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WORLD NEWS

Why the US Needs to Help Morocco by Khaled Abu Toameh

https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/16869/help-morocco

Morocco’s General Directorate of Territorial Surveillance (DGST) announced last month that the Moroccan authorities have dismantled 207 terrorist cells since 2002.

As for Morocco… it is the Islamists, and not Israel, who have “corrupted the minds of Moroccans, sowed the seeds of discord among them, brought Moroccan education to the brink of bankruptcy and legitimized ignorance.” — Ahmed Assid, professor of philosophy and activist, kifache.com, December 15, 2020.

“The rhetoric of hostility and the threat of throwing the Jews into the sea won Israel widespread international sympathy. The Palestinians have missed many opportunities, and they have been chasing the illusions given to them by the [Arab] regimes…” — Sa’id Al-Kahal, a secular Moroccan author, hespress.com, January 23, 2020.

If the new US administration wants peace in the region to hold, it needs to maintain pressure on the mullahs in Tehran and not return to the policy of appeasement. Failure to do so would facilitate the mission of the Islamists to destabilize the Middle East, and especially the courageous countries that are finally opting for peace.

Will Morocco face Islamist terror attacks after its decision to normalize its relations with Israel? Iran and its Islamists proxies in Morocco, Lebanon and the Gaza Strip have condemned the Israel-Morocco normalization deal as a “betrayal of Islam,” a move that could lead to a wave of terror attacks by various Islamist groups, particularly Islamic State (ISIS).

Now that Morocco has decided to make peace with Israel, ISIS and other terrorist groups are likely to increase their plans to thwart the agreement by launching terror attacks in the country.

Mufti of Jerusalem: Temple Mount ‘is Islamic and Only for Muslims’ No Jews allowed. Robert Spencer

https://www.frontpagemag.com/fpm/2020/12/mufti-jerusalem-temple-mount-islamic-and-only-robert-spencer/

Imagine the outcry if a non-Muslim leader said Muslims were not welcome at the site of an ancient Muslim holy place. But no one will take any particular notice of this. On Wednesday, theJerusalem Post reported that “the Palestinian Authority Mufti of Jerusalem, Sheikh Mohammed Hussein, on Tuesday warned of attempts by Jewish groups to establish a presence on the Temple Mount.” Hussein said: “We affirm, time and again, that the blessed al-Aqsa Mosque, with its entire area of 144 dunams [144,000 sq.m.], is Islamic and only for Muslims. There is no place for non-Muslims in any way in this mosque, whether through schools, churches or other places of worship.”

And the world remained silent, fearing charges of “Islamophobia.”

This is not the first time that a “Palestinian” official has said something like this. In fact, many have declared that no Jews will be welcome in a Palestinian state at all, not on the Temple Mount and not anywhere else. In November 2007, Dr. Sari Nusseibeh, the Dean of Al-Quds University, appeared on Al Jazeera and said: “The Israelis now living in the territories of the future Palestinian state should return to living within the borders of the state of Israel. No Jew in the world, now or in the future, as a result of this document, will have the right to return, to live, or to demand to live in Hebron, in East Jerusalem, or anywhere in the Palestinian state.”

Then in the spring of 2013, Sheik Hammam Saeed, leader of the Muslim Brotherhood in Jordan, appeared on Al-Aqsa TV and said : “We must not forget the enemy, which planted the Jews in our land. It is time we demanded that these enemies and especially Britain, be held accountable. It is time that we held these true criminals accountable.” The idea that the British must be held accountable for having “planted the Jews” in Arab land is false in several ways, but the fact that Saeed said it indicated that he considered the Jews, despite the fact that they have had an unbroken presence in that land for over 2,000 years, are a foreign presence that must be removed.

The EU Needs to Stand Up for the Human Rights It Proclaims by Judith Bergman

https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/16871/eu-human-rights-china

One year later, the EU now has a Magnitsky-system. No sanctions, however, have been suggested, whether by member states or by [High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy] Borrell himself.

“Sanctions are triggered when a Member State puts forward a proposal,” Borrell answered, without acknowledging that he himself has the authority to put forward such a proposal. “For the time being, no one has done it…. Let us see in the future; for the time being my concrete answer is clear”.

Crucially, the EU does not want to jeopardize the finalization of the EU-China Comprehensive Investment Agreement, which the EU and China have sought to realize for seven years now.

The US has sanctioned at least 28 Chinese officials over their actions in Xinjiang.

More proof that China is committing grave human rights abuses against Uighurs in Xinjiang has emerged. New evidence suggests that Uighurs, in addition to being detained in reeducation camps and coerced into working in textile manufacturing factories, are also forced to pick cotton.

Twenty percent of the world’s cotton is sourced in Xinjiang, in addition to 85% of China’s cotton being produced there. China is the world’s largest producer and exporter of yarn, and the largest producer and exporter of textiles and apparel.

In addition, China has been discovered to use technology that arbitrarily selects Uighurs for detention through a data program that collects data about them and flags to officials those it deems potentially threatening for possible detention.

Austria: Top Court Overturns Headscarf Ban by Soeren Kern

https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/16873/austria-court-headscarf-ban

The case highlights the constitutional restraints that European governments face in regulating political Islam and promoting integration.

“A regulation that only affects a certain group of female students and that remains selective in order to ensure religious and ideological neutrality as well as gender equality misses its regulatory goal and is irrelevant. §43a SchUG therefore violates the principle of equality in connection with the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion.” — Austria’s Constitutional Court, December 11, 2020.

“The prohibition of the wearing of Islamic headscarves in elementary schools was never intended to be a restriction of religious freedom, but rather as a protective mechanism against sexualization and Islamic oppression of underage children…. Unfortunately, this judgment is a step backwards in terms of civilization.” — Leader of the Freedom Party in Upper Austria, Manfred Haimbuchner.

The Austrian Constitutional Court has ruled that Austria’s ban on the wearing of headscarves in public schools violates the freedom of religion and the freedom of expression and therefore is unconstitutional.

The case highlights the constitutional restraints that European governments face in regulating political Islam and promoting integration.

The headscarf ban, introduced in June 2019 by a governing coalition comprised of the center-right People’s Party (ÖVP) and the populist Freedom Party (FPÖ), was an extension of a groundbreaking October 2017 “Integration Law” that sought to improve the integration of Muslims into Austrian society.

The 2017 law banned face coverings — including burkas, niqabs or masks — in public spaces. The 2019 law extended that ban to preclude children under the age of ten from wearing headscarves in primary schools.

The 2019 law, which did not explicitly refer to Muslims or Islam, banned “any clothing that is ideological or religious and that involves covering the head.” The law defined head coverings as “any type of clothing that covers the entire head hair or large parts of it.” The text explained that the law was necessary to promote “the social integration of children according to local customs and traditions, the preservation of the basic constitutional values ​​and educational goals of the Federal Constitution, as well as the equality of men and women.”

To Europe with Love: “Diplomats” or Terrorists from Iran’s Mullahs? by Majid Rafizadeh

https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/16867/iran-diplomats-terrorists-europe

The EU would to itself a big favor to realize that Assadi was likely not acting alone. High-level Iranian leaders and diplomats most probably instructed him to carry out the terrorist operation.

It was because of his diplomatic position that Assadi was reportedly able to bring the explosives from Tehran to Vienna without being caught. In other word, Iranian diplomats are key enablers of Khamenei’s fundamentalist agenda abroad.

Unless or until Iran’s mullahs stop their terror activities, the EU would do itself and the Free World another big favor by cutting off its diplomatic ties with a regime that is murdering European citizens and carrying out terror plots on European soil.

While the European Union appears excited that Joe Biden will be the next US President and then they can immediately rejoin the nuclear deal and lift sanctions against the mullahs, Tehran continues its terrorism on the European soil.

As the High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, is urging the US to rejoin the JCPOA, one of Iran’s active diplomats in Belgium is currently on trial, accused of orchestrating a terrorist operation in Europe in 2018. French officials foiled a planned bomb attack in Paris against a large “Free Iran” convention attended by tens of thousands of people, including many high-level speakers such as former US House of Representatives Speaker Newt Gingrich, former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, and Canada’s former Prime Minister Stephen Harper and former Foreign Minister John Baird.

If the terrorist plot were successful, it would have possibly been one of the largest terrorist acts sponsored by the Iranian regime. Where is the EU foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, on this issue? Completely silent.

Hungary: “Europe’s Borders Must be Protected” by Soeren Kern •

https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/16868/hungary-europe-borders

“Hungary will only be a Hungarian country as long as its borders remain intact. Therefore, not only our thousand-year-old statehood but also the future of our children obliges us to protect our borders.” — Judit Varga, Hungarian Justice Minister, December 17, 2020.

“While the Action Plan would give immigrants more rights and entitlements, it does not seem to take into consideration the security risks associated with mass migration.” — Zoltán Kovács, spokesman for Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, December 17, 2020.

“If you are thinking that all of this sounds familiar, you’re not alone. The Action Plan looks similar to George Soros’ plan to have Europe admit ‘at least a million asylum-seekers annually for the foreseeable future.’…. Those migrants that Europe should be admitting, according to the Soros plan, their distribution should be permanent and mandatory. He also made it clear that his plan aims to protect immigrants and that national borders are an obstacle to this.” — Zoltán Kovács, December 17, 2020.

“The Union, according to the plan, would give more support to immigrants than to its own citizens by supporting businesses established and run by the former. Moreover, the plan, by supporting the employment of migrants, would put unemployed EU citizens in an even more difficult position.” — Zoltán Kovács, December 17, 2020.

“But the Commission’s Action Plan goes even further, seeking to bring in some 34 million migrants to become EU citizens (nearly 8 percent of the current EU population). That is, 34 million migrants would be granted citizenship and the right to vote…. Who says this is what Europe wants or needs? When have the citizens of Europe voted for this?” — Zoltán Kovács, December 17, 2020.

The Shuttering of Europe For what purpose? To what end? Katie Hopkins

https://www.frontpagemag.com/fpm/2020/12/shuttering-europe-katie-hopkins/

At the risk of sounding like a small child being scolded by its mother for fighting, it was Germany who started it – and I am not talking about WWI. Or even WWII, though I will always hold a deep-seated grudge against the country for both of those events.

I am talking about the complete shuttering of Europe for Christmas.

One day Merkel was on German TV screens wringing her hands and imploring her people to be more cautious. (I wondered what was going on; Merkel does not do emotion.)

The next day she reverted to type and threw Germany into a hard lockdown, closing shops, schools and everything in between. (I felt some relief; at least this was the woman I knew.)

Merkel is the ginger German equivalent of Mark Zuckerberg. And by that I mean very odd.

I swear that woman could impound Santa’s sleigh and still be back in the European Parliament by 7am in a pant suit, calmly discussing Fiscal Stimulus while little children wake to empty stockings.

The vast population of Muslims she imported into Germany call her Mutti Merkel (Mother Merkel) and I am sure they are as excited as Polar elves to watch this angry woman all but cancel Christmas in a country famous for its festive season. Erdogan must be rewarding her well.

Most of the major Christmas markets in Germany have been canceled, as have New Year fireworks displays.

Leaked CCP Member List Shows 70-member Strong Unit at NYU Shanghai

https://www.theepochtimes.com/leaked-ccp-member-list-shows-70-member-strong-

The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) unit at the New York University Shanghai has grown to over 70 members, according to a leaked database of CCP members in the Chinese megapolis.

Located in Lujiazui, Shanghai’s wealthy financial hub, NYU Shanghai is a joint venture between New York University and East China Normal University (ECNU), one of the 76 institutions directly owned and managed by the Chinese Ministry of Education. Founded in 2012, the university boasts on its website as “the first Sino-U.S. joint venture university,” a model that has since been adopted by other American schools such as Duke.

The presence of a CCP unit at NYU Shanghai is no surprise, as the party’s constitution requires any institution or organization with three or more members to form a cell. The ECNU, which oversees party activities at NYU Shanghai, has also been publishing information about the units’ leadership changes over the years. Its size and the identity of its members, however, remained unclear until recently when a database containing the personal information of nearly 2 million Shanghai-based CCP members was shared to the Daily Mail.

According to the database, which was reportedly retrieved from a server housed in the British Consulate in Shanghai, NYU Shanghai has employed some 71 CCP members, among which are at least two faculties. All CCP members swear an oath to “strictly observe party’s discipline, protect party’s secrets, be loyal to the party, work hard, fight for communism for the rest of one’s life, always be prepared to sacrifice everything for the party and the people, and never betray the party.”

Islam and the French Soul R.J. Smith

https://quadrant.org.au/magazine/2020/12/islam-and-the-french-soul/

In search of narratives that have defined the West of the twenty-first century, a renewed emphasis on the nation-state and Islamic terrorism are the two that immediately come to mind. The latter found starkest expression in the Twin Tower attacks of 2001, the former in the decision of the British people to leave the European Union and of the American people to elect Donald Trump in 2016.

France has been touched by a resurgence of nationalism. The question in French presidential politics today is not which two candidates will make the second and final round, but who will compete against Marine Le Pen and thus be handed the keys to the Elysée. But Islamic terrorism has touched France more acutely than any other Western nation, to the extent that Le Pen’s inevitable loss can no longer be counted upon.

Since the beginning of the last decade, France has witnessed an unending train of terrorist attacks, each seeming to trump the last in depravity and devastation. These include the murder of three paratroopers, a rabbi and three young schoolchildren in 2012, the Charlie Hebdo and kosher supermarket sieges in January 2015, the November attacks of the same year which resulted in the death of 131, the lorry attack on the Nice promenade which killed eighty-six and the Strasbourg Christmas market attack in 2018.

In the last month alone, a twenty-five-year-old Pakistani refugee stabbed four people—seriously injuring two others—outside the former offices of Charlie Hebdo after the magazine reprinted the Mohammed cartoon which led to the first attack on the publication in 2015. Last week, an eighteen-year-old Chechen, also a refugee, beheaded a history teacher, Samuel Paty, who had shown his students the same cartoon in a class on freedom of expression.

Iran’s Plan to Topple Arab Leaders by Khaled Abu Toameh

https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/16859/iran-topple-arab-leaders

Hamas’s call on Moroccans to revolt against their leaders contradicts its own declared policy that it does not intervene in the internal affairs of the Arab countries. “Hamas does not meddle in the internal affairs of Arab and Muslim countries,” said senior Hamas official Salah Bardaweel. If true, why is Hamas denouncing Morocco’s decision to establish relations with Israel?

Showing Hamas’s hypocrisy out in the sunlight, Hamas maintains continuous communication with Egypt, the first Arab country to sign a peace treaty with Israel. Just last week, Egyptian intelligence officials again visited the Gaza Strip….

Hamas would not dare to fire one rocket or bullet toward Egypt. Evidently, Hamas leaders know that the moment they attack Egypt, they and the entire Gaza Strip would pay a heavy price, most likely by having a huge military offensive launched against the Islamist movement.

These Arabs say that they hope to see the new US administration endorse a tough policy toward Iran and not send a message of weakness to the mullahs. Any attempt to appease Iran or ease the sanctions on it will only embolden the mullahs and increase their appetite to instigate coups to overthrow various Arab countries.

Iran’s Islamist proxies in the Arab world have resurfaced to condemn last week’s normalization agreement between Israel and Morocco just as they did with similar accords reached in the past few months with the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Sudan.

As usual, the Islamists and their patrons in Tehran, who seek the elimination of Israel, are using texts from the Koran and sayings attributed to the prophet Mohammed to justify their opposition to the normalization of relations between Arabs and Israel.

After the Israel-Morocco deal, however, the Islamists have stepped up their campaign of incitement against Arabs who want to make peace with Israel.