Olympics – Eye on Islamism

UN experts urge France to reverse hijab bans in sports, calling it ‘discriminatory’ 'Muslim women and girls who wear the hijab must have equal rights to participate in cultural and sporting life, and to take part in all aspects of French society of which they are a part,' they say

October 28, 2024 Beyza Binnur Donmez

(Anadolu) UN experts on Monday called on France to reverse “discriminatory measures” banning women and girls who choose to wear the hijab from doing so while playing sports. The experts said in a statement that the decisions by the French football and […]

Afghan man imprisoned in France, accused of planning ‘violent action’

October 12, 2024 Unlisted Author

(AFP) A 22-year-old Afghan was indicted and imprisoned in France on Saturday, accused of supporting the ideology of the Islamic State (IS) and of having “fomented” a “plan for violent action” in a football stadium or a shopping center. His arrest, which […]

Oktoberfest tightens security after a deadly knife attack in western Germany

September 19, 2024 Stefanie Dazio and Pietro De Cristofaro

(AP) Security has tightened at Oktoberfest after a deadly knife attack last month in western Germany, and officials are warning revelers to expect longer lines to enter as metal detectors are deployed for the first time in the Bavarian beer festival’s 189-year […]

France probes online threats against Afghan taekwondo fighter

September 16, 2024 Unlisted Author

(AFP) Paris prosecutors said Monday they were investigating online threats against female Afghan taekwondo fighter Marzieh Hamidi, who fled to France in 2021 after the Taliban seized power in Kabul. Hamidi had suffered “cyber-harassment including death, rape and other threats via social […]

Head of $65K-per-year NYC school fired longtime French teacher after answer about France’s hijab ban made her daughter cry: suit

September 13, 2024 Peter Senzamici

(NY Post) Maybe it was lost in translation. A longtime French teacher claims the Upper East Side’s elite, all-girls Spence School fired her for giving a straightforward answer about France’s controversial hijab law — which triggered the principal’s daughter so much she […]

The teenage terrorists of the ‘Islamic State’ The number of teenagers arrested on terrorism charges is growing in Europe. How is the extremist 'Islamic State' group, with branches in Africa and Afghanistan, convincing European teens to attack its enemies?

September 11, 2024 Cathrin Schaer

(Deutsche Welle) The Austrian teenager who was shot dead last week after firing a vintage rifle at German police in Munich is thought to have been influenced by Islamist extremism. But 18-year-old Emrah I., from a small town in the Salzburg region, hardly attended […]

France foiled 3 attack plots targeting the Paris Olympics, prosecutor says

September 11, 2024 Unlisted Author

(AP) French authorities foiled three plots to attack the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris and other cities that hosted the summer events, the national counterterrorism prosecutor said on Wednesday. Olivier Christen said the plots included plans to attack “Israeli institutions or […]

Troubled past of shooter at Israeli consulate in Munich in focus

September 6, 2024 Unlisted Author

(DPA) The 18-year-old Austrian gunman accused of attempting a terrorist attack on the Israeli consulate in Munich is believed to have had links to an Islamist group active in Syria, sources told dpa on Friday, as further details of the deadly incident […]

Shooting at Israel’s Munich consulate seen as attempted terror attack

September 5, 2024 Unlisted Author

(DPA) The deadly shooting near the Israeli consulate in Munich was an attempted terrorist attack, police and the public prosecutor’s office said on Thursday. The incident saw an 18-year-old Austrian shot dead by police after opening fire on five officers in the […]

Germany and Europe are once again ‘Islamic State’ targets The Solingen knife attack has sparked renewed concerns about 'Islamic State' targeting Germany and Europe. Experts warn of a new wave of IS-linked violence driven by Middle East conflicts.

August 27, 2024 Christoph Hasselbach

(Deutsche Welle) The so-called “Islamic State” (IS) extremist group has claimed responsibility for the knife attack in Solingen. According to Amaq, the mouthpiece of IS, the attack was carried out in “revenge for Muslims in Palestine and elsewhere” and targeted a “group […]

France suspends Olympic runner for anti-Israel posts, including one wishing the ‘most terrible and horrible degree of hell’ for Zionists

August 14, 2024 Jacob Gurvis

(JTA) A French Olympian was suspended by the French Athletics Federation on Wednesday after past social media posts resurfaced in which he supported Hamas and wished suffering upon Zionists. Amélie Oudéa-Castéra, France’s minister for sports and the Olympics, confirmed on X that […]

Tip about Toronto ISIS suspect came from France

August 13, 2024 Mercedes Stephenson and Stewart Bell

(Global News) The investigation that resulted in the arrests of two Toronto men accused of plotting an attack for ISIS began with a tip from France, sources have told Global News. French authorities allegedly became aware of at least one of the […]

Germany: Islamist terror poses ‘persistently high’ risk German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser has warned that Germany remains a target for Islamist terrorists. Her comments follow the cancellation of three Austrian concerts by US pop star Taylor Swift.

August 12, 2024 Unlisted Author

(Deutsche Welle) German security officials on Monday said the threat of Islamist terrorism in the country remains high, with several groups seeking to radicalize recruits amid turmoil in the Middle East. Interior Minister Nancy Faeser said German intelligence services were in “very […]

Olympics security means minorities and others flagged as potential terror threats can’t move freely

August 5, 2024 John Leicester

(AP) They are Nabil, Amine, François and more. But they will not be seen around the Paris Olympics, because France’s government barred them from getting anywhere close. French authorities are making unprecedentedly broad use of discretionary powers under an anti-terror law to […]

Hijab compromise fails to quell France’s discrimination debate

August 2, 2024 Layli Foroudi

(Reuters) Days before the Paris Olympics began, French sprinter Sounkamba Sylla was stuck in a row with her government over the right to wear a hijab at the opening ceremony. But after a last-gasp compromise was found — in the shape of […]

No ‘tangible’ terror threat detected since the start of the Paris Olympics, interior minister says

August 2, 2024 Unlisted Author

(AP) French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said on Friday that authorities have not detected any “tangible” terror threats during the first week of the Olympic Games, during which about 200 people have been arrested by security forces for various crimes. Darmanin released […]

Toronto terror arrests and the enduring appeal of ISIS

July 31, 2024 Stewart Bell

(Global News) The arrest of a father and son accused of planning a mass casualty attack in Toronto on behalf of ISIS suggests the enduring appeal of the terrorist group. Five years after it was defeated in Syria, where it committed scores […]

Belgium charges three with planning terrorist attack

July 26, 2024 Charlotte Van Campenhout and Bart Meijer

(Reuters) Three suspected members of Islamic State’s Afghan branch ISIS-Khorasan detained in raids in Belgium were charged on Friday with planning a terrorist attack, the state prosecutor’s office said. Four other people detained during house searches across the country on Thursday were […]

ISIS-K’s online recruitment poses security threat to West ahead of Olympic Games

July 25, 2024 Nick Paton Walsh, Muhammad Darwish, Saskya Vandoorne and Benjamin Brown

(CNN) Nearly two-thirds of ISIS-linked arrests in Europe in the last nine months have been of teenagers, according to a landmark academic study, as concern grows among European security officials ahead of the Paris Olympics of the growing potency and reach in […]

French sprinter will wear a cap during Olympic opening ceremony after hijab dispute is resolved

July 25, 2024 Tom Nouvian

(AP) French sprinter Sounkamba Sylla will be allowed to participate in the opening ceremony at the Paris Olympics wearing a cap to cover her hair, an agreement reached with the French Olympic Committee after Sylla said she was barred because of her […]

FM says ‘Iranian terrorist proxies’ might attack Israeli athletes, tourists in Paris Katz thanks France for ‘unprecedented’ measures to protect delegation to Olympics; hackers say they posted personal info of athletes, claiming they are covert IDF agents

July 25, 2024 Unlisted Author

(Times of Israel) Foreign Minister Israel Katz sent a letter to his French counterpart Stéphane Séjourné on Thursday, warning him of an Iranian-backed plot to attack Israeli tourists and athletes at the 2024 Paris Olympics. “There are those who seek to undermine […]

French minister thanks Belgium for detaining 7 terror suspects on eve of Olympics opening ceremony

July 25, 2024 Ella Joyner

(AP) On the eve of the Olympics opening ceremony in Paris, France’s interior minister thanked Belgium Thursday for a string of raids that led to the detention of seven people for questioning over suspected terrorist activities. The Belgian federal prosecutor’s office said […]

Anti-terrorist operation: Arrests across Belgium, security forces on high alert ahead of Olympics

July 25, 2024 Lauren Walker

(Brussels Times) Seven people suspected of being involved in the activities of a terrorist group have been arrested in several house searches across Belgium. First reports suggested the suspects were involved in preparing a terrorist attack. The Antwerp Federal Judicial Police carried […]

French sprinter Sounkamba Sylla says she’s barred from the Olympic opening ceremony due to her hijab

July 24, 2024 Tom Nouvian

(AP) French sprinter Sounkamba Sylla says she has been barred from Friday’s opening ceremony at the Paris Olympics because she wears a hijab, and the French Olympic Committee said it is working with her to find a solution that adheres to the […]

Fake video of threat to Olympic Games appears to be from Russia, researchers say Microsoft’s Threat Analysis Center, which reviewed the video at NBC News’ request, said it appears to have come from a known Russian disinformation group.

July 23, 2024 Brandy Zadrozny

(NBC) A video spreading on X and Telegram of a man purporting to be a Hamas fighter threatening the Olympics in Paris is part of a Russian-linked disinformation campaign meant to disrupt the event, according to researchers at Microsoft. On Telegram, Hamas […]

France probed migrant communities to fight ISIS-K threat to Olympics

July 23, 2024 Gabriel Stargardter

(Reuters) French security services have been probing migrant communities from former Soviet republics in an effort to safeguard the Olympics from the ISIS-K militant group, the interior minister said, confirming a Reuters report published last week. Gérald Darmanin, interviewed in a Le […]

France to give 24-hour protection to Israeli Olympics team amid Gaza tensions

July 22, 2024 John Irish and Tassilo Hummel

(Reuters) Israeli athletes will receive 24-hour protection during the Paris Olympics, France’s interior minister said, after a far-left lawmaker said Israel’s delegation was not welcome and called for protests against their participation. The Games begin on Friday amid pronounced security concerns and […]

Euro 2024 ‘Isis terror plot’ foiled just hours before England-Spain final in police raid German police had raised the alarm over an 'immediate threat from the Islamist spectrum'

July 21, 2024 James Saunders

(GB News) A suspected Isis terror plot at the Euro 2024 final was scuppered thanks to a series of police raids in Germany mere hours before kick-off, it has emerged. Authorities descended on a set of addresses just outside Berlin after fears […]

‘We will repeat Munich 1972’: Israeli Olympic athletes threatened ahead of Paris Games Though Israeli security officials say threats generated by bots and are not of real concern, country’s Olympic Committee remains on alert

July 21, 2024 Unlisted Author

(Times of Israel) Israel’s Olympic athletes have been receiving threatening messages by email and phone in the last week, according to Hebrew media reports over the weekend. The first messages were sent to 15 athletes’ emails, and were signed by an entity […]

French police arrest knife-wielding assailant on terrorism charges

July 19, 2024 Dominique Vidalon

(Reuters) French police arrested on Friday a man on terrorism charges accused of trying to murder a taxi driver with a knife while expressing support for Palestinian militant group Hamas, a source at the terrorism prosecutor’s office said. France is on its […]

France races to head off ISIS-K threat to Paris Olympics

July 19, 2024 Gabriel Stargardter and Juliette Jabkhiro

(Reuters) Tajik journalist Temur Varki received a disquieting call from Paris police in late March, days after Islamic State militants from his homeland allegedly carried out a massacre in Moscow. The two officers questioned him about France’s tiny community of immigrants from […]

Paris Olympics faces twin terror threats of ISIS and teenage extremists Games will feature vast security operation to keep 15 million visitors safe as radicalisation spreads, not least though short viral videos

July 18, 2024 Tariq Tahir

(National-UAE) Paris is facing the threat of terrorist attacks during the Olympics from a branch of ISIS resurgent in Afghanistan as well as teenagers radicalised on social media, experts have told the National. A major security operation is under way in France […]

Amnesty International slams French hijab sports ban ahead of Olympics

July 16, 2024 Unlisted Author

(Arab News) Amnesty International has accused France of breaking international human rights law by enforcing a ban on women competing at this summer’s Olympic Games in Paris wearing headscarves. In a report on the ban published on Tuesday, Amnesty also accused the […]

Lone wolf threat is main concern for Paris Olympics: official The Summer Olympics begin July 26.

July 12, 2024 Luke Barr and Jack Date

(ABC) The lone wolf offender is the main threat concern for the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, according to a senior Diplomatic Security official who spoke with ABC News. The Diplomatic Security Service is the law enforcement arm of the U.S. State […]

France foils two terror plots targeting Paris Olympics with threat level ‘extremely high’ ahead of election

July 6, 2024 Danielle De Wolfe

(LBC) French police have foiled two separate terror plots targeting this summer’s Olympic Games in Paris, the government said. France’s interior minister, Gérald Darmanin, said that police in Paris had carried out “several arrests” linked to two separate plots. It comes ahead […]

Islamist terror attack is top fear for Paris 2024 Olympics, police chief says 'There is no clear-cut threat yet against the Games,' police chief added.

June 21, 2024 Pierre Emmanuel Ngendakumana

(Politico) The threat of an Islamist terror attack is keeping top officials awake at night, just weeks ahead of the 2024 Olympics kicking off in Paris. “Islamist terrorism remains our main concern,” Laurent Nuñez, chief of police in the French capital, told […]

French and Spanish police hold anti-terror drills ahead of Paris Olympics The exercise began in Bayonne, France, where the practice scenario involved assailants staging an attack before fleeing to San Sebastián, Spain, where they took hostages.

June 12, 2024 Unlisted Author

(Euronews) The national police of Spain and France conducted a simulated terrorist attack exercise ahead of the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. The surprise exercise, called Operation Optimus, aimed to enhance response capabilities. It was overseen in Spain by the General Information […]

Macron says France needs new debate on secularism

June 12, 2024 Unlisted Author

(AFP) President Emmanuel Macron said Wednesday France needed a new debate on secularism rules that ban religious symbols from classrooms and some sports, as he sought to rally support before snap elections. “There is this feeling that secularism is not always well […]

‘Sports should be inclusive’: Activists slam France hijab ban

June 11, 2024 Unlisted Author

(AFP) French Muslim basketball player Diaba Konate Tuesday said she had hoped to represent her country at the Paris Olympics but did not stand a chance because she wears a headscarf. “Despite my desire and skills, I’m … not actually allowed to […]

Isis issues chilling terrorist bomb threat to France ahead of Paris Olympics Isis has previously threatened an attack on Paris

June 9, 2024 George Bunn

(GB News) Isis has made a threat to use bombs to target this summer’s Olympic Games in Paris. The terrorist organisation has shared a picture of a faceless person operating a drone carrying a package marked “gift” towards the Eiffel Tower. The […]

Paris Olympics: ISIS circulates ‘detailed attack manuals’ on using drones to hit games Terrorism expert tells the National there is a good chance ISIS and other groups are plotting an assault on crowds

June 5, 2024 Tariq Tahir

(National-UAE) ISIS extremists have published “detailed” manuals for adapting drones to attack the Paris Olympics, a counter-terrorism expert has told the National. Matt Mooney believes there is a “moderately high” probability that there will be a drone attack using a home-made bomb […]

Terror attacks headline threats to upcoming Paris Olympics

June 4, 2024 Jeff Seldin

(VOA) There are new warnings about potential attacks aimed at disrupting the upcoming Summer Olympic Games in Paris, including the potential for more terror plots like the one disrupted last week by French officials. A report released Tuesday by the cybersecurity firm […]

Attack averted on French Olympic soccer match in St Etienne, authorities say

May 31, 2024 Dominique Vidalon and Sudip Kar-Gupta

(Reuters) An 18-year-old Chechen man was arrested in the French town of Saint-Etienne this month, suspected of planning an attack in the name of Islamic State at the city’s soccer stadium during this summer’s Olympics, Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said on Friday. […]

Mossad: Iran-backed criminal networks behind attacks on Israeli embassies in Europe Swedish intelligence agency confirms that Tehran is using local organizations — including the Foxtrot and Rumba crime rings — to attack Israeli and Jewish targets

May 30, 2024 Lazar Berman

(Times of Israel) Iran is behind a string of terror attacks by criminal networks on Israeli embassies in Europe since October 7, the Mossad intelligence agency said in a rare statement on Thursday. Sweden’s Säpo security service confirmed the report in a […]

France is proud of its secularism. But struggles grow in this approach to faith, school, integration

May 23, 2024 Giovanna Dell'Orto

(AP) Brought into the international spotlight by the ban on hijabs for French athletes at the upcoming Paris Olympics, France’s unique approach to “laïcité” — loosely translated as “secularism” — has been increasingly stirring controversy from schools to sports fields across the […]

Sweden: Islamist terror concerns put Eurovision preparations on edge Israeli delegation seen as unsafe in Malmö, where the city’s Muslim population celebrated the October 7th massacre.

May 6, 2024 Thomas O'Reilly

(European Conservative) Snipers are being deployed on rooftops this week ahead of the annual Eurovision Song Contest, with security forces scrambling to protect Israel’s delegation from Islamist threats. Planned demonstrations from the city’s large and militant Muslim community threaten to tear apart […]

Paris Olympics: 16-year-old arrested after he said he wanted to ‘die a martyr’ at Games France previously raised its security alert to its highest level ahead of hosting this summer's Olympic Games amid concerns the event could be overshadowed by security incidents.

April 24, 2024 Unlisted Author

(Sky News) A 16-year-old boy has been arrested by anti-terrorism police in France after he allegedly said on social media he wanted to “die a martyr” at the Olympic Games in Paris this summer. A spokesperson said on Wednesday the boy was […]

Macron’s Olympics terror nightmare Pressure mounts on France, with Paris 2024 just 3 months away.

April 24, 2024 Antoaneta Roussi and Victor Goury-Laffont

(Politico) It seemed like a good idea at the time. French President Emmanuel Macron promised the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympics on the banks of the River Seine in July would be a “moment of beauty, art, celebration of sports […]

No ‘specific’ terror threat to Paris Olympics: minister

April 3, 2024 Cyril Touaux

(AFP) France’s sports minister said Wednesday that there was no “specific” terror threat to the Paris Olympics and that organisers were planning to go ahead with the opening ceremony on the river Seine. An attack on a Moscow concert hall last month […]

French security cut 800 ‘without good intentions’ from Olympics

March 31, 2024 Unlisted Author

(AFP) Around 800 people who “did not have good intentions” have been excluded from the Paris Olympics over security fears, French interior minister Gerald Darmanin said Sunday. The list includes 15 deemed to represent the most serious threat to national security. “The […]