LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS
BULLETIN
November 25/16
Compiled
& Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
The
Bulletin's Link on the lccc Site
http://www.eliasbejjaninews.com/newsbulletin16/english.november25.16.htm
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Bible Quotations For Today
All who see the Son
and believe in him may have eternal life; and I will raise them up on the last
day
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint John
06/40-44/:"This is indeed the will of my Father, that all who see the Son
and believe in him may have eternal life; and I will raise them up on the last day.’Then the Jews began to complain about him because he
said, ‘I am the bread that came down from heaven.’They
were saying, ‘Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we
know? How can he now say, "I have come down from heaven"?’Jesus
answered them, ‘Do not complain among yourselves. No
one can come to me unless drawn by the Father who sent me; and I will raise
that person up on the last day.".
Friends, I beg you, become as I am, for I
also have become as you are. You have done me no wrong
Letter to the Galatians 04/08-12/:"Formerly, when you did not know God,
you were enslaved to beings that by nature are not gods. Now, however, that you
have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how can you turn back
again to the weak and beggarly elemental spirits? How can you want to be enslaved
to them again? You are observing special days, and months, and seasons, and
years. I am afraid that my work for you may have been wasted. Friends, I beg
you, become as I am, for I also have become as you are. You have done me no
wrong."
Titles For Latest LCCC
Bulletin analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on
November 24-25/16
Hezbollah’s army in Syria is good news/Hussain
Abdul-HussainNow Lebanon/November 24/16/
The Forced Conversion of Christians in Gaza/Raymond Ibrahim/Coptic
Solidarity/November 24/16/
Stop 'Islamophilia' to End Islamophobia/Tawfik
Hamid/Newsmax/Wednesday, 16 Nov 2016
Iran's Forces Outnumber Assad's in Syria/Majid Rafizadeh/Gatestone Institute/November 24/16
Hassan Rouhani: Iran's Executioner/Heshmat Alavi/American
Thinker/November 24/16
Dutch MP,Wilders's Trial: "Unnecessarily
Offensive"/Robbie Travers/Gatestone
Institute/November 24/16
Final Statement of Geert Wilders at his Trial/Geert Wilders/Gatestone
Institute/November 24/16
France on the Verge of Total Collapse/Guy Millière/Gatestone
Institute/November 24/16
Is Post-Truth the only truth left in public life/Yossi
Mekelberg/Al Arabiya/November
24/16
Unravelling the Trump phenomenon/ Eyad Abu Shakra/Al Arabiya/November 24/16
Why this surge of US interest in Yemen/Khaled M. Batarfi/Al Arabiya/November
24/16’
Titles For Latest Lebanese
Related News published on on November 24-25/16
Assassination of Bachir Gemayel:
Kataeb considers resumption of trials prelude to
serving justice
Hezbollah and Russia in first direct military meeting: report
Airport chairman denies weapon transfer from Lebanon to Syria
Amr Moussa pays visit to
President Aoun
Salam discusses developments with Abou Faour, Areiji
Hariri receives Amr Moussa
and German Official
British Embassy: Lebanon within UK funded programme for Elimination of Violence
Against Women
Report: Aoun, Hariri Warn Parties Have One Week to
Form Cabinet
Aoun Vows to 'Protect State's Interests, Citizens'
Rights'
RHIA Chief Denies Iran Transferring Arms to Syria via Beirut Airport
Kanaan Says 'Christian Agreement Established New
Balance', Riachi Hails 'Christian Strength'
Lebanon within a UK Funded Program for Elimination of Violence Against Women
Salameh: Aoun's Election,
Hariri's Designation Boost Confidence in Lebanon
EDL Workers Kick-off Protests in Beirut and South Lebanon
Major Wildfire Erupts in Southern Region
Lebanese Forces Media Officer Resigns
Houri: Obstacles Hindering Cabinet Formation
Alleviated
Hezbollah’s army in Syria is good news
The Forced Conversion of Christians in Gaza
Titles For Latest LCCC
Bulletin For Miscellaneous Reports And News published on on
November 24-25/16
Aleppo rebels agree UN aid plan; Russia, Syria yet to approve
Syrian forces aim to split east Aleppo in two
US service member killed in blast in Syria
UN dismisses rumors that Syria envoy has quit
Ankara will retaliate for death of Turkish soldiers in Syria
IS Truck Bomb Kills 70 in Iraq, Mostly Iranian Pilgrims
ISIS truck bomb targets Shiite pilgrims in Iraq
Turkey PM warns Europe: Cutting off ties would bring ‘flood’ of migrants
Car bomb attack kills 8 soldiers in Egypt’s Sinai
Gunmen kill at least 3 policemen in Egypt’s Sinai
UN, GCC concern over ‘missing’ Iranian N-device
Wild fires plague Israel for third day
GCC Shoura members condemn targeting of Makkah; reject JASTA
Iran: Execution of four young men in public in Qeshm
US-Iranian citizen convicted for trying to buy 200 missiles for Iran regime
Iran: 80 Percent of Wage Earners Are Below the Poverty Line
Iran: Call to save political prisoners on hunger strike
Hurricane, 7.0 Quake Hit Central America at Same Time
Links From Jihad Watch Site
for on November 24-25/16
Germany:
veteran Santa Claus fired for opposing child marriage
UK:
Muslim who ‘who advocated dying while fighting jihad’ given platform at London
university
Muslim
contribution to Thanksgiving: 81 sand-filled trucks line Macy’s Parade route to
prevent jihad attack
Australia:
Immigration minister charged with “creating terrorists” by saying it was
mistake to bring in so many Muslims
Muslims
celebrate Israel fires: “Please Allah, let Israel burn entirely, Amen”
Ohio:
Muslim plotted to murder military employee and cops for the Islamic State
Norwegian
PM: “You cannot expect Norwegian society will pay you benefits if you refuse to
work for religious reasons”
France:
Imam explains the importance of deception in Islamic conquest of Europe
Nigeria:
Muslims carry out coordinated attacks on Christians in 5 villages, murdering 45
Amsterdam
mosque leaders suspected of jihad terror activity
9/11
mastermind: Al-Qaeda now favors immigration and “outbreeding non-Muslims” to destroy US
Austin,
TX “Support Our Muslim Neighbors” event tries to
“ease anxiety of local Muslims following Trump’s election”
Links From Christian Today
Site for on November 24-25/16
Colour
Of Blood': London Turns Red For Millions Killed In Religious Persecution
Iraqi
Christians Revisit Historic Town Abandoned By ISIS
Five
People Sentenced To Death By Hanging For 'Brick Kiln' Murders Of Pakistani
Christian Couple
Biblical
'Thinker' Dug Up In Israel Dates From The Time Of Abraham And Isaac
Catholic
Apology For Genocide In Rwanda Is Profoundly Inadequate, Says Government
Christian
Students Plead For Prestigious College To Become 'Sanctuary' To Prevent
Deportations
Former
Labour Minister To Take On Religion At The BBC
Besty DeVos, Billionaire
Christian Philanthropist, To Head Education For Donald Trump
Christian
Convert From Islam Is Released After Nearly 7 Years in Jail
Hundreds
Of Pentecostal Christians To Gather In London For Landmark Meeting
Latest Lebanese Related News
published on November 24-25/16
Assassination of Bachir Gemayel: Kataeb considers resumption of trials prelude to serving
justice
Thu 24 Nov 2016/ NNA - The Kataeb party applauded in
a statement issued on Thursday the resuming of the trials in the assassination
of martyred President, Bachir Gemayel
and his companions, considering this step a prelude to the realization of
justice, even after a delay of 34 years. The party called on the Lebanese
judiciary to reveal the identity of the provocateurs and those involved in this
crime, and punish them severely, so that they become examples to all those who
try to harm Lebanon, its presidents, its symbols or its innocent people. The party
finally asked the concerned security networks to mobilize, with a view to
arresting the persons whose names have appeared in the indictment.
Hezbollah and
Now Lebanon/November 24/16/Al-Akhbar reported that
NOW's English news desk editor Albin
Szakola (@AlbinSzakola)
wrote this report.
Airport chairman denies weapon transfer
from Lebanon to Syria
Thu 24 Nov 2016/NNA - Rafic Hariri International
Airport chairman, Fady Hasan,
on Thursday came out with a statement sternly denying the hostile Israeli news
saying that one of the Iranian airline companies was transferring weapons from
Lebanon to Syria via said airport. "The airport chairmanship strongly
refutes the news in all terms and confirms that it's not true at all. The
chairmanship also asks some local media resources not to convey any piece of
news issued by the Israeli enemy and bears the aim of hurting Lebanon and its
airport," said the statement.
Amr Moussa pays visit to
President Aoun
Thu 24 Nov 2016/NNA - Lebanese President, Michel Aoun,
received on Thursday former Secretary-General of the Arab League, Amr Moussa, who congratulated him
on his election. "I expressed my optimism to President Aoun
regarding the future of
Salam discusses developments with Abou Faour, Areiji
Thu 24 Nov 2016/Later, Salam met with Caretaker
Culture Minister, Rony Areiji,
with talks featuring high on several issues. Salam met with the Japanese
Ambassador to
Hariri receives Amr
Moussa and German Official
Thu 24 Nov 2016/NNA - Prime Minister Saad Hariri
received this evening at the "Center House" the Regional Director for
the Near and Middle East and the Maghreb at the German Federal Foreign Office
Philipp Ackermann, in the presence of the German Ambassador to Lebanon Martin Huth. They discussed the developments in
British Embassy: Lebanon within UK funded
programme for Elimination of Violence Against Women
Thu 24 Nov 2016/NNA - The British Embassy on Thursday issued a statement
saying: "As we mark International Day for the Elimination of Violence
Against Women on 25 November, Lebanon is one of ten countries participating in
an initiative led by the Arab Coalition of Women MPs to build a future free
from violence and the fear of violence. "On 1
December the Coalition in partnership with the Arab League and its Women and
Family and Child Department, will present the first draft of an Arab Convention
to combat violence against women, at a conference hosted by the Arab League in
Report: Aoun,
Hariri Warn Parties Have One Week to Form Cabinet
Naharnet/November 24/16/Political parties are obliged
to agree on the controversial distribution of ministerial portfolios within a
week time limit, otherwise they will be compelled to agree on a government
line-up set by President Michel Aoun and Prime
Minister-designate Saad Hariri, media reports said on
Thursday. Aoun and Hariri will not leave the
disagreements on portfolios to hinder the formation process any longer and have
decided to take action in that regard. The choices at hand include “imposing a
line-up which they see appropriate,” Free Patriotic Movement sources told al-Akhbar daily. “Parties have one week to agree and announce
a new cabinet,” the sources quoted Aoun. The sources
told the daily on condition of anonymity that allotting the health ministry
instead of the public works ministry to the Lebanese Forces did not solve all
the hurdles hampering the formation which made Aoun
and Hariri escalate rhetoric. Although reports said the two officials have set
a week time limit for the differences to settle between parties, but sources
close to Hariri assured that no time limits was set. Aoun's
election as president after two and a half years of presidential void and
Hariri's designation as PM have raised hopes that
Aoun Vows to 'Protect State's Interests, Citizens' Rights'
Naharnet/November 24/16/President Michel Aoun on Thursday pledged to “protect the interests of the
State” and to “preserve the rights of the citizens.”“
RHIA Chief Denies
Naharnet/November 24/16/Israeli claims that an
Iranian airline is transferring arms from
Kanaan Says 'Christian Agreement Established New Balance', Riachi Hails 'Christian Strength'
Naharnet/November 24/16/MP Ibrahim Kanaan of the Free Patriotic Movement announced Thursday
that the so-called “Christian agreement” between the FPM and the Lebanese
Forces “has established a new balance and a new equation” in the country, as LF
official Melhem Riachi
noted that Christians “have regained their strength.”“Accept
the fact that we have agreed and that there is no turning back, that Christians
are an essential component of the system and that they have their role,
presence and representation,” Kanaan said, addressing
whom he called “the partners in the country.”“We want
the
Lebanon within a UK Funded Program for
Elimination of Violence Against Women
Naharnet/November 24/16/As the world marks the
International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women on November 25,
Lebanon is one of ten countries participating in an initiative led by the Arab
Coalition of Women MPs to build a future free from violence and the fear of
violence. On December 1 the Coalition in partnership with the Arab League and
its Women and Family and Child Department, will present the first draft of an
Arab Convention to combat violence against women, at a conference hosted by the
Arab League in
The Coalition aspires for the Convention to send a strong political signal of
the importance of improved domestic legislation to protect women and girls from
violence, hold perpetrators to account, and effectively care for victims. The
Convention will sit alongside other international and regional agreements
including the Declaration on the Elimination of Violence Against
Women, the Council of Europe Convention, the Convention on the Elimination of
Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) and the Sustainable Development Goals.
Salameh: Aoun's Election, Hariri's
Designation Boost Confidence in
Naharnet/November 24/16/Central Bank Governor Riad Salameh emphasized on
Thursday that the latest political developments in
EDL Workers Kick-off Protests in Beirut
and South Lebanon
Naharnet/November 24/16/Electricite Du Liban daily contract workers staged protests on Thursday
and blocked the entrance to the company's headquarters in Beirut to pressure
the government into a long-standing demand that makes them full-time employees,
the state-run National News Agency reported. The employees first blocked the
customer service gate and prevented the employees from accessing the building.
Shortly afterward they only allowed the employee to enter, NNA added. In a
parallel move in the south, the EDL contract workers in the city of
Major Wildfire Erupts in Southern Region
Naharnet/November 24/16/A huge wildfire erupted
Thursday in the Mimes area in the southern region of Hasbaya,
state-run National News Agency reported. “The flames are gutting forestlands
and olive trees,” NNA said. Civil Defense
firefighters assisted by residents are trying to douse the blaze, the agency
added. Raging bushfires have forced the evacuation of tens of thousands of
people from parts of
Lebanese Forces Media Officer Resigns
Naharnet/November 24/16/Melhem Riachi
stepped down on Thursday as Lebanese Forces media officer and was replaced by
journalist and political activist Charles Jabbour.
The LF accepted the resignation of Riachi as media
officer effective today and appointed journalist Charles Jabbour,
an LF statement said. LF leader Samir Geagea accepted Riachi's
resignation and named Jabbour to replace him, added
the statement. Riachi had a significant role,
together with Change and Reform bloc MP Ibrahim Kanaan,
to broker a political agreement between the LF and the Free Patriotic Movement.
The agreement has eventually led founder of the FPM Michel Aoun
to the post of president. The resignation comes amid reports that Riachi might become a minister in the new cabinet line-up
to be formed by Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri.
Jabbour is a journalist, political activist, and
co-founder of human rights NGO Media Against Violence.
Houri: Obstacles Hindering Cabinet Formation Alleviated
Naharnet/November 24/16/Al-Mustaqbal bloc MP Ammar Houri confirmed on Thursday
that impediments hindering the formation of the new Lebanese cabinet have been
finally alleviated, the National News Agency reported. “We are closer than ever
to the announcement of the cabinet line-up,” Houri
said in an interview to the told Orient Radio station, citing the example of
other countries worldwide who make similar efforts to
ensure the best political representation of their respective political party.
Touching on the stipulation of a new electoral law, the MP said: “A new
electoral law will be formed in case of good intentions.”He
expected the impending parliamentary election to take place based on a law
draft that had been forwarded by the Mustaqbal bloc,
the Lebanese Forces, and the Democratic Gathering. Moreover, the lawmaker
warned that failure to swiftly form a cabinet shall only bog the nation down in
a negative phase that held negative repercussions against the Lebanese. The
parliament elected President Michel Aoun, a former
general, as president last month, ending a two-and-half-year deadlock that left
Hezbollah’s army in Syria is good news
Hussain Abdul-HussainNow
Lebanon/November 24/16/
The Party of God's transformation into a conventional fighting force may keep
it focused on extending influence inside Syria, rather than in Lebanon, and
hinder guerrilla tactics in any future conflict with Israel, Hussain Abdul-Hussain argues
Lebanese complaints against Hezbollah’s parade of its newfound army, in the
Syrian town of Qusayr, were misplaced. In fact, the
Lebanese should rejoice on two accounts: That the Hezbollah militia has now
become a regular army, and that the parade happened on Syrian soil.
The significance of a militia turning into an army is substantial. If Hezbollah
sticks to such a format, it means that the party will lose its ability to fight
asymmetric wars, and will be forced to engage in regular army-to-army battles.
This means that Hezbollah will lose its ability to blend in with
non-combatants, or launch its offensive from civilian neighborhoods.
After all, tanks and artillery do not really fit in small streets and cannot be
hidden behind bushes.
If Hezbollah’s militia sticks to its new setup as a conventional army,
then the party will have to calculate its wars more carefully. Hezbollah
already avoids battle with
With an army instead of a militia, Hezbollah will have to fight its
future wars with Israel out in the open, which should be good news for Shiite
non-combatants and the Lebanese at large, who lost a considerable chunk of
their infrastructure, such as bridges, that Israel destroyed to hinder the
movement of the party’s invisible fighters in 2006. Now that Hezbollah’s fighters
are visible, Israel will have less reason to hit Lebanon, and will instead
engage Hezbollah in head-to-head combat, which Hezbollah says they are not
shying from this time, arguing that in any future war with Israel, the party’s
fighters will not sit back and defend, but might pressure the Israeli north,
attempting to win and hold territory.
The second upside from Hezbollah’s military parade in Qusayr
is the fact that, with this parade, the party did not undermine Lebanese
sovereignty, for a change. For the first time in decades, Hezbollah has chosen
instead to undermine the sovereignty of other states, this time
If Hezbollah’s military parade in Qusayr was to
show solidarity with Assad, then the parade would have been a joint exercise
between the party and regular Syrian forces. Yet the fact that it was
Hezbollah’s Politburo Chief Hashem Safieddine delivering a speech at the event suggests who is really the boss in
The Forced Conversion of Christians in
Raymond Ibrahim/Coptic Solidarity/2016/11/01
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/2016/11/24/raymond-ibrahimcoptic-solidarity-the-forced-conversion-of-christians-in-gaza/
The plight of Christian living in
“At times we hear of the bombing of a Christian bookshop and assaults on
churches and other Christian institutions; other times we hear of the
kidnapping of Christians and the coercion of them to embrace the religion of
Muhammad,” says the report.
In mid October, Christians in
Palestinian Muslim leaders say that such Christians convert of their own free
will and without pressure; however, these same Muslim leaders refuse to let
their Christian families meet with or even learn the whereabouts of these
recent converts, so they can confirm if their conversions were committed freely
or under duress.
The report adds that
http://raymondibrahim.com/2016/11/01/forced-conversion-christians-gaza/
***Christian family hold picture of abducted son whom officials said willingly
converted to Islam.
Latest LCCC Bulletin For Miscellaneous
Reports And News published on November 24-25/16
Aleppo rebels agree UN aid
plan; Russia, Syria yet to approve
Reuters, Geneva Thursday, 24 November 2016/Syrian rebels in besieged east
Aleppo have agreed to a UN plan for aid delivery and medical evacuations, but
the United Nations awaits a green light from Russia and the Syrian government,
humanitarian adviser Jan Egeland said on Thursday.
With freezing winter conditions setting in, some 275,000 people are trapped in
east
Syrian forces aim to split east Aleppo in
two
Reuters, Beirut Thursday, 24 November 2016/Syrian government forces are trying
to split opposition-held eastern Aleppo in two in a fierce ground and air
assault that is taking a heavy toll on besieged civilians and rebel fighters
who are battling hard to stop them, a rebel commander said. Abu Abdelrahman Nour,
“Total war”
The government, backed by Russian air power and Shi’ite
militias from Iran, Iraq and Lebanon, has tightened its grip on eastern Aleppo
this year, gradually encircling it before launching the new assault in
September. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based
organization that reports on the war, says pro-Assad forces are making “clear
advances” in eastern
AFP, Washington Friday, 25 November 2016/A
member of the
UN dismisses rumors
that
AFP,
“My conscience tells me I must support the Syrians, but no one is
indispensable,” he added.
Reuters,
IS Truck Bomb Kills 70 in Iraq, Mostly
Iranian Pilgrims
A suicide bombing claimed by the Islamic State group killed at least 70
people, mainly Shiite pilgrims, south of Baghdad Thursday, as Iraqi forces
battle to retake Mosul from the jihadists.The huge
truck bomb blast ripped through a petrol station where buses packed with
faithful returning from the Arbaeen commemoration in
Karbala were parked, officials said. Most of the victims were Iranians, the
largest contingent of foreigners in the pilgrimage, which is one of the world's
largest religious events and culminated on Monday. The attack took place near a
village called Shomali, about 120 kilometers
(75 miles) southeast of
Diversionary attacks
Up to 20 million people visited
'Brutal' fighting
"It is extraordinarily tough fighting, just brutal, but there is an inevitability to it. The Iraqis are going to beat
them," he told AFP. IS fighters moving in an intricate network of tunnels
have used snipers, booby traps and a seemingly endless supply of suicide car
bombers to stop Iraqi forces. The authorities have not released casualty
figures since the start of the offensive but fighters have admitted being
surprised by how fierce IS resistance has been. Iraqi forces launched a major
offensive on October 17 to retake
ISIS truck bomb targets Shiite pilgrims in
Iraq
AFP, Hilla, Iraq Thursday, 24 November 2016/A truck
bomb Thursday ripped through a petrol station where buses packed with Shiite
pilgrims returning from the Arbaeen commemoration in
the Iraqi city of Karbala were parked and killed close to a 100 people, security
officials said. Several Iranian nationals -- the largest contingent of
foreigners at the Arbaeen pilgrimage that ended on
Monday -- were among the victims, the Joint Operations Command (JOC) said. “At
least seven buses with pilgrims were inside the petrol station at the time,” a
police lieutenant colonel told AFP. The blast struck in the
Turkey PM warns Europe: Cutting off ties
would bring ‘flood’ of migrants
Reuters, Ankara Thursday, 24 November 2016/Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim on Thursday
warned Europe that without Ankara’s help it could be “flooded” by waves of
migrants and said cutting off talks with the bloc would be far more damaging to
Europe than Turkey. “We are one of the factors protecting
Car bomb attack kills 8 soldiers in
AFP,
Gunmen kill at least 3 policemen in
Reuters,
UN, GCC concern over ‘missing’ Iranian
N-device
Staff writer, Al Arabiya Thursday, 24 November
2016/Gulf countries are following up with the International Atomic Energy
Agency (IAEA) on the potential negative effects of a missing nuclear device at
the Iranian nuclear reactor in Bushehr. They are specially keen to know what impact it could have on water
pollution in the region, a Gulf official has confirmed. Dr Adnan
Al-Tamimi, Chairman of the
Wild fires plague
By Steven Scheer Reuters,
"Every fire that was caused by arson, or incitement to arson, is
terrorism by all accounts. And we will treat it as such," Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu told reporters gathered in
Worrying forecast
A lack of rain combined with very dry air and
strong easterly winds have spread the fires this week across the center and
north of the country, as well as parts of the
GCC Shoura
members condemn targeting of Makkah; reject JASTA
Staff writer, Al Arabiya English Thursday, 24
November 2016/Speakers, presidents and chairmen of the GCC Shoura,
representatives and national councils and assemblies expressed profound
condemnation and denunciation of the terrorist act carried out by the Houthi militias against Makkah
recently. In a statement at the conclusion of their 10th session held in
Iran: Execution of four young men in
public in Qeshm
Thursday, 24 November 2016 /Iranian Regime’s Member of
Parliament: 5,000 young people of 20 to 30 years old in Iran’s prisons are on
death row
The religious fascism ruling Iran, in order to intensify the atmosphere of
intimidation and to prevent popular uprising, has resorted to public hangings,
and everyday shows horrendous scenes of hanging bodies from the cranes in
public. On Wednesday November 23, the mullahs' henchmen publicly hanged four
young people collectively in the
Secretariat of the National Council of Resistance of Iran/November 23, 2016
US-Iranian citizen convicted for trying to
buy 200 missiles for Iran regime
Thursday, 24 November 2016 /A dual citizen of Iran and the United States was
found guilty on Tuesday on charges that he tried to help acquire surface-to-air
missiles and aircraft components for the Iranian regime in violation of U.S.
sanctions. Reza Olangian, 56, was convicted by a
federal jury in
Iran: 80 Percent of Wage Earners Are Below
the Poverty Line
Thursday, 24 November 2016 /NCRI - An economic expert of the Mullahs' regime
expressed his concern about the fury and protests of people regarding the current
economic situation in the country and said:"following
the current economic situation in the country, there is a concern that 12
million people are unemployed and 30 millions of indigents are pessimist
towards the future of their country. The situation might cause people to
protest in the future and the president would be responsible for that." As
Resalat Newspaper reported on 23rd November 2016, Ebrahim Razaghi admitted that the
number of unemployment and indigence is increasing and the people are getting
disappointed over the regime. He stated:"the
economic orientation of the government towards the wealthy strata of the
society is in favor of a particular class. The
government does not pay attention to the main issues. Today 80 percent of the
wage earners are below the poverty line and 7 million households are unable to
pay house rents. The more the poverty develops the more the people lose their
hopes."
Ebrahim Razaghi referred to
the inability of the current government as well as the previous one to resolve
the issue in this regard and added:"in recent
years, it is proved that following the liberal economic policies is not helpful
for us and it has faced our country with various challenges including poverty
and unemployment. The governments at different periods have diverted people's
attention to other issues in order to conceal the inefficient policies. It
seems that the government's economic policies and approaches are being
developed in favor of the wealthy people. In the
current situation, the serious and main issues of the society are not actively
in practice in order to be resolved." He also discussed the inefficiency
of authorities to exert measures in order to solve the economic problems and
confessed that a revolution is required in the field of management since some
current managers are not able to cure the basic problems of people. Ebrahim Razaghi at the end added:"recently it has been announced that 72 senior
managers have dual citizenship, i.e. they do not have an Iranian nationality
but they rule the country. Such a form of management is not acceptable in any
part of the world. On the other hand, we must say, some managers are looking
for receiving a green card instead of rectifying people's problem."
Iran: Call to save political prisoners on
hunger strike
NCRI Statements/Wednesday, 23 November 2016
Iranian Resistance calls on international human rights bodies, especially the
High Commissioner for Human Rights and the Special Rapporteur
on the human rights situation in Iran, for immediate and effective measures to
address the situation of political prisoners on hunger strike. Not only does
the religious fascism ruling
- Morteza Moradpour, being
in solitary confinement in the central prison of
- Vahid Sayyadi Nassiri, in notorious quarantine ward of Evin prison, is suffering severe weight loss and low blood
pressure. He has been on hunger strike in protest at 13 months of uncertainty
and lack of attention to his case. In order to punish him, the prison guards
have transferred him to the quarantine ward (ward 4) of Evin
prison. In this ward the prisoners are under more pressure and torture and are
denied their most basic rights, including visitation rights and access to
medical needs. He was arrested in September 2015 and was sentenced to eight
years of imprisonment on the charge of "insulting sanctities and propaganda
against the regime".
- Mehdi and Hossein Rajabian are two artist prisoners in ward 7 of Evin prison. They are on their 25th day of hunger strike. Mehdi Rajabian was taken to
hospital in recent days due to stomach bleeding, but was returned to prison
without proper treatment. His brother, Hossein came
down with left kidney infection. These two artists were arrested in their
office in the city of
- Amir Amir-Gholi, in ward 8 of Evin
prison, has been on hunger strike since November 16 in protest at lack of
separation of prisoners' crimes and failing to address the situation of
political prisoners. Mafia-like gangs in prison, provoked by the henchmen,
attacked and wounded him with a knife. The torturers prevented his injury
treatment. Mr. Amir-Gholi was arrested in January
2016 and was sentenced to five years of imprisonment on the charge of
"holding assemblies and collusion, propaganda against the regime and…".
Secretariat of the National Council of Resistance of Iran/November 23, 2016
Hurricane, 7.0 Quake Hit Central
America at Same Time
Naharnet/Agence France Presse/November 24/16/A fierce hurricane and a powerful
offshore earthquake struck Central America at the same time Thursday,
triggering emergency responses in Nicaragua, El Salvador and Costa Rica, and
prayers among fearful populations. Hurricane Otto, a storm packing winds of 175
kilometers (110 miles) per hour hit first, plowing into
Hurricane
Faced with a hurricane and possible tsunami, Nicaraguan President Daniel
Ortega on Thursday declared a national emergency -- a step
Offshore quake
The strong earthquake on the other side of the
region came as the hurricane was making its way west. It occurred at a depth of
10.3 kilometers (6.4 miles), according to the US
Geological Survey -- sufficiently shallow to spark fears in the Salvadoran
government of a possible tsunami. "All protection mechanisms have been
activated under which we have started evacuations," the minister in charge
of the emergency response, Aristides
Latest LCCC Bulletin analysis
& editorials from miscellaneous sources published on November 24-25/16
Stop 'Islamophilia' to End Islamophobia
By Tawfik Hamid/Newsmax/Wednesday,
16 Nov 2016
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/2016/11/24/tawfik-hamidnewsmax-stop-islamophilia-to-end-islamophobia/
http://www.newsmax.com/TawfikHamid/islam-muslim-muslims/2016/11/16/id/759151/
When you encounter a religious ideology in the 21st century that promotes
killing apostates, stoning women to death for sexual indiscretions, and
brutally slaughtering gays; an ideology that instigates wars to impose its
inhumane value system upon others; an ideology that not only condones but
encourages its soldiers to take female war prisoners as sex slaves — and when
you contemplate the number of terrorist acts conducted in its name — then you
begin to realize that feeling some trepidation in the face of that religious
ideology is not only rational, but probably advisable from a purely survival
instinct standpoint.
It is definitively not an irrational response, and therefore by definition not
a phobia. In fact, to not recoil in horror from such an ideology must be seen
as a disease that needs to be treated.
The current mainstream Islamic ideology not only promotes these atrocities, but
the leading Islamic scholars are teaching it as an integral part of the Islamic
religion.
There is neither a single major approved Islamic theological institute nor a
leading Islamic scholar who stands unambiguously against these barbaric 7th
century values and teachings. And yet some people wonder why reasonable people
respond with alarm, and decry such a response as “Islamophobia.”
If these teachings and these atrocities were to decline and disappear, this
so-called “Islamophobia” would soon afterwards also
begin to decline and disappear.
A deeper analysis of this situation reveals that the real problem is actually “Islamophilia” not “Islamophobia.”
“Islamophilia” has taken a variety of forms, such as
insisting that Islam is a religion of peace, pronouncing Jihad a peaceful endeavor, and claiming that Shariah
laws are compatible with the U.S. Constitution — despite overwhelming evidence
against such unfounded assertions, which contradict both historical facts and
current mainstream Islamic teaching.
Such “Islamophilia” — which is based on
hallucinations and pathological lying — has impeded our ability to recognize
the true cause of Radical Islam since Sept. 11 2001, and has thus allowed this
ideological cancer to spread, resulting in increased hatred of the religion and
aggravating the problem of “Islamophobia.”
Liberal left (and Muslim) champions of a blind disregard for the role of the
religious teaching in creating the phenomenon of terrorism,
have actually aggravated the problem of “Islamophobia”
by adopting a pathological “Islamophilia.”
And this bizarre “Islamophilia” has impeded the
efforts of many Muslim reformers by preaching that there is no problem at all
in the ideology, and accordingly, there is no need for reformation.
This is like a physician insisting that there is no cancer and thus preventing
other doctors from treating it — allowing the cancer to spread inexorably.
The complete irrationality of many Islamic and liberal left groups in
addressing the phenomenon of radical Islam, and their utter lack of objectivity
in evaluating the problem has created anger among many of those who have
evaluated the problem in an honest and unbiased manner.
The latter have realized that “Islamophilia” is based
on lies and is an insult to everyone’s intelligence.
The anger this has aroused has resulted in more hatred toward Muslims and has
made things considerably worse. Had these groups addressed the problem of
Islamic radicalism in an honest and realistic manner, and had they admitted the
obvious fact that the Islamic ideology plays a major role in the phenomenon of
radical Islam, the level of anger and thus “Islamophobia”
would be far less widespread than it is today.
Imagine that the aforementioned physician had instead recognized —
and admitted — that the patient had a disease. Then therapeutic measures would
have been taken and the patient would be much healthier today.
The blind defenders of an Islam that exists only in their
imaginations have by denying the existence of the disease seriously impeded the
treatment process, which has resulted in the more and worse complications that
we see today.
In brief, “Islamophilia” is the real
threat that must be defeated first if we are to have any hope of halting and
reversing the spread of so-called “Islamophobia.”
**Dr. Tawfik Hamid
is the author of "Inside Jihad: How Radical Islam Works, Why It Should
Terrify Us, How to Defeat It." Read more reports from Tawfik
Hamid —
http://www.newsmax.com/TawfikHamid/islam-muslim-muslims/2016/11/16/id/759151/
Iran's Forces Outnumber Assad's in Syria
Majid Rafizadeh/Gatestone
Institute/November 24/16
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/2016/11/24/majid-rafizadehgatestone-institute-irans-forces-outnumber-assads-in-syria/
Pursuing a sectarian agenda, Iranian leaders have also fueled
the conflict by sending religious leaders to Syria to depict the conflict as a
religious war.
The Syrian war has led to the rise and export of terrorism abroad as well as to
one of the worst humanitarian tragedies, in which more than 470,000 people have
been killed.
While, according to reports by
In addition, the composition of Iranian IRGC forces are
around 8,000 to 10,000 men, and 5,000 to 6,000 from the regular Iranian Army.
The major Iranian decision-makers in the Syrian conflict are Supreme Leader
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and the senior cadre of the
Revolutionary Guards.
Khamenei insists on using more military power in
"[I]n December 2015, Khamenei ordered the IRGC
to stand fast in the
Pursuing a sectarian agenda, Iranian leaders have also fueled
the conflict by sending religious leaders to
"
"the airport would be the last location to fall. IRGC forces airlifted to
Other Iranian bases are scattered across
Since Brig. General Hossein Hamedani
was killed in Syria, the current command of Iran's forces in Syria lies with
the Command Council, whose members include: IRGC Brig. Gen. Esmail
Qaani (deputy of Qassem Soleimani who is the commander of the Quds
Force) and IRGC Brig. Gen. Mohammad Jafaar Assadi (aka Seyyed Ahmad Madani).
The Syrian conflict has become the "root cause" of terrorism, which
does not recognize borders and has spread to Europe and
Terrorist groups such as
The best strategic and tactical approach is to cut off the role of a major
player in the conflict: i.e.
Considering the military forces and money invested in
In order to resolve this ripe environment of conflict for terrorism in
**Dr. Majid Rafizadeh,
political scientists and
© 2016 Gatestone Institute. All rights reserved. The
articles printed here do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editors or of
Gatestone Institute. No part of the Gatestone website or any of its contents may be reproduced,
copied or modified, without the prior written consent of Gatestone
Institute. https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/9406/iran-soldiers-syria
Hassan Rouhani:
Iran's Executioner
By Heshmat Alavi/American
Thinker/November 24/16
As we begin to wind down to the end of Hassan Rouhani’s
term as president of the regime in Iran, it is time to take a look back at the
past four years. We all remember how the West joyfully welcomed his election --
read selection -- as a change of gear in
Unprecedented executions
Despite pledging to hold the “key” to
As the international community continued its policy of appeasement, Rouhani and the entire regime used this opportunity to
launch an execution rampage. Over 2,500 people have been sent to the gallows
ever since Rouhani came to power, shattering all records
held by this regime itself in over two decades. In 2015 alone,
Vast social crackdown
Rouhani’s commitment to regime supreme leader Ali Khamenei and the ruling elite has rendered a wide-ranging,
escalating crackdown. In addition to the executions mentioned above,
state-sponsored social oppression has resulted in horrific scenes of public
hangings, floggings, and even limb amputations. The prisons are overwhelmed
with inmates, leading to intolerable and inhumane conditions. Political
prisoners, specifically, are subject to horrendous treatment by the
authorities. Renowned human rights organization Amnesty International has
recently issued an Urgent Action call expressing major concerns over the case
of Maryam Akbari Monfared, a Green Movement organizer still in prison two
years after her family put up her bail. And this is merely a single example of
the dreadful results of Rouhani’s domestic policies.
The regime, with the West unfortunately falling in line, had claimed that the
Iranian nation welcomed Rouhani’s presidency with
open arms. While such assertions were politically motivated from the very
beginning, the ordinary Iranian has been the first to pay the price of such a
failed engagement policy.
A call for justice
The Iranian population is extremely fond of the Internet and millions are
actively using social media. Despite its vast censorship efforts, the regime
has failed to completely firewall the entire globe from the clever and highly
motivated Iranian netizen. Various clips, images, and
stories from inside
Conclusion
The entire regime in
Source: http://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2016/11/hassan_rouhani_irans_executioner.html
Dutch MP,Wilders's
Trial: "Unnecessarily Offensive"
Robbie Travers/Gatestone Institute/November 24/16
Geert Wilders is now on trial for having national
security views that the prosecution have deemed unacceptable to air in public.
To suggest that Dutch citizens, whose safety Wilders was elected to protect --
it is his job; it is why he was elected -- should not publicly given his best
advice, would to countermanding his official duty.
Is it racist to note these problems? Statistical data are usually not racist;
they simply express the factual reality of a situation.
The freedom to speak and to question without fear of retribution is
fundamentally what separates democratic governments from totalitarian ones.
Sunshiny, politically correct views do not need protecting. The reason for free
speech is to protect the less-than-enchanting views.
It is fundamental for the health of our society that Wilders and others be able to speak and be heard freely. To protect us and to
protect the humanist values of freedom brought to us by Erasmus and the
Enlightenment, it is crucial that the Dutch court grant Wilders a full acquittal.
As his trial continues in the
The prosecution alleges that his comments unfairly "targeted a specific
race, which is considered a crime."
Never mind that Moroccans are not a race or even a religion; they are citizens
of a country -- apparently, making comments on trends that are prominent within
minorities, or advice on how to keep a country secure, is now criminal.
Statements might sometimes be unpleasant to hear, but to express these views
should not be "criminal."
Look at the comments of the lead prosecutor, Wouter Bos, who said, "Freedom of expression is not absolute,
it is paired with obligations and responsibilities." This is worrying. To
suggest that an individual should have the obligation not to "uncessarily offend," is to make every individual
responsible for the thoughts of every other, theoretical individual who might
be offended by one's words -- or even, as we see now all too often, just claim
to be offended for malicious purposes.
Bos added that Wilders has "the responsibility
not to set groups of people against each other." Is this really what
Wilders was trying to do? The opposite would seem to be true: Wilders was not
calling for racial tension; in his view, he is seeking to alleviate it, his
solution being less immigration from
Is it racist to note these problems? Statistical data are usually not racist;
they simply express the factual reality of a situation.
With this in mind, perhaps then the struggle Wilders faces could be better
described as: Geert Wilders is now on trial for
having national security views that the prosecution have deemed unacceptable to
air in public.
Dutch MP Geert Wilders is now on trial for having national
security views that the prosecution have deemed unacceptable to air in public.
(Source of Wilders photo: Flickr/Metropolico)
The latest development in this process is that the prosecution have demanded
that Wilders be punished with a €5,000 fine, in order for him to atone for his
alleged transgression against Moroccans.
To suggest that Dutch citizens, whose safety Wilders was
elected to protect -- it is his job; it is why he was elected -- should not
publicly be given his best advice, would to countermand his official duty.
If, heaven forbid, there were to be adverse circumstances in the
Saying that the
Perhaps the problem for the long-term survival of Europe is that in modern
politics, too many individuals are seeking to base legislation on protecting
people from being offended, instead of basing legislation on what is best for
the national and cultural security of a country. While no-one might wish others
to be offended, sometimes offending others is necessary, even a duty.
When Wilders criticises Islam and its associated practices and legal codes, no
doubt he offends many conservative Muslims. Does this mean his criticism should
not have been expressed? (No.)
When Wilders criticises the European Union, he no doubt offends Eurocrats in
So when Wilders criticises immigration from Moroccan and suggests there should
be less of it, he may well have offended Moroccans. Does this mean his
criticism shouldn't have been expressed? (No.)
Sometimes, causing offence and allowing individuals critically to engage with a
viewpoint with which they disagree is a crucial part of our dialogue as a
society. Individuals sometimes need to be presented with uncomfortable truths.
Whether one agrees with Wilders's view or not, it
should be comforting that an individual is allowed to question fundamental
building blocks for the future health of our Western values and communal
well-being.
The freedom to speak and to question without fear of retribution is, in fact,
fundamentally what separates democratic governments from totalitarian ones.
If one wants individuals to be able to counter views they perceive to be
"racist" or in some other way prejudiced, they first need to be able
to hear them to counter them.
In condemning Wilders, we are not only robbing Wilders of his right to free
expression, we are also robbing individuals of a right to listen to him.
In a democratic society, individuals should have the right to hear Wilders, and
then, based on his arguments, to draw their own conclusions. Too many
countries, based on originally well-intended laws that repress free speech,
have already fallen into the trap of "the truth is no defense."
Is the implication, then, that half-truths, distortions and lies are an
acceptable defense? In closing the door to
"truth" in Europe and
There are other reasons why all Dutch citizens or other individuals should be
terrified of this.
For Wilders, as a Member of Parliament, the demand of the prosecutors in this
case for a fine of €5,000 may not -- on the surface -- destroy his life. But
this fine would not include the crushing court costs Wilders has had to incur,
even if he is acquitted. What happens when ordinary members of the Dutch public
are summoned before a court -- possibly for even greater penalties and with
greater court costs -- for expressing views that prosecutors claim are
"unnecessarily offensive"?
Wilders, as a private citizen with possibly a moderate
income, has had to go up against the virtually unlimited exchequer of the
entire Dutch government. People's resources are not inexhaustible. This
is the nightmare that great protectors of freedom such as Franz Kafka or George
Orwell have written about.
What happens if Geert Wilders, who is a politician,
is only among the first of those who might be prosecuted for speaking out?
Other individuals who might also want "fewer Moroccans" may not be
able to afford endless court costs and a fine of €5,000 -- or whatever the
judgement might be on December 9. Are we really asking the citizens of the
Surely if there is a conviction this will be only the beginning. Will anyone
ever feel free again to express opinions that might be found -- by someone,
anyone, who knows -- "unnecessarily offensive"? Probably
not.
What, by the way, does "necessarily offensive" consist of? Will
lawyers become rich as person after person is hauled into court to decide, case
by case, how necessary is "necessary"?
Is this really what the free world wants: societies that claim to protect the
rights of the individual but then instead prosecute them? Sunshiny, politically
correct views do not need protecting. The reason for freedom of speech is to
protect the less-than-enchanting views. Without any contrarians, how would
society have developed?
If this court rules against Wilders, will every politician thereafter who makes
a statement that someone deems "unnecessarily offensive" be summoned
before a court? At the other end of the political spectrum, three Dutch Labour
Party politicians were noted to have insulted Moroccans far more corrosively
than Wilders ever did -- even likening them to dirt and excrement. Those Labour
politicians were never prosecuted. Gee, could this be a double standard we are
seeing? Wilders's judges refused to dismiss his trial
on the grounds that it was, as Wilders maintained, politically motivated; but
what looks suspiciously like a selective prosecution seems to bear him out.
Will the Dutch prosecutors, in fairness, proceed to try these
even-more-insulting politicians from the political left?
Repeated trials and appeals only lead, as in a totalitarian government, to
no-one being able to afford maintaining his freedom by due process.
That thought leads to the major politically incorrect elephant in this room:
Is it possible that there are people who are exploiting the West's open but
expensive legal process precisely to shut down freedom of speech and political
views they find inconvenient for themselves? Is that the whole secret point
behind the prosecution: to smother speech and smother thought?
European nations seem to be rapidly approaching a path of political censorship,
to prevent views being expressed that their leaders deem unacceptable. The result? These views only grow in prominence. Across
Ideas cannot be killed by stopping individuals from hearing them; people only
seem to want to hear more about what they sense is being hidden from them.
You do not have to like Geert Wilders or even agree
with him; it is, however, fundamental for the health of our civilization that
he and others be able to speak and be heard freely.
To protect us and to protect the humanist values of freedom brought to us by
Erasmus and the Enlightenment, it is crucial that the Dutch court grant Wilders
a full acquittal.
*Robbie Travers, a political commentator and consultant, is Executive Director
of Agora, former media manager at the Human Security Centre, and a law student
at the
© 2016 Gatestone Institute. All rights reserved. The
articles printed here do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editors or of
Gatestone Institute. No part of the Gatestone website or any of its contents may be reproduced,
copied or modified, without the prior written consent of Gatestone
Institute .https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/9407/wilders-trial-unnecessarily-offensive
Final Statement of Geert
Wilders at his Trial
Geert Wilders/Gatestone
Institute/November 24/16
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/9404/wilders-trial-closing-statement
Translation of the original text: Laatste woord Geert Wilders - Rechtbank
Mr. President, Members of the Court,
When I decided to address you here today, by making a final statement in this
trial against freedom of speech, many people reacted by telling me it is
useless. That you, the court, have already written the
sentencing verdict a while ago. That everything indicates that you have
already convicted me. And perhaps that is true. Nevertheless, here I am. Because I never give up. And I have a message for you and
the
For centuries, the
When one says
We, Dutch, say whatever is close to our hearts. And that is precisely what
makes our country great. Freedom of speech is our pride.
And that, precisely that, is at stake here, today.
I refuse to believe that we are simply giving this freedom up. Because we are Dutch. That is why we never mince our words.
And I, too, will never do that. And I am proud of that. No-one will be able to
silence me.
Moreover, members of the court, for me personally, freedom of speech is the
only freedom I still have. Every day, I am reminded of that. This
morning, for example. I woke up in a safe-house. I got into an armored car and was driven in a convoy to this high
security courtroom at Schiphol. The
bodyguards, the blue flashing lights, the sirens. Every
day again. It is hell. But I am also intensely grateful for it.
Because they protect me, they literally keep me alive,
they guarantee the last bit of freedom left to me: my freedom of speech. The freedom to go somewhere and speak about my ideals, my ideas to
make the
I sincerely hope that this will never happen to you, members of the court.
That, unlike me, you will never have to be protected because Islamic terror
organizations, such as Al-Qaeda, the Taliban and
However, if you would have experienced it -- no matter how much you disagree
with my views -- you might perhaps understand that I cannot remain silent. That I should not remain silent. That I must speak. Not just
for myself, but for the
I had to give up my freedom to do this and I will continue. Always.
People who want to stop me will have to murder me first.
And so, I stand here before you. Alone. But I am not
alone. My voice is the voice of many. In 2012, nearly 1 million Dutch have
voted for me. And there will be many more on March 15th.
According to the latest poll, soon, we are going to have two million voters.
Members of the court, you know these people. You meet them every day. As many
as one in five Dutch citizens would vote the Party for Freedom, today. Perhaps
your own driver, your gardener, your doctor or your domestic aid, the
girlfriend of a registrar, your physiotherapist, the nurse at the nursing home
of your parents, or the baker in your neighborhood.
They are ordinary people, ordinary Dutch. The people I am so proud of.
They have elected me to speak on their behalf. I am their spokesman. I am their
representative. I say what they think. I speak on their behalf. And I do so
determinedly and passionately. Every day again, including here, today.
So, do not forget that, when you judge me, you are not just passing judgment on
a single man, but on millions of men and women in the
Members of the court, you are passing judgment on the future of the
Of course, I should not have been subjected to this absurd trial. Because this is a political trial. It is a political trial
because political issues have to be debated in Parliament and not here. It is a
political trial because other politicians -- from mostly government parties --
who spoke about Moroccans have not been prosecuted. It
is a political trial because the court is being abused to settle a political
score with an opposition leader whom one cannot defeat in Parliament.
This trial here, Mr. President, it stinks. It would be appropriate in
And it is also an unfair trial because, earlier, one of you -- Mrs. van Rens -- commented negatively on the policy of my party and
the successful challenge in the previous Wilders trial. Now, she is going to
judge me.
What have I actually done to deserve this travesty? I have spoken about fewer
Moroccans at a market, and I have asked questions of PVV members during a
campaign event. And I did so, members of the court, because we have a huge
problem with Moroccans in this country. And almost no-one dares to speak about
it or take tough measures. My party alone has been speaking about this problem
for years.
Just look at these past weeks: Moroccan fortune-seekers stealing and robbing in
I tell you: If we can no longer honestly address problems in the Netherlands,
if we are no longer allowed to use the word "alien," if we, Dutch,
are suddenly racists because we want Black Pete to remain black, if we only go
unpunished if we want more Moroccans or else are dragged before a criminal
court, if we sell out our hard-won freedom of expression, if we use the courts
to silence an opposition politician, who threatens to become Prime Minister,
then this beautiful country will be doomed. That is unacceptable, because we
are Dutch and this is our country.
And again, what on earth have I done wrong? How can the fact be justified that
I have to stand here as a suspect, as if I robbed a bank or committed murder?
I only spoke about Moroccans at a market and asked a question at an
election-night meeting. And anyone who has the slightest understanding of politics, knows that the election-night meetings of every party
consist of political speeches full of slogans, one-liners and making maximum
use of the rules of rhetoric. That is our job. That is the way it works in
politics.
Election nights are election nights, with rhetoric and political speeches; not
university lectures, in which every paragraph is scrutinized for 15 minutes
from six points of view. It is simply crazy that the Public Prosecutor now uses
this against me, as if one would blame a football player for scoring a hattrick.
Indeed, I said at the market, in the beautiful Hague district of Loosduinen: "if possible fewer Moroccans." Mark
that I did so a few minutes after a Moroccan lady came to me and told me she
was going to vote PVV because she was sick and tired of the nuisance caused by
Moroccan youths.
And on election night, I began by asking the PVV audience "Do you want
more or less EU," and I also did not explain in detail why the answer
might be less. Namely, because we need to regain our
sovereignty and reassert control over our own money, our own laws and our own
borders. I did not do that.
Then, I asked the public "Do you want more or less Labour Party."
And, again, I did not explain in detail why the answer might be less. Namely, because they are the biggest cultural relativists, willfully blind and Islam-hugging cowards in Parliament.
I did not say that.
And then I asked, "Do you want more or fewer Moroccans," and again, I
did not explain in detail why the answer might be fewer. Namely, because people
with Moroccan nationality are overrepresented in the
I explained this in several interviews on national television, both between the
statement at the market and election night, as well as on election night a few
moments after I had asked the said questions. It is extremely malicious and
false of the Public Prosecutor to want to disregard that context.
Disgusting -- I have no other words for it -- are the actions of other
politicians, including the man who for a few months may still call himself
Prime Minister. Their, and especially his, actions after the said election
night constituted real persecution, a witch hunt. The government created an
atmosphere in which it had to come to trial.
Prime Minister Rutte even told small children during
the youth news that I wanted to expel them, and then reassured them that this
would not happen. As if I had said anything of that kind. It is almost
impossible to behave viler and falser.
But, also, the then Minister of Security and Justice -- who, it should be
noted, is the political boss of the Public Prosecutor -- called my words
disgusting and even demanded that I take them back. A demand of the Minister of
Justice -- you do not have to be named Einstein to predict what will happen
next, what the Public Prosecutor will do, if you do not comply to the demand of the Minister of Justice.
The Interior Minister and the Deputy Prime Minister, too, both from the Labour
Party, expressed themselves similarly. In short, the government left the Public
Prosecutor no option than to prosecute me. Hence, in this trial, the Officers
of Justice are not representatives of an independent Public Prosecutor, but
accomplices of this government.
Mr. President, the elite also facilitated the complaints against me. With
pre-printed declaration forms, which were brought to the mosque by the police. In which, it has to be noted,
the police sometimes said that they, too, were of the opinion that my
statements were inadmissible.
And a sample taken by us showed that some complaints were the result of pure
deception, intimidation and influence. People thought they were going to vote;
they not even know my name, did not realize what they were signing or declared
that they did not feel to be discriminated against by me at all.
Someone said that, at the As Soenah mosque, after
Friday prayers alone, 1,200 complaints were lodged because it was thought to be
an election. There were parades, led by mayors and aldermen, like in
But meanwhile, two representative polls, one commissioned by the PVV, the other
commissioned by De Volkskrant, showed that, apart
from the government and media elite, 43% of the Dutch people, around 7 million
people, agree with me. Want fewer Moroccans. You will be very busy if the
Public Prosecutor is going to prosecute all these 7 million people.
People will never understand that other politicians -- especially from
government parties -- and civil servants who have
spoken about Moroccans, Turks and even PVV members, are being left alone and
not prosecuted by the Public Prosecutor.
Like Labour leader Samsom, who said that Moroccan
youths have a monopoly on ethnic nuisance.
Or Labour chairman Spekman, who said Moroccans should
be humiliated.
Or Labour alderman Oudkerk, who spoke about f*cking Moroccans.
Or Prime Minister Rutte, who said that Turks should
get lost.
And what about police chief Joop
van Riessen, who said about me on television -- I
quote literally: "Basically one would feel inclined to say: let's kill
him, just get rid of him now and he will never surface again"?
And in reference to PVV voters, van Riessen declared:
"Those people must be deported, they no longer belong here." End of
quote. The police chief said that killing Wilders was a normal reaction. That
is hatred, Mr. President, pure hatred -- and not by us, but against us. And the
Public Prosecutor did not prosecute Mr. Van Riessen.
But the Public Prosecutor does prosecute me. And demands a conviction based on
nonsensical arguments about race and concepts that are not even in the law. It
accuses and suspects me of insulting a group and inciting hatred and
discrimination on grounds of race. How much crazier can it become? Race. What race?
I spoke and asked a question about Moroccans. Moroccans are not a race. Who
makes this up? No-one at home understands that Moroccans have suddenly become a
race. This is utter nonsense. Not a single nationality is a race. Belgians are
no race, Americans are no race. Stop this nonsense, I say to the Public
Prosecutor. I am not a racist and neither are my voters. How do you dare
suggest that? Wrongly slandering millions of people as
racists.
43% of the Dutch want fewer Moroccans, as I already said. They are no racists.
Stop insulting these people. Every day, they experience the huge problem with
Moroccans in our country. They have a right to a politician who is not afraid
to mention the problem with Moroccans. But neither they nor I care whether
someone is black, yellow, red, green or violet.
I tell you: If you convict someone for racism while he has nothing against
races, then you undermine the rule of law, then it is bankrupt. No-one in this
country will understand that.
And now the Public Prosecutor also uses the vague concept of
"intolerance." Yet another stupidity. The
subjective word intolerance, however, is not even mentioned in the law. And
what for heaven's sake is intolerance? Are you going to decide that, members of
the court?
It is not up to you to decide. Nor up to the Supreme Court or even the
That is not up to the court. You should not do that, and certainly not on the
basis of such subjective concepts, which are understood differently by everyone
and can easily be abused by the elite to ban unwelcome opinions of the
opposition. Do not start this, I tell you.
Mr. President, Members of the Court,
Our ancestors fought for freedom and democracy. They suffered, many gave their
lives. We owe our freedoms and the rule of law to these heroes. But the most
important freedom, the cornerstone of our democracy, is freedom of speech. The freedom to think what you want and to say what you think.
If we lose that freedom, we lose everything. Then, the
By asking for a conviction, the Public Prosecutor, as an accomplice of the
established order, as a puppet of the government, asks to silence an opposition
politician. And, hence, silence millions of Dutch. I tell you: The problems
with Moroccans will not be solved this way, but will only increase.
For people will sooner be silent and say less because they are afraid of being
called racist, because they are afraid of being sentenced. If I am convicted,
then everyone who says anything about Moroccans will fear to be called a
racist.
Mr. President, Members of the Court, I conclude.
A worldwide movement is emerging that puts an end to the politically correct
doctrines of the elites and the media that are subordinate to them.
That has been proven by Brexit.
That has been proven by the
That is about to be proven in
That will be proven next year in
The course of things is about to take a different turn. Citizens no longer
tolerate it.
And I tell you, the battle of the elite against the people will be won by the
people. Here, too, you will not be able to stop this, but rather accelerate it.
We will win, the Dutch people will win, and it will be remembered well who was
on the right side of history.
Common sense will prevail over politically correct arrogance. Because everywhere in the West, we are witnessing the same
phenomenon.
The voice of freedom cannot be imprisoned; it rings like a bell. Everywhere,
ever more people are saying what they think. They do not want to lose their land, they do not want to lose their freedom.
They demand politicians who take them seriously, who listen to them, who speak
on their behalf. It is a genuine democratic revolt. The wind of change and
renewal blows everywhere. Including here, in the
As I said:
I am standing here on behalf of millions of Dutch citizens.
I do not speak just on behalf of myself.
My voice is the voice of many.
And, so, I ask you, not only on behalf of myself, but in the name of all those
Dutch citizens:
Acquit me! Acquit us!
Geert Wilders is a member of the Dutch Parliament and
leader of the Party for Freedom (PVV).
© 2016 Gatestone Institute. All rights reserved. The
articles printed here do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editors or of
Gatestone Institute. No part of the Gatestone website or any of its contents may be reproduced,
copied or modified, without the prior written consent of Gatestone
Institute.
France on the Verge of Total Collapse
Guy Millière/Gatestone Institute/November 24/16
In the 1970s, the Palestinians began to use international terrorism, and
Polls show that one-third of French Muslims want the full application of
Islamic sharia law. They also show that the
overwhelming majority of French Muslims support jihad, and especially jihad
against
"It is better to leave than flee." -- Sammy Ghozlan,
President of the National Bureau of Vigilance against Anti-Semitism. He was
later mugged, and his car was torched. He left.
Villiers also mentions the presence in "no-go zones" of thousands of
weapons of war. He adds that weapons will probably not even have to be used;
the Islamists have already won.
Originally,
Although overwhelmed by a domestic situation it barely controls, the French
government still intervene in the world affairs: a "Palestinian
state" is still its favorite cause,
Last Spring, even though both
Now Donald Trump is the
French diplomats nevertheless are working with Palestinian officials on a UN
resolution to recognize a
For many years,
In the 1950s,
Everything changed with the end of the Algerian war. Charles de Gaulle handed
More and more, French Muslims consider themselves Muslim first. Many claim that
the West is at war with Islam; they see
They see that
To please its Muslims, the French government may believe it has no choice other
than to be as pro-Palestinian and as anti-Israeli as possible -- even though it
looks as if this policy is failing badly in the polls.
The French government undoubtedly sees that it cannot prevent what increasingly
looks like a looming disaster. This disaster is already taking place.
Perhaps
The leading French Muslim organization, the Union of Islamic Organizations of
France, is the French branch of the Muslim Brotherhood, a movement that should
be listed as a terrorist organization for its open wishes to overthrow Western
governments.
The Muslim Brotherhood is primarily financed by
Jews are leaving
The rest of the French population clearly sees the extreme seriousness of what
is happening. Some of them are angry and in a state of revolt; others seem
resigned to the worst: an Islamist takeover of
The next French elections will take place in May 2017. French President
François Hollande has lost all credibility and has no
chance of being reelected. Whoever comes to power
will have a difficult task.
The French seem to have lost confidence in Nicolas Sarkozy,
so they will probably choose between Marine Le Pen, Alain Juppé
or François Fillon.
Marine Le Pen is the candidate of the far-right National Front.
Alain Juppé is the mayor of
François Fillon will probably be the moderate-right
candidate. He recently said that "Islamic sectarianism" creates
"problems in
Three years ago, the French philosopher Alain Finkielkraut
published a book, The Unhappy Identity (L'identité malheureuse), describing the dangers inherent in the Islamization of France and the major disorders that stem
from it. Juppé chose a campaign slogan intended to
contradict Finkielkraut: "The Happy
Identity".
Since the publication of Alain Finkielkraut's book,
other pessimistic books were published that became best sellers in
Zemmour defines the arrival of millions of Muslims in
He writes that the eruptions of violence that spread are signs of an imminent
explosion; that sooner or later, revolt will gain ground.
Another book, Will the Church Bells Ring Tomorrow? (Les cloches sonneront-elles encore demain?),
was recently published by a former member of the French government, Philippe de
Villiers.
Villiers notes the disappearance of churches in
In his new book, Will the Church Bells Ring Tomorrow?,
Philippe de Villiers notes the disappearance of churches in
On November 13, 2016,
*Dr. Guy Millière, a professor at the
© 2016 Gatestone Institute. All rights reserved. The
articles printed here do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editors or of
Gatestone Institute. No part of the Gatestone website or any of its contents may be reproduced,
copied or modified, without the prior written consent of Gatestone
Institute.https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/9363/france-collapse
Is Post-Truth the only truth left in public life?
Yossi Mekelberg/Al
Arabiya/November 24/16
News that Oxford Dictionaries has declared “Post-Truth” to be its
international word of the year should worry all of us, but not surprise anyone
in the slightest. Enduring an overdose of Brexit and
the
This new adjective is defined by the dictionary as “relating to or
denoting circumstances in which objective facts are less influential in shaping
public opinion than appeals to emotion and personal belief.”
The likes of Trump and Farage have not invented
the politics of make-believe and half-truths, but they and their campaign
strategists brought it to a completely new level. Recognizing that we live in a
post-truth world also coincided with both Facebook
and Twitter announcing that they would fight fake news, and will counter
extremist and harassing language.
The Mock Turtle in
However, it is not only the political world that is tainted with a
made-up world to serve vested interests, the
commercial world and part of the media sector are not far behind. Social media
is a world of its own in the spreading of information, which varies from the
thoughtful and well substantiated to complete falsehoods.
From the Renaissance period through the Scientific Revolution and up
until today a worldview evolved that perceives fact-based reasoning and
argumentation as sacrosanct. This approach has now been turned on its head into
selling people what they either would like hear or to lead them to behave in a
certain way. As in any type of communication those who choose to believe the
message need to take at least some of responsibility too.
The frequency and the intensity of the discourse which appeals to
emotions rather rational thinking sheds a new light on the issue of freedom of
speech, which is a cornerstone of liberal democracies. Limiting it is
interfering with the free market of ideas and information which in return
undermines the essence of these societies, their values, and their ability to
progress and improve through introspection.
The frequency and the intensity of the discourse which appeals to
emotions rather rational thinking sheds a new light on the issue of freedom of
speech, which is a cornerstone of liberal democracies
Freedom of speech
Nevertheless, when unmitigated freedom of speech achieves the opposite,
society is required to defend itself from spreading hatred and extremism
without harming open and honest debate. In the age of immediate communication
through platforms such as Twitter and Facebook, which
enable the dissemination of untrustworthy information in a matter of a few
nanoseconds to around the world, containment of such uncorroborated
“knowledge”, partial truths or even sheer lies is a major challenge.
On the other hand, the very same technology at our fingertips provides us
with an instant and easy way to verify the truthfulness of any piece of
information as much as to spread it. Many are failing to do so, not necessarily
out of gullibility, or laziness, but as a choice not to confront inconvenient
truths.
When the Leave campaign in the
Trump’s special relations with reality did not start or stop with The
Apprentice. PolitiFact, a Florida based fact-checking
website that rates the accuracy of claims by elected officials and others who
speak up in American politics, found out that 85 percent of Trump’s claims
during the election campaign ranged from half-truths to pure ‘pants on fire’
categories.
Regrettably, this did not change once the campaign turned into unexpected
victory. A Donald Trump tweet in the category of “pants on fire” asserted that
“Of course there is large scale voter fraud happening on and before election day. Why do Republican leaders deny what is going
on? So naive!”
Another in this category alleged that Hillary Clinton, “… wants to let
people just pour in. You could have 650 million people pour in, and we do
nothing about it. Think of it. That’s what could happen. You triple the size of
our country in one week.” It beggars belief that anyone could take these kind
of arguments seriously, let alone that this post-truth surreal reality is about
to enter the White House jargon.
Opportunistic worldview
It is not, however, only the Trumps, the Farages
and La-Pens of this world that infect the public debate with their baseless
opportunistic view of the world. Nothing is more misleading than calling a
genre of TV programmes Reality Shows, in which nothing in them is real and
consequently gives an entire generation a distorted view about various aspects
of life. Post-truth is far from stopping there.
What about the language which protects failed business people and bankers
from paying the price for their colossal mistakes, or enables them in avoiding
paying tax like the rest of us? With no shred of evidence, we are expected to
believe that for the good of the world the very rich should retain their
precious little tax havens, or that making bankers accountable for their
incompetence will bring about the collapse of the global economy.
In a post-truth world, it is hard not to welcome Twitter’s decision to
introduce improved tools for its users to counter abuse, and in addition to
temporarily ban accounts associated with ultra-right individuals and groups.
Mark Zuckerberg’s announcement that Facebook is working on the problem of fake news, that some
argued affected the outcome of US elections, is also a
step in the right direction.
Nevertheless, this must come with a caveat that any interference with
freedom of speech has its perils as well. Honouring freedom of speech, one of
the fundamental tenets of democratic societies, and the need to conduct debate
which is truthful and free of hate and incitement, seem presently to clash. Getting the balance wrong between the two harbours great dangers.
Unravelling the Trump phenomenon
Eyad Abu Shakra/Al Arabiya/November 24/16
I have to admit that my forecast regarding the outcome of US presidential
election was wrong, even though I have observed American affairs for decades,
having lived under the “Western democracy” since 1978.
I deluded myself into believing that human nature is capable of
transcending selfishness, greed and hatred for “the other” if it gets the
opportunity to freely express itself. Perhaps I should
have paid more attention to recent developments, in the
I should have considered two facts: That the American voter is not
necessarily more tolerant or mature than the British; and that a high
percentage of Brexit supporters were immigrants. Some
of them were even, until a few years ago, refugees who took advantage of the
British tolerance to live on the
I should have also been more realistic with regard to the notion of
coexistence in the
I also failed to gauge the strong hatred harbored
by the right-wing Catholics, Protestant-Anglican and conservative politicians
for the Democratic Party liberals. The American presidential election served as
an opportunity for them to get revenge on multiple enemies in a single swing.
They hit back at the political “establishment” in
The Founding Fathers established the
For example, statistics show that the white population of European origin
under 25 years of age will become a minority in the US (compared to those of
Hispanic, African or Asian ancestry) by 2020, that is, by the end of Trump’s
first term. This, in addition to the reality that the three most populous US
states —
Indeed, this strategy paid off greatly, and it is now feared that it
could negatively affect not only the coexistence of ethnic groups in the US,
but also the principle of separation of powers, which represents the key
guarantee of any democratic system, the US included, because the Republican
Party, which increasingly drifts toward the extreme right, has won not only the
presidency (the executive power), but also kept control of the two Houses of
Congress (the legislative power), which gives Trump the opportunity to appoint
partisan judges who back Republican policies on the Supreme Court (the
judiciary).
The angry white voters
The third target of the angry white voters was
globalization. This was used by a number of Republican candidates before the
Republican nomination went to Trump, the most outspoken candidate in favor of racism and isolation. Trump had earlier pledged to
ban Muslims from entering the
This means that those candidates understood the nature of the voters and
tried to incite their hatred and stir up their feelings of fear and despair in
order to gain their votes. The fourth backlash was against technological and
scientific progress, which is interrelated with globalization.
There were remarkable similarities between the speeches of leftist
Sanders and right-wing Trump, as well as of some Republicans, talking about the
suffering of the working class in the
In fact, Trump won the presidential election after securing the votes of
three northern states (
The Founding Fathers established the
The US, which was founded on the principles of individual initiatives,
free economy and open market, eliminated all kinds of restrictions and enacted
legislations against monopoly, is now working against the interests of its
industrial companies, which were forced by the competitiveness of the
capitalist system, to reduce production costs by building factories abroad.
This is Trump’s
**This article was first published in Asharq
al-Awsat on November 19, 2016.
Why this surge of US interest in
By Dr. Khaled M. Batarfi/Al
Arabiya/November 24/16
The sudden surge of American interest in the
Why all the secrecy? Why in
Whenever
If it was only the Houthis were engaged in last
week’s meeting, why all the secrecy? My bet is
If the Iranian masters are not in agreement, the Arab agents will keep
breaking their promises and failing their commitments. The Houthis
are allied with ex-President Ali Abdullah Saleh. How
come Kerry has met only with them?
It was a crude recognition of reality. The Houthis
are the ones in the driver’s seat. Saleh was going
out of his scripted line calling on
The Yemeni government was not invited, notified or consulted. Why Kerry
chose to ignore them?
Since the Yemeni government has resisted the US-UN proposal, Kerry may
have decided to enforce it on them. This is the American way. It backfired on
him, because President Abdrabbu Mansour
Hadi refused to sign on, and the Arab Alliance
supported him.
It was rude and humiliating, to say the least, to ignore a legitimate
president and travel across the world for a meeting with a low-level delegation
of a rebellious militia that kidnapped Americans and fired missiles on the US
fleet. American pride and prestige, not just Yemeni, were compromised. Later
on, he had to apologize in person to President Hadi
for a move that was hasty and badly conceived.
Not a partner in alliance
The Obama Administration has never been a partner in any alliance against
The UN-US legitimized all the above by dealing with the rebels as
de-facto rulers. And if it wasn’t for the Arab Alliance’s support of
Kerry peace plan
What is so wrong with the UN and Kerry’s peace plan that the Yemeni
government so adamantly refused?
What was leaked is disturbing. The president would have to transfer his
authority to a new government divided between three groups. One third would go
to the Houthis, another to Saleh,
and a third to the current government. So the rebels, who controlled 20 percent
of the country would be rewarded with two thirds of
the new government — an overwhelming control.
The Houthis would turn over their heavy guns to
unspecified third party. They should get their forces out of major cities. That
is too vague. They could easily say that most of their arms were destroyed and
turn only what cannot be hidden. Their militants could pretend to be civilians
and stay in Sanaa. Later, they may incorporate them
in the national army.
Since they would be ruling the government and parliament they could pass
any changes and roles they may wish. We are back to worse than square one.
This means either everyone accepts, or another war erupts. Either way,
US,
**This article was first published in the Saudi Gazette on Nov. 22, 2016.