking off the record, there is a "new phenomenon - entryism - which is different from separatism".

While separatism implied Muslims living in a parallel society in France, "entryism means getting involved in republican infrastructure… in order to change it from the inside. It requires dissimulation… and it works from the bottom up," the official said.

In a copy of the report published in Le Figaro newspaper, the authors identified the Federation of Muslims in France (FMF)

…is that a name variant for the Muslims of France (Musulmans de France) or, like here, does France have a number branches of the Muslim Brotherhood in France?

as the main French emanation of the historic Muslim Brotherhood, which was founded 100 years ago to promote a return to core Islamic values.

…one of those core values is the conquest of the non-Muslim world (Dar al Harb) for Islam. Though the Brotherhooders are modern enough to prefer infiltration and colonization and the soft jihad of the law to the hard jihad of the sword until they’ve establish governance of the new territory.

They said the FMF controlled 139 places of worship in France, with a further 68 affiliated – in all around 7% of the total. The organisation also ran some 280 associations, in sports, education, charity and other fields, as well as 21 schools.

In accordance with the MB tradition — seduce ‘em with charity and lifestyle stuff, making religion secondary for the targets.

The aim of the movement was to set up "ecosystems at local level" to "structure the lives of Muslims from birth till death".

"[The movement's] officials, who are hardened activists, enter into a relationship with the local authority… Social norms – the veil, beards, dress, fasting - are gradually imposed as the ecosystem solidifies," the authors write.

"What happens is that religious practice become stricter, with a high level of girls wearing the abaya (long robe) and a massive and visible increase in the number of young girls wearing Islamic headscarves. Some are as young as five or six."

The Federation angrily rejected "any allegation that associates us with a foreign political programme, or with a strategy of 'entryism'".

"Confusing Islam with political Islamism and radicality is not only dangerous, but counter-productive for the Republic itself," the FMF said. "Behind these unfounded accusations there is a plan to stigmatise Islam and Muslims."

Yeah, yeah.

The report has been seized on by proponents of a strict enforcement of France's secular laws, which are meant to exclude all religion from public life.

Interior minister Bruno Retailleau, who on Sunday was elected leader of the conservative Les Républicains party, warned on Tuesday of "below-the-radar Islamism trying to infiltrate institutions, whose ultimate aim is to tip the whole of French society under sharia law".

Municipal elections are due in France next year, and Retailleau - who has won a reputation as a hardliner - has said he is concerned about the possibility of Islamic lists of candidates.

Far-left leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon warned that "Islamophobia has crossed a line", accusing the president's security cabinet of adopting the "delusional theories" of both Retailleau and far-right National Rally leader Marine Le Pen.

The report's authors, who visited 10 different regions of France and four other European countries, concluded that the Muslim Brotherhood was losing influence in the Middle East and North Africa, and so was targeting Europe, backed by money from Turkey and Qatar.

"Having given a Western look to the ideology in order to implant themselves in Europe, (the Muslim Brotherhood) tries to lay down the roots of a Middle Eastern tradition while concealing a subversive fundamentalism," they wrote.

Link

Europe

France looks to ban children from wearing Muslim headscarf as government tackles 'political Islamism'

2025-05-21

[Daily Mail, where America gets its news] French President Emmanuel Macron's political party has announced that it wants to ban minors under 15 from wearing the Muslim headscarf in public.

It comes as his government held a security meeting on Wednesday to discuss the spread of 'political Islamism' in France.

The meeting, which included the head of government and key ministers, addressed a report which sounds the alarm about the Muslim Brotherhood and the rising influence of the Islamist movement - which it said poses 'a threat to national cohesion' in France.

After the meeting, the Elysee Palace said measures will be taken, 'some of which will be announced' while others will remain classified.

The report into the movement, which was founded in Egypt in 1928, was commissioned by the government and prepared by two senior civil servants.

It 'clearly establishes the anti-republican and subversive nature of the Muslim Brotherhood' and 'proposes ways to address this threat', said the Elysee Palace.

It comes as Macron's Renaissance party said it would forbid 'minors under 15 from wearing the veil in public spaces,' phrasing that generally means places outside the home like the street, cafes, parks and stores.

It added the hijab 'seriously undermines gender equality and the protection of children'.

The party, led by former prime minister Gabriel Attal, also wants to introduce a 'criminal offence for coercion against parents who force their underage daughters to wear the veil'.

Renaissance is a minority force in the French parliament and works in a minority government alongside a traditional right-wing party.

Critics see the headscarf worn by some Muslim women as a symbol of creeping Islamisation after deadly jihadist attacks in France, while others say they are just practising their religion and should wear what they want.

Jordan Bardella, leader of France's far-right National Rally (RN), accused Attal of making a 'U-turn' on the issue, sharing a video on his social media from a 2022 debate in which the former prime minister warned against the potential persecution of veiled women under a Marine Le Pen presidency.

During her unsuccessful 2022 presidential campaign, Le Pen had evoked banning the wearing of the hijab by everyone in all public spaces in France.

Under current French legislation, civil servants, teachers and pupils cannot wear any obvious religious symbols such as a Christian cross, Jewish kippa, Sikh turban or Muslim hijab in government buildings, which includes public schools.

The government is also pushing for a new law to ban the headscarf in domestic sports competitions, a move critics of the law argue would be just the latest rule discriminating against visibly Muslim women.

Responding to the news and the new government report, critics have condemned what they call the rise of Islamophobia in France.

'Islamophobia has crossed a line,' hard-left firebrand Jean-Luc Melenchon said on X.

He accused the Defence Council meeting chaired by Macron of endorsing 'the delusional theories' of Le Pen and France's hardline Interior Minister, Bruno Retailleau

France's authorities are eager to prevent any spread of extremist Islamist ideas in a country that has been rocked by a string of deadly jihadist attacks.

Religious radicalisation has become a hot-button issue as the far-right is becoming increasingly popular in France, with the new government report sparking heated reactions.

Le Pen accused the government of inaction, saying on X that she has long proposed measures to 'eradicate Islamist fundamentalism'.

Bardella meanwhile said on France Inter radio: 'If we come to power tomorrow, we will ban the Muslim Brotherhood.'

The report, a copy of which was obtained by AFP, pointed to the spread of Islamism 'from the bottom up', adding the phenomenon constituted 'a threat in the short to medium term'.

At the same time, the presidency stressed, 'we are all perfectly aligned in saying that we must not lump all Muslims together'.

'We are fighting against Islamism and its radical excesses.'

The report zeroed in on the role of Muslims of France (Musulmans de France), which it identified as 'the national branch of the Muslim Brotherhood in France.'

Link

Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia

Six residents of Karachay-Cherkessia accused of involvement in 'At Takfir wal-Hijra'

2025-05-20

Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[KavkazUzel] The prosecution considers Khasin Kabardaev, a resident of the Adyge-Khablsky district, to be the organizer of the extremist cell; five more local residents will appear in court as its participants.

As the "Caucasian Knot" wrote, in May 2024, a court in Cherkessk placed six residents of Karachay-Cherkessia under arrest, suspected of organizing and participating in the activities of the extremist organization "At Takfir wal-Hijra". "At Takfir wal-Hijra" is not popular among residents of the North Caucasus and has not claimed responsibility for terrorist attacks in Russia, analysts interviewed by the "Caucasian Knot" indicated at the time.

The organization "At-Takfir wal-Hijra" (accusation of unbelief and hijra) appeared in Egypt and spread in the North Caucasus, especially in Kabardino-Balkaria in 1997-1998. Supporters of the organization belong to the Salafi movement in Islam and are distinguished by strict demands on co-religionists, according to the "Caucasian Knot" article " Kabardino-Balkaria: On the Path to Disaster. Prerequisites for the Armed Revolt in Nalchik on October 13-14, 2005."

They called themselves Jama'at al-Muslimin (Society of Muslims), but their Egyptian neighbours mockingly called them Excommunication and Exile. Cult-like, they require members to cut off all contact with their families. The introverted Takfir Wal Hijra faction split off from the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt in the 1960s. The extroverted “moderate” faction followed Ayman Al-Zawahiri into Al Qaeda. Takfir Wal Hijra consists of loosely affiliated cells which have committed acts of terror as far afield as Morocco and Holland.

The Adyge-Khabl District Court of Karachay-Cherkessia has accepted for consideration the case of six residents of the republic who were detained in May 2024 on charges of involvement in an extremist religious organization.

The prosecution believes that the organizer of the At Takfir wal-Hijra* cell was Khasin Kabardaev: according to the investigation, he used his knowledge of the Islamic religion and Sharia, as well as his “leadership skills” and authority among members of the Muslim community of Karachay-Cherkessia, to create a division of the banned organization in the republic.

The goal of the cell is said to be the propaganda and dissemination of radical views and ideas of the ideologists of "At Takfir wal-Hijra"* among the Muslims of the republic. According to investigators, the voluntary members of the association were Arsen Aichepshev, Murat Kabardaev, Nazir Koshev, Murat Mulazhev and Mikhail Smadich, who supported the religious views of Khasin Kabardaev, the United Press Service of the Courts of Karachay-Cherkessia reported today on its Telegram channel.

The hearing on the case is scheduled for May 21. The "Caucasian Knot" does not yet have any comments from the accused or their lawyers regarding the prosecution's version of events.

Link

Britain

Radiohead’s Jonny Greenwood, Israeli singer Dudu Tassa on cancellation of UK gigs: ‘Censorship and silencing’

2025-05-07

[IsraelTimes] Musicians Jonny Greenwood and Dudu Tassa, along with their ensemble, post a lengthy response on social media to a decision to cancel their June 23 and June 25 shows in Bristol and London.

The Boycott, Divest and Sanctions movement had claimed the cancellations as a victory, while Greenwood and Tassa say that they canceled the shows due to credible threats against their performance venues and audiences.

The musicians say that the organizers of the BDS campaign who claim that stopping the concerts isn’t censorship “can’t have it both ways.”

“Forcing musicians not to perform and denying people who want to hear them an opportunity to do so is self-evidently a method of censorship and silencing,” write Tassa and Greenwood. “Intimidating venues into pulling our shows won’t help achieve the peace and justice everyone in the Middle East deserves.”

The duo point out that their latest tour features singers from Syria, Lebanon, Kuwait and Iraq, who have ancestral and musical roots from across the Middle East, including Yemen and Turkey, and a shared love of Arabic song.

Greenwood, who is married to Israeli artist Sharona Katan, has often partnered with Tassa, along with artists throughout the Middle East.

Tassa and Greenwood add that art exists above and beyond politics, and art that seeks to establish a common identity of musicians across borders should be encouraged, not decried.

“This project has always had a difficult, narrow channel to navigate,” they write. “We find ourselves in the odd position of being condemned by both ends of the political spectrum.”

The artists also refer to Irish hip-hop band Kneecap, which received support from fellow artists amid an ongoing police investigation. Some of the band’s shows were canceled following provocative statements made by band members that supported the Hamas and Hezbollah terror groups and called for the murder of Conservative Party lawmakers.

“We have no judgement to pass on Kneecap but note how sad it is that those supporting their freedom of expression are the same ones most determined to restrict ours,” they write.

“We agree completely with people who ask: ‘how can this be more important than what’s happening in Gaza and Israel?’ They’re right — it isn’t. How could it be? What, in anyone’s upcoming cultural life, is?” write Greenwood and Tassa.

They express admiration for the performers in the band, particularly the Arab musicians and singers, for showing “amazing bravery and conviction in contributing to their first record and touring with them.”

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Syria-Lebanon-Iran

PFLP-GC terror group says leader Talal Naji was arrested by Syrian authorities

2025-05-04

[IsraelTimes] Small terrorist faction, which was allied with ousted Assad regime, says it reached out to PA’s Mahmoud Abbas and Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal ‘to request their urgent intervention’

Why on earth would the conquering Al Qaeda government listen to the PA unbelievers and inadequately pious Palestinian Muslim Brotherhooders about a bunch of PLO Communists who spent the last generation supporting the Baathist (Arab national socialist) Assad government?

Officials of a small Paleostinian terrorist group that was close to the ousted Syrian president, Bashir Pencilneck al-Assad
Supressor of the Damascenes...
, said their leader was arrested Saturday by the country’s new Islamist-led authorities.

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Israel-Palestine-Jordan

Ship Carrying Aid to Gaza Sinks After Israeli Drone Attack

2025-05-03

Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Regnum] A ship of the Freedom Flotilla

…a project of Turkey’s IHH Humanitarian Relief Foundation, a semi-official "charity" branch of the Erdogan government that links the government, the Turkish branch of the Muslim Brotherhood, and pet jihadi groups like ISIS in Syria, among others. IHH puts together a Freedom Flotilla every few years. Except for the first one in 2010, which was raided by the IDF on the high seas, none of the rest have made it across the Mediterranean, as I recall. I was not even aware they’d put together another one…

coalition with humanitarian aid for Gaza was attacked by an Israeli drone. This was reported on May 2 by the CNN channel.

“There is now a hole in the ship and it is sinking,” coalition press attaché Yasemin Akar told the TV channel by telephone.

According to the Maltese government, there were 16 people on board the ship - 12 crew members and four passengers, while according to the Freedom Flotilla, there were 30 people on board.

Akar noted that the ship was attacked twice off the coast of Malta in international waters and is currently anchored 17 km from the shore and sending out SOS signals.

The Freedom Flotilla advocates for an end to the Israeli blockade of Gaza.

The Times of Israel’s take on the story:

A ship carrying humanitarian aid

and activists bound for Gazoo
...Hellhole adjunct to Israel and Egypt's Sinai Peninsula, inhabited by Gazooks. The place was acquired in the wake of the 1967 War and then presented to Paleostinian control in 2006 by Ariel Sharon, who had entered his dotage. It is currently ruled with a rusty iron fist by Hamas with about the living conditions you'd expect. It periodically attacks the Hated Zionist Entity whenever Iran needs a ruckus created or the hard boyz get bored, getting thumped by the IDF in return. The ruling turbans then wave the bloody shirt and holler loudly about oppression and disproportionate response...
was bombed by drones while in international waters off Malta overnight Thursday-Friday, the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, a pro-Paleostinian activist group, said.

The Saudi Al Arabiya news channel, citing a Western security source, reported that the convoy was organized by Hamas
Hamas

..always the voice of sweet reason...
and that those onboard planned to engage with IDF troops as they approached the Gaza shore.

Engage the army? An interesting choice. Just as well they were stopped before they got there.

The group uploaded video footage on social media ostensibly showing a fire on one of its ships. The footage could not be independently verified.

"The Freedom Flotilla Coalition had been organizing a non~~violent~~ mostly peaceful action under a media blackout [sic] to avoid any potential sabotage," the group said in an official statement on its website.

That does explain why we weren’t aware that a new flotilla was in the offing.

"Volunteers from over 21 countries travelled to Malta to board the mission to Gaza, including prominent figures."

The statement said the vessel was struck twice by armed drones 17 nautical miles (31.5 kilometers) east of Malta, "causing a fire and a substantial breach in the hull," and that, as of the last communication with the boat, the drones were still circling the ship.

The ship immediately issued an SOS distress call, to which Cyprus responded by dispatching a vessel, the group said.

"The dronezap appears to have deliberately targeted the ship’s generator, leaving the crew without power and placing the vessel at great risk of sinking," the statement said.

The group also accused Malta of violating customary international law by not sending assistance to the boat. The Maltese government rejected the claim, saying in a statement that a tugboat was sent to the area and brought the fire under control.

The government statement added that there were no casualties from the strike and that the ship’s 16 passengers refused to be taken ashore.

"The tug arrived on scene and began firefighting operations. By 1:28 a.m. (23:28 GMT Thursday), the fire was reported to be under control. An Armed Forces of Malta patrol vessel was also dispatched to provide further assistance," Malta said.

"By 2:13 a.m., all crew were confirmed safe but refused to board the tug... The ship remains outside territorial waters and is being monitored by the competent authorities," the statement concluded.

The Freedom Flotilla Coalition blamed Israel for the strike, saying in its statement: "Israeli ambassadors must be summoned and answer to violations of international law, including the ongoing blockade and the bombing of our civilian vessel in international waters."

The group did not provide any evidence for its claim.

While Israel did not officially comment on the allegations, an unsourced report claimed Friday morning that the ship is affiliated with Hamas. "Some define the ship attacked next to Malta as Hamas-affiliated, and say that it was a sophisticated aerial attack," Yedioth Ahronoth military correspondent Yossi Yehoshua wrote on X.

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Britain

British police probing Irish band Kneecap over videos praising Hamas, Hezbollah

2025-05-02

[IsraelTimes] London police say a counter-terrorism probe has been opened into online videos of Irish-language rappers Kneecap in response to claims the band supported Hamas and Hezbollah and incited violence against politicians.

The capital’s Metropolitan Police says two videos had been “referred to the Counter Terrorism Internet Referral Unit for assessment by specialist officers, who have determined there are grounds for further investigation into potential offenses linked to both videos.”

The band denies the allegations.

The accusations first surfaced after the band projected “Fuck Israel, Free Palestine” on stage while performing at Coachella last month.

Link

Israel-Palestine-Jordan

Jordan Declares War on Muslim Brotherhood

2025-04-25

Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
by Leonid Tsukanov

[REGNUM] Jordan's political landscape is rapidly changing. Following the revelation of a secret "missile factory" by the security services, the kingdom's authorities have decided to completely ban the activities of the Muslim Brotherhood* group.

The decision was made almost instantly - literally a few days after the publication of details of the defeat of the failed underground missilemen. Most of the country's residents did not question the harsh reaction to the conspiracy.

At the same time, there is a high probability that, in addition to issues of national security, the foreign policy ambitions of official Amman played a role in the final defeat of the Brotherhood.

"BROTHERS" IN JORDAN
The Muslim Brotherhood has been active in Jordan for over eighty years, from the mid-1940s until recently, and was considered a serious political force.

The group had hidden influence over the country's civilian and military elites and even attempted several times to overthrow King Abdullah II.

The royal court responded in kind, with searches and arrests, as well as the temporary closure of individual offices of the group, and tightened control over its financial flows and political course.

However, for most of the time, both forces existed in a state of "cold peace".

Clouds began to gather over the group on April 21, when attacks against the Muslim Brotherhood began to be heard from the rostrum of the Jordanian parliament one after another.

Representatives of various political forces, both those close to the court and those who consider themselves part of the moderate opposition, accused the group of trying to sow discord and plunge Jordanian society into civil war, and to create a new “terrorist enclave” on the territory of the kingdom.

POLITICAL STORM
The accusations were prompted by reports from Jordanian security forces about the arrest in mid-April of a large group of underground fighters affiliated with the Brotherhood.

At an abandoned facility in the northwest of the country (dubbed the "rocket factory"), the conspirators manufactured homemade missiles and UAVs, and stockpiled weapons and explosives, all of which they allegedly intended to use against the authorities soon.

The deputies, clearly impressed by the scale of the secret arsenals, called on the Islamic Action Front (considered the political wing of the Brotherhood) sitting in parliament to publicly condemn the group's activities and even renounce them. Otherwise, the entire faction (31 deputies) risked losing their mandates in one fell swoop "for assisting the conspirators."

And although the speaker of parliament, Ahmad al-Safaadi, tried to soften the emotional attacks of some of his colleagues, the mistrust of the Front did not diminish, even taking into account the fact that some deputies complied with the demands and condemned the course of the Muslim Brotherhood.

The public defeat of the Brotherhood was completed by the Kingdom's Interior Minister Mazen Faraya. At a special briefing on April 23, he announced that due to the attempted anti-government conspiracy, the movement's activities in Jordan were completely banned. Any public support for the group - including online campaigning for it - would henceforth be prosecuted.

The Muslim Brotherhood’s attempts to defuse the crisis and present the activities of the detained underground fighters as “purely independent” and “separated” from all official structures have led to nothing.

THE PALESTINIAN INCIDENT
The Jordanian authorities not only dissolved the organization, but also confiscated its property and closed all its offices in the country.

At least five activists of the movement were detained "pending clarification of the circumstances." However, they were quickly released without any new charges.

It was not only the Muslim Brotherhood that came under attack from official Amman.

In parallel with the closure of the group's offices, Jordanian law enforcement officials began an operation against the Palestinian Hamas.

At least three mid-level Palestinian officials who were in the country legally were arrested in the past 24 hours and taken to al-Jandaweel prison, which has a reputation for being political.

It is also noteworthy that several days before this, several Palestinians from the Islamic Jihad faction were arrested in neighboring Syria.

The arrest was carried out by the authorities under the pretext of the Palestinians' cooperation with "anti-government forces," which shocked them quite a bit: "Islamic Jihad" and other factions felt quite comfortable in Syria not only during the Assad dynasty, but also after its overthrow, and they showed no intention of conflicting with the new Damascus.

PREPARING THE SOIL
Outside observers tend to link the two episodes together and interpret them as preparing the ground for the launch of negotiations on normalizing relations between Syria and Israel in the spirit of the Abraham Accords.

And Jordan, as one of Israel's oldest Arab "friends," is quite capable of playing the role of mediator and providing channels of communication between Damascus and Tel Aviv. Especially since interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa has declared his readiness for détente with the Israelis at least several times.

In addition, Jordan has significant strategic autonomy in organizing the negotiations and has no claims against either the Syrian or Israeli side, and is less focused on the interests of its neighbors. The same Saudi Arabia and Qatar are not in a hurry to get involved in mediation, fearing to cause discontent in Iran and Turkey.

The success of the new “Abrahamic” negotiations will not only raise Jordan’s prestige in the eyes of the US and Israel, but will also open up vast opportunities for the kingdom to strengthen its presence in the Syrian market – primarily in the energy sector, where the Turks currently hold virtually undivided sway.

However, for the successful implementation of such a combination, official Amman needs to keep all internal forces under complete control. In order to quickly extinguish any discontent with the change in the political balance.

And the Muslim Brotherhood, which is under conditional control, as well as the Islamic Action Front affiliated with them (which is also one of the largest consolidated political forces in parliament) could seriously stir up the public. And in a tactical alliance with Hamas, they could also turn the Palestinian communities living in the country against the throne.

Amman does not want to risk the stability of the dynasty for the sake of dubious political benefits, and therefore chose to solve the problem effectively, taking the confrontation with the “Brothers” beyond the political in advance.

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