Month: May 2024

Is Bangladesh becoming new Pakistan? Hindu girl sentenced to 5 years in jail over accusation of ‘blasphemy’

Victim Tithy Sarkar, image via YouTube/Jugantor

Four years after a Bangladeshi Hindu girl named Tithy Sarkar was accused of insulting Prophet Muhammad and committing ‘blasphemy’ on social media, a court in Dhaka sentenced her to 5 years in prison.

The disturbing verdict was announced on Monday (13th May) by Justice AM Zulfikar Hayat of the Dhaka Cyber Tribunal under the Digital Security Act (DSA). He also sentenced Tithy Sarkar to 1 year of probation on eight conditions.

Tithy Sarkar was directed to appear before law enforcement authorities when summoned by them during her probation period.

According to Bench Assistant Jewel Miha, a probation officer would monitor the activities of the Hindu woman. The verdict against her may be re-considered if the said probation officer gave a satisfactory report.

The victim had been languishing in jail for the past 21 months. A total of 6 witnesses testified against her in court.

A former student of Jagannath University, Tithy Sarkar was booked by the police on 2nd November 2020. She was also the convenor of World Hindu Struggle Council and office secretary of the Students Protection Council of Jagannath University.

Tithy Sarkar filed police complaint, told police that her Facebook account was hacked

OpIndia reported in 2020 that the Hindu woman had gone missing after being accused of ‘hurting religious sentiments.’ Islamists had alleged that Sarkar made derogatory remarks against Islam and the Prophet Muhammad.

Tithy Sarkar met the officials at the Pallabi police station and filed a complaint about her Facebook account being hacked. She had made it clear to the police that the alleged ‘blasphemous comments were’ made by an unidentified hacker using her Facebook handle.

The development was confirmed by Kazi Wazed Ali, the station-in-charge of the Pallabi police station. After filing the police complaint, the Hindu woman went missing and her phone remained untraceable.

“We do not blame anyone behind my sister’s missing. We are requesting the government and the authorities concerned for my sister’s safe return,” her sister Smriti had stated at that time.

University suspended Tithy Sarkar, police claimed she faked her kidnapping

On 23rd October 2020, Tithy Sarkar was suspended by her university for 10 days following large-scale protests by student organisations. She was also given a show-cause notice about permanent suspension from Jagannath University.

The CID officials investigating the case claimed that Tithy Sakrar ‘faked’ her own abduction and went into hiding with her boyfriend-turned-husband Shiplu Mallik. She was arrested on 11th November 2020.

“After leaving her Pallabi home on October 25, Tithy contacted her boyfriend Shiplu Mallik and went to Bagerhat where they got married. They came back to Dhaka on November 9. Tithy later went to an in-law’s house in Narsingdi,” Deputy Inspector General Jamil Ahmed had said.

In May 2021, the CID filed a chargesheet against the Hindu woman and her husband Shiplu Malik. On 4th November 4, 2021, the Dhaka Cyber Tribunal ruled charges against Tithy Sakrar.

In the meantime, the police arrested another Hindu man named Niranjan Baral for allegedly spreading rumours about the disappearance of the Hindu woman.

Blasphemy in Pakistan and growing intolerance in Bangladesh

Although Bangladesh claims to be a ‘secular nation’, its blasphemy laws are often weaponised by Islamists to target religious minorities including the Hindu community.

This is reminiscent of the situation in Pakistan where mere allegations of blasphemy can trigger mob lynching and even death sentences by courts. A classic case in point was the Asia Bibi case, which led to the killing of a Pakistani legislator named Salman Taseer.

Although the Christian woman was acquitted by the court, she had to leave Pakistan to avoid religious persecution.

Unfortunately, Bangladesh is treading the dangerous path of Pakistan where the overwhelming Muslim majority gets away by encroaching upon Hindu lands and temples.

They are somehow immune against blasphemy laws, despite hurting religious sentiments and committing acts of desecration.

https://www.opindia.com/2024/05/bangladesh-tithy-sarkar-jagannath-university-blasphemy-case-verdict

SICK: Climate Scientist Suggests “Culling” the Human Population with a Deadly Pandemic to Solve the “Climate Crisis”

Credit: @ProfBillMcGuire

One government climate scientist made the mistake of blurting out the real end-game of so many radical environmental activists in a bid to preserve the planet: Killing off the human population.

Bill McGuire, a Professor of Geophysical & Climate Hazards at University College London (UCL), authored a tweet Sunday that lamented the fact carbon emissions were not falling nearly as fast as needed and suggested solving the “climate crisis” with a deadly pandemic to wipe out swaths of the human population.

“If I am brutally honest, the only realistic way I see emissions falling as fast as they need to, to avoid catastrophic #climate breakdown, is the culling of the human population by a pandemic with a very high fatality rate,” he wrote.

After righteous backlash from social media users, McGuire deleted his post and whined that people were deliberately taking his words out of context.

Read more:

SICK: Climate Scientist Suggests “Culling” the Human Population with a Deadly Pandemic to Solve the “Climate Crisis”

Scotland ‘on its knees’ as one million drivers face huge fines from Low Emission Zones launching within weeks

More than one million vehicles could soon be at risk of major fines when driving in popular areas across Scotland as new Low Emission Zones (LEZ) come into effect.

The LEZ schemes launching across the country will see drivers with higher polluting vehicles get heavily fined for entering from the end of May and the beginning of June.

The new measures are designed to improve air quality and reduce harmful air pollution across Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh and Glasgow.

Under the rules, if a vehicle does not meet the specified emission standards and drivers travel through the zone they could face a £60 fine, which can be slashed by 50 per cent if paid within 14 days.

With only a few weeks left until the rules come into play, drivers and key industry players in Scotland have expressed their fury.

A spokesperson for the Aberdeen and Grampian Chamber of Commerce said: “People in Aberdeen are already taking time to adjust to the new bus gates around Union Street.

“It would make sense to review the impact of these measures first, before further crackdowns on motorists are enforced.”

Meanwhile, taking to social media, one motorist claimed the city is “on its knees” adding that LEZ is “not fit for purpose and needs to go”.

Data suggests that 1,078,580 vehicles will be at risk of fines if they enter the zones, The Sun reported.

Already, roughly £3.5million in fines have been issued in Glasgow since the launch of LEZ scheme last year.

Alison Henderson, chief executive of Dundee and Angus Chamber of Commerce, added that the group is “concerned” about the impact the zone will have on businesses in Glasgow.

This is particularly important given the current circumstances where hospitality and high street businesses are finding “times tough”, Henderson remarked.

Data suggests that 1,078,580 vehicles will be at risk of fines if they enter the zones, The Sun reported.

Already, roughly £3.5million in fines have been issued in Glasgow since the launch of LEZ scheme last year.

Alison Henderson, chief executive of Dundee and Angus Chamber of Commerce, added that the group is “concerned” about the impact the zone will have on businesses in Glasgow.

This is particularly important given the current circumstances where hospitality and high street businesses are finding “times tough”, Henderson remarked.

As part of the rollout of the LEZ schemes, the Government will be hoping more drivers switch to an electric vehicle.

https://www.gbnews.com/lifestyle/cars/scotland-warning-driving-fines-low-emission-zone

Afghan family arrested in Sweden for murder of female relative in suspected honor killing

Three Afghan nationals from the same family have been arrested in Sweden on suspicion of murdering their 25-year-old female relative in an “honor killing” before burning and dumping her body in the woods.

A 44-year-old man, a 43-year-old woman, and a 23-year-old man believed to be the victim’s parents and brother were arrested last week after the woman’s body was discovered on the morning of May 4 in a shelter located in the Ekebacken nature area outside Lessebo.

Police were able to identify the body despite the woman sustaining severe injuries and being partially burned.

The suspects were arrested on Wednesday evening, and two residential homes, a garage, and a vehicle were searched. The homes remain cordoned off due to the ongoing investigation.

All three suspects were charged on Friday with murder and grave breach of peace. They remain in custody.

“There is a relationship,” public prosecutor Jonny Philipsson told the Samnytt news site, referring to the suspects and the victim.

“I’m not commenting on anything and I’m not speculating either,” he added when asked about Swedish media reports the murder was an “honor killing,” a cultural motive among the Islamic community for when a woman brings a family into perceived disrepute.

The suspects have denied murder, according to the prosecutor, who revealed an interpreter who speaks Pashto, a language commonly spoken in southern and eastern Afghanistan, has been booked for the investigation.

“What happened is an isolated incident between the people involved,” a police report from May 10 read. “The public does not need to worry about being exposed to crime due to this incident.”

https://rmx.news/article/afghan-family-arrested-in-sweden-for-murder-of-female-relative-in-suspected-honor-killing

UK Liberal Democrats oust candidate over his Christian beliefs in a ‘breach of equality law’

Members of the Liberal Democrats Party in the United Kingdom (UK) are sounding the alarm over the deselection of one of their Member of Parliament (MP) candidates, which they say is due to his Christian faith and a breach of equality law.

The concerned members have lodged a complaint with the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) over the party’s treatment of David Campanale, an Anglican and award-winning veteran BBC journalist who has been targeted at least in part due to his Christian faith.

The Lib Dem whistleblowers have accused the party of having fostered a “hostile environment” for religious people and “emboldened those who believe Christians should be driven out of public life,” according to The Telegraph.

Campanale shared in November 2022 that after he was “overwhelmingly selected” for a Liberal Democrats selection “in a top target parliamentary seat,” he was called to the home of the party’s honorary president and was asked beforehand, “Are you ready for the Spanish Inquisition?” 

“I went into this room of a member of the House of Lords. There were 30 people there, and I was led to a chair in the bay window. I was then subjected to a two-hour interrogation about my Christian views. This is not acceptable,” Campanale told Premier Christianity. 

“While I was there, people were mocking me, saying, ‘I suppose you think you’re being persecuted, like Jesus was?’ One person said, “you’re a liar,” because I didn’t disclose my Christian beliefs and background in my election literature,” Campanale said.

He further shared that when he was asked to tell his interrogators more about his Christian faith, he said that he follows the “example of people like Tim Farron, and pro-life Christians, like former party leader Charles Kennedy and former party president Shirley Williams.”

“The response of this mob was to say, ‘Well, they’re dead. They’re the past. We are building a secular party,’” Campanale revealed.

The former MP candidate was also previously involved with the Christian People’s Alliance, which has campaigned against abortion and homosexual “marriage.” However, Campanale left the CPA in 2012 and says he “did not agree with its tone or priorities,” according to The Telegraph.

Tim Farron, who was cited by Campanale as a political inspiration, resigned as a Liberal Democrat leader after undergoing an apparently similar interrogation over his Christian beliefs. Farron said at the time in 2017 that he felt living as a Christian was incompatible with leading a “progressive, liberal” party.

“The consequences of the focus on my faith is that I have found myself torn between living as a faithful Christian and serving as a political leader,” Farron said in a televised statement, according to The Guardian.

“To be a political leader – especially of a progressive, liberal party in 2017 – and to live as a committed Christian, to hold faithfully to the Bible’s teaching, has felt impossible for me,” he added.

He had shared that he was grilled on questions such as whether he believed homosexual sex to be a sin, remarking in light of this hostile interrogation, “We are kidding ourselves if we think we yet live in a tolerant, liberal society.”

Nasser Butt, the founder and chairman of Lib Dem Muslim Forum, shared in an appeal against the deselection seen by The Telegraph that he was informed by a party activist in early 2022 that there was “considerable opposition from Party’s Youth groups in London Region lead by some LGBT youth”.

He was told that Campanale’s “past activities and beliefs with the CPA was questionable and made him unsuitable.”

Juliet Chaplin of Sutton Borough Liberal Democrats’ Cheam branch has similarly affirmed that it is “clear that objections to David’s position … are based entirely on his Christian faith.”

The Guardian reported that “only the 64 members who attended the (Extraordinary General Meeting) in person and 29 who attended via Zoom were allowed to vote” on Campanale’s deselection, which Butt has suggested is invalid.

Butt, who attended online but did not vote since he could not sufficiently hear the proceedings, alleged in his appeal that the meeting broke several party rules and that there was “no clear evidence or reasons” for the vote of no confidence.

In their complaint letter to the EHRC, party members who support Campanale have called for an investigation into “multiple alleged breaches of equality law and our party constitution,” alleging that “evidence depicts a supposedly liberal organisation allowing clear religious discrimination and hostility to thrive within its ranks.”

“It suggests that Mr Campanale was driven out from his democratically elected position not because of any objective failings or wrongdoing but because a vocal group within SBLD [Sutton Borough Liberal Democrats] refused to tolerate his Christian worldview.”

“Although Mr Campanale has submitted evidence of religious discrimination, harassment and victimisation perpetrated against him to party authorities at all levels over a two-year period, no appropriate action has been taken. We believe that only an external investigation by the EHRC can now secure justice,” the letter concluded.

The EHRC is currently reviewing the complaint, according to The Guardian.

Top political figures are backing Campanale, including former justice minister Sir Simon Hughes, who has slammed the former BBC journalist’s deselection as coming from a “kangaroo court.”

In addition, Lord Marks KC, the Lib Dems’ justice spokesman in the House of Lords, has declared that Campanale was “deselected on the basis of a procedure that was seriously non-compliant with the Rules and fundamentally flawed”.

The barrister further asserted that the treatment of Campanale violated his party’s principles, which state that they “reject all prejudice and discrimination based upon race … religion or belief”.

In an op-ed for The Telegraph, Tom Harris argued that the deselection of Campanale is “merely the latest incident” showing that Christians are the “most despised minority in Britain.”

“It’s ironic, not to mention entertaining, that the very people who most enthusiastically embraced multiculturalism are the same people having the most difficulty navigating its consequences,” Harris remarked. 

“The simple fact is that the Left is only capable of tolerating politicians who are “tick-box” Christians. Sir Ed Davey, the leader of their party, presents no problems for the party because he doesn’t wear his religion on his sleeve. He is not a God-botherer in the same way that Campanale, Farron and Forbes are. He keeps his faith to himself. To do otherwise, to state that you actually believe in Jesus Christ as your personal saviour – well, that’s just unacceptable, isn’t it?”

Harris pointed out that UK politics practices hypocrisy, since it is permissible to tear apart a politician for being an outspoken and sincere Christian, but it is unacceptable to treat Muslims, for example, the same way.

“Double standards are nothing new to the world of politics. But when our political establishment discriminates against Christians while failing to apply the same standards to other religions, something very serious has gone wrong with our democracy,” Harris concluded.

LifeSiteNews contacted the Liberal Democrat Christian Forum for comment but has not yet received a response.

https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/uk-liberal-democrats-oust-candidate-over-his-christian-beliefs-in-a-breach-of-equality-law/?utm_source=most_recent&utm_campaign=usa

Trans-Identified Male Seizes First Place In Women’s Cycling Category For Second Time

One year after winning a women’s cycling title and standing alone on the podium, trans-identified male Lesley Mumford has again taken a first place win in a women’s racing category. Mumford, 47, seized a gold at the Desert Gravel Co2uT 100-mile race in Fruita, Colorado, which was held on May 4.

Mumford came out first in the women’s 40 to 49 age category, and placed fourth in the women’s category, and 24th overall. A total of 949 participants, mostly males, competed in the race. There were three gender divisions: male, female, and non-binary, and the only women to place ahead of Mumford in the general rankings were those half his age.

In his category, Mumford beat the second-place woman by almost 13 minutes, finishing in 6 hours and 13 minutes compared to Jessica Davies’ 6 hours and 26 minutes.

While the Co2uT is mixed-sex, the race’s founder — Morgan Murri — said he was “inspired by his daughter” to found “a girl-focused charity to reconnect kids with the wild.” In an effort to attract female riders, Co2uT offered discounted fees for the first 150 women riders to sign up to the event.

“We strive to have the highest percentage of female participants in our gravel event on the planet,” reads their website. Their races do not offer cash prizes for winners. 

But this is not the first time Mumford has dominated the race. In December of 2023, he attracted ample negative attention after being the only “woman” to stand on the winner’s podium at the 100-mile Desert Gravel Co2Ut.

The win garnered him scathing media coverage, including from former Fox News anchor Megyn Kelly, who mocked the viral photo of Mumford standing alone on the podium: “Gee, I don’t know where everybody is. I beat all the women—why didn’t they show up?!” 

The women who came in second-place to Mumford in that race, Lindsey Kriete, later told media that she didn’t refuse to stand on the podium because she lost to a male, but because she didn’t place in the top three overall.

According to media, a spokesperson for the race posted on Facebook that none of the female cyclists complained about having a male in their category, and that Mumford “has undergone all required surgeries and treatments to transition from a man to a woman and would thereby qualify as a woman racer under both USA Cycling and International Olympic Committee rules.”

One popular race results website notes that Mumford has won five titles in a 12-month cycling career. This includes a second-place win in the December 2023 women’s Colorado State Cyclocross.

Mumford began to identify as a woman in 2017 and has referred to himself as “a single mom with a full-time job and more aspiration than time.”

Mumford was previously the operations commander for the Summit County Sheriff’s Office in Ohio. He worked in law enforcement for 17 years, and ran a multi-jurisdiction SWAT team at the time of his transition. His unorthodox career trajectory resulted in him receiving sympathetic media coverage when he began claiming to be a woman.

One outlet, The Gayly, stated that Mumford was the “first transgender woman accepted to attend the FBI National Academy in its 83-year history.”

https://reduxx.info/trans-identified-male-seizes-first-place-in-womens-cycling-category-for-second-time

Blood, insults, and knives: German train system turning into life-threatening ‘battlefield’ due to violent migrants, warns head of regional rail union

Screen grab youtube

German train workers are exposed to insults, harassment, violence, and even the threat of knife attacks from migrants on such a regular basis that it is making their jobs unbearable, warns a German trade union representing railway workers in the state of Thuringia.

German trains are becoming more and more dangerous due to mass immigration, and shocking headlines week after week, along with actual police statistics, confirm this trend. The union warns that young asylum seekers are the main perpetrators in the growing number of cases, and for the staff in Thuringia, train work is “sometimes life-threatening,” according to the trade union.

“I have an average of three employees sitting in my Erfurt office every week for legal advice. They were attacked, spat on, insulted, threatened or pushed,” said Steffi Recknagel, the head of the Railway and Transport Union (EVG) in Thuringia, during an interview with Focus Online.

The female union boss shared information describing the everyday crime train attendants and train drivers face, including verbal and physical violence, and even knife crime. However, she said constant verbal harassment is also taking its toll.

“The worst case was that a train attendant was threatened with a knife,” said Recknagel, while another was physically attacked from behind and “the air was knocked out of her.”

In other cases, female train workers were “slapped,” “kicked,” had their clothing pulled, and were “treated aggressively.” In some cases, the perpetrators told these female workers they were not allowed to speak because they are women.

The union head in that region said that while there are problematic spots across the German state, there is one particularly bad stretch between the state capital of Erfurt and Suhl. She said the “extreme” situation there is due to the presence of a refugee center in Suhl, which features mainly Syrian, Afghan, and Turkish migrants, who travel to Erfurt and back again on a regular basis.

“I drive the Erfurt-Suhl route every day,” said Recknagel. “And unfortunately, I have to say it like this: It is mostly young men from the initial reception center who misbehave completely on our trains. They always travel in groups and feel strong together.”

She told Focus that it was dangerous to intervene, and those that do are threatened.

“When something happens while driving, some people now say to themselves: I’d better look away now before I’m the next victim,” Recknagel warned.

She warned that the situation on the train system is “sometimes life-threatening. Our people are afraid, very afraid. We have employees who say: If these groups are on the train, then I won’t check tickets. Then, they say they’ll stay at the front with the train driver or lock themselves in their cabin until they get to a safe station and they get out.”

As with swimming pools across Germany being forced to add layers of police and security in order to prevent sexual harassment, assaults, and riots, Germany’s train system has now had to follow suit.

Recknagel says that while there are now more security guards being deployed to trains, overall, there are still not enough to go around. They also lack the authority to take any substantial action.

“Besides, they can’t do much more than kick people out at the next train station,” he warned. Even when they are stopped by the police, they are usually merely questioned and then released.

“A week later, we have the same people sitting on the train again, and the whole thing repeats itself,” said Recknagel. “Nothing happens, it just doesn’t happen.”

Train companies operating in the area have lobbied politicians to address the issue, including a blistering four-page letter from the works council sent to state Thuringia Prime Minister Bodo Ramelow (Left Party) describing the harrowing crimes facing train workers.

The letter describes the “dramatic” situation facing train workers from “people with a migration background,” and the works council notes the “everyday” nature of these attacks and insults, and not just the larger incidents that make their way into the national newspapers. German works councils are often the middleman between the unions and companies, which attempt to broker agreements while representing workers and ensuring proper labor law is followed.

The letter from the works council noted that controlling these individuals, who often refuse to buy tickets, is dangerous, and in addition to physical attacks against both male and female workers, female staff have been targeted with “sexist insults and spit on in a disgusting manner,” including incidents in which migrants pulled down their pants and exposed their genitals to these women.

Due to extreme violence between rival migrants, in one incident an entire train car was covered in blood, resulting in workers sheltering in place in other parts of the train.

“Our colleague had to continue the journey to the Suhl train station in fear of death and with a railcar that was heavily contaminated with human blood,” the shock letter reads. “We don’t need to talk at this point about the psychological consequences for our still very young colleague and the passengers, given the scenes that could have come from a civil war zone!”

The letter goes on to describe one case in which a mother of two young girls was threatened in front of her children, forcing her to flee from the train. In general, the letter describes how the husbands of some female workers are now accompanying their wives in order to protect them.

The letter directly criticizes left-wing politicians, such as Thuringia’s Prime Minister Ramelow, saying that politicians at the federal and state levels speak of “integration” and “tolerance towards migrants” when citizens are the ones facing the violence. The letter counters:

“How can you expect citizens of this country to be open to the refugee policy that is being practiced when it happens — practically every day, and not just on public transport! — that we have to witness such violence, brutalization and absolute contempt for our laws and society?”

Ramelow and other politicians have responded that they will increase police controls on the troubled rail lines and hire more security guards, and they promise to meet with union representatives every three months to monitor the situation.

The German rail union head in Thuringia, however, has her doubts, saying: “Politicians have shown understanding and promised support, but we now finally want to see the facts!” She argues it is not yet clear where the money or staff will come from to help protect train workers. She is calling for more prosecutions and more enforcement of the existing laws.

She also said that although her union’s comments may be construed as “right-wing” or “xenophobic,” she argues that there needs to be an honest discussion about issues that are clear as day for Germany’s train workers, as they are on the frontline of some of the worst violence facing public workers.

With crime soaring due to rising immigration numbers, police and security forces are stretched at all levels — not just in the train system. Recently released statistics from the German Interior Ministry show that migrants account for a record 41 percent of all crime in Germany, with their role in violent crimes such as rape, murder and assault even higher.

The Alternative for Germany (AfD), which argues for strict migration controls into Germany, has responded to the plea for help from Germany’s rail workers, writing: “The railway and transport union in Thuringia is sounding the alarm: Train attendants and railway employees are regularly attacked, spat on, insulted, threatened or beaten.” The party argued that these workers would be safe “only with us,” if the AfD is able to gain political power.

https://rmx.news/article/blood-insults-and-knives-german-train-system-turning-into-life-threatening-battlefield-due-to-violent-migrants-warns-head-of-regional-rail-union

German Court Rules State Can Spy on “Extremist” AfD

George Grosz

A court in Germany ruled on Monday, May 13th that the anti-globalist, anti-immigration party Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) can be designated as a “suspected extremist organisation.” This means that the domestic intelligence agency, Bundesamt für Verfassungsschutz (BfV), has the right to spy on the party, using such intelligence tools as phone tapping, intercepting emails, or recruiting informants from inside the party.

In its verdict, the court said “there is sufficient evidence that the AfD pursues goals that run against the human dignity of certain groups and against democracy.” The judges added: “There are grounds to suspect at least part of the party wants to accord second-rank status to German citizens with a migration background.” Interior Minister Nancy Faeser welcomed the ruling as showing that the “state has instruments that protect our democracy from threats from within.”

After the ruling, Saxony’s justice minister Katja Meier (Greens) called for a task force to collect intelligence in preparation for a potential AfD ban. She said the court decision “strengthens our robust democracy; now the chances of success of a ban procedure must be examined in concrete terms.” 

AfD in Saxony responded on X by saying “the enemies of democracy sit in the government”:

With her call for a ban, Justice Minister Katja Meier is showing that she rejects democratic competition for the best ideas. Instead of solving the problems in our country, the government wants to punish those who point out these problems. This is deeply undemocratic.

Ultimately, I am grateful to Ms Meier for her frank words. They prove that the #Verfassungsschutz is being abused politically and has long since mutated into the #Regierungsschutz. Instead of a functioning, fair constitutional state, Ms Meier wants a Stasi 2.0.

The BfV initially labelled the AfD as a “suspected right-wing extremist group” three years ago. The AfD challenged this designation first in a lower court which upheld the intelligence agency’s decision, and then in the upper court in Münster, which rejected AfD’s appeal on Monday. The party will likely appeal this decision as well at a federal level.

The verdict was no surprise given that the political elite in Germany has for years been attempting to undermine the party, whose popularity has been steadily rising. The AfD is currently the second highest polling party in Germany with around 18-19% support, and is the most favoured party among voters in their 20s. It will likely become the largest force in three Eastern states—Brandenburg, Saxony, and Thuringia—which are holding state elections this autumn.

Critics say that the country’s institutions are being weaponised to persecute a political opponent supported by many millions of German voters who are disillusioned with the ruling elite.

According to conservative publication Tichys Einblick, the court ruling will not immediately affect the AfD, but could have a devastating effect on the future of the party. The AfD will now be portrayed as a danger to democracy—even more so than before, the newspaper writes.

It will probably be much more difficult for the party to open up to new supporter groups. Civil servants and other employees in the public sector will think twice about making their sympathy for the party known. Nancy Faeser will continue to try to criminalise money transfers to the AfD and its affiliations—i.e. to everything that is somehow “right-wing”, i.e., does not belong to the ruling green-left class. All this clearly serves the goal of making it more difficult for the party to access resources—both human and financial.

“If you want to know how to really ruin a democracy, you only have to look at Berlin these days,” Tichys Einblick summarises.

The stigmatising of the party will likely continue, with the BfV aiming to classify the AfD as “proven right-wing extremist,” a label already officially used for the youth wing of the party, Junge Alternative, as well as three regional branches of the party in Thuringia, Saxony, and Saxony-Anhalt. This classification would allow for even more increased surveillance of the group and its members’ activities. According to conservative publication Apollo News, the next step would be banning the party, something several politicians of mainstream parties have already called for long before today’s court ruling.

Some of the arguments made for branding the AfD as “extremist” have since been refuted, as was a hit piece by the government-funded leftist-liberal media outlet Correctiv which falsely accused the party of planning to “deport millions of Germans with a migrant background.” Mainstream parties have also been agitating against the AfD and organising protests against “right-wing violence” after a Social Democrat politician was physically assaulted while campaigning on the street. However, to date, AfD politicians have endured the most physical violence. On Sunday night, unknown perpetrators threw stones at the house of an AfD city councillor in Halle, breaking several windows, and tried to set fire to the building.

https://europeanconservative.com/articles/news/german-court-rules-state-can-spy-on-extremist-afd

Paris: The dismembered body of a paraplegic man killed with bare hands is discovered in a suitcase under the Austerlitz bridge. An investigation is launched into why a ‘Koran opened to the first page’ was found

In the night from Saturday to Sunday, a dismembered body was found in a suitcase under the Pont d’Austerlitz bridge in the 12th arrondissement of Paris. The criminal investigation department was called in.

A macabre discovery on Saturday night in the 12th arrondissement of Paris. A dismembered body was found by civil defence officers and firefighters in a suitcase that had been set on fire, as reported by Actu17. A thorough investigation was carried out by the police at the scene.

At around 10pm, Civil Defence officers initially reported a bin fire in a square along Mazas Way, which is located by the platforms under the Austerlitz Bridge. After quickly bringing the fire under control, the fire brigade discovered a suitcase containing human remains. (…) Actu 17

Police officers also discovered a Koran ‘opened to the first page’ and a black cap near the body.

(…) Le Parisien

Paris : le corps démembré d’un tétraplégique tué à main nue découvert dans une valise sous le pont d’Austerlitz. Les enquêteurs s’interrogent sur la présence d’un « Coran ouvert à la première page » (MàJ) – Fdesouche

Fearmongering keeps the elites in power

Image: Edvard Munch

By Eric Utter

“CO2 levels are rising faster than ever” read the headline of the StarTribune, citing a recent Washington Post article. The earth is burning up!

Back in the 1970s, “experts” were certain that the earth was going into a global deep freeze. And that the “population bomb” would lead to a mass dieoff of people in just a few short decades. (And now most Western nations’ fertility rates are well below replacement level.)

Soon thereafter, experts warned that acid rain was going to dissolve all our buildings and statues, and otherwise wreak havoc on us all. That didn’t happen, but groups like BLM and Antifa stepped in to do the job. Then it was: “The ozone layer is disappearing and will kill us all!” And nuclear war and/or nuclear radiation from power plants was likely to kill us all.

More recently, experts told us that COVID-19 was so deadly, it could kill us all if we didn’t do precisely as they said. Turns out that what they instructed us to do was deadlier than COVID-19 itself.  

Purple loose strife is taking over our land, and zebra mussels and spiny water fleas are taking over our lakes, rivers, and oceans! The glaciers are melting, and we’re all going to drown! Climate change is leading to drought everywhere and we’re all going to die of thirst and starvation!

The experts scream, “We are running out of frogs! We are running out of birds! We are running out of bees! Insect populations in general are collapsing!” Yet when I was on our deck this evening, I could hear myriads of frogs croaking in the pond across the road. Birds were everywhere, ubiquitous, omnipresent. And insects accosted me to the point I eventually took refuge indoors. (And now the fine folks at the World Economic Forum, along with other global elites, are telling us we may have to eat insects soon, for the good of the planet.)

Bird flu is coming! There’s a new pandemic on its way! My God, even the global salt levels are out of balance, experts say!! Existential threat!

Etcetera, etcetera, etcetera. See a pattern?

“Experts” and “progressive” political leaders know the best way to enhance their own power is to keep the populace scared… and claim they have the solution to the crisis de jour.

The incessant oncoming disasters rarely, if ever, pan out. But what is uncontestable is that bullshit levels are rising faster than ever. And that global power levels are out of balance. It is time to tell the Dr. Faucis, Nancy Pelosis, and Klaus Schwabs of the world to go lay by their dishes.

It is time for the people to vote out the likes of Justin Trudeau and Joseph Biden. It is time to deep six the Deep State.

There are only two types of societies. When the people fear the government, there is tyranny. When the government fears the people, freedom can reign. This explains our current government’s reaction to Jan. 6. (Sadly, “the government” now includes academia and the mainstream media.)

Global warming or no, we would be much better off if many in our government were more fearful… and many citizens less so.

https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2024/05/fearmongering_keep_the_elites_in_power.html