Yesterday I reported about the Youssef & Kamal rap music video from the Netherlands, which includes a mock beheading of the anti-immigration Dutch politician, Geert Wilders.

Out of a combination of fear and political correctness, the Dutch media and the political elites have put Mr. Wilders beyond the pale. For all intents and purposes, it is as if they are saying, “If anything happens to Geert Wilders, it is because of his abhorrent politics, and he will be getting what he deserves.”

Several comments on the Vigilant Freedom version of yesterday’s post assert that the rap video is a hoax, and that “Youssef & Kamal” do not exist, but are the handiwork of a young ethnic Dutchman.

Our Flemish correspondent VH weighs in on this and other aspects of Geert Wilders’ situation. At the bottom of this post is his translation of the lyrics of the Youssef & Kamal video.

Here’s what VH has to say:

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Geen Stijl indeed posted a follow-up with links to translations, slagging Youssef & Kamal for becoming famous even though they are just a bunch of slimy little cowards. Geen Stijl ends by suggesting it was made by a white 20-year old little s***head.

The rap and clip is real; there is no hoax about that. The only vague thing is Youssef & Kamal themselves or “himself”.

Already there are fierce and nasty comments coming up. Even if it’s a young white scumbag or whoever, he certainly seems to speak on behalf of a group of quite intolerant idiots who love this rap, just because it does threaten Wilders:

TheHagueStudent:

@kalesky, If you don’t see the sarcasm of it, you must be an extemist jew, jou make yourself an idiot here, what about spindoctoring about a trreat? the book? all while it concerns an adolescent responding to the stigma wilders spreads

@dutchways

and all those rage bokito’s [bokito is the name of the recently escaped gorilla from the Blijdorp zoo] make a fool of themselves, you shouldn’t run behind the asses of geen stijl and wilders, this is also freedom of art, eat your heart out, its clearly sarcasm towards the stigma that the jewish fascist wilders stirred up

I just found a rap with a similar voice from the previous Wilders threat (sounds like a kid with no pure Dutch accent). At the end of this rap he says:

Ewa Geert Wilders, contact with me [sic], I have the address of Youssef for you

By the way, just a few lines from this rap just for the local color:

Fatneck I stab you death
Fatneck you dirty kanker jew
Fatneck fat homo

I don’t trust the picture, but the rap is sick. A very sick guy, anyway. If he is the one behind the recent rap, he hasn’t been doing it on his own.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

In the meantime, Geert Wilders has reported it to the police, and remarked, “I haven’t seen it this dirty before.” Quite a remark for Wilders, who receives piles of death threats a day and is quite used to it, although he has protection around the clock and lives in safe houses.

Adding to this, the Dutch Government started preparing for major Muslim riots once Wilders’ Koran film is shown on TV. They even suggest it might have an impact similar to that of the Jyllands-Posten Mohammed-cartoons, and spread through the Muslim world outside the Netherlands.

These actions have been taken:

1. Wilders will get extra protection.

2. In Amsterdam, Utrecht, and the Hague, extra measures will be taken (what exactly is not said).

3. The Amsterdam Police have talked with local Imams and the Muslim community to prepare them for the film, hoping to prevent riots.

4. An emergency scenario is in preparation or already adjusted in case major riots occur.

The film may be shown on January 25. Of course, not by the regular networks, but in the broadcasting time of the PVV (Geert Wilders’ Freedom Party). Every party in the Netherlands has some time available yearly on the radio and the TV; it’s not much, but might be enough to use it for the Koran film.

To give an idea about Wilders’ protection there’s an interesting quote following the first clip of Youssef & Kamal in 2005:

…The young MP [Wilders], who represents the one-man faction Groep Wilders in Dutch Parliament [at the moment his Freedom Party has 9 out of 150 seats], has adopted an aggressively anti-Islamic position, claiming that Islam and democracy are “not well-matched, not even in a million years.”

Since airing his views, Wilders has been under constant threat by Islamists who want him dead. On the web several video clips have appeared which called for his beheading. Wilders has six bodyguards and has slept [even] in a prison cell to protect himself against possible attacks.

By the way, the prime minister admitted by accident that the yearly Christmas message of the Queen indeed was directed to Wilders and his electorate. The quote from Balkenende: “Wilders says he defends the interests of the Netherlands, but in the meantime tears down what makes Netjerland the Netherlands: our royalty, our tolerance, and the solidarity with others, also across the borders.” With this the prime minister makes a connection between the message of the Queen and Wilders.

What strikes me about this panic in the Dutch government, with the Queen, the usual leftist appeasers and the Dutch Muslims, is that Wilders didn’t make or do anything yet, only announced the plan to make a film critical of the Koran.

Balkenende — through his mouthpiece the Queen (or vice versa) — recently called upon the native Dutch to be more tolerant, and told Wilders (she didn’t mention his name, but Balkenende admitted it was aimed at Wilders) to stop his behavior, which is causing a rift within society.

With this the government shows they are exactly where Youssef & Kamal and similar people want them: shaking in a shady corner, soiling their pants.

As a side note: Hizb Ut Tahrir, an extreme Muslim group that is banned in many countries but seemingly not in the Netherlands was handing out flyers against Geert Wilders a few days ago. This organization is known having links even spreading out to Al Qaeda.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Here are excerpts from two articles about Y&K. First, from Eindhovens Dagblad:

The clip was made by rappers Youssef & Kamal, youths from Eindhoven with Moroccan background. It is posted also on Geen Stijl. Halfway through the clip two staged pictures flash by in which a decapitated Wilders can be seen. At the end of the film they show a man, a Wilders look-alike, surrounded by masked men. One of them cuts his throat.

[…]

The clip starts with the text “Eindhoven Mocros”, meaning Moroccans. In the rap lyrics Woensel and Vaartbroek are also mentioned. There are street pictures of the Limburglaan, de Roosje Vosstraat and the shopping center Vaartbroek. In the latter neighborhood there has been trouble before, caused by Moroccan youths.

The clip also shows a masked guy waving a knife and a crowbar, mixed with (security) images from robberies and a ramkraak. The title roll at the end points at the anti-Islam film Wilders wants to make. In the photo at right, Geert Wilders appears with a sign saying “THUG LIFE” over his eyes.

Letter

In the neighborhood Vaartbroek a lot of citizens found on a leaflet on their doormats on Christmas day calling for resistance against Wilders’ film about the Koran. This letter also has been delivered in dome areas of Hertogenbosch, Amsterdam, and Zaandam. The senders, calling themselves the “ youths of Hizb ut Tahrir“, come forward to “defend the noble Koran as an Islamic duty”

The duo Youssef & Kamal already made a controversial rap about Wilders in 2005 [“De Kelder”, The Cellar], which can be listened to on a music-website. In this rap Wilders is being tortured and threatened with assassination. Wilders the also reported this rap to the police. Whether it will lead to a conviction is not known to the politician. Youssef & Kamal did release an “excuse” rap (“Sorry, Geert Wilders, I didn’t want to hurt you, please don’t lock me up, because I do appreciate your hairdo”).

All the way at the end of the clip a text announces the following: “Soon available with the soundtrack of the Geert Wilders film containing the hits: Woensel, Get away, Station Whores, The Cellar, F**k the Jews, Ambitionz as a Ridah [also the title of a Tupac-rap], I don’t give a s**t, Pour Ceux [also a rap by Mafia K1 Fry], 180 cc, Hit ’em Up and many others.”

This is from State Hiphop Magazine:

In response to the previous rap [in 2005] against Geert Wilders that made headlines, they gave an interview:

Why the rappers [Youssef & Kamal] aim at Wilders is as clear as anything: “Ewa, he is a f**king [kanker] racist [the disease kanker (cancer) is rudely used for adding power to a curse]. Simple as that. He offends the Moroccan community continuously. No respect. He must have been raised by apes.”

That it makes Wilders feel threatened, the guys understand. “We are ‘gatar,’ but reporting it because of this, says something about the current state of the Netherlands. The Dutch became pants-s**tters.”

After the terror attacks in, amongst others, the United States, Madrid and recently in London and after the ritual massacre of [Theo] Van Gogh last year, the atmosphere in the Netherlands is far from ideal. The tension between the Dutch on one side and the immigrants [allochtonen] on the other became quite high in the last few years. In some places it resulted the arson attacks on mosques and an Islamic primary school. In Limburg [province in the Netherlands] Dutch locals [autochtonen] got into a fight with Moroccan Dutch.

Comment: The prime minister Balkenende shortly after the murder of Van Gogh went to visit the torched Islamic school, and the Queen visited the Moroccan community in Amsterdam. Neither of them visited the family or friends of Theo Van Gogh.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Here is the text of the Youssef & Kamal rap, the best I can do in a quick translation. A few words were not understandable because of the lousy recording, and some parts were untranslatable for me because they are in Berber-Arabic (I used the soundtrack from the rap “Woensel”).

Eindhoven is a large city in the mid-south of the Netherlands. Philips used to be the biggest employer. Also Eindhoven has a Technical University. Woensel is one of the districts of Eindhoven and the neighborhood where these Moroccans live. The other names like Limbeek, Vlokhoven, and Fellenoort are all smaller neighborhoods of Eindhoven/Woensel.

Eind-ho-ven Woen-sel Mocros [as Moroccans call themselves] all together

Smack as my …

[0:10] Eindhoven that is s**t, only that, only that! O.k. [Berber-Arabic]

[0:18] Aeeewah I’m just back from Vught [the city Vught has a prison where Muslim terrorists like the murderer of Van Gogh are locked up], I was infamous, on the run, but now I’m relieved, f**king Police [ibahesh] is making my life sour, like a lemon.

Give me a chair next to Ehsan Jami [politician of the PvdA (Socialist Party), who became an apostate, founded a committee for ex-Muslims, and therefore got banned from the PvdA, who feared losing their much-needed Muslim vote], our life is difficult as a rap [wahed gedicht], you be quiet my friend, or else I push a glass in your face;

One eight seven [187 is the police alarm-code for homicide] on a white police officer, Palestine neighborhood [referring to their Woensel area or maybe referring to the recent Slotervaat-Amsterdam attack on police officers, not sure] where the Jews are on the run, (hé!); Eleven September has been invented here, because of our terrorism America’s been butchered;

Woensel has the largest concentration of f**ks, all chickies [Dutch girls] are coming over here with their legs spread …

[0:57] Yeeesss we break the law with pleasure, Youssef, Kamal and I, we stay thieves, do kick, crowbar in hand searching for the swag, only the dinky [white Dutch] stuff, only what dinky cares for;

Yes, I told the bastard [meaning Wilders], I’m going to take your life, motherf**ker I shoot you dead, tremble Wilders [this word has been censored with a beep, but the first and last letters are left], I break your legs, I take your life, I take you downstairs, chain you, so forget about begging;

Kamal calls me and tells me to come over to the petrol station, I felt ill but still I walk to the petrol station, pull my knife and stab instantly and have … [1:32 — some Arabic/Mocro] I tell you, and give it to this Woensel or your body’s in pieces;

[1:34] (Woen-sel Bitch!), the Gaza strip of Eindhoven (Woen-sel Bitch!), from Limbeek up to Vlokhoven (Woen-sel Bitch!), Woensel here Woensel there (Woen-sel Bitch!), together is together …

Raise your legs very high …

[1:47] Youssef is back, move away, because this is for Ed [?], Vaartbroek, Vlokhoven, Limbeek and Fellenoort, Woensel motherf**kers and the building (as is supposed to be). I am the true Moroccan, nobody can understand me anyway [indeed, a lot of Berber-Arabic here] ;

[2:11] Kruisstraat, Europalaan [streets in Woensel], that’s where we come from, flashing in Vaartbroek, T-Genie [the Technical University as well as the old Philips factory is in Woensel] is the name, Gaza is there so your little safebox [sounds like double meaning here] is in danger, mussels [referring to Muzelman, an old Dutch word for Muslim] here, mussels there, hide, Woensels are a danger;

[2:24] I enter as a ramkraak [Dutch word for a using a car to crash into a shop for a robbery], look how I on this side of the hard song carry off the swag, Eindhoven, Woensel, Mocros [short for Moroccan] are going there, 180 cc […] fast;

Look how we rob full speed through the streets hunting for the froes [might have something to do with girls], or a microwave, or a plasma-screen TV, or jewels, or a safe, or car keys [Berber-Arabic];

Youssef, most call me the fighter, when Youssef’s been around they need to stitch you, pop pop pop-pop, Youssef hits you dead, and when I’m tired I stab in your head;

[3:01] (Woen-sel Bitch!), the Gaza strip of Eindhoven (Woen-sel Bitch!), from Limbeek up to Vlokhoven (Woen-sel Bitch!), Woensel here Woensel there (Woen-sel Bitch!), The Moroccans are a danger [2x]

[3:31] [screaming idiot here while a Wilders look-alike is beheaded];

Youssef how do we fix this.

H/T Dhimmi Watch

Welcome to what I think will be the central fight in many countries for 2008 - a strategy to point out the conflicts between shariah law on the one hand, and on the other the Western traditions of human rights, equality, justice, virtue, charity, constitutional protection for the rights of the individual, democracy, tolerance, and simple decency.

David Littman, in his capacity as representative of the World Union of Progressive Judaism (WUPJ) to the United Nations Office in Geneva, leads the charge as reported in Dhimmi Watch:

Universal Declaration of Human Rights or Islamic Charter?

Two NGOs appealed today to UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Louis Arbour on the possible conflict between the 1948 Universal Declaration for Human Rights and the 1990 Cairo Declaration for Human Rights in Islam — with shari’a law as “the only source of reference” (articles 24 and 25). Their Appeal for a legal ruling was prompted by the message of the Secretary General of the Organization of the Islamic Conference, posted on the OIC website on Human Rights Day (December 10). It stated that the OIC was “considering the establishment of [an] independent permanent body to promote Human Rights in the [56] Member States in accordance with the provisions of the OIC Cairo Declaration of Human Rights in Islam and to elaborate an OIC Islamic Charter on Human Rights.” Will an Islamic Charter soon prevail over Universal Human Rights?

Report by David G. Littman, in his capacity as representative of the World Union of Progressive Judaism (WUPJ) to the United Nations Office in Geneva: “This letter from two NGOs representing over 6 million members — the World Union for Progressive Judaism and the International Humanist and Ethical Union — was faxed to UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour on Friday December 21.”

December 21, 2007

Your Excellency,

Primacy of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights

The message of OIC Secretary-General, Prof. Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, on the occasion of Human Rights Day has just come to our attention, and his statement is noteworthy. It reads, in part:

Respect of Human Rights through effective protection and promotion of equality, civil liberties and social justice is a milestone in the OIC Ten Year Plan of Action. In this regard the OIC General Secretariat is considering the establishment of [an] independent permanent body to promote Human Rights in the Member States in accordance with the provisions of the OIC Cairo Declaration on Human Rights in Islam and to elaborate an OIC Charter on Human Rights. The OIC is also committed to encourage its member States to reinforce their national laws and regulations in order to guaranty strict respect for Human Right[s].” [italics and bold type added] (http://www.oic-oci.org/oicnew/topic_print.asp?t_id=708).

On Friday, 14 December, I handed to you the two statements we addressed to the Council on 11 December, one concerning Darfur, the other the primacy of the UDHR. We were, however, unable to complete the latter statement because of a procedural ruling by the President, Ambassador Toru Romulus da Costea, but it was officially circulated at the plenum with the Secretariat’s approval. In this statement, we noted:

We were surprised that Pakistan’s Ambassador Masood Khan, speaking yesterday morning on behalf of the OIC, claimed that the Cairo Declaration was “not an alternative competing worldview on human rights”, but failed to mention the shari’a law as “the only source of reference” (articles 24 and 25) in that same Declaration - the shari’a law where there is no equality between Muslim men and women, and between Muslims and non-Muslims.

The Final Communiqué of the Third Extraordinary Session of the Islamic Summit held in Mecca on 7-8 December 2005 (…) provides a clear message regarding the UN system of human rights:

The Conference called for considering the possibility of establishing an independent permanent body to promote human rights in Member States as well as the possibility in preparing an Islamic Charter on Human Rights in accordance with the provisions of the Cairo Declaration on Human Rights in Islam and interact with the United Nations and other relevant international bodies.

We seriously question whether such a body would be “complementary” to the Human Rights Council or whether, given the wording of the Cairo Declaration, it will have shari’a law as its “only source of reference” and be seen as an alternative.

On 14 September 2000, in reply to a communication from the Association for World Education as to the “universality” of the Cairo Declaration of Human Rights in Islam published in Volume II: Regional Instruments, OHCHR, 1997, pp. 477-84 of, A Compilation of International Instruments), the legal advisor to the then HCHR replied:

The Member States which have acceded to and ratified United Nations Human Rights Conventions remain bound, under all circumstances, by the provisions of those texts as well as the erge omnes obligations under customary international law.

We are writing to you today to request an official ruling from your legal advisor as to whether the above official statement on Human Rights Day by the OIC Secretary General — in regard to the Cairo Declaration of Human Rights in Islam and a future “Islamic Charter” based on shari’a law — would clash with the UDHR and the Universal Instruments (in A Compilation… Volume I, 1993).

Please accept our season’s greetings, and our sincere appreciation for your multifarious effort in holding to the highest standards of human rights and in guiding the international community along that straight and narrow path toward an appreciation of the universality of the UDHR.

Respectfully,
David G. Littman
WUPJ Representative, UN-Geneva
Beith-GIL, 12 Quai du Seujet, 1201 Geneva

Roy W. Brown
IHEU Main Representative. UN-Geneva
1 Gower Street, London WC1E 6HD, UK

The comments at Dhimmiwatch are insightful as well and worth your time (they usually are …).

For a really useful analysis of the overall issue at the UN (the kind you download and keep as a reference it’s so comprehensive), see Littman’s paper presented at the Counterjihad Brussels 2007 conference, Creeping Dhimmitude at the United Nations.  Find other papers presented by Littman  here (only a selection of his prodigious output) on this same struggle for the rights of the individual.

From CVF European leader Aeneas…

Many Vigilant Freedom Europa members are concerned about the rise of the European Union and especially with what the author Bat Ye’or has termed ‘Eurabia’. I am therefore circulating information that I receive on issues relating to the EU. This current email is intended for a UK audience but is also applicable to other Europeans who are joining together to oppose Eurabia. Here is the information that I have received today:

Watch this video as the EUSSR marches on:

http://devilskitchen.me.uk/2007/12/how-liberty-dies.html#links

50 REASONS TO LEAVE THE EU

We joined the EU in 1972. After 35 years inside we now know:

1. The European Union has the constitution of a dictatorship.
2. The EU has the laws of a police state which will be enforced after the sixth treaty is signed.
3. The EU’s 111,000 regulations will bring us a soviet style command economy and abject poverty.
4. Unelected EU dictators will control the nuclear weapons of former nations of Britain and France.
5. The EU ’s Constitution will compel us to hand over all our armed forces to the EU.
6. Our armed forces and police have been told they will swear a new oath to the EU, or be fired.
7. Its 111,000 regulations will rigidly control our personal lives moreso than any nation in history.
8. EU regulations now cost us £100 billion a year. (Better Regulation Commission annual report 2005)
9. When enforced, those regulations will destroy hundreds of thousands of small businesses.
10. Millions will be unemployed after EU regulations close small businesses.
11. The 111,000 regulations will make us subject to continual arrest (SOCPA 2005).
12. There are now 3,095 “Crimes against the EU state” on the British statute book.
13. We will be stopped on the street for continual checks on our EU ID cards from 2009.
14. The EU Constitution will replace the British Constitution (currently planned for May 2009).
15. Under the EU Constitution, there is no place for the Westminster Parliament, which will go.
16. The EU’s Road Pricing and then ID chips will keep the state informed of our exact position.
17. Huge taxes/fines by the EU’s Road Pricing, Congestion Charging and global warming policies.
18. The EU Regionalisation Plan will abolish our 48 counties in favour of 9 EU regions.
19. The 9 EU regions will report direct to Brussels, not to Westminster, which will be defunct.
20. The EU Regionalisation Plan will abolish our 19,579 councillors.
21. Police have shot 30 innocent people dead since 1992 with no successful prosecutions.
22. 1,000 deaths in police custody since 1992 and no prosecutions.
23. British common law mainly replaced by EU corpus Juris by 1992. Government is now above the law.
24. Police Shoot to Kill policy now in force; illegal under British common law, OK under EU corpus juris.
25. EU conceived on 22nd June 1940 speechon forming the EEC by Herman Goering.
26. Hitler, von Ribbentrop, and Herman Goering designed the EU.
27. After fall of Germany, the Germans switched the EU from a Nazi to a communist basis in 1946.
28. Hitler’s Deutsche Verteidigungs Dienst Intelligence Department (DVD) now controls the EU.
29. Edward Heath, Geoffrey Rippon, Roy Jenkins recruited by the DVD in 1958 as saboteurs.
30. DVD has arranged finance to put proEUownerships into British newspaper groups.
31. EU has been sabotaging Britain with German Frankfurt School techniques since the 1950’s.
33. The EU’s main subversive organisation in Britain, Common Purpose, is run from the ODPM.
34. The EU’s Common Purpose has trained 24,000 local leaders for “the post democratic era”
35. Common Purpose has been inside the NHS for 20 years, controls it, and has wrecked it.
36. Common Purpose has 400 staff inside the BBC censoring out anti-EUnews and current affairs.
37. Common Purpose has staff in hundreds of local newspapers censoring out antiEUnews
38. Common Purpose is transferring power from councillors to the unelected council executives.
39. Common Purpose has built the EU gravy trains inside local and national government.
40. Common Purpose has built most of Britain’s 8,500 quangos costing us £124 billion pa
41. These quangos bribe compliant, pro EU local officials and businessmen with £150,000+ salaries.
42. EU quangos are the reason your council tax is going through the roof.
43. The EU is utterly corrupt and cannot account for 95% of its expenditure (yes, ninety five % lost)
44. The EU has over 200,000 offshore bank accounts from which it pays bribes.
45. We now lose £30 billion a year trading with the EU. Outside, we had an even balance of payments.
46. EU Constitution is similar to the Soviet. And EU Commissioners similar to Soviet Politburo members.
47. The EU parliament is a sham with no power just like the old Soviet parliament.
48. The leadership of the Conservative Party has been controlled by the EU since the 1960’s.
49. The Labour and Lib Dem leaderships EU controlled for 20 years that’s why your vote doesn’t count.
50. The Amsterdam Treaty 1997 gave the EU control of our immigration, now running at a million a year.
51. Our infrastructure can’t cope with the 5 million immigrants the EU has let in since 1997.
52. 350,000 highly qualified British emigrate annually to escape from the EU and its overcrowding.

You can stop the EU with the campaigns at http://eutruth.org.uk/campaigns.pdf.

http://www.thomas.justthinkoutloud.com/?p=221

http://x09.eu/en/home/

England Expects: What would the EU do with one of these?

An interesting new European anti-islamisation online journal starts …

Westminster Journal - here’s their mission statement:

Why was Westminster Journal founded?

There are plenty of American publications commentating on the struggle against militant Islam. There are plenty of Europe-based commentators writing for these American publications. But there are a few Europe-based publications apart from Westminster Journal which seek to highlight the crucial issues of the struggle or the wider picture - dismantling the facades, advising on solutions and exposing the truth.

Read some American publications and you’d be led to believe that Europe is experiencing its last days of freedom before the fall of that dark curtain of totalitarian, theocratic Islamism. This is way off the mark and it’s about time us Europeans said so. It’s time to expel some of the hysteria and look to greater social cohesion.

Militant Islam has many faces. While there are political Muslims, “Islamists”, who do a lot of good for their fellow Muslims and the rest of the planet, by Islamists here I am talking about other individuals with sinister aims. Other individuals, either terrorist like Al Qaeda, JI & Hezbollah or cultural Islamists like the Jamaat-e-Islami MCB leadership, Hizb ut Tahrir, and others, who are the enemy of true Muslims and the enemy of freedom.

If you stand up against these Islamists in Britain today, these Islamists classify you as a Neocon, however mainstream your political views or however liberal your previous stances. Fortunately no-one pays their views much attention, but nonetheless their miserable strategy must be exposed.

Westminster Journal seeks to expose these Islamists who lie and oil their way through to mainstream politics, particularly in Britain. To finish lots of careers. To brush aside the liars, so that Western Governments can deal face to face with those who represent real Muslims and do not stand for hegemonistic Islamist goals.

Westminster Journal also seeks to prove those genuine Neocons - who get in the way of solutions to the struggle - wrong. Westminster Journal believes that extremists are as bad as extremists.

That is why I - as a mainstream, liberal political individual who loves my country and the superiority of the free world over theocratic darkness - am so proud to accept the honour of being the Editor of Westminster Journal.

I aim to rattle many cages and see, simultaneously, a decline in Islamists and a rise in freedom lovers.

Westminster Journal also seeks professional, journalistic coverage of other areas.

On behalf of my colleagues, backers and contributors, Welcome!

Dominic Whiteman

This post on Europhobia is well worth your time…

Walid Phares, of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and National Defense University, and author of another book you have to have for 2008 - the War of Ideas: Jihadism Against Democracy - gives us a strategic overview to start the New Year at The American Thinker…

[Excerpt…]

The main powers and allies involved in the War on Terror still lack global cohesion. While the US integrates its efforts in the ongoing wars in Afghanistan and Iraq with its efforts globally to defeat al Qaeda and contain nuclear proliferation of rogue regimes like Iran, other powers and blocs of countries have different outlooks and plans. While Britain and other U.S partners in Europe espouse common views on the global scale, France, Germany, Spain and Italy agree on the Afghan theater but still are uninvolved in the Iraqi theater. All Atlantic partners, however, pursue al Qaeda and consider it — along with other Salafi networks — as the principal threat. Also, most Western partners perceive the Iranian threat as serious, although differ in the ways in which to respond.

Non-Western powers fighting Jihadist forces do not necessarily unite in the international arena against a common foe. India is targeted by Islamists but doesn’t associate with the US-led efforts in the Middle East. Russia is also at war with Jihadi terror, yet it distances itself from the Afghan theater, opposes the US in Iraq, and worse, backs the two terror-spreading regimes in Tehran and Damascus.

In the region, Western-inclined governments claim they fight “terrorism” but only the terrorists who threaten their own regimes, not the worldwide Jihadi threat. The current Turkish government fights the terrorist-coined PKK, but isn’t concerned with the growth of Wahhabism and Khomeinism in the region. Saudi Arabia dismantles al Qaeda cells inside the Kingdom but still spreads fundamentalism worldwide. Qatar hosts the largest US base in the region, and at the same time funds the most notorious indoctrination programs on al Jazeera. In short, there are several “wars” on terror worldwide. Surely America is leading the widest campaign, but efforts around the globe are still dispersed, uncoordinated, and in many cases, contradictive.

Afghanistan

Many critics asserted in 2007 that the Taliban were returning and that NATO wasn’t providing full stability yet. In my assessment, this is a long war: the neo-Taliban weren’t able to achieve full enclave control anywhere in the country. The government of Mr. Karzai should take advantage of international backing to achieve a breakthrough in the counter-ideology campaign, because the US-led mission will be successful as long as it provides space and time for Kabul to win the war of ideas. Efforts in 2008 must focus on coordination with Pakistan against the Jihadists, and on civil society political gains.

Pakistan

Finally, General Musharaf’s government widened its military offensives during 2007 in the neo-Taliban zones, prompting terror counter strikes in various cities and a major Jihadi uprising in Islamabad. The escalation opened a window among political opposition to make gains against Musharaf. By the year’s end, Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif came back to the country and were leading the opposition in the next elections. The assassination of Bhutto was a setback to the political process. Musharraf and the secular forces need to coalesce around a platform of national security and democracy and move forward with elections and anti-Terror campaign in 2008. But for international security, the priority is to preserve Pakistan’s nuclear assets and keep the Jihadists at bay. Will secular opposition and the President understand this higher national priority in 2008?

Read it all - he covers Somalia, Sudan, North Africa, Iraq, Iran, Syria, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Russia, India, China,  Europe and the West and the U.S….

H/T the lovely Larwyn.

[Excerpt…]

JERUSALEM, Dec 29 (Reuters) - Israel said on Saturday it had recently seized a truck carrying chemicals used to make explosives hidden in bags marked as EU aid for the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip.

The army said 6.5 tonnes of potassium nitrate were in bags marked as sugar from the European Union for Palestinians in the coastal enclave.

EU officials in Jerusalem had no immediate comment.

The cargo in a Palestinian truck was travelling in the occupied West Bank and seized several weeks ago at an Israeli checkpoint, the army said.

The EU is the largest provider of humanitarian assistance to Gaza. Israel tightened its military and economic cordon of the Gaza Strip after Islamist Hamas seized the territory in a June war with secular Fatah.[…]

It’s often been pointed out that the Dutch politician Geert Wilders is being set up to be the next Pim Fortuyn. His anti-immigrant positions are construed to put him beyond the pale, consigning him to that twilight zone outside the boundaries of polite discussion.

When the time comes, and a Muslim or an anarchist takes it upon himself to solve the Wilders problem, it will be regrettable, even criminal, but hardly a surprise, given the man’s dangerous political proclivities…

The most recent step in the demonization of Geert Wilders is an obnoxious video made by immigrant rappers. One of our Flemish contacts has translated an article about the video, first giving us his introduction:

The most popular blog in the Netherlands, Geen Stijl picked up a new and really nasty threat against Geert Wilders today, related to his plans to make a film about the Koran. The threat is by the Moroccan rappers Youssef & Kamal. In the end of the video clip Wilders is symbolically beheaded.

And now the translation of yesterday’s Geen Stijl article (the text in square brackets is explanatory material inserted by the translator):

Youssef & Kamal hate Geert Wilders. Again.

The new video clip of Youssef & Kamal is out now. The skinny squeaking little voices you perhaps remember from the song “Cottonpicker” are gearing up a again for a bit more in this latest issue. Two years ago the duo attracted a lot of media attention with their hateful Wilders-rap which Uncle Geert immediately reported to the police. The kids with the hakbar beard [hakbar = a mixture of Allahu Akhbar and Hakkenbar, a shoe-repair shop] in their throat [as they say of adolescents] were scared off so much that they immediately “apologized” with a song called “Sorry”. Sorry. Useless apologies, because they continue to produce songs against Wilders. This can be seen in their freshly-published low-res video clip that was released today. The small blokes this time dragged out all the tools they could find. Threatening and waving with hammers, saws, knives and firearms. And at the end of the clip they suggest that they behead Wilders. Also “Appa”, now a celebrated and much in demand excuse rapper [excuus = an anti PC slander, meaning being cheered at only because of belonging to a minority, roughly equivalent to the American “token”], joins in very cosily in this tiny clip of this tiny club of AIVD-targets [AIVD = the Dutch intelligence service]. That’s again something to report to the police, Geert…

CLIP: Youssef & Kamal — Eindhoven Represent

I’m hoping to receive a translation of the lyrics of the “song”. As soon as I do, I’ll post them as an update.

[UPDATE - This was cross-posted from Gates of Vienna, but this update is solely for this website. Many kind readers offered translations here; we selected one rather than printing them all since they were essentially the same.

We generally try to keep posts and comments PG13, meaning we edit out bad language. In this case we have kept various curse words in the song because they are in context.

Additional commenters have directed us to this Geenstijl post stating this song is a hoax, meaning that it was somehow made by a non-Muslim.  In my view, that excuses nothing if it is true; it just transfers the responsibility for this specific incitement to murder to the extreme left of Antifa and autonome culture.  I disagree with the Geenstijl post’s suggestion that we …move along, nothing to see here folks…especially when that very  post suggests that somehow Wilders is complicit in the creation of this song threatening him?  Here’s the (always painful) machine translation of the Geenstijl post from Google:

Eindhovuh the ghakste! The video Woensel Bitch, Kamal Youssef and goes like a razende the globe. So are you an anonymous rappend lafbekje in prachtwijk Woensel, and the next moment you are a wereldster on the Internet. The news travels fast. Read with it. Good for your Spanish, German, English and French. If you want to know more about the backgrounds of these kuch * * geplaagde kansenjongeren we refer to the magnificent piece of journalistic handiwork of Myrthe Hylkens in State Magazine, which includes revealing observations (per email!): “Ewa, he (Wilders - eds.) is a cancer-racist. Simple as that. He insulting the Moroccan community continuously. None respect. ” MAARRR, dear people. You are all ingetuind. Youssef and Kamal do not exist. It’s just a blank 20-year old Dutch ettertje (name and address to editors known) that the bunch brilliant runs f * cken. And Ome Geert again haarfijn who understood how the game should be played more. Browse people. Nothing at hand …]

The period between Christmas and New Year’s Day is traditionally the time to take stock of the year that has just ended while looking ahead to the year that is about to begin.

We’ll be honoring that tradition with here with a couple of articles. The first is a guest-post from Henrik Ræder Clausen of Europe News.

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Dhimmitude and Freedom Status 2007
by Henrik Ræder Clausen

Time for an incomplete roundup of what took place this year, what’s good, what’s bad.

Good	Bad
Blogs are becoming an increasingly important player in challenging the mainstream media for serious analysis.	Various forms of Internet censorship are seen. One method is to tag Islam-critical material as ‘offensive’. Another is to attack the meager income by warning advertisers against having their banners shown on supposed ‘hate sites’. It’s tricky.
Demonstrations in Turkey against Islamization — with huge turnout. They can demonstrate; we in Europe may not.	Turkey censors YouTube, WordPress and whatever else it fancies, and keeps crushing minorities. No firm protests from the EU.
No major terrorist attacks in the non-Islamic world. This is quite interesting. Last year we had the Mumbai bombings, and before that the London, then Madrid bombings. Many significant plots have been foiled, none executed.	Pakistan suffered one of the worst ever. “The Land of the Pure” where they booby-trap babies in order to attack democracy. How low can you go? Security guards saved the life of Benazir Bhutto, but 130 of her supporters found sudden death on that day. Benazir herself succumbed to another suicide attack two months later.
	Many minor terrorist attacks. The counter at TheReligionOfPeace.com passed 10,000 attacks (since September 11th 2001). Worldwide Jihad is in action everywhere Islam meets other cultures.
No major assassinations except for Benazir Bhutto. No one got to Robert Spencer, Daniel Pipes or Ayaan Hirsi Ali. Every year these icons stay alive is a discrete victory against violent Jihad.	Many lesser known figures were assaulted or killed, the latest being a professor in Sweden who was researching the Turkish genocide against the Assyrians. Public outcry as well as the government action over these crimes against minorities have been tepid at best.
Israel is experiencing record economic growth, in spite of serious security expenses and attempts at boycotts in Great Britain etc. More people stand up for Israel in the media now.	Our leaders have still not figured out that supporting the Palestinians is basically a Bad Idea when done without clear conditions. They put pressure on Israel for the simple reason that it has a better chance of working, not for the sake of justice.
	Hamas takes over Gaza, suspends freedoms.
	Pakistan, “The Land of the Pure”, descends further into chaos. Brutal dictatorship cracks down on brutal Islamists, and on the High Court, with strong from the US government. Money documentably spent on their own purposes, not to fight terrorism.
Demonstrations against Islamization of Europe took place in Brussels, then Marseille, without Muslims cracking violently down on the demonstrators.	The fear that Muslims would make riots in the streets caused the mayor of Brussels to declare the demonstrators ‘criminals’ and had the police crack violently down on them.
Belgium seems to be falling apart. This will have interesting consequences for EU and Europe, both practically and symbolically.	Leaders of the European Union adopted not only the Constitution Treaty, but also an ominous resolution against any kind of ‘extremism’, ‘xenophobia’ etc. Both of these are steps in the direction of the EUCCP, where dissent is not allowed. Cheating over referendums is no small issue.
	The Iranian president speaks at the UN. This is sick. He uses the platform to discreetly promote his vision of Islam ruling the world. Worse.
Our right to talk about Islam and Muhammad is intact. Bringing up the facts, while still considered hate-speech in some contexts, is largely considered legal.
	Arabs with lawyers have turned into a bigger problem than anticipated. The concept is simple: Use the laws of one country to attack an author in another. Given enough billions in the back, it’s doable. This seriously impacts the willingness of publishers to print controversial books.
More focus on doing away with the oil habit. It is becoming clear that this dependency is causing us serious political and economical problems.	‘Global Warming’ jumps in and steals the limelight at a time where we have more urgent tasks at hand. The Nobel Committee disgraces itself by rewarding this with the Peace Prize.
The Counterjihad summit in Brussels with top of the line speakers. Lots of information, much good networking.	Charles Johnson, blogmaster of the large American blog Little Green Footballs, showed its incomprehension of European politics and history by condemning several participants. This strife has been a drain on resources and unity.
	The Arabs have enough money to purchase vital parts of media, financial institutions and other parts of the economical infrastructure. This, combined with ‘Sharia banking’, is a large potential problem.
Denmark got away with comparing the Islamic headscarf to the Nazi swastika. It caused an outcry, but it remained an acceptable point of view to compare the Quran to Mein Kampf.	Great Britain is sinking into dhimmitude. Appeasement is rampant, and the latest move is to declare the use of Union Jack ‘racist’. A much more assertive approach is needed.
Geert Wilders is creating a movie about the Quran. It has caused trouble already, but the bold guy is continuing.	The Netherlands got rid of that troublesome Somali lady who keeps speaking up for women and human rights in face of reactionary religions.
The war in Iraq is showing surprising progress by the end of the year, with Al-Qaeda apparently significantly weakened by lack of spectacular successes decapitating infidels, which causes sponsors to invest elsewhere.	Saudi Arabia still invests heavily in Wahhabi Islam everywhere. This is a subject with implications in just about every country where Muslims live.
Christian assertiveness seems to be rising. The pope stated that we have the right to defend our culture. Rumours of increasing conversions to Christianity in Turkey and Iran would be nice to substantiate.	Mosque construction projects continue apace in many European countries. The depth of this is still unknown to many people. The discovery of terrorist propaganda and military equipment (weapons, explosives) and rabid racism in major mosques has not led to a general moratorium on mosque projects.
	The whole Kosovo thing. While the final decision has met delays, the likely outcome is that a mafia-run statelet will be created soon. This sets a bad example for dissolving nations on basis of religion.
Sarkozy symbolically told the Turks to forget about EU membership. While more moves are needed, this was a good one.	Schengen enlargement. This will create the perfect Inner Market for everything mafioso. And a Perfect Storm for law enforcement.

Summing up, there’s no clear direction. We are facing a lot of challenges, large and small. Interestingly, physical terrorism seems to be waning, while we face a lot of trouble on the less visible institutional level. The weakening of the nation-state and the lack of willingness by our states and by the EU to defend our citizens’ rights are troublesome developments. Our leaders seem to agree to not take the required risks and to sacrifice national interests for the sake of ‘unity’ in the EU and non-offending behaviour towards our oil suppliers.

What can be done?

Lots of things. So many that it’s hard to create a meaningful to-do list of actions. Some items:

Read. All required documentation is readily available from Amazon and other shops. As for Islam proper, the life of Muhammad etc., the whole thing has been researched so extensively that feelings of deja vú easily come up with yet another critical book. One may read a handful of books by Spencer, Trifkovic, Bostom, etc. to get the whole picture, or save a thousand pages of reading by just getting Prophet of Doom. It’s all out there.

Get involved. Our leaders are getting away with their trips because of too little interest and challenge from the general public. This lack of the interest, on the other hand, makes it very easy for just a few individuals to make a difference.

Keep mockin’! As C. S. Lewis said: “The Devil cannot stand being mocked”. This can be done with simple means. Each one may not draw intense media coverage, but some will hit home.

Speak positively of Jesus and Christianity. Jesus was, in contrast with a certain false prophet, a great example for human behaviour. It’s quite uncontroversial to say something good about Jesus, and a little hint that quietly makes people compare with Muhammad should strike deep.

Challenge the EU. This overgrown organisation seriously hampers our possibilities of challenging immigration, Islam and other urgent issues. While I won’t advocate secession from EU (some in Denmark do, however), change is urgently needed, like a reduction to 10-15 % of its current budget. At the moment, the EUCCP is growing in the wrong direction, fast.

Reassert our nationalities by using our flags, requesting border control back, asking that we retain the right to rule our respective countries. Both EU and Islam have a vision of a large unitary state where national identity plays no role in politics, and diversity fades. Diversity is beautiful! While it may hamper multinational companies, it has always been one of Europe’s best resources and barriers against totalitarianism. We’re too unruly, and want to remain so.

Stick to our wallets. An interesting property of Islam is that it tends to be rather unproductive and require lots of monetary support for mosque construction, etc. Money going to support ‘multiculturalism’ will be the worst money ever spent! When politicians try to look good by supporting Palestinians or other violent racists, it’s time to take them to task for it. While it might seem miserly, protecting the principle of private property is effective against totalitarian trends in politics and religion.

Have fun All of this stuff can be enjoyable, as one gets to meet lots of interesting people, gets ones worldview challenged a couple times a year, hopefully travelling, and at least have a rich and meaningful life.

What is needed now is not so much grand icons like Robert Spencer or Ayaan Hirsi Ali. What we need is many more people taking the unspectacular tasks of attending public meetings, commenting on blogs, writing to the newspapers, standing up for human rights and national independence. Just bits here, pieces there, based on information and a humanistic attitude, a little or a lot, depending on what’s possible.

Happy New Year and good luck!

Patrick Sookhdeo is one of the most well-informed and clear-thinking leaders in the movement against radical Islam in the world, and you can order his books from the local Barnabus Books office in the U.S., the UK or Australia .  The most recent of these is a sharp analysis - really encyclopedic, a key resource - Global Jihad - the Future in the Face of Militant Islam, published in late 2007.  If there is one book to buy this year, this is it (although there are so many important ones recently or about to be published to help in the fight against Islamists…)

Atlas Shrugs interview with Sookhdeo here, along with the transcription…

Here’s why Sookhdeo is so important:  many writers, bloggers, politicians and pundits tell us daily of the various Islamist attacks against the West - from the legal jihad against writers like Ehrenfeld, Kaufman, Whitehead, and others; to political attempts to weaken Western civil society waged by CAIR et al; to the actual violent terrorist Islamist attacks worldwide.

But they are just beginning to develop the capacity to do more than expose the threat - to in fact resist the Islamisation of Western societies and institutions.  Citizens worldwide are just starting to build the organizations to do the hard work and take on the risks of building a political and legal resistance to Islamists.  They’ll be criticized by foes and sometimes friends, because it’s harder to build a resistance than to raise an alarm.  But they have no choice if they want Western civilization to survive.

Sookhdeo is a leader who helps show the way:

He suggests a number of practical responses which can be adopted by non-Muslims to counter the violence, strategies for winning the long war against Islamic violence.

This book is aimed primarily at decision-makers in politics, security, intelligence and the military, but will be of interest to any reader who seeks to understand Islamic violence in the world today.

Contact Barnabus and get Global Jihad today.

Diana West is always on target.  Here, some cogent remarks on anti-semitism’s roots in the Islamic world:

[Excerpt…]As it happens, I began the calendar year thinking about this subject - exonerating Islam - while discussing a PBS documentary on anti-semitism in the Islamic world. The show’s conclusion: What isn’t Israel’s fault is that of the West. 

Well, you can’t expect much more from (lefty) PBS. What was startling about the message, however, was one of the messenger’s: none other than the eminent historian Bernard Lewis. He declared that anti-semitism didn’t even exist in the Middle East until European Christian colonizers brought it. You don’t need to be a scholar of Mr. Lewis’ stature to know that European colonization of the Middle East didn’t begin until some 1,100 years after Islamic anti-semitism got going in the Koran, the canonical commentaries on the Koran and in a long and painful (for Christians also) historical record.

Because Mr. Lewis is probably the most influential voice on Islam in our time — particularly for the U.S. foreign policy establishment — this pronouncements are more than significant. Right or, in this case, wrong, they become the conventional wisdom, or reinforce it.

This comes to mind because Mr. Lewis has done it again — holding Europe responsible for unpalatable traditions of Islam. Writing at The American Thinker blog, Andrew Bostom, author of “The Legacy of Jihad” and, forthcoming, “The Legacy of Islamic Anti-Semitism,” quotes a recent speech in which Mr. Lewis said: “The authoritarianism present in the Middle East region is not part of the Arab and Muslim traditions, but it has been imported from Europe.”

Mr. Bostom goes on to cite copious chapter and verse - including earlier writings by Mr. Lewis himself - demonstrating that “the Arab and Muslim tradition” needed no lessons from Europe on authoritarianism.[…]

Please read her entire piece.  Lewis and Bostom are both enormous assets, and Bernard Lewis is a founding father of the scholarship that has exposed the Islamist threat to the West.  West respects him as do we all, and her concerns about his recent writings are also completely to the point.

The Andrew Bostom book that analyzes this further can be advance-ordered (it comes out in January 2008): The Legacy of Islamic Antisemitism: From Sacred Texts to Solemn History .  The advance reviews all look great, from Steven Katz, Victor Davis Hanson, Michael Ledeen and others.

Bernard Lewis has published so widely on Islam, and his many books are  foundational.  Of interest in light of this discussion is his latest speech Europe and Islam, available here in pamphlet form, from the 2007 Irving Kristol Lecture, delivered at the annual dinner of the American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research in Washington, D.C., on March 7, 2007.

H/T the unconquerable Atlas Shrugs on Rachel Ehrenfeld’s fight against the Saudi jihad to destroy First Amendment protection for U.S. writers who dare to expose their funding of Islamist terrorism.  Useful as ever, the piece has links to a range of analysis of what this means to other writers, next steps for legislation, and policy implications.  This is what Spitzer’s appointed judge brings us for Christmas - another appointed Silencer.

[Except]…Rachel Ehrenfeld suffered a major setback in her fight against the litigation jihad in a NY courtroom today. I have been watching this landmark case for some time. Saudi financier, Khalid bin Mahfouz, is suing Ms. Ehrenfeld for uncovering his alleged ties to terrorism in her 2003 book, “Funding Evil: How Terrorism is Financed” - and How to Stop It. ” In it  she accuses Mahfouz of backing organizations tied to terror.  Saudis sue for secrecy . Atlasite Jeff said, “This Sheikh is able to use the British courts to propagate ‘legal’ jihad against those who “dare” have the audacity and temerity to expose him. American organizations like CAIR, MSA and ISNA are also employing every tactic they can to use the American legal system against Americans who speak out about those who support and perpetrate jihad in this country.”

Today a NY judge ruled that the New York State laws are not “coextensive with federal due process requirements,” which means the New York State courts are not as required as federal courts to protect rights under the Constitution’s First Amendment freedom of speech”. Imagine this assault on free speech coming out of one of the original 13 colonies. Our forefathers are seizing in their graves….[…]

Please read it all, especially if you are tracking the attacks on freedom of expression in the U.S. and the European Union (and needless to add, Cuba, Venezuela, Russia, China, and Iran, every other Islamist state and so many 0thers).  Our First Amendment is so unique, such a threat to tyrants everywhere and under pre-meditated assaults from assailants domestic and foreign.  Rachel Ehrenfeld is a national hero - support her in the spirit of Christmas and Hanukkah, and to fight against the Silencers by donating here. 

Ten days ago Fuat Deniz, a professor of sociology at the University of Örebro, was stabbed in the neck and murdered. Dr. Deniz was an Assyrian Christian, and had previously investigated the Ottoman genocide of the Assyrians.

After he was murdered it was revealed that he and some of his colleagues had received threats from Turkish sources because of their public statements about the genocide. Since then, despite the possibility that the murder of Fuat Deniz was a political act, the Swedish authorities have been unable to come up with any significant leads in the case.

Most of the news that has emerged in the aftermath of Dr. Deniz’ murder is in Swedish. Gates of Vienna is fortunate to have several contacts who read Swedish; our Danish correspondent Kepiblanc volunteered for the latest tasks. He has taken a look at an article from Thursday’s Nerikes Allehanda and provides this summary:

This is not about the intimidation of actual witnesses, only potential ones. The Örebro Police talk — in general terms — about why some witnesses refuse to come forward, such as fear of being identified , thinking their information is unimportant, etc. The police promise anonymity.

They have lots of witnesses, but nothing substantial. Then the article says that a surveillance camera recorded a bloodstained man entering a food store about forty-five minutes after the killing. The movie is not sharp and has been sent to experts in an attempt to enhance the recording. No results so far…

Kepiblanc adds his own opinion:

My personal take on this is that they’ll never find the killer. He is obviously some Turkish agent, and Sweden will never risk upsetting the Turkish government — or any Turk, for that matter. If they cannot avoid finding the man, it will be hushed up.

Kepiblanc has also provided a complete translation of this article from yesterday’s Aftonbladet:

So far no one has been arrested for the murder of Fuat Deniz in Örebro. To the contrary, the police have made a number of mistakes, for example turning down a renowned expert who offered his assistance.

The National Bureau of Investigation acknowledges his competence, but it is clearly insufficient for the Örebro Police, writes Nuri Kino.

(Photo caption: Madness. Fuat Deniz was stabbed outside the University of Örebro by an unknown cutthroat. Today’s columnist, Nuri Kino, wonders why the Örebro Police have been allowed to make so many mistakes in their investigation. In particular he wonders why they turned down an offer for help by a specialist in interpreting blurry recordings from surveillance cameras.)

Wake up, Cops!

Nuri Kino, freelance journalist: “Fuat Deniz deserves a professional investigation” Tuesday, December 11th university professor Fuat Deniz politely opened a door for someone. A single stab in the neck and he was dying.

I went to Örebro the day after the murder of Fuat Deniz. No one in his family had been offered protection or any help at all. His family and friends, most of them academics, accused the police of having made several mistakes. Those questioned by the police were shocked by the interrogator’s professional incompetence

At the university I tried to find out if someone was aware of any threats against Deniz. I stood at the door to his office, should I enter or shouldn’t I? His colleagues told me that the room hadn’t been sealed off; it had been cleaned, and several other persons had visited the room. I entered. The police had taken his hard drive into custody. His car keys and cigarettes were lying on the desk as well as his mail. Three of his colleagues had not even been questioned. One of them, a researcher in the same field as Deniz, was also living under threats. He had called the police and asked for a meeting. Following that, he was shocked by the police’s ignorance of ethnic, political and religious conflicts

I went to Deniz’ house. His wife showed me into his study. The police had confiscated his hard drive here as well. I noticed a card, clearly of some interest to a detective. His wife opened a drawer containing all his calendars and appointments for the last five years. At the same time we heard the radio talking about how the “police are doing everything possible to establish an exact picture of Fuat Deniz”. The door bell rang. His wife became nervous. The police hadn’t offered her any protection. The guest was yet another friend returning from a police interrogation, feeling betrayed. The radio and the police spoke about some photos of a blood-stained man entering a store the same day Deniz was killed, but the pictures were useless.

When reading my mail I noticed that an expert in biometrical recognition had mailed the police and offered his help. I had received a carbon-copy. The expert opined that the police shouldn’t discard the photos until he had seen them. He is one the world’s leading experts in analyzing such pictures. In the evening the police still hadn’t contacted him. That was after forty-eight hours. I called the specialist. He felt like he was being ignored and humiliated. The National Bureau of Investigation had used his expertise, but not the Örebro Police.

Rumors about the killer of Fuat Deniz are spreading like wildfire all over the world. Many human rights activists and researchers of Middle-Eastern heritage are shocked and scared: “I have not left my home since that day”, and “my brothers have moved in here” says a well known author and historian.

Many of us hope that this is an act of insanity; anything else is unbearable. Deniz once wrote: “democracy is not a condition, it is action”. The Örebro Police must act. On December 20th I was informed that the Örebro Police had asked the National Bureau of Investigation for help. I called the police. The police press officer was on vacation and some woman said the prosecutor in charge of the investigation wasn’t available either. He had reported in sick and they had no one to replace him. She said that the Örebro Police had to cut spending during holidays. I ask her how things are going, if they are making some progress. The answer: “We haven’t got a Colombo or some such snooping around, but we have competent personnel.”

I asked her if they had sealed off his office, but she didn’t know, but she thinks so. Neither did she know why they requested the National Bureau of Investigation. “We consider ourselves sufficiently competent. We do not need them yet, that’s why they will not join us until first thing in the new year. They are too busy right now.” At the National Bureau of Investigation the message is: “The special agents are on Christmas leave and will not be available until January 2nd. They are on vacation and they deserve it since they’re so seldom at home”.

Yes, they deserve it, but Fuat Deniz’ family, his friends, colleagues, and everyone else in search of the truth deserve a professional investigation. Someone, I don’t care who, but someone must see to it that the Örebro Police get the much-needed help ASAP, regardless of holidays.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Hat tips: Steen.

Previous posts on this topic can be found here, here, here, and here.

It’s become evident that the West is going to do nothing about Iran’s imminent acquisition of nuclear weapons. The NIE simply supplies the fig leaf, a nice little rationale for a done deal.

Meanwhile, Europe is being rapidly Islamized. The EU and the USA pretend that there’s nothing going on, but the Muslims are well aware of what’s happening, and state their goals clearly.

And not just the Wahhabi Sunnis of the Muslim Brotherhood, but also the Shiite theocrats of Iran. According to AKI:

Iran: Europe will become a Muslim continent, says Khamenei’s spokesman

Europe will eventually become a Muslim continent, according to a representative of Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei.

“In a dozen years, Europe will be an Islamic continent,” said Rasul Jalilzadeh on Friday as he was speaking to the basiji, a voluntary organisation in the capital Tehran.

Actually, the Basiji are a “volunteer” goon squad of Islamic thugs. Their mission is to rough up women who don’t wear the hijab and torture journalists in prison.

“The Islamisation of the European continent is imminent and this step favours the arrival of the Mahdi,” he said, referring to the 12th imam of Shiite Islam.

It’s important to remember what will portend the arrival of the Twelfth Imam: massive, violent chaos.

First we must have the chaos, and then #12 brings an end to the chaos:

Shiites believe that the Imam Mahdi, who disappeared as an adolescent, will return to bring an end to chaos and bring universal justice.

Rasul Jalilzadeh believes that “the Islamisation of Europe is one of the consequences of the Islamic revolution in Iran” in that “the messages and values that this revolution has transmitted to the Europeans, to convince them “to abandon their current faiths and convert to Shiite Islam.”

Mr. Jalilzadeh is wrong about one thing: most Europeans already have abandoned their current faiths. The Shiites and the Sunnis are simply engaging in a little friendly competition to see which version of Islam will be the new European faith.

Just think about what this man is saying:

• There will come a time of war, destruction, and chaos.
• It is the duty of every devout Shiite Muslim to hasten that day.
• Then the Twelfth Imam will return.
• Then the world will become an Islamic paradise.

The people who believe this dangerous nonsense rule a country with a population of almost seventy million people, and they want to get their hands on nuclear weapons.

And we’re going to let them.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Hat tip: insubria.

A couple of weeks ago Gallia Watch posted part of an interview with a magistrate named Jean de Maillard that was published in the wake of the riots in Villiers-le-Bel. GW translated and abridged the text from a French original. Here are some excerpts:

I have to admit that I would not like to be in government today. Nor would I want to live in Villiers-le-Bel. Even less to be a member of the riot police. For I fear that the riots at Clichy-sous-Bois two years ago are only the appetizer of what we are going to have to swallow in the near future.

I am not trying to throw oil on the fire, at any rate these lines fortunately have no chance of being read in Seine-Saint-Denis and other districts scattered throughout the suburban landscape of our beautiful France. But I believe that we must call a spade a spade. When two schools, a library, a police station, a garage and several other buildings on a list already forgotten are set on fire, not to mention dozens of vehicles each day, we are used to it. It has become almost a routine.

However, the second night of Villiers-le-Bel marks an escalation that the media and the government would probably prefer to hush up, but which may be the start of a new stage: the use of firearms. In truth, the surprise is not that the rioters began to use them, but first, that they hadn’t done it sooner (…) and second, that they are still confining themselves to hunting rifles and lead shot. The suburbs however have been armed for a long time with caches of quality war weapons, lethal weapons, against which the bullet-proof vests will be useless.

In other words the situation is explosive in both meanings of the word. It seems that from one riot to the next the techniques harden, the methods become more professional and the police and gendarmes will soon have to confront, if they have not already, experts in urban guerilla warfare…

[…]

I think that what I’m about to say may shock you, and it is not with pleasure that I say it, nor out of provocation. But this is a grave moment. I am convinced that up until now we have been lucky that the thugs and future murderers in the suburbs have not yet dared to use their fire power. I hope that the public authorities will become aware of the imminence of calamity and especially that they will finally seek solutions. I would not like to be in their shoes, for the margin of maneuverability, if there is one, will be very narrow. Yes, the perpetrators must be mercilessly punished. But repression, in the long term, solves nothing.

And people must stop dreaming, those on the Left and the others: neighborhood police are not a panacea either. You cannot graft an ethnic police force (“police communautaire”) on a society that is this sick and torn apart, in which the members are in open rebellion against society.

There’s more at Gallia Watch.

* * * * * * * * * * *
Hat tip: Kepiblanc

Pipeline News has put up an article and petition to show support for resolute Dutch politician Geert Wilders:

WE THE UNDERSIGNED, wish to register our full and unequivocal support for Mr. Wilders and his democratic right to freely express himself on this most urgent issue. Silencing him would be seen as a tremendous victory for the Islamists and an act of dhimmitude, submitting to their intimidation. Furthermore, we view with alarm the increasingly strident and violent tone of the jihad against Europe and the West and we wish to join in solidarity with Mr. Wilders in voicing our unyielding opposition to it.

Add your name here.

According to CNS news, the UN General Assembly has passed a resolution against the “defamation of religions”, especially Islam.

I’ve never felt a particular need to defame Islam, since Islam is perfectly capable of defaming itself.

But this, of course, is hate speech, not to mention racism and xenophobia, and is thus defamatory in its own right. Once the UN gets its way, I won’t be able to say it anymore.

The anti-religious defamation resolution was introduced by the OIC as a corrective to the Islamophobia revealed by the Mohammed cartoon crisis in Denmark. It has been kicking around the UN in committee for a couple of years, and generally flew under the radar until it was passed by the General Assembly this week without attracting any undue attention.

There’s almost no information about it on the web, and it’s very difficult to find the exact text of the resolution as passed. As far as I can tell, this Word document is the current version, even though it dates from the end of 2006. I’ll reproduce it at the bottom of this post so that readers and fellow bloggers can have an HTML version to refer to. If anyone finds a different and more current version of it, please let me know.

The UN resolution dovetails perfectly with the Framework Decision and the European Parliament resolution on combating the rise of extremism in Europe. The UN is Sauron to the EU’s Saruman, but both organizations are working the same evil magic and reading from the same book of spells. Similar American versions of this mischief have been floated in Congress since the Democrats took over.

What makes the UN resolution different from the EU’s initiatives — and what probably caused some European countries to vote against it — is that the UN version mentions Islam as a specially protected religion. No other religion is specified in it. The United Nations now makes it official: Islam has been elevated above other religions, and has effectively become the established religion at the UN.

The Islamic countries of the OIC are well-versed in human rights jargon, and have used it to great effect in this resolution. The text asserts that “respect for cultural, ethnic, religious and linguistic diversity, as well as dialogue among and within civilizations, is essential for peace, understanding and friendship among individuals and people of the different cultures and nations of the world”, and wants “to promote greater harmony and tolerance in all societies”.

But the wording leaves no doubt about which religion and culture it intends to protect. The resolution:

• Opposes “the introduction and enforcement of laws that specifically discriminate against and target Muslims”;
• Points out “the increasing trend in recent years of statements attacking religions, Islam and Muslims in particular, especially in human rights forums”;
• Asserts that “Islam is frequently and wrongly associated with human rights violations and terrorism”; and
• “Stresses the need to effectively combat defamation of all religions, Islam and Muslims in particular, especially in human rights forums”.

The camel’s nose under the UN human rights tent is the concept of “racism and xenophobia” as a violation of human rights. Conflating the fear of Islam with racism and/or xenophobia is a well-established technique for placing criticism of Islam out of bounds. Such logic is fundamentally flawed — Nigerian Christians are, after all, the same race and nationality as the Muslims who burn their churches, but any mention or criticism of such an issue will be forbidden under the UN’s guidelines.

Simply collecting and publishing data on atrocities committed in the name of Islam will become “hate speech” once the would-be despots at the UN and the EU have their way.

A bomb explosion in Varanasi that kills hundreds of Hindus will be a “tragedy”.

Any newspaper report stating that Muslims are claiming responsibility for the deed will be a crime.

Wake up! It’s a brave new world out there.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
December 7, 2006Resolution on Combating defamation of religions
(Words bolded by Gates of Vienna)The General Assembly,Recalling that all States have pledged themselves, under the Charter of the United Nations, to promote and encourage universal respect for and observance of all human rights and fundamental freedoms without distinction as to race, sex, language or religion,

Recalling also the relevant resolutions of the Commission on Human Rights in this regard,

Recalling further the United Nations Millennium Declaration adopted by the General Assembly on 8 September 2000, welcoming the resolve expressed in the Millennium Declaration to take measures to eliminate the increasing acts of racism and xenophobia in many societies and to promote greater harmony and tolerance in all societies, and looking forward to its effective implementation at all levels, including in the context of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action adopted by the World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance, held in Durban, South Africa, from 31 August to 8 September 2001,

Recalling the proclamation of the Global Agenda for Dialogue among Civilizations, and inviting States, the organizations and bodies of the United Nations system, within existing resources, other international and regional organizations and civil societies to contribute to the implementation of the Programme of Action contained in the Global Agenda,

Welcoming the launch of the Alliance of Civilizations initiative, intended to respond to the need for a committed effort by the international community, in order to promote mutual respect and understanding among different cultures and societies,

Welcoming also the progress achieved in the follow-up to the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action,

Underlining the importance of increasing contacts at all levels in order to deepen dialogue and reinforce understanding among different cultures, religions and civilizations, and noting with regret in this regard the cancellation of the meeting on “Civilization and harmony: values and mechanisms of the global order”, which was to be held in Turkey in 2004 as a follow-up to the Organization of the Islamic Conference-European Union Joint Forum on the theme “Civilization and harmony: the political dimension”, held in Turkey in 2002,

Reaffirming that discrimination against human beings on the grounds of religion or belief constitutes an affront to human dignity and a disavowal of the principles of the Charter,

Convinced that respect for cultural, ethnic, religious and linguistic diversity, as well as dialogue among and within civilizations, is essential for peace, understanding and friendship among individuals and people of the different cultures and nations of the world, while manifestations of cultural prejudice, intolerance and xenophobia towards different cultures and religions generate hatred and violence among peoples and nations throughout the world,

Recognizing the valuable contributions of all religions to modern civilization and the contribution that dialogue among civilizations can make to an improved awareness and understanding of the common values shared by all humankind,

Reaffirming the need for all States to continue international efforts to enhance dialogue and broaden understanding among civilizations, cultures and religions, and emphasizing that States, regional organizations, non-governmental organizations, religious bodies and the media have an important role to play in promoting tolerance, respect for and freedom of religion and belief,

Underlining the important role of education in the promotion of cultural and religious tolerance and the elimination of discrimination based on religion or belief,

Alarmed at the continuing negative impact of the events of 11 September 2001 on Muslim minorities and communities in some non-Muslim countries, the negative projection of Islam in the media and the introduction and enforcement of laws that specifically discriminate against and target Muslims,

Alarmed also at the serious instances of intolerance, discrimination and acts of violence based on religion or belief, intimidation and coercion motivated by extremism, religious or otherwise, occurring in many parts of the world and threatening the enjoyment of human rights and fundamental freedoms,

Noting with concern that defamation of religions is among the causes of social disharmony and leads to violations of human rights,

Deeply alarmed at the rising trends towards discrimination based on religion and faith, including in some national policies and laws that stigmatize groups of people belonging to certain religions and faiths under a variety of pretexts relating to security and illegal immigration, and noting that the increased intellectual and media discourse is among the factors exacerbating such discrimination,

Noting with deep concern the increasing trend in recent years of statements attacking religions, Islam and Muslims in particular, especially in human rights forums,

1.		Expresses deep concern about the negative stereotyping of religions and manifestations of intolerance and discrimination in matters of religion or belief still in evidence in some regions of the world;
2.		Strongly deplores physical attacks and assaults on businesses, cultural centres and places of worship of all religions as well as targeting of religious symbols;
3.		Notes with deep concern the intensification of the campaign of defamation of religions and the ethnic and religious profiling of Muslim minorities in the aftermath of the tragic events of 11 September 2001;
4.		Expresses its deep concern that Islam is frequently and wrongly associated with human rights violations and terrorism;
5.		Also expresses its deep concern about programmes and agendas pursued by extremist organizations and groups aimed at the defamation of religions, in particular when supported by Governments;
6.		Deplores the use of the print, audio-visual and electronic media, including the Internet, and any other means to incite acts of violence, xenophobia or related intolerance and discrimination against Islam or any other religion;
7.		Recognizes that, in the context of the fight against terrorism and the reaction to counter-terrorism measures, defamation of religions becomes an aggravating factor that contributes to the denial of fundamental rights and freedoms of target groups, as well as their economic and social exclusion;
8.		Stresses the need to effectively combat defamation of all religions, Islam and Muslims in particular, especially in human rights forums;
9.		Emphasizes that everyone has the right to freedom of expression, which should be exercised with responsibility and may therefore be subject to limitations as provided by law and necessary for respect of the rights or reputations of others, protection of national security or of public order, public health or morals and respect for religions and beliefs;
10.		Urges States to take resolute action to prohibit the dissemination of racist and xenophobic ideas and material aimed at any religion or its followers that constitute incitement to discrimination, hostility or violence;
11.		Also urges States to provide, within their respective legal and constitutional systems, adequate protection against acts of hatred, discrimination, intimidation and coercion resulting from defamation of religions, to take all possible measures to promote tolerance and respect for all religions and their value systems and to complement legal systems with intellectual and moral strategies to combat religious hatred and intolerance;
12.		Urges all States to ensure that all public officials, including members of law enforcement bodies, the military, civil servants and educators, in the course of their official duties, respect different religions and beliefs and do not discriminate against persons on the grounds of their religion or belief, and that any necessary and appropriate education or training is provided;
13.		Underscores the need to combat defamation of religions by strategizing and harmonizing actions at the local, national, regional and international levels through education and awareness-raising;
14.		Urges States to ensure equal access to education for all, in law and in practice, including access to free primary education for all children, both girls and boys, and access for adults to lifelong learning and education based on respect for human rights, diversity and tolerance, without discrimination of any kind, and to refrain from any legal or other measures leading to racial segregation in access to schooling;
15.		Calls upon the international community to initiate a global dialogue to promote a culture of tolerance and peace based on respect for human rights and religious diversity, and urges States, non-governmental organizations, religious bodies and the print and electronic media to support and promote such a dialogue;
16.		Affirms that the Human Rights Council shall promote universal respect for all religious and cultural values and address instances of intolerance, discrimination and incitement of hatred against any community or adherents of any religion;
17.		Calls upon the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to promote and include human rights aspects in the dialogue among civilizations, inter alia, through:
(a)		Integrating them into topical seminars and special debates on the positive contributions of cultures, as well as religious and cultural diversity, including through educational programmes, particularly the World Programme for Human Rights Education proclaimed on 10 December 2004;
(b)		Collaboration by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights with other relevant international organizations in holding joint conferences designed to encourage this dialogue and promote understanding of the universality of human rights and their implementation at various levels;
18.		Requests the Secretary-General to submit a report on the implementation of the present resolution, including on the possible correlation between defamation of religions and the upsurge in incitement, intolerance and hatred in many parts of the world, to the General Assembly at its sixty-second session.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *Hat tip: Steen. Thanks to Eye on the UN for the text of the resolution.

Listen to The Gathering Storm Radio Show, which WC and I cohost. The show broadcasts live every Friday for one hour at noon, Pacific Time.

The call-in number is (646) 915-9870.

Callers welcome!

Friday, December 21: This week’s guest for most of the hour will be blogger The Merry Widow. We’ll be discussing superior vs. inferior cultures as well as silencing the voices that ask questions.

Note: If you are unable to listen live to the radio show, you can listen to recordings of the radio broadcasts later by CLICKING HERE.

Thanks to Fausta for bringing it to our attention that Time magazine has named Vladimir Putin their “Man of the Year”.

When I looked at the story on Time’s website, I thought at first it must be some kind of satire, like the Onion version of the “Man of the Year”.

First there’s the photo of Vlad looking like an ineptly-sculpted dummy at Madame Tussaud’s. Or is he auditioning for the part of the corpse in an Agatha Christie production? In any case, his cadaverous appearance makes it look like he was propped up in a chair in the funeral parlor for family viewing night.

Then there’s the title of the story: “A Tsar is Born”. Great gag! Wish I’d thought of that one.

And the prose in the story itself — surely this is deadpan satire at its finest…?

No one is born with a stare like Vladimir Putin’s. The Russian President’s pale blue eyes are so cool, so devoid of emotion that the stare must have begun as an affect, the gesture of someone who understood that power might be achieved by the suppression of ordinary needs, like blinking. The affect is now seamless, which makes talking to the Russian President not just exhausting but often chilling. It’s a gaze that says, I’m in charge.

There’s something about an American opinion magazine that loves a Russian despot. ’Twas ever thus.

When you arrive at the dacha’s faux-neoclassical gate, you have to leave your car and hop into one of the Kremlin’s vehicles that slowly wind their way through a silent forest of snow-tipped firs. Aides warn you not to stray, lest you tempt the snipers positioned in the shadows around the compound…

Vladimir Putin gives a first impression of contained power: he is compact and moves stiffly but efficiently. He is fit, thanks to years spent honing his black-belt judo skills and, these days, early-morning swims of an hour or more… The successor to the boozy and ultimately tragic Boris Yeltsin, Putin is temperate, sipping his wine only when the protocol of toasts and greetings requires it; mostly he just twirls the Montrachet in his glass. He eats little, though he twitchily picks the crusts off the bread rolls on his plate.

Whatever happened to the suave, jazz-loving, sportscar-driving men of the world featured in Time puff-pieces during the Soviet years?

Now we have to settle for steely-eyed twitchy KGB veterans. Well, as long as they’re Russian autocrats, we still love ’em.

Here’s how the AP summarizes Vlad the Twitchy’s moment in the media sun:

The nod went to the Russian leader because of Putin’s “extraordinary feat of leadership in taking a country that was in chaos and bringing it stability,” said Richard Stengel, Time’s managing editor.

Ah, stability. The perennial favorite of the diplomat class. Was James Baker on the selection committee at Time?

As Fausta points out, Cuba is nice and stable. So is North Korea. How come Fidel and Kim Jong-il were left standing at the church door?

Putin probably makes the trains run on time, too. Was Mussolini “Man of the Year” in 1923?

“Stop highlighting the genocide or your people will get hurt.”

A week ago today Dr. Fuat Deniz, a professor of sociology at the University of Örebro in Sweden, had his throat slit by an unknown assailant.

Dr. Deniz was an Assyrian Christian, and was known for his studies of the genocide against the Assyrian Christians committed by the Ottoman Turks during and after the Great War. Although his murderer has yet not been found, there are reasons to believe that he was killed for political reasons.

According to Nerikes Alhehanda, people will be demonstrating tomorrow all over Sweden in memory of Fuat Deniz (translation by Kepiblanc):

Demonstration in memory of Fuat Deniz

Tomorrow, Wednesday at 6 PM o’clock, a demonstration against public violence is scheduled at Olof Palme square in Örebro. The demonstration will be arranged in memory of the late university professor Fuat Deniz. So says a press release by University of Örebro and the recently established society “Friends of Fuat”.

“The murder of the university professor, columnist, and author Fuat Deniz has shocked Sweden. When a teacher is killed on the job it’s a signal to the entire society that we must remember to stick together and defend values such as democracy, openness, and security. As Deniz himself states in his upcoming book, democracy isn’t a condition, it’s action,” says the press release.

The Minister of the Environment will speak

Speakers will be Deniz’ family and colleagues as well as spokespersons from the academic world, idealistic organizations and the state police. The Minister of the Environment, Mr. Andreas Carlgren (center party) is an example of the participants at the demonstration.

According to the press release anyone who wants to support an open society will be welcome. It will begin with a silent minute of commemoration. Other places where such demonstrations are planned: Stockholm, Göteborg, Uppsala, Lund, Linköping, Jönköping, and Norrköping.

AINA has this report on the upcoming demonstrations:

The murder of Fuat Deniz, a senior lecturer and researcher at Sweden’s Örebro University has prompted action against violence and what is seen as an attack on the open Swedish society. Eight Swedish university towns have prepared for ceremonies to be held simultaneously on Wednesday 19 December at 18.00 Swedish time.

“We want to honour the memory of Fuat Deniz and what he stands for: peace, democracy and dialog”, says Afamia Maraha from the newly established committee “Fuat’s Friends” who are organizing the events together with the University of Örebro.

The following towns will hold a ceremony: Örebro, Stockholm, Jönköping, Uppsala, Lund, Linköping, Gothenburg and Norrköping. Colleagues and family members of Fuat as well as politicians and writers will deliver speeches on the murder which has shocked many in Sweden.

“Fuat and I met each other through the passion we both shared. I will continue to work for free debate and tolerance”, says Runa, the wife of Fuat Deniz.

For more information about the events in Swedish visit www.hujada.com.

Swedish Assyrians are planning to build a monument to the Turkish genocide in Södertälje, but have been obstructed by Swedes of Turkish origin, who are trying to block construction of the monument. Since the murder of Dr. Deniz, Assyrians have told the press that they have been threatened by the Turks, according to AINA:

Former head of the Assyrian Federation in Sweden, Simon Barmano, revealed in an interview today with Swedish paper Länstidningen that he received threats from Turkish officials.

The threat was delivered to Barmano during a meeting this summer he had with four Turkish governors who were on a visit to Sweden.

On 31 August he met the governors in their hotel in Täby, north of Stockholm.

“I wanted to discuss issues concerning Assyrian lands in south eastern Turkey, but the governors were only interested in one thing: The anticipated memorial monument on t