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Terror Networks

From Al-Qaeda to IS, familiar games and known players

2014-08-30

[ARABNEWS] Those who cannot remember the past, cautioned George Santayana, are condemned to repeat it. Those who think in cliches are bound to repeat them. I hate to sound like a conspiracy theorist but the scepter of IS -- and all such groups -- is evidently a grand conspiracy against Islam and its followers, just as Al-Qaeda had been. And you see the fingerprints of CIA, Mossad and their willing collaborators all over this baby. So Barack ObamaI think when you spread the wealth around, it's good for everybody... , who stood against Bush's wars and his apocalyptic visions of a world divided between Us and Them, is not just back bombing Iraq -- fourth US president to do so -- he seems to read from the self-same script. "No just God would stand for what they (IS) did yesterday, and for what they do every single day," the US president declared, responding to the slaying of US journalist James Foley in Syria. When was the last time you heard this invocation of the divine and the whole business of civilizational conflict, the good versus evil? We have been here before, and not long ago either. Obama may not exactly envision himself on a 'divine mission' to save the world, as his predecessor did, but he has ended up doing just about the same. Only the pretext seems to differ. Then it was supposedly to rid the world of Saddam Hussain's mythical weapons of mass destruction or to confront him on his support to Al-Qaeda in planning 9/11, as Bush claimed. Now it is to save the Christians and Yazidis from the clutches of the IS bigots. Truly touching the lengths America goes to every time to save the wretched world. Taking Obama's lead, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, Gen. Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and even cousins across the pond have gone all hyper screaming: "Apocalypse Now . . . end-of-days . . . We must prepare for everything . . . an imminent threat to every interest we have . . . This is beyond anything we have seen . . . " In the words of Robert Fisk ...British journalist who is invariably on the other side of any question. The logic of his prose is so shaky, the ideas so predictable, that he has given his name to the process of mocking a piece of poorly reasoned hackery. He was once beaten up by an Islamic mob and decided they had every right to thump him because he was so Western... , Hagel and Dempsey were pure Hollywood. It only needed Tom Cruise at their presser to utter the words "Mission impossible. " David Cameron ... has stated that he is certainly a big Thatcher fan, but I don't know whether that makes me a Thatcherite, which means he's not. Since he is not deeply ideological he lacks core principles and is easily led. He has been described as certainly not a Pitt, Elder or Younger, but he does wear a nice suit so maybe he's Beau Brummel ... , in the great tradition of Tony Blair who swore the UK was just 45 minute away from an Iraq WMD strike, sees the IS unleashing its terror on the UK streets. For years one saw such exaggerated nightmarish scenarios regularly spawned by the West vis-a-vis Al-Qaeda and of course Iraq and Iran. Alas, Al-Qaeda has nearly been wiped out; Saddam and Bin Laden have been eliminated and Iran has been suitably neutralized. So the world needed, or rather the mighty military industrial complex that drives the US economy needed, a new enemy to keep its good, old wars going. And the fearsome IS chief Abubakr Al-Baghdadi with his black, murderous mobs and their blood-curdling acts of casual brutality is perfect for the job profile. Even Al-Qaeda, or what remains of it, seems to be fearful of and is shocked by their viciousness and sheer savagery. The tales of mass murder, rapes and abductions of Christians, Yazidis and even Moslems by the hordes of the IS or Islamic State, as it absurdly likes to call itself now, already seem to be the stuff of legends. Not surprisingly, they have shaken and outraged people around the world-- the Moslems more so. The IS and the so-called caliphate it promises is like our worst nightmare come true. It materialized out of thin air, like clouds of locusts, taking over the vast swathes of Iraqi and Syrian territory. As Yvonne Ridley reasons, IS has achieved in a matter of weeks what the US and its allies failed to do in 10 years of occupation. This hasn't happened by accident; military victories on this scale take strategic planning and inside help. So who, exactly, is behind IS? More importantly, who stands to benefit from this carefully calibrated mayhem in the heart of the Middle East? The same folks who created Al-Qaeda and used it ingenuously and effectively for years until Osama and his baby had exhausted their uses and were past their sell-by date. Look at the uncanny similarity in the methods used by Al-Qaeda and IS -- from the chilling murder of Daniel Pearl to the barbaric beheading of James Foley this month, both US journalists incidentally. I hate to sound like a conspiracy theorist but the scepter of IS -- and all such groups -- is evidently a grand conspiracy against Islam and its followers, just as Al-Qaeda had been. And you see the fingerprints of CIA, Mossad and their willing collaborators all over this baby. As author Mahdi Darius Nazemroaya argues, the targeting of Christians and other minorities in Iraq and Syria and attempts to remap the Middle East are aimed at paving the way for the clash of civilizations that the likes of Samuel Huntington and Bernard Lewis have obsessed over for years. So it is good that Arab and Moslem states seem to be waking up to the monster that is staring them in the face. The recent Arab ministers' brainstorming in Jeddah and the Saudi-Iran confabulations seeking a common front against IS are welcome. So are the strong denunciations by top Islamic scholars and ordinary Moslems. The Moslem world has never in its long history faced a greater challenge. Doubtless, IS is a clear and present danger. And it wouldn't, most probably, have come into existence if it had not been for the spectacular lies and crusades of Bush and Blair. The Israeli crimes against humanity and relentless persecution of its helpless victims have also helped radicalize generations of Arabs and Moslems -- even those born in Western climes, as is apparently the case with the alleged British killer of James Foley. One can just hear it whispered among the grander wives of Saudi Society, as they discuss the latest exploits of what now calls itself the Islamic State. "Parvenus!" they hiss, and "Nouveau riche upstarts! How dare they act just our illustrious ancestors did only a century or two ago, and claim to be equal!"

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Britain

Week Of Anti-Semitism In Scotland Comparable To Entire 2013

2014-08-13

[IsraelTimes] The Scottish Council of Jewish Communities (SCoJeC) released figures this week indicating a huge upswing in anti-Semitic sentiment in Scotland since the start of Operation Protective Edge. According to the SCoJeC website, in the past week alone, the council has received as many reports of anti-Semitic incidents as in 2013. Incidents include synagogue graffiti, threatening emails and phone calls, and two cases of incitement to break the law. Community members have relayed to SCoJeC a reluctance to wear Jewish symbols and speak Hebrew on the street. Scottish Jews are limiting contact with non-Jews to "to avoid aggressive attempts to draw them into arguments about the Middle East," and university students report feeling unsafe on campuses. The council says community members "are worried and depressed, and unable to sleep. A number of people have said they no longer feel welcome in Scotland and are actively considering moving to Israel; some Israelis who have made their lives in Scotland have said they are afraid to say where they are from." The council website lists four examples of what it calls "the disproportionate obsession with Israel in Scottish public life," which are increasing Scottish Jews' unease, including the Glasgow municipality's decision to fly the Paleostinian flag on August 5 in solidarity with its twin city, Bethlehem. In a statement from the Glasgow municipality Monday, Councillor Archie Graham explained the flag raising as "a gesture of humanitarian solidarity with the innocent civilians of Gazoo who have suffered disproportionately from the effects of the economic blockade and especially from the recent incursion by the Israeli army." In the run-up to the Glasgow flag raising, pro-Paleostinian activist Yvonne Ridley published a tweet calling for a "Zionist-free Scotland." Members of the Jewish community have reported Ridley to the police for this tweet, as well as for a blog she wrote discussing Israel's genocidal intentions in Gazoo. Other examples include: Of the 260 members' motions relating to foreign nations since the 2011 Scottish Parliamentary elections, 50 involved Israel. In second place is Malawi with 14 motions, and tied for third are Syria, South Africa, and Iraq with 12. Additionally, since July 9, there have been eight Scottish government statements about Gazoo. "By comparison, there have been just 4 Scottish Governments statement about Syria since January 2013," states the council. As a final example, the council writes that since July 16 there have been three Scottish Human Rights Commission statements about the conflict in Gazoo, bringing its statements relating to Israel to six — out of only seven statements about countries outside of the UK since the establishment of the commission in 2008.

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Olde Tyme Religion

The Taliban and the Fairer Sex

2010-08-11

An eighteen-year old girl named Aisha escaped from her marital home, only for her husband to force her back, and for the Taliban to punish her by cutting off her nose and ears. This, in short, was what Time magazine reported in last week's issue, together with a picture of the beautiful girl, with her nose removed, spread across the entire cover. This is considered to be the most interesting cover photo this year, and has received over 500 comments posted by readers on the 'Time' website, whilst the 'Arabiya' satellite channel website has had a similar number of comments in Arabic. Yet there is another woman who also had a genuine experience with the Taliban, no less interesting than that of the Afghan girl, whose nose was chopped off, though differing in events, details and coverage. The hero of the story is British hack journalist Yvonne Ridley, who was captured by Taliban. Contrary to what she expected, according to her account of events after being released, she was treated well by the Taliban, despite insulting them during interrogations, and even spitting in the face of one her captors. This British woman was imprisoned by the Taliban, yet after her release, her appreciation for the group and its honourable treatment remained, and she subsequently converted to Islam. But, she was less fortunate than the Afghan girl, as her image did not adorn the cover of any western magazine, despite the fact that her story could form the basis of an exciting Hollywood movie, and not just a magazine cover. She "more fortunate" than the Afghan girl because they didn't chop Yvonne's nose and ears off. The selective media chooses [to print] only what suits its ideas, and conveys its message. This fault could apply to everyone on our planet without exception, but in the Western world it is even more dangerous, because the Western media, namely newspapers and established satellite channels, enjoy a great deal of credibility. In fact, there is nothing worse than packaging a bad idea to make it appear credible. In my own view, the photo of the miserable Afghani girl does not break from this tradition. This photo was not selected on innocent humanitarian grounds, as the cover page of 'Time' was accompanied with the following question: "What Will Happen if We Withdraw From Afghanistan?" If even Time realizes that the Talibs will go back to chopping people's appendage off there might still be hope. The question reveals the lack of innocence. The cover image served as a means to shock American society, at a time when it was venting frustration and impatience due to a series of failures of the part of the US army and its ally troops on Afghan soil. These grievances come in addition to the rising injuries and death toll as a result of the guerrilla wars, where regular armies are struggling to achieve a clear victory. What Time magazine accuses the Taliban of doing to the Afghan girl is very likely true, but their admirable treatment of the British female journalist is also true. This is in no way a contradiction, because the Taliban, unlike al-Qaeda, have grown into a wide ranging umbrella organisation, under which significant cross sections of Afghan society lie. This includes remnants of the Afghan Jihadists from the old days of the Soviet occupation, and followers of Hekmatyar, Younis Khales, Rabani, Haqqani and Sayyaf. The Taliban movement has been accepted by traditionalists, activists and technocrats, attracting both the radical and the tolerant, the extremists and moderates, because in Afghanistan there is no rival to the Taliban, it is the people's only option. Such a multi-faceted organisation can include honourable and moderate members, such as those who captured the heart of the British lady, yet also include the savage barbarians who cut off the nose of poor Aisha. For those Islamic countries that have influence in the Afghan arena, like Saudi Arabia and other moderate Islamic movements, a vital role remains in strengthening the moderate trend within Taliban movement. This is because Taliban has become a difficult factor, but the only factor in the Afghani equation, as evidenced by the recent U.S. efforts to court the organisation.

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India-Pakistan

Taliban are threat to mankind-Wajid Shamsul Hasan

2009-05-07

[Associated Press of Pakistan] Pakistan High Commissioner to the UK Wajid Shamsul Hasan has described Taliban as threat not only to his country but to mankind as well and said they need to be eliminated. He was speaking at a discussion organised by the member of British Parliament Lord Nazir Ahmed in the Houses of Parliament on Tuesday on the situation in Pakistan, the Sharia law, the Taliban and terrorism. The High Commissioner said that in view of the dangers facing Pakistan, every citizen of the country must rise to the occasion and challenge this scourge of Taliban. He said there was a need to distinguish between Taliban and Islam, and Taliban do not deserve to call themselves Muslims as they are killing the members of their own religion. He paid tributes to Pakistan Army in its endeavour to establish the writ of the government in the troubled areas of Swat, Buner and Lower Dir and said the country has suffered immensely in terms of men and material in this conflict. The High Commissioner called for inquiry by the UN into the funding of the Taliban, acquisition of sophisticated weapons and heavy duty vehicles. Noted British journalist and member of the Respect Party Yvonne Ridley said the West must stop demonising Pakistan whose people are moderate and peace loving. Pakistan Deputy High Commissioner Asif Durrani stressed on solving the Middle East issue as Al-Qaeda's global threat was related to that region. He brushed aside claims that Taliban pose danger to Islamabad. Lord Ahmed spoke of the historical links between Pakistan and Britain and the said British Pakistani Diaspora has the moral responsibility to assist their land of origin in its hour of need. A number of councillors of Pakistani origin including Mushtaq Lasharie, Hamza Malik, Riaz Mirza, Pervez Chaudhry and Sikander Lodhi also spoke on the occasion and called for removing the misperception about Pakistan while making efforts to promote and strengthen democracy. The meeting also passed a resolution calling on Maulana Sufi Mohammad, Maulana Fazalullah, HajI Muslim and other leaders of the Tehrik-e-Taliban to lay down their arms and co-operate with the State authorities to provide good governance, justice and development in the region. The British elected councillors of Pakistani origin also called upon the NGOs to help rebuild villages that have been destroyed in the drone attacks and by the Taliban. The resolution called on the British Government to exercise influence on American government to stop drone attacks on Pakistan and the Tribal leaders in the FATA region to drive out foreign fighters who are using Pakistani soil to launch attacks inside Afghanistan. The document further called on Pakistan Government to establish a national peace, dialogue and reconciliation centre in Islamabad and in FATA and Baluchistan to promote peace and harmony. The resolution urged the British Pakistani and Kashmiri communities to help in rebuilding peace and stability in Baluchistan, FATA and Malakand regions by providing financial and logistic support. It requested all the political leaders to unite for the supreme national cause of unity in Pakistan and refrain from playing politics at this critical juncture. The British councillors strongly condemned the attacks on women and girls in schools by extremists as well as those on the police, law enforcing agencies while recognising the suffering of the civilians in FATA areas. The UN was urged to address the issue of three million Afghan refugees in Pakistan and assist their return home.

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Britain

What is the point of Hazel Blears?

2009-03-24

Yvonne Ridley It's a question I've often asked myself but her ineffective initiatives and weak sound bites have largely been so insignificant that most of us choose to ignore her. Her Westminster life began to take off when she joined a group of largely other dodgy-looking boilers who were given the unlikely soubriquet of Blair's Babes.

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Africa North

George Galloway stoned in Egypt

2009-03-09

I know what many of you are thinking. Galloway got into the hashish but it's even better. A convoy led by the maverick MP George Galloway carrying supplies for Gaza has been attacked in Egypt, apparently injuring several people travelling in his party. The convoy, carrying aid worth £1 million, was pelted with stones and vandalised with anti-Hamas slogans after it stopped overnight in El-Arish, a small town around 28 miles from the Rafah border crossing with Gaza. It appears that Hamas is not thought too well of there. George certainly doesn't appear to be... The attack comes weeks after Mr Galloway, of the Respect party, described Egypt's President Hosni Mubarak as a "tyrant" and "criminal" and demanded that he be overthrown by his country's armed forces. Proving once again that Galloway is a meddling dickweed. Drove through Egypt after insulting Hosni? My, that's brave ... I think the word you were actually looking for might be "stoopid." Mr Galloway's party confirmed that Egyptian officials had also become embroiled in a dispute with the party over what type of goods they would be allowed to take into the territory through the Rafah crossing. Galloway is under the delusion that because he is a member of Parliment he can go wherever he pleases and do whatever he wants. Well of course he can - the sun never sets on the Empire and all that. Oh wait ... wrong meme ... The sun never sets on the Ummah? The sun never sets on arrogant dumbasses? They were due to cross over into the Hamas-run territory today, but were so far believed to have been detained at Rafah this morning for more than an hour. The biggest attack faced so far by the the 110-vehicle convoy, organised and led by the MP for Bethnal Green and Bow, came after it arrived in El-Arish on Saturday. During a power cut -- which is a frequent occurrence in the town -- children had pelted the convoy with stones, a security official said. "It's an absolute disgrace,'' convoy organiser Yvonne Ridley We're just overrun by usual suspects on this trips, aren't we? told the AFP news agency. "The power was cut. Under cover of darkness members of our convoy were attacked with stones. I mean, here we are trying to give aid to their enemies and they treat us like Infidels! I can only hope Yvonne took a couple upside the head ... "Vandals also wrote dirty words and anti-Hamas slogans. Several people in the convoy were injured in the attack." Don't they know who we are? They should be worshipping us! The convoy had been held up in El-Arish after a dispute arose between organisers and Egyptian officials over the inclusion of non-medical aid in the convoy. Somebody try to sneak in some ammo? weapons? Dynamite, likely... Egyptian officials have said that they will allow medical relief through the Rafah passage to Gaza, which is facing a humanitarian crisis after Israel's military offensive. However, non-medical goods such as food would have to pass through Israel's crossings with the Palestinian enclave. "George Galloway is still in negotiations," said Ms Ridley. "What we have agreed to do is to separate the medical aid from the non-medical aid. The non-medical will go into Gaza via the Egyptian Red Crescent." Which will then be sold a a hefty proffit. Mr Galloway's convoy were braced for some hostility in Egypt after the Respect MP earlier this year called for its President to be overthrown in a highly controversial speech at a rally protesting Israel's assault on the Islamist militants of Hamas. "There are many governments responsible for this great crime in Palestine, but the dictatorship of Hosni Mubarak is jointly responsible for the murder of every Palestinian who has died in these last two years," he said. "I think I'll waddle right down to Egypt and tell him that!" "When he [Mubarak] was embracing Livni [the Israeli Foreign Minister] as the bombs were falling, when he locked the border at Rafah, he became an international criminal and an outlaw of the Arab world. So I call, in conclusion, on the great people of Egypt, on the heroic armed forces of Egypt, and the heroic army of Egypt of 1973, to rise up and sweep away this tyrant Mubarak. To rise up, to rise up, and to demolish the border at Rafah and let the people go free." Hey Dickweed. They don't want Paleostinians ruining their Country. The trip also ran into controversy when it was disclosed last month that three Islamist terror suspects arrested in northwest England had planned to leave the country under cover of Mr Galloway's convoy. That went over like a fart in an aroma therapy clinic. Senior police sources said that the men were believed to be planning a terrorist operation abroad. With George's connivance... They were arrested in a joint operation by police and MI5 while they were driving two vans on the M65 near Preston, Lancashire. Police sources said that the men were driving to Ramsgate to join a "Valentine's Day convoy" of 110 vehicles that later left the port. There is no indication that Mr Galloway or any of the convoy's organisers knew of the men's plans. Tell them Hogan I know nothing! He's shocked, shocked!

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Israel-Palestine-Jordan

Moonbat aid convoy to Gaza hits snag in Tunisia

2009-02-27

A Co Tyrone man who is driving a lorry to Gaza to deliver humanitarian aid as part of the 'Viva Palestina' convoy has been detained in Tunisia. John Hurson, from Dungannon, entered the north African country on Wednesday after travelling from Algeria but was stopped by Tunisian police, along with the rest of the convoy, and herded into a football stadium in the province of Gabes, more than 300kms away from the capital city of Tunis. Yesterday, the Tunisian authorities said they would allow the convoy to continue on its journey to Gaza. However, last night the convoy remained in the country and all 120 vehicles were being kept under lock and key in the stadium. Speaking to the Belfast Telegraph from the stadium in Gabes, Mr Hurson explained he had spent all day trying to get out of the sporting facility but had been repeatedly told they were being kept inside for their "own safety". "It's just crazy," he said. "The Tunisian Government are keeping everyone under wraps. They are telling us we are not under arrest but they are not letting us out of the stadium. Their excuse is that it's for our safety. There is some sort of civil unrest near the border at the moment. They are afraid we might spark some sort of uprising. "Some people have managed to get away to a hostel to get showered and rest but we are all still stuck in here. We have been told that they might take us to a hotel tonight but our vehicles will stay in the stadium. It looks as if we won't be able to leave here until Saturday." Before the convoy was taken to Gabes, Mr Hurson's lorry broke down in the province of Gafsa. He explained the Tunisian authorities had ordered the convoy to keep moving but because they were stuck on the side of the road he claimed they became a bit hostile. Once they were able to get moving, the entire convoy met up in Gabes. According to Press TV, two human rights activists travelling with the convoy were arrested by Tunisian police on Wednesday night. A reporter, Yvonne Ridley, who is accompanying the convoy, told the news agency the activists were pushed into a van and taken to an undisclosed destination and that their fate remained unknown. Mr Hurson said many in the convoy were still confused about when they would be able to re-start their trek but acknowledged the Tunisian Government had allowed mechanics into the stadium to help with repairs. "I just have a wheel bearing that needs to be fixed, which is no problem," he said last night. "They have let mechanics in to fix things but in terms of the way they have handled this whole situation, it's been a big mistake." The 'Viva Palestina' convoy was organised by Respect MP George Galloway in response to the humanitarian crisis which is currently affecting thousands of Palestinians following Israel's military assault last month. More than 100 vehicles, including a fire engine, ambulance and even a boat gathered outside Parliament buildings in London on Valentine's Day and plan to travel more than 5,000 miles through cities such as Bordeaux, Madrid, Tangier, Fez, Ras Jdeir (Libyan border), Tripoli, Cairo and finally ending up at the border crossing of Rafah -- sealed by Cairo despite the humanitarian crisis -- in Palestine on March 9.

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Britain

Moonbat Yvonne Ridley wins £25,000 payout from Islam Channel

2009-01-01

Former Sunday Express journalist Yvonne Ridley has been awarded more than £20,000 in compensation and £5,000 costs after winning a case for unfair dismissal and sexual discrimination against the Islam Channel. An employment tribunal ruled in April that Ridley had been unfairly dismissed by the digital channel and upheld her complaint of sexual discrimination and harassment. Now a tribunal in London has awarded her £20,532 in compensation and ordered the Islam Channel to pay her £5,000 in costs. Ridley's case, which was part-funded by the NUJ, was held in London in February and heard evidence from a number of figures in support of her claims including the Respect MP George Galloway. Ridley, who resigned from the channel in April last year, complained that she had effectively been dismissed after relations between her and the channel's chief executive, Mohammed Ali, broke down. The tribunal also found that Ridley had been unfairly dismissed, and ruled that the way she was treated was "riddled with unfairness" and that she was subjected to "a wholesale approach of seeking to blame her at various points". Earlier this year Ridley won nearly £14,000 in damages after winning a four-year unfair dismissal case against Arabic TV station al-Jazeera. Ridley was sacked from her job as an editor on the Doha-based channel in November 2003 and launched an unfair dismissal case. Ridley hit the headlines when she was held captive by the Taliban in Afghanistan while on assignment with the Sunday Express in 2001. She subsequently converted to Islam and now works for the Iranian-based 24-hour English language news channel PressTV, where she fronts her own London-based current affairs show, The Agenda.

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Great White North

Time to face the Islamist elephant in Canada's room

2008-10-03

I had the privilege of spending a few hours today amongst the bravest people in Canada. One, Marc Lebuis, is a name you won't recognize, because up to now he's kept a low profile as the one-man show running www.pointdebasculecanada.ca. This is an anti-Islamist site that brings francophone Quebecers the news and frank opinions on the relentless push of the soft jihadists in our midst to Islamicize society, opinions that the mainstream media are too politically correct to publish. Marc and some close associates organized today's press conference on the subject, "Political Islam - A Threat to Our Freedoms." The three other brave people appearing with him should be household names, but their courage and eloquence is, shamefully, only known and saluted by a relative handful of grateful Canadians: Salim Mansur, Tarek Fatah and Raheel Raza, three Canadian Muslims facing death threats by other Canadian Muslims for exposing the dangers of Islamism, a totalitarian ideology that wears the mask of religion. The room at the Omni hotel in Montreal was filled to capacity, reverberating with frequent applause to statements like these from Salim Mansur: "Islam is my private life, my conscience...[but] my faith does not take precedence over my duties...to Canada and its constitution, which I embrace freely;" "I am first and most importantly a Canadian;" "only in a free society will you find Islam as a faith and not a political religion." Appreciation was shown as well for the statements of Tarek Fatah, who spoke about the threat to freedom of speech posed by Islamists who constantly seek to chill any perceived criticism of any Muslim. In explaining the danger Islamism poses to society, Fatah said that "Islam is to Islamism as uranium is to weapons of mass destruction." Having lived 30 years in Pakistan and 10 in Saudi Arabia, Fatah knows intimately what constitutes "soft jihad" when he sees it. He expressed his sorrow, as a lifetime social democrat that after 17 years of engaged support for the NDP, he could no longer be affiliated with that party. He saw the doors opening to Islamists under Alexa McDonough and now, under Layton, he has seen them "flood" into the party. It soon became apparent that the particular political focus of all three of the speakers is the NDP, which has shamelessly courted and integrated into its inner circles Islamist Muslims with views that are antithetical and even dangerous to the continued health of Canadian values. Fatah has watched in frustration as Islamists in the NDP pursue a relentless campaign to instill a sense of victimhood in Muslim youth. Yesterday an NDP candidate in Toronto Centre - an immigration lawyer, Farouk El-Khaki - accused the judiciary of being anti-Islam. He was not chastised by Jack Layton, and even more worrying, he was not held to account by any other party candidate. It is clear that no party leader wants Islamism raised as an election issue. Jack Layton, Mansur said "has gone to bed with Islamists." He is running candidates in Ontario and Quebec who are closely identified with the push for Sharia law, which, all the panelists made clear is the litmus test for dividing real moderate Muslims from Islamists. Fatah also expressed his contempt for the Ontario Human Rights Commission which, he asserted is "infiltrated by Islamists": There are commissioners in the OHCR closely linked to the Canadian Islamic Congress and the Canada-Arab federation, both of which, according to Fatah, have "contempt for Canadian values." Anyone, he says, "who brings religion into politics should be suspect" because they "are a threat to western civilization." The NDP's failure to interrogate their Muslim supporters for fear of revealing their Islamism is the "racism of lower expectations." Raheel Raza introduced herself as "the proud recipient of a fatwa" for having the gall to try to lead prayers. She shared her joy in having the freedom in Canada to be spiritually religious without fear of political coercion, something she could never have in a Muslim country: "No Muslim country would allow me the rights I have here." She knows she is being monitored from abroad, since she received her fatwa by e-mail from Saudi Arabia. How would they have known about her if she were not being informed on by Islamists here? She cannot fathom why politicians pander to the Islamists. Actually she can fathom it. "Political correctness" will not allow politicians to raise the question of allegiance in their Muslim supporters. As for feminists, where are they? Also pandering. They have not spoken up about the Talibanist woman in Mississauga who teaches the virtues of polygamy to her female students, nor have they criticized a cleric who openly admits to performing polygamous marriages. Feminists seem to have lower expectations for Muslim women than for themselves: what Tarek Fatah calls "left wing racism." Ms Raza is, according to an Islamist website, #5 of the "most hated Muslims in the world." "My aim," she chuckles, "is to become #1." The air began to crackle with political electricity when Samaa Elibyan, a Muslim journalist with close ties to the Canadian Islamic Congress, and an admirer of the infamous Taliban apologist Yvonne Ridley, stood up to challenge the panel's right to criticize Samira Laouni, NDP candidate in Bourassa riding, who was not present, for her Islamist views of Sharia law. Mr Mansur and Mr Fatah reminded her that if the NDP had the right to pick an Islamist candidate - and they do - then anyone else has the right to criticize that choice, including "the right to insult you." After the conference, predictably enough, Radio-Canada were all over Ms Elibyan for her views. Not a single reporter was interested in interviewing the three brave hearts who are trying to warn us of a clear and present danger that nobody, least of all the people tasked with protecting us from our enemies, wants to talk about.

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Great White North

Guess who’s coming to a city near you

2007-08-15

Radical Islam supporter Yvonne Ridley, if you live in Toronto or Montreal You may remember the name Yvonne Ridley. She was the journalist captured by the Taliban in 2001. A textbook case of Stockholm Syndrome, she converted to Islam and took up the cause of her captors. Now a talking head on the Islam Channel in England, where she is responsible for political issues, she is also a founder and frequent candidate for the Respect Party (the political party of choice for fundamentalist Muslims, and terrorist-supporting left wing political scoundrels like George Galloway). Ridley supports radical Islam’s objectives and its spokespeople (she has stated, for example, that Abu Hamza al-Masri, the infamously radical and openly jihadist Finsbury Park Mosque imam is “quite sweet really” and has designated as “martyrs” such monsters as Abu Musab al-Zarqawi and Chechan devil Shamil Basayev, who perpetrated the horrific Beslan school massacre), and to this day defends the Taliban in Afghanistan, where Canadian soldiers are risking (and losing) life and limb to defeat them. Ridley has also recently become the London correspondent for a new TV channel created by Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad – Press TV – which, according to Ridley, offers “a different perspective than that of conventional media.” (On its Internet site there is a section, “Analyses,” where one can find insinuations that the British government orchestrated the recent car bomb attacks on London and Glasgow in order to tarnish the image of Muslims in Great Britain.) And yet, at the invitation of the Islamic Congress of Canada, Yvonne Ridley is being brought this September to our shores as a guest speaker. A petition is presently making the rounds in Quebec, demanding that the Islamic Congress of Canada disassociate itself from Yvonne Ridley and her odious connections and words, and, in addition, make clear to the Canadian public the Congress’ refusal to offer any support, direct or indirect, to Islamist terrorism. If you would like more information about Yvonne Ridley or about this petition, please contact redaction@egards.qc.ca.

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Down Under

Australians 'worst Muslim haters'

2007-04-07

Firebrand Islamic convert Yvonne Ridley has accused Australians of being among the worst Muslim haters in the world. As millions of Australians celebrated Easter, they were branded Islamophobes by the outspoken British woman. She believes Australian attitudes to Islam are hardening faster than any other nation. "I'm deeply shocked," Ms Ridley said. "It's not what it was when I was last here three years ago. I've visited over 20 different countries in the last three years and Australia is the most shocking in terms of deterioration." Ms Ridley, 48, will speak about Islamophobia today at a controversial Muslim conference at Melbourne University. Thousands are expected to attend a series of lectures over the weekend. Organisers laughed off suggestions the First Annual Australian Islamic Conference was staged over Easter to insult Christians. "We certainly meant no insensitivity," organiser Adel Salman said. "We weren't making any particular statement or any religious statement. It was purely a convenient time to schedule the conference." Two controversial sheiks have been refused visas to speak at the conference. Several politicians also wanted Ms Ridley banned. The former investigative reporter was briefly held captive by the Taliban in Afghanistan in 2001 and converted to Islam two years later. She discourages British Muslims from co-operating with anti-terrorism police and she refers to suicide bombings as "martyrdom operations". But Ms Ridley dismissed objections to her presence by Australian politicians. "It's entertaining but there is an election in the air," she said. The conference, staged by non-profit Muslim group Mercy Mission, hit the headlines when the Herald Sun revealed that radical Muslim academic Sheik Bilal Philips had been refused a visa for security reasons. He has been linked to the 1993 World Trade Centre bombings and has described US-led Western culture as an enemy of Islam. A visa for another Islamic academic, Sheik Jaafer Idris, was not processed in time. But Mercy Mission's Adel Salman vowed to bring the scholars to Australia in the future. "We hope that one day we'll be able to bring Jaafer Idris and Dr Bilal Philips to Australia," Mr Salman said. "That's certainly our hope but whether or not that happens is up to the Australian Government." Mr Salman believes their rejection was politically motivated. "I believe (Sheik Philips) was rejected because he was seen as a threat to Australia," he said. "On that basis we don't agree with the decision because we don't see that he is a threat to Australia or Australians." Sheik Philips was named an "unindicted co-conspirator" in the first World Trade Centre attack in 1993, that killed six and injured 1000. But Mr Salman described him as a wise and eminent Muslim thinker. "We've done our own research and investigation, and we're very confident that he's not in any way linked to any such (terrorist) activity. In fact, he's a man of peace and moderation and is very well qualified. "We believe he is one of the foremost academics on Islam in the world today and just through sheer knowledge and wisdom we believe he would have brought a lot to this conference."

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Down Under

Controversy over visa for speaker at Aussie Islamic conference

2007-04-05

British journalist and Muslim convert Yvonne Ridley should not be allowed into Australia if reports that she has praised suicide bombers are verified, Labor says. Ridley, who was a senior reporter for Britian's Sunday Express, converted to Islam three years after she was captured by the Taliban while on an undercover assignment for the newspaper in 2001. Her ordeal, in which she was imprisoned and interrogated by the Taliban, made headlines worldwide. Her own website says she is well-known for her outspoken views and defence of Islam. Sister Yvonne, as she is known now, also describes radical cleric Abu Hamza al-Masri as "quite sweet really" and says the Taliban have suffered an unfair press. Ridley is to be a speaker at the first annual Australian Islamic Conference in Melbourne this weekend. Opposition immigration spokesman Tony Burke said Ridley had praised the Chechen leader of the Beslan school massacre, Shamil Basayev, as a martyr and urged Muslims in Britain not to co-operate with police. She is also alleged to have described suicide bombings as "martyrdom operations". Mr Burke said the Government should have the comments investigated and kick Ridley out of the country if necessary. "If the quotes are accurate, her visa should be cancelled immediately," Mr Burke said. He questioned how Ms Ridley could have passed the character test required for a visa. Immigration Minister Kevin Andrews said Ridley had been allowed to enter Australia because there was nothing to suggest she was a security risk. "In the case of Ms Ridley, she was judged not to be a threat to the national security of Australia," Mr Andrews said on ABC radio. "There is a vast distinction between allowing somebody into Australia whose views you may not like, and somebody who is a threat to national security." The immigration department decided this week not to allow another controversial figure, Sheik Bilal Philips, into Australia. Sheik Philips, who was to be the keynote speaker at the conference, has been linked to the 1993 bombing of the World Trade Centre in New York.

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