A clip from our longer #NCFWhittle interview with Professor Doug Stokes, Professor of International Relations at the University of Exeter, and author of the new book “Against Decolonisation: Campus Culture Wars & The Decline of the West”.
Month: February 2024
German lawmakers bemoan launch of pro-Erdoğan Islamist party just days after MPs expedited citizenship and voting rights for 2.5 million migrants
Politicians from the mainstream parties in Germany have expressed their concern over the registration of a new political party sympathetic to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan — a move that may lay the foundations for an increasing Islamic community to enjoy significant representation in the Bundestag.
The Democratic Alliance for Diversity and Awakening (DAVA) has been authorized to contest the European Parliamentary elections in June this year and has plans to stand across the whole of Germany in the next federal elections.
The party is an offshoot of Erdoğan’s Justice and Development Party (AKP), the largest political party in Turkey and the sixth-largest political party in the world by membership.
DAVA leader Teyfik Özcan said earlier this week his aim is for the party to “establish itself nationwide.” Another leading figure in the party, Fatih Zingal, said the new group would defend the rights of “people with foreign roots” and campaign against “anti-Muslim racism.”
Özcan further denied that party officials had any contact “with representatives of foreign governments either before it was founded or after it was founded.” However, Germany’s mainstream politicians aren’t so sure and have gone public with their grave concerns that a party with ties, directly or indirectly, with Turkish Islamists will damage German democracy.
“An Erdoğan offshoot running for election here is the last thing we need,” said Germany’s Green Agriculture Minister Cem Özdemir, a German-born politician with Turkish-born parents.
Long-serving conservative politician, Jens Spahn (CDU), feared that DAVA would become “another extremist party” in Germany.
Deputy chairwoman of the governing Social Democrats (SPD) Serpil Midyatli — another German politician born to Turkish immigrants — told Tagesspiegel that “there is more than enough evidence that Erdoğan and the AKP are behind DAVA.”
“It is to be feared that there will be massive advertising in some circles. Apparently, there is great fear that Erdoğan is worried about his influence thanks to the successful integration of the vast majority of German Turks. For me it is clear: There should be no financing and control from Ankara,” she added.
Iranian-born Bijan Djir-Sarai, the general secretary of the junior coalition partner Free Democratic Party (FDP), warned that Dava “runs the risk of becoming an extension of Erdoğan’s nationalist, Islamist, and anti-Semitic regime in Germany and the EU” and said: “That shouldn’t be allowed to happen.”
Do Germany’s mainstream parties only have themselves to blame?
Yet, politicians from the governing federal coalition aren’t exactly helping themselves.
While complaining that such a party could be used as a political vehicle for Erdoğan’s Islamist ideology to encroach on Germany’s political landscape, Berlin as recently as last month passed a new controversial naturalization law, slashing the time required for migrants to reside in Germany before they can claim citizenship and the right to vote.
Foreign nationals living in Germany will soon be able to obtain citizenship after just five years instead of the previous eight, and in some cases, migrants who can show “special integration performance” will be instantly naturalized after just three years of residence.
The new law also relaxes the requirement for elderly foreign nationals to show proficiency in the German language, while children of foreigners who have lived in Germany for five years or more will be automatically naturalized.
Critics of the new policy claimed the federal government was pushing through the legislation for political gain in a bid to expand voting rights to those with migrant backgrounds more amenable to voting for left-wing parties.
However, the government’s plan could soon backfire with the introduction of Islamist parties to Germany’s political discourse which may resonate more with Germany’s new voters.
No kidding ! Norwegian study claims that being pregnant is a disease
In this paper, we identify some key features of what makes something a disease, and consider whether these apply to pregnancy. We argue that there are some compelling grounds for regarding pregnancy as a disease. Like a disease, pregnancy affects the health of the pregnant person, causing a range of symptoms from discomfort to death. Like a disease, pregnancy can be treated medically. Like a disease, pregnancy is caused by a pathogen, an external organism invading the host’s body. Like a disease, the risk of getting pregnant can be reduced by using prophylactic measures. We address the question of whether the ‘normality’ of pregnancy, its current necessity for human survival, or the value often attached to it are reasons to reject the view that pregnancy is a disease. We point out that applying theories of disease to the case of pregnancy, can in many cases illuminate inconsistencies and problems within these theories. Finally, we show that it is difficult to find one theory of disease that captures all paradigm cases of diseases, while convincingly excluding pregnancy. We conclude that there are both normative and pragmatic reasons to consider pregnancy a disease.
[…]
We have shown that pregnancy is harmful (like measles). Like measles, pregnancy is also caused by an externally originating organism that enters the body and causes the harmful results we have described. Accordingly, on this view, sperm could be seen as a pathogen in the same way that the measles virus is. Measles and pregnancy can also be medically treated, prevented, cured or managed. Measles is more likely to be viewed as a misfortune, while (a wanted) pregnancy may be a cause for rejoicing, but as we have suggested, this is not a sufficient basis on which to make a robust distinction between the two in terms of their disease status.
Is pregnancy a disease? A normative approach | Journal of Medical Ethics (bmj.com)
Irish Farmers Fight Back Against Rising ‘Green’ Regulations
Photo: @griptmedia on Twitter/X, 1 February 2024.
Farmers across Ireland —vowing to overturn new EU green edicts on nitrate emissions and mandatory rewilding—took to the streets yesterday in solidarity with their agrarian counterparts around Europe.
The demonstrations were called by the Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA), the largest representative body for farmers on the island, and took place in most regional towns. IFA President Francie Gorman claimed the sector is being “regulated out of business by Brussels bureaucrats and Department of Agriculture officials who are far removed from the reality of day-to-day farming.”
There has long been speculation that Ireland will be the next flashpoint for the rising tide of farmer unrest with new EU stipulations on nitrate emissions—too extreme for even the Irish government—posing an existential risk to the nation’s seven million cows.
Traditionally farming interests in Ireland have been aligned to the ruling Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael political parties, but Irish Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue found himself the subject of a vocal picket at a hotel in the Midlands town of Athlone. This shows the strength of feeling against EU ‘Net Zero’ regulations as an existential threat to the rural way of life.
The outbreak of farmer protests in Ireland came after months of similar tractor-led demonstrations across Europe, with a pan-European coalition of farmers successfully bringing Brussels to a standstill yesterday in tense scenes in Belgian riot police.
This wave of farmer revolts originated in the Netherlands where, last year, the agrarian populist BBB movement came first in regional elections by campaigning against harsh new nitrate quotas, imposed by both the EU and central government, which mandated a reduction in production.
Joining the protests, Irish TD (MP) Richard O’Donoghue from the new populist grouping within the Irish Parliament (Dáil) “Independent Ireland” pledged that this would only be the beginning of the fight against the government, with rural independent politicians expected to be the primary beneficiaries of this new wave of farmer anger.
The Republic faces a bumper election cycle in the coming months with local, national, and European elections all expected to be held this year, as multiple right-wing groupings jockey for prominence as the left-wing Sinn Féin opposition party saw their polling numbers plummet due to the emergence of immigration as a key issue.
Convicted sex offender Abdul carries out alkali attack in London, inflicts ‘life-changing injuries’ on woman and her toddler: What happened
On Wednesday (31st January) evening, an Islamist identified as 35-year-old Abdul Shakoor Ezedi carried out an alkali attack at Lessar Avenue near Clapham Common in South London.
As per reports, Abdul threw the corrosive substance at a 31-year-old woman and her two daughters, aged three and nine. The victims were inside their car at the time of the attack.
Thereafter, the accused fled the crime scene in his car but rammed into a stationary vehicle. Following the collision, he escaped from the area on foot.
Reportedly, 4 members of the public and 5 police officers were also injured while helping the victims. All of them were later admitted to a hospital. The 31-year-old woman and her 3-year-old child are suspected to have ‘life-changing injuries.’
Meanwhile, the police have launched a manhunt to nab Abdul Shakoor Ezedi. As per reports, he was last spotted buying a bottle of water from a Tesco in the Caledonian Road area of North London.
Abdul is a native of Afghanistan and lives in Newcastle city of England. It has now come to light that he arrived in the United Kingdom in a lorry way back in 2016. Two years later, he was convicted ‘sexual assault/exposure.’
He was given an unpaid work order as part of his sentence by the Newcastle Crown Court in 2018. Abdul was released from probationary supervision in 2020. He applied for asylum on two occasions but it was rejected.
The Islamist later claimed to have converted to Christianity and was granted asylum in 2021/2022. While speaking about the matter, police Superintendent Gabriel Cameron dubbed the incident as a ‘horrible crime against a vulnerable woman.’ He emphasised, “We will catch him, I’m wholeheartedly confident.”
An eyewitness identified as Shannon told the BBC, “As I run outside, I’ve seen this guy throwing a child on the floor, he picked her up and threw her again. I’ve then seen her mum walking up the road saying ‘I can’t see I can’t see’.”
She took the child to safety while her partner tried to apprehend a fleeing Abdul. “I chased him halfway down the road, but I was in slippers so didn’t get very far…As I came back, that’s when I saw the woman who had been attacked…so I ran inside to get some water and just sprayed her down with water,” her partner added.
Greece: New bill prioritizes rights of homosexual adults over interests of children says church
In anticipation of the parliamentary debate and vote on the bill regarding the marriage and adoption rights of same-sex couples, the Holy Synod of the Church of Greece has addressed members of the Greek Parliament through a comprehensive seven-page letter.
The letter stresses the Synod’s appeal to MPs, urging them to consider that the proposed legislation “does not merely address the immediate concerns of specific individuals within the LGBTQ+ community through temporary measures but fundamentally alters the foundational institution of family throughout the country.” The Synod emphasizes that the repercussions of this legislation will not be abstract, affecting the rights of future children and the fundamental well-being of Greek society.
Among its concerns, the Holy Synod highlights issues of gender neutrality in the parent-child relationship, contending that the bill transforms parents from the traditional roles of father and mother into neutral guardians, prioritizing the rights of homosexual adults over the interests of future children.
Furthermore, the Synod argues that existing rights for same-sex couples in Greece are adequately addressed through civil unions, asserting that “there is no constitutional or international obligation (e.g., European Convention on Human Rights) to establish same-sex marriage and parenting.”
Addressing the debate around human rights, the Holy Synod questions whether aligning with the majority of progressive societies should replace the natural need of a child for both a father and a mother, asserting that “the Greek people remain progressive” while “prioritizing the essential roles of both parents in child upbringing.”
Regarding surrogacy, despite claims that the bill excludes surrogacy for male couples, the Synod believes that conflicting regulations suggest the recognition of surrogacy acquisitions if registered in foreign states allowing it, potentially leading to the economic exploitation of vulnerable women: “The aforementioned factors serve as incentives for the economic exploitation of vulnerable women, both within Greece and beyond its borders, reducing them to the status of professionally operated breeding machines.”
UK: Conservative lawmaker driven out of politics due to threats from Islamist extremists
A U.K. Conservative lawmaker has revealed he will not contest the next general election and will leave politics due to a string of death threats, an arson attack on his constituency office, and ongoing intimidation from Islamist groups.
Mike Freer announced his decision to step back from frontline politics in a statement posted by his local Conservative association on Wednesday evening.
He has represented Finchley and Golders Green constituency in north London since 2010. As a parliamentary seat with a sizeable Jewish population, Freer has been a staunch supporter of Israel’s right to defend itself and has been outspoken on the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
Freer referenced a near-miss encounter with Ali Harbi Ali, the Islamist terrorist who took a weapon to his constituency office in September 2021 only to find that Freer was elsewhere. Just days, later, Ali stabbed Freer’s parliamentary colleague Sir David Amess to death during a constituency surgery in Southend.
Freer also cited an arson attack that saw his constituency office reduced to rubble over Christmas as the latest attack on his life.
“I have sadly had several serious threats to my personal safety. The attacks by Muslims Against Crusades, Ali Harbi Ali, and the recent arson attack have weighed heavily on me and my husband, Angelo. These serious incidents are alongside the many ‘low level’ incidents,” Freer wrote.
“No MP can operate effectively without the support of their spouse and wider family. Sadly, the serious incidents place intolerable stress on them, too,” he added.
Speaking to the BBC, Freer elaborated on his near-death experience with Sir David Amess’ killer.
“He’d been to Finchley several times. He told police that he’d come to Finchley on Sept. 21, 2021 – I remember the date vividly – armed with the intention to harm.
“And purely by a stroke of luck, the night before, Boris Johnson had moved me from the whips’ office to courts and equalities. Otherwise I would have been in Finchley and probably attacked,” Freer added.
The Board of Deputies of British Jews said that Freer’s decision not to seek nomination again as an MP “due in part to the threats and abuse he has received should be widespread cause for concern.”
The U.K. Jewish Leadership Council thanked Freer for his efforts in supporting the Jewish community during his time as an MP and said: “We firmly oppose any efforts from those who seek to undermine our vibrant democracy.”
Several Conservative colleagues expressed their regret that a lawmaker had felt the need to withdraw from frontline politics due to fear of their safety.
“The abuse Mike and others have endured is shameful and unacceptable,” remarked former Home Secretary Priti Patel.
Conservative broadcaster Nigel Farage described Freer’s decision as “a symptom of a new, worrying political phenomenon. Political sectarianism is now here and it won’t go away. We must protect our MPs.”
French farmers to lift blockades after Government caves in to demands
French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal announced a string of concessions regarding French farmers in response to their mass protests.
As a result, farmers’ representatives are calling off the demonstrations.
On February 1, recognising farmers’ demands, Paris said it will implement “safeguard clauses” to restrict the import of specific products and initiate a “phase of massive controls” under the EGalim law, designed to protect agricultural workers’ income.
The legislation aims to strengthen the balance in commercial relationships between suppliers and distributors.
The Government’s assurances will also see it enshrine the principle of “food sovereignty” in national law, counter the “excessive changing of standards” and enhance the regulatory framework to “improve oversight” regarding products of French origin.
In addition, the Government will provide an annual €150 million in fiscal and social support for farmers from this year, with Attal saying they needed “specific support”, in consultation with the sector
Increased tax on non-road diesel (RNG), a primary spark for the demonstrations, was also cancelled.
French farmers are entitled to a partial refund on that tax but it has steadily declined over the years. Since the beginning of 2024, they have been paying a rate of 6.71 euro cents per litre – 2.85 cents more than last year.
That increase, which was supposed to have been gradually brought in over six years to 2030, particularly incensed farmers and Attal has now announced its outright cancellation.
Tax rebates on the RNG will be deducted at the time of purchase and no longer after the fact on receipt. “It’s a simplification and cash-flow measure,“ the Prime Minister said.
Economy minister Bruno Le Maire also spoke of strengthening controls on supermarket chains and that no contract between distributors and manufacturers “will escape scrutiny on fraud”.
Le Maire said it was “unacceptable” that the term “of French origin” was regularly “circumvented” by “a certain number of industrialists”.
France will also look at improved labelling regarding the origin of products at the European level.
The announcements were followed by the statement that “10,000 controls on the French origin of products” would be put into place and that those who commit fraud in relation to such could face fines of up to 10 per cent of their sales as producers or distributors.
Agriculture minister Marc Fesneau said the funding assistance for young farmers’ start-ups would rise from €13 million to €20 million.
The Government also wants to enshrine “the objective of food sovereignty in law”. To that end, it plans to issue an “annual report”, the first of which will be released ahead of the Paris Agricultural Show at the end of February.
It will also defend France’s interests in Brussels on phytosanitary products, which relate to plant health via various measures and practices designed to control the spread of pests and diseases.
Following the example of Italy, France will now also be more strict on synthetic so-called meat. It wants it to be defined at the European level in a “clear” manner.
According to Attal, such a product does not “correspond to our conception of French food”.
Fesneau also promised that the decree on such, updated after being initially rejected by the courts, would soon be published to “fight against those who use terms that do not apply to anything other than meat”.
Attal said it was time to “put an end to all naivety” regarding Europe and “the arrival of standards we no longer desire.”
He announced an “exemption from the obligation to replant” meadows for farmers. That was to “better protect our meadows while avoiding completely absurd situations where farmers are forced to reinstall meadows even though they have stopped their livestock”, Attal said.
The so-called Ecophyto plan on chemical pesticides, much hated by farmers, was also postponed.
The transfer of agricultural holdings, the difficulty of which was a big problem for the wine sector, will be made easier and pensions for farmers will be “reworked and improved”.
To facilitate the hiring of seasonal workers, Fesneau announced that the agricultural industry would now be recognised as a “critical” sector.
Additionally, the salary for these seasonal workers will be increased “from 1.2 to 1.5 times the minimum wage”.
Among other measures, the Government will also work on a new water plan, as both droughts and floods have devastating effects on farmers.
With Paris meeting most of the demands of the farmers, the major unions called on members to suspend their blockades.
Union leaders said they “welcomed the progress”, though there remained some “doubts” on the promises made, citing what they called “the growing incomprehension between a technostructure walled up in its offices in Brussels and the realities”.
Former German Spy-Chief Maassen Formed a Rightwing, Anti-Immigration Party – So His Former Agency Is Spying on Him
After maintaining the same political party structure for years, in the last decade Germany has been rocked by new players shuffling the game and opening new options for the highly disenchanted voters.
Now, word comes of a conservative offshoot of the CDU led by a former spymaster. One may ask themselves if this is just a ploy to steal votes from skyrocketing right wingers from Alternative for Germany (AfD) – but in this case it does seem like a real thing is happening.
Hans-Georg Maassen was the head of German domestic intelligence agency BfV (equivalent of British MI5 or American FBI) under über globalist Angela Merkel – which is certainly not a great calling card for a conservative.
But, in 2018, Maassen was dismissed as BfV head after minimizing the threat of Right-wing violence in an eastern German city.
Since he left the agency. Maassen has indulged in what MSM calls ‘increasingly radical commentary on the threat he claims immigration poses to Germany’ – meaning: he started to tell the common sense truths about the destruction of German society due to unchecked mass migration.
This led to Maassen becoming a celebrated figure in the German right.
Telegraph reported:
“’Germany is clearly afraid of me’, Mr. Maassen said on Twitter, adding that the country was using the internal security agency to monitor him and the party he has founded.
Transgender Teenager Who Plotted Colorado School And Church Shootings Sentenced To 6 Years In Prison
A transgender teenager has been sentenced to six years in prison after threatening to carry out a mass attack at three schools and a church in Colorado Springs, Colorado. William Whitworth, 19, was originally charged with two counts of attempted first degree murder in April of 2023 after officers uncovered a manifesto detailing his plans to target the public.
William Whitworth, who uses she/her pronouns and also goes by the names “Lily” or “Lilly,” was first arrested on March 31 of last year after a concerned family member called the Elbert County Sheriff’s Office. Police visited Whitworth’s address after his sister, Melissa Whitworth-Mathes, called and informed police that he was punching walls and making references to school shootings.
One of the texts Whitworth sent his sister read: “How clear do I have to make it. I’m going to walk into Timberview Middle School with an AR.”
Police quickly arrived to Whitworth’s home and found him living in squalor. Deputy notes reveal that there were numerous containers filled with moldy, half-eaten food and numerous alcoholic beverage containers laying around the house. There was also “trash piled up all around the house to the point where it made it hard to walk inside.”
Upon searching the home police discovered a “manifesto” which included the names of several school shooters, as well as additional drawings and floorplans of schools.
There were also photos describing a make-shift bomb and detonation device. While speaking to police, Whitworth stated he had gone onto YouTube to learn how to make a detonator for a bomb. Contained within Whitworth’s notebook was also a list of firearms with 3D printing instructions, and a list of political personalities, including commentator Lauren Southern and former US president Donald Trump, with derogatory comments.
Investigators determined that there were three schools Whitworth had intended to target, including Timberview Middle School, Prairie Hills Elementary, and Pine Creek High School. He previously attended Timberview Middle School. There were also names of other targets, including local churches and police stations.
Once arrested, Whitworth confessed to his plan and told the deputies he watched a YouTube video on how to make the detonator. When asked why he intended to target his previous middle school, he said he had “no specific reason.”
Initially, Whitworth was booked and held on a $75,000 bond, but while in jail, Whitworth reportedly told a prison official that he still wanted to carry out his plans if bonded out. As a result, his bond was increased to $750,000 in order to make it more difficult for him to leave pretrial detention.
In the press release detailing the plea agreement from the Office of the 18th Judicial District Attorney, Whitworth was referred to using “they/them” pronouns.
Whitworth accepted a plea deal but still could have faced up to 16 years in prison. During his sentencing at Elbert County Courthouse on January 30, he barely spoke but told the court: “I was in too deep, way too deep. The choices I’ve made, I regret.”
His lawyers sought a non-custodial sentence, asking Judge Theresa Slade to only give Whitworth probation so that he could attend rehabilitation for alcohol dependency. They argued sending him to jail would be harmful to his recovery and overall mental health. Judge Slade delayed sentencing to give the defense an opportunity to build their case for a probation-only sentence.
But despite the time extension, Judge Slade ultimately disagreed, sentencing Whitworth to six years in prison. The term is still considerably less than the maximum of 16 years he could have received. Judge Slade decided that a prison sentence was the only way to “ensure a sense of security” among the community.
The prison sentence will be followed by three years of mandatory parole. Whitworth was charged under his birth name William. However, documents from Elbert County Sheriff’s Office refer to him as “Lilly” and use “she/her” pronouns. He is currently awaiting transfer to a correctional facility from the county jail, but the name of the facility has not yet been released. He is booked as a “male.”
District Attorney John Kellner acknowledged the courage it took for Whitworth’s family members to come forward and report his disconcerting behavior to authorities.
“In this case, a family member had the courage and strength to pick up the phone and call for help. I encourage everyone when it comes to school security, if you see something concerning to report it right away. That call may save lives.”
Whitworth’s sister, who reported him to police, told the media: “We are also victims in the cases against Lily, and are struggling to come to terms with what has happened and what we had to do to protect the public.”
Christopher Whitworh, the teen’s father, urged the court earlier this month to release him on probation.
“I know Lily is capable of some amazing things if just given a chance,” he pleaded with the court. “Lily has seen a host of people back in Texas waiting to help them, love them, support them, show them something better to come home to.”
It is currently unclear where Whitworth will be held after being moved out of the county jail. However, Colorado is set to become the first state to provide trans-identified males with their own separate unit as opposed to housing them in a male or female prison.
This decision came after Colorado Department of Corrections reached a $2.1 million settlement with 170 trans-identified males who launched a a class action lawsuit in 2019 after claiming they had not been protected in male prisons or provided “gender-affirming” treatment.
The proposal is still under review by the court but, if approved, the state would have until January of 2025 to implement all of the conditions of the settlement. Currently, the state reviews transgender inmates on a case-by-case basis to decide which unit to house them in.