Month: February 2023

Pakistan blocks Wikipedia after 48-hour deadline to remove ‘blasphemous content’ ends

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The Islamic Republic of Pakistan has decided to block Wikipedia after it refused to remove the content considered blasphemous by Pakistan from its website. The restoration of access within its territory will be subject to Wikipedia removing the alleged blasphemous content from its website.

Earlier, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) degraded access to the online encyclopedia by reducing or disrupting access to it after giving it a 48-hour deadline to remove all ‘blasphemous’ content. Wikipedia was given this warning on February 1, however, they were not told which content is considered blasphemous by Pakistan.

As per a report by The News, Wikipedia was approached for blocking/removal of the blasphemous content by issuing a notice under applicable law and a court order, however, they failed to comply.

An opportunity was further provided by Pakistan to appear for a hearing or remove the ‘blasphemous’ content, but since Wikipedia didn’t pay attention to either, PTA decided to block them, their spokesperson said.

The restoration of Wikipedia services in Pakistan will be subject to the removal of all the content that Pakistan considers blasphemous.

Wikipedia got a warning from Pakistan

Earlier, on February 1, Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) said that it will block Wikipedia if it fails to take down content deemed to be blasphemous within 48 hours. 

“Wikipedia was approached for blocking/removal of the said contents by issuing a notice under applicable law & court order(s). An opportunity for a hearing was also provided, however, the platform neither complied by removing the blasphemous content nor appeared before the Authority. Given the intentional failure on part of the platform to comply with the directions of PTA, the services of Wikipedia have been degraded for 48 hours with the direction to block/remove the reported contents,” the press release from PTA read.

PTA had warned Wikipedia that its services will be blocked in Pakistan in case it fails to comply with its directions.

Blasphemy laws in Pakistan

Notably, amidst widespread riots over foodgrains and severe power outages as a result of the ongoing economic crisis in Pakistan, the country’s parliament has recently tightened the country’s draconian anti-blasphemy law.

In January, the Parliament reinforced Pakistan’s strict blasphemy laws, which are regularly applied to settle personal scores or to persecute minorities.

The laws, which currently carry the death penalty for anyone found guilty of insulting Islam or the Prophet Muhammad, can now also be used to punish those found guilty of insulting those associated with him.

The Criminal Laws (Amendment) Act 2023, which was unanimously approved by the country’s National Assembly last week, increased the minimum sentence for individuals who disrespect the holy figures of Islam.

https://www.opindia.com/2023/02/pakistan-wikipedia-blasphemy-deadline-ends-block/

‘Don’t beg, go with an atom bomb in one hand and Quran in other’: Islamist leader tells Pakistan Govt to threaten countries with nuclear bomb to demand money

Saad Rizvi, who heads the previously banned Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan party

A video has been doing round on social media wherein Saad Rizvi, the leader of the hardline Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) party, advises the Pakistan government to stop ‘begging’ in front of other countries and instead threaten them with a nuclear bomb and demand money.

“They are sending the prime minister (Shehbaz Sharif), his entire cabinet and chief of army staff to other countries to beg for economic aid… I ask why are they doing this? They said the Pakistani economy is in danger… Instead, I advise them to take Quran in one hand and the atom bomb suitcase in the other, and take the cabinet to Sweden, and say that we have come for the security of Quran. If this entire universe does not fall under your feet, then you can change my name,” Rizvi said in the viral video.

He stated in his address that there was no need for the government to undertake talks with nations because Pakistan could coerce them through threats.

During his speech, the TLP chief further lambasted the Pakistani government for going soft on the incident in which anti-immigrant politician Rasmus Paludan burned a copy of the Quran in Stockholm, Sweden on January 21, 2023. Rizvi tore into the Pakistani government for failing to teach those who burnt the holy book a lesson.

According to media reports, the radical group’s leader made the controversial statement during a rally that was taken out by the TLP members in Lahore on January 27, 2023, to denounce the burning of a copy of the Quran in Sweden.

OpIndia had reported how amid a severe economic crisis, the TLP members had opted to take to the streets to protest the desecration of the religious Islamic text in Sweden. The video of the rally, which went viral on social media, showed several people perched atop a large trailer while hundreds more were on foot. Huge speakers were mounted on the truck, through which chants of ‘Al Jihad’ could be heard. A large police contingent was also seen forming a human chain to protect the protestors.

In his statement to the demonstrators on Friday (January 27), TLP leader Saad Rizvi urged the government to lodge a strong protest with Sweden and the Netherlands to ensure that such occurrences are not repeated again.

Tehreek-e-Labbaik, the once-banned Islamic extremist political party in Pakistan

Notably, the Islamic extremist political party in Pakistan named Tehreek-e-Labbaik has been involved in various violent protests in the recent past. In fact, last year, the Pakistani radical organization had made plans to kill former BJP leader Nupur Sharma for making ‘derogatory’ statements about Prophet Muhammad.

The Islamic organisation had in 2021, organised violent protests in France and elsewhere around the world in response to cartoons of Prophet Mohammad published by the satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo. The outfit had then demanded the expulsion of France’s ambassador and the release of their leader. While protesting against the Charlie Hebdo cartoon in Lahore, the members of TLP opened fire on the cops leaving at least four Pakistani policemen dead.

This particular radical outfit was banned until November 2021, when former Prime Minister Imran Khan succumbed to the pressure of radical Islamists and gave his permission to lift the ban on the extremist group Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP). As a result, the organization was withdrawn from the Fourth Schedule which is the official terrorist watch list of Pakistan.

Notably, the TTP has now established itself as an indisputable power in Pakistan’s political scene. The extremist organisation even formed a parallel government in the country earlier this month.

https://www.opindia.com/2023/02/tlp-leader-asks-pakistan-govt-to-stop-begging-and-instead-threaten-other-countries-with-atom-bomb/

Lidl to significantly reduce meat choices

Shopping at Lidl. Facebook

Steak and sausages will soon have to make way for tofu and soy. A European supermarket chain wants to focus more on vegan instead of animal products in the future.

The supermarket chain Lidl has announced that it will offer significantly fewer animal products such as meat in the future. The company plans to publish a sustainability report this year that will calculate the distribution of animal and vegetable proteins in its range. By 2025, the proportion of plant-based foods will then be “continuously increased”, it announced.

According to the Lebensmittelzeitung, chief buyer Christoph Graf said there was no alternative because there was no second planet. He spoke at the Green Week in Berlin recently. Resources must be managed for all ten billion people on the globe. That is only possible if less meat is consumed, said Graf.

‘We will then be perceived more positively

’However, Lidl claimed that it did not want to dictate a certain lifestyle to its customers. Rather, they want to “motivate” them.

According to its chief buyer, Lidl expected the project to boost its image. “Then we will be perceived more positively,” he said optimistically. “I think that the younger generation is happy when we deal with the topic.”

https://freewestmedia.com/2023/02/04/lidl-to-significantly-reduce-meat-choices/

Ireland to Use St Patrick’s Day to Promote ‘Diversity’ and Drag Queens

Ireland is to use its annual St Patrick’s Day celebrations to promote “diversity” and drag queens, an official announcement has revealed.

Ireland’s progressive-leaning Arts Minister, Catherine Martin, declared on Monday alongside a number of drag queens that this year’s St Patrick’s Day festival in Ireland will be about celebrating “diversity” and “inclusivity”.

She also took the opportunity to denounce the growing anti-mass migration protests taking place across the country, with many Irish people taking to the streets over their government’s open borders approach towards the current migrant crisis.

According to a report by the Irish Independent, the line-up for the festival was announced from Collins Barracks — a former British military instillation in the country’s capital of Dublin — with parts of the festival being set to focus on progressive and pro-LGBT entertainment, such as drag queens and cabaret performances.

The festival will even sport an LGBT-ified version of Ireland’s traditional form of folk dancing event — called a Céilí — which the festival claims will be the first of its kind.

“Championing the idea that clubbing is culture – a vibrant and pivotal cultural expression – Cultúr Club spans 4 stages across the Festival Quarter site, playing host to some of Ireland’s finest DJs, drag queens, artists, cabaret talent and performers from across the LGBTQ+ community and traversing musical styles including pop, disco and electro to techno and beyond,” the official website for the festival reads.

Senators Demand Online Censorship After Public Backlash Against Mass Migration Explodes in Ireland – Allah's Willing Executioners

“Cultúr Club will host the first ever LGBTQ+ Géilí (pronounced Gay-Lee) on the mainstage with the fabulous PJ Kirby (co-host of the smash hit podcast, I’m Grand Mam), ably assisted by an army of drag performers,” it adds.

Speaking at the launch, Minister Martin described the traditional religious holiday associated with Ireland’s patron saint as an opportunity to promote diversity.

“The theme ‘We Are One’ is about inclusivity and there’s no better time than St Patrick’s Day to have that welcoming message, that cead míle fáilte [Irish for ‘one hundred thousand welcomes’], that we are one as a people and to celebrate diversity too,” the minister is reported as saying.

However, Martin also expressed concern about the growing number of anti-mass migration protests taking place throughout Ireland, which have largely been sparked by the Irish government moving large numbers of migrants into areas, often without consulting or seeking the consent of locals.

Though talking heads in the island nation have tried to brand the demonstrations as being orchestrated by a shadowy “far right”, the protests have only gained steam over the last number of weeks, with many people now regularly taking to the streets to demand that the country end its open borders approach to the ongoing crisis.

“Protests like that are of course a concern,” the arts minister remarked, before claiming that they represent a “minority” view — something that is not supported by the wealth of polling data on the subject of mass immigration into Ireland, with an estimated 61 per cent worried about the number of migrants currently coming to the country.

There are also concerns as to whether Ireland will be able to handle the increased numbers of tourists it often sees around March, with many hotels in the city already being contracted to host migrants.

https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2023/02/04/ireland-to-use-st-patricks-day-to-promote-diversity-and-drag-queens/

India: Politicians demand stopping Pak-born British Islamist preacher Saqib Iqbal Shami’s event

VHP (Vishwa Hindu Parishad) demanded the cancellation of Pakistan-link British Islamist preacher Saqib Iqbal Shami’s religious event set to be conducted in Warangal today (February 4). VHP met the Warangal Commissioner of Police and asked him to stop the event which Shami is conducting in violation of Bharatiya visa rules.

Interestingly, BRS (formerly TRS) party MLA Nannapuneni Narender, who represents the Warangal East constituency, printed posters

PC: Nijam Today

Shami is an Islamic preacher who was born in Pakistan and is a citizen of Britain. He is on a 26days tour of Bharat from January 26 during the course of which he is set to conduct religious events across the country. One of his religious events was scheduled to take place in Telangana’s Warangal on February 4.

However, according to Bharatiya visa rules foreigners are not allowed to conduct religious events in Bharat. The Union Government has reiterated this on several occasions and even the Home Ministry had replied to an RTI (Right to Information) query saying GoI (Government of India) does not issue visas to religious preachers wanting to conduct/participate in religious campaigns and activities.

Legal Rights Protection Forum (LRPF), a legal rights firm fighting for the rights of indigenous people, filed a complaint with the concerned authorities of the Ministry of Home Affairs/Home Ministry (MHA) after learning about Shami’s event. In its complaint, LRPF highlighted that the tour is illegal and requested the ministry to take necessary steps to stop the event as well as take strict action against both Shami and the organizers under relevant sections of the 1946 Foreigners Act.

LRPF also highlighted that Shami was among 120 British Islamists who interfered in Bharat’s internal affairs by writing to PM Modi following the abrogation of Article 370 expressing their ‘dissatisfaction and displeasure’ over it and the imposition of lockdown in Jammu and Kashmir. Furthermore, LRPF has urged the Home Ministry to blacklist Shami to prevent his entry into Bharat in the future.

It must be mentioned that Shamii conducted a massive religious event at Uttar Pradesh’s Aligarh Muslim University terming the event as his biggest political, cultural, and social Islamic gathering of all time. His social media accounts have listed his upcoming events across Bharat.

https://hindupost.in/news/vhp-wants-islamist-preacher-shami-event-canceled/

United Kingdom: Islamist Shakeel Afsar threatens Hindu diaspora with a gun, calls them ‘target practice’

Islamist Shakeel Afsar, image via Vladimir Morozov/ Alamy

A video of an Islamist named Shakeel Afsar intimidating, the Hindu diaspora in the United Kingdom, with a gun has gone viral on social media.

The video originally uploaded on his Instagram profile (@shak_afsar1) on Tuesday (February 2), called for violence against the Hindu community, residing in the United Kingdom.

In the disturbing video, Shakeel Afsar was seen hitting targets with an assault rifle at a gun range. The video was accompanied by the caption, “Target practice for the next BJP, RSS Hindutva event.”

It must be mentioned that Shakeel Afsar had intruded on a peaceful protest by the Hindu diaspora against the propaganda-laden documentary released by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC).

“These guys are terrorists. Guys, you can see these harami BJP men and women,” he claimed before going on a vitriolic, abusive tirade against the demonstrators outside the BBC office.

Given that the Islamist has a tendency to level ordinary Hindus as ‘RSS/ BJP supporters’, his threat to target them with a gun cannot be ignored. It has the potential to translate into a real-life act of terror against the Indian Hindu diaspora.

After his Instagram story labelling Hindus as ‘target practice’ went viral on social media, Shakeel Afsar claimed innocence. “We do not advocate any physical harm to any individual in the UK. We must use our words & remain within the parameters of the UK law always!”

Screengrab of the Instagram story of Shakeel Afsar

In a tweet, the Islamist confirmed that he was indeed the man who threatened the Hindu community with violence. In his defence, Shakeel Afsar claimed to ‘shoot down’ BJP/ Hindutva extremists with words and not guns.

The Islamist claims to be a real estate agent and a property developer in the United Kingdom. He boasts of over 10.6K followers on Instagram.

The United Kingdom has witnessed a recent spike in Islamist attacks against the Hindu community. Armed with fallible excuses, they have left no stone unturned to strike fear and terror in the hearts of common Hindus.

With the inherent ability of Islamists to quickly mobilise in the name of religion, the Hindu diaspora is left fending for themselves.

https://www.opindia.com/2023/02/united-kingdom-islamist-shakeel-afsar-threatens-hindu-diaspora-with-gun/

Berlin: Students should not call police on migrant sexual offenders

The pathways of southern Campus Dahlem of the FU, Berlin, may no longer be safe for women. User:Torinberl, Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license

According to the student council of the Free University of Berlin (FU), women should not call the police when sexually harassed by migrants. Although an immigrant is alleged to have repeatedly sexually harassed women at the FU, the ASta student council warned against calling the police for help.

The General Students’ Committee (AStA) of the Free University of Berlin (FU) warned in a circular email not only against a man who has repeatedly sexually harassed and threatened female students for some time now, but also against calling the Berlin police if they come into contact with him. People who meet him and feel harassed by him are strongly advised not to do so. Instead, they should first contact the university’s security service.

Alerting the police could lead to “police violence” according to the council. “We would like to point out that police interventions for people affected by racism are always accompanied by an increased risk of experiencing police violence,” the AStA letter stated. It is said to have been sent to the university groups and student council initiatives last week.

According to the letter, the man has repeatedly appeared at various buildings at the FU, which is dotted around the area of Dahlem in southwestern Berlin. He has been threatening students for several weeks and has behaved in an aggressive and intrusive manner towards women. So far, he has not physically assaulted anyone, but there have been repeated threats of violence. He is said to have stalked one person for some time.

Complaints against migrant continue

Also according to the FU, complaints of harassment continue to be lodged. Upon request, the FU confirmed “that in the past there have been several complaints from university members about harassment on campus by a person not affiliated with the university”. This person has been banned from the campus and measures have been taken to ensure that this ban is adhered to.

For reasons of data protection, it is not possible to say whether this is the same person who was pictured and named in the letter from the AStA. The Berlin police meanwhile confirmed a complaint about a sexual insult from December.

According to the AStA, the alleged racism is not the only reason for not calling the police. From their point of view, the officers are “not sufficiently trained in dealing with exceptional psychological situations”, the letter continued. Therefore, such operations are often “escalated by the unnecessary use of force”.

Such a concern does not take into account the dangers for a potential victim, but rather exonerates the perpetrator in advance, since the latter is often in such an “exceptional situation”.

The Social Psychiatric Service has been recommended as an alternative to the police and “a much better option”. However, the authors noted that this service could only be of use if the person concerned has given their consent. They do not speculate as to how they expect the alleged sex offender to give this consent. Elsewhere, in fact, they concede that he has so far not shown any willingness to change his behaviour: “Sometimes it is hardly possible to talk to him.”

The Berlin police reacted with incomprehension to the AStA’s text. “Advising victims of sexual violence not to press charges can have long-lasting consequences for the psyche of the person affected,” said spokesperson Beate Ostertag. “The feeling of powerlessness and helplessness that arises in the experience of the crime can become entrenched.”

In addition, she stressed, there are possibilities under the law on the prevention of danger to protect further victims from assault, if necessary. The university has already been contacted about the matter, Ostertag added.

https://freewestmedia.com/2023/02/04/berlin-students-should-not-call-police-on-migrant-sexual-offenders/

Was Dr. Michael Mammone a victim of the left’s ugly racial obsessions?

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By Andrea Widburg

Dr. Michael Mammone was an emergency room physician, which means he dedicated himself to saving lives. However, on Wednesday, on Southern California’s Pacific Coast Highway near Dana Point, a man named Vanroy Evan Smith smashed into Dr. Mammone, who was on a bicycle. Smith then got out of his car and stabbed Dr. Mammone to death. What makes this horrifying story worthy of national analysis is that an eyewitness alleged that, as Smith attacked Dr. Mammone, he was “muttering about White privilege.” If true, the left’s obsessions are dangerously infecting society.

The core facts, as noted, are straightforward: Smith, who apparently did not know Dr. Mammone, sped through an intersection and struck Dr. Mammone, throwing the doctor into the air. Then, Smith got out of his car and stabbed the helpless doctor to death.

Image: Dr. Michael Mammone. Providence Mission Hospital

Should you choose to watch it, the video of Smith’s car smashing into Dr. Mammone—you can see Smith’s car shoot out into the intersection in the top left corner of the video—is stomach-churning (and I honestly cannot account for all the cars that just keep driving by):

On its face, what happened to Dr. Mammone is just a horrific story that would normally fall into the “crazy person” or the “evil person” category. However, what raises it to the level of important national news is that a witness claimed to have “heard the suspect uttering racial slurs about ‘White privilege.’”

Assuming that’s true (and it’s still early days, so it may not be), we must ask how we got here. What’s important to note is that the phrase “White privilege” is not a “crazy person phrase” along the lines of “Kenneth, what is the frequency?” It is, instead, a phrase that’s relentlessly being inserted into American society to demean, dehumanize and, to use the left’s own vocabulary, “other-ize” White people.

As just the latest example, Christopher Rufo has written a detailed essay about the overtly, aggressively anti-White teachings, all masquerading under the rubric of “diversity, equity, and inclusion,” that are inextricably intertwined with every aspect of work and learning (if you can call it learning) at Florida State University:

One representative program is “Social Justice Ally Training,” hosted by Student Equity & Inclusion Director Sierra Turner and the Center for Leadership & Social Change. The program provides a basic recapitulation of the critical-race-theory narrative: white, patriarchal Western societies have created a “Cycle of Socialization” that has resulted in “racism, classism, religious oppression, sexism, heterosexism, gender oppression, ableism, ageism & adultism, and xenophobia.”

The trainers make the case that, in the United States, “whites” are the racial group responsible for the “systematic subordination of members of targeted racial groups who have relatively little power.” Whites are also guilty of “cultural racism,” or the creation and maintenance of social structures that “overtly and covertly attribute normality to white people and Whiteness.” By definition, no other group can be racist—“institutional racism” can only “create advantages and benefits for Whites.”

Likewise, American K-12 schools are inculcating this vile racism in American students. Last May, it emerged that a Washington, D.C. school had given 4-year-olds an “anti-racism” book that asked them not only to finger “racist” relatives but also explained to all the students that “if you are a white person, white privilege is something you were born with….”

Just three months ago, Tucker Carlson pointed out what we’ve all noticed: This racial hatred is not limited to academia. The harder-left side of the mainstream media is increasingly engaging in eliminationist rhetoric that has the feel of what the media did in Rwanda right before unleashing the Hutus on the Tutsis:

Knowing the toxins that leftists (Democrats, the media, academia, etc.) are fire-hosing into the American mind, it’s easy to believe that the person who witnessed Smith murder Dr. Mammone accurately reported Smith’s mutterings about “White privilege.” And if one assumes that the eyewitness report is indeed accurate, whether Smith was motivated by madness or evil, his act reflects what the left is relentlessly pumping into America: Race hatred that ultimately demands that White people must be sacrificed on the Marxist, racial altar to “purify” America.

https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2023/02/was_dr_michael_mammone_a_victim_of_the_lefts_ugly_racial_obsessions.html