Month: December 2019

Law Enforcement

Germany: Berlin Christmas market evacuated over reported suspicious objects The Christmas market at Breitscheidplatz, where an Islamist terrorist carried out a deadly truck attack in 2016, was evacuated over reports of suspicious packages. But police later said nothing of the sort was found.

December 21, 2019   

(Deutsche Welle) German police said on Saturday that they had asked visitors to Berlin’s Christmas market at Breitscheidplatz to leave the area after receiving information about suspicious objects. A concert event at the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church had also been broken off as […]

Government & Politics

Germany: Fewer Islamists pose terror risk The number of Islamists posing a terrorist risk in Germany has decreased, according to figures from Germany's Interior Ministry. One official put this down to increased vigilance following the 2016 Berlin terror attack.

December 21, 2019   

(Deutsche Welle) The threat from potential Islamist terrorists in Germany has decreased from last year, according to data from the German Interior Ministry. A total of 679 Islamic extremists in Germany were considered to pose a terrorist risk at the beginning of November 2019, compared […]

Government & Politics

Jews on Twitter not impressed with Rashida Tlaib’s Hanukkah greeting Tlaib, whom the Simon [Wiesenthal] Center named one of the top proponents of anti-Semitism in 2019, invokes the 'occupation' in her holiday greeting to a far-left Jewish group.

December 20, 2019   

(Israel Hayom) It seems like the overarching theme of Hanukkah went over Rep. Rashida Tlaib’s head. The congresswoman from Michigan released an early Hanukkah greeting to the far-left Jewish group If Not Now ahead of their holiday party and, in doing so, […]

Children & Teens

Foreign Ministry: Two children to be repatriated from al-Hol camp The Foreign Ministry said that it will provide an update when the children are safely in the care of Finnish officials.

December 19, 2019   

(Yle) The Foreign Ministry announced on Thursday that Finland is preparing to evacuate two Finnish children from the al-Hol refugee camp in Syria, where relatives of Isis combatants are being held. The ministry said that to protect the children’s privacy and ensure […]

Law Enforcement

‘Jihad is the way to go’: Connecticut man charged with trying to fight for ISIS 'I’ve been ready for quite a long time now. I just need help to get out of here,' 26-year-old Kevin Imam McCormick allegedly told an FBI informant.

December 19, 2019 and   

(Daily Beast) After tips from Islamic centers in two different states, authorities arrested a Connecticut man they allege attempted to travel overseas to join the Islamic State. Kevin Imam McCormick, 26, was charged on Oct. 21 with providing material support to a […]

Government & Politics

‘False and unfounded’: Liberal MP denies claims that he’s worked with Iran Journalist claims he was told by Iranian defector that Majid Jowhari has had contact with Iranian intelligence

December 18, 2019   

(CBC) A Liberal MP is denying allegations, broadcast on an Iranian-language television network, that he has worked with and accepted money from Iran’s government. “These accusations are absolutely false and unfounded,” Majid Jowhari told CBC News in a written statement. “I strongly […]

Academics & Education

Muslim group urges debate moderators to ask candidates about Trump’s antisemitism decree It would be 'disservice to American voters' if moderators did not heed call during next debate, CAIR's government affairs director says

December 18, 2019   

(Middle East Eye) The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) has called on the moderators of the next Democratic presidential debate to question candidates about a recent executive order that effectively silences criticism on US campuses of Israeli human rights abuses. The order, […]

Clothing

Civil rights groups want to challenge Quebec religious symbols ban in Supreme Court Appeals Court last week rejected request for injunction on sections of Bill 21

December 18, 2019   

(CBC) Civil rights groups challenging Quebec’s controversial ban on religious symbols want to take their case to Canada’s top court. Quebec’s Court of Appeal last week rejected a request to suspend portions of the law, known as Bill 21, pending a ruling on its constitutionality. […]

Children & Teens

‘Aren’t you ashamed?’ PM Marin stands ground during heated al-Hol debate Opposition parties came together to grill the government over a plan to repatriate Finns from a Syrian refugee camp.

December 17, 2019   

(Yle) Opposition and government MPs clashed during a tense parliamentary debate over the government’s position on repatriating Finnish citizens currently at the al-Hol refugee camp in Syria on Tuesday afternoon. An opposition interpellation tabled last week set its sight on putting the […]