Reports: Biden Officials Meet, Court Pro-terror Arab-American Leader in Michigan
Biden administration officials met with, and courted the support of, an openly pro-terror leader in the Arab-American community in Michigan this week, according to reports.
As Breitbart News reported, citing the New York Times, Deputy National Security Advisor Jon Finer was dispatched to Michigan to assuage concerns among Arab- and Muslim-American voters who are angry that President Joe Biden has been somewhat supportive of Israel in its war against Hamas terrorists following the October 7 terror attack.
The Times also noted that Biden officials met with a man named Osama A. Siblani:
Osama A. Siblani, the influential publisher of The Arab American News, a Dearborn newspaper, had meetings with both Ms. Chávez Rodríguez and Mr. Finer’s delegation. He said Arab American voters in Michigan felt betrayed after backing Mr. Biden in large numbers in 2020, arguing that they had “received nothing” since then “but lip service.”
“I’ve been involved in this community day in and day out every single day for 40 years,” Mr. Siblani said. “I can tell you right now, I cannot convince my community to vote for Biden if I kiss their feet. They will not do it.”
The Middle East Media Research Institute identified Siblani as the speaker who made a radically pro-terror speech in 2022:
“Peace be upon the pure blood that poured from Shireen Abu Akleh’s head. Peace be upon the blood that irrigates the land of Palestine, so that heroic martyrs like her and like others would emerge from it, and Palestine would be liberated and restored to the Arab nation.
…
“Do you see what is happening in Palestine? They thought that 1948 is a demarcation line. They thought we forgot. Now, surprise, fedayeen are setting out from the land of 1948. They are striking them with knives and with their bare hands, and they are victorious.
…
“They will fight with stones, others will fight with guns, others will fight with planes, drones, and rockets, others will fight with their voices, and others will fight with their hands and say: ‘Free, free Palestine!'”
The Washington Free Beacon noted (original links):
At least seven Biden administration officials will meet with Arab American News publisher Osama Siblani in Dearborn, Mich., one of the country’s largest Arab communities, according to the Associated Press. The group includes Deputy National Security Adviser Jon Finer and U.S. Agency for International Development chief Samantha Power.
They’ll be meeting with one of Michigan’s most influential Arab-American leaders, one with an extensive history of praising terrorist groups. Siblani in 2022 urged Arabs to fight Israel with “stones” and “guns” and praised the fedayeen, or Islamic militants. He has referred to Hamas and Hezbollah as “freedom fighters” and cheered Iran-backed Houthi terrorists for declaring war against Israel in October. Siblani has bragged that during a conference call with White House officials in 2021, he refused “to apologize for Hamas firing rockets at Israel.”
It is not clear whether Sibani was at the meeting with Finer that was recorded and transmitted to the New York Times.
Joel B. Pollak is Senior Editor-at-Large at Breitbart News and the host of Breitbart News Sunday on Sirius XM Patriot on Sunday evenings from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. ET (4 p.m. to 7 p.m. PT). He is the author of the recent book, “The Zionist Conspiracy (and how to join it),” now available on Audible. He is also the author of the e-book, Neither Free nor Fair: The 2020 U.S. Presidential Election. He is a winner of the 2018 Robert Novak Journalism Alumni Fellowship. Follow him on Twitter at @joelpollak.
Photo: file
SINCE THE DAYS OF CLOSET MUSLIM BARACK OBAMA, THE DEMOCRAT PARTY HAS BECOME A PRO-MUSLIM, ANTI-SEMITIC NEO FASCIST MOVEMENT. IT HAS BEEN BARACK OBAMA AND LATER JOE BIDEN WHO HAS FUNDED MIDDLE EAST TERRORISM.
WATCH: Jamaal Bowman Reads Excerpts From His Poem About What Really Happened on 9/11...................
THE MUSLIM SAUDIS INVASION OF AMERICA
The bombshell audio recording was exclusively obtained by the Washington Free Beacon
Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D., N.Y.) was forced to apologize this week for promoting 9/11 conspiracy theories in a poem he published on his personal blog more than a decade ago. No, we're not kidding.
In the interest of providing crucial content to this controversy, the Washington Free Beacon exclusively obtained* an audio recording of Bowman reading excerpts from the since-deleted poem, titled "Recapitulate." Enjoy!
2001
Planes used as missiles
Target: The Twin Towers
30 minutes later
Both buildings collapsed
Onto themselves
Later in the day
Building 7 Also Collaspsed [sic]
Hmm…
Multiple explosions
Heard before
And during the collapse
Hmm…
Allegedly
Two other planes
The Pentagon
Pennsylvania
Hijacked by terrorist [sic]
Minimal damage done
Minimal debris found
Hmm…
Watch Loose Change
And Zeitgeist
Then share your thoughts
*This obviously fake recording was generated using artificial intelligence.
They Endorsed Hamas Terrorism. Then They Hosted a Big-Ticket Fundraiser for Jamaal Bowman and Cori Bush.
'Resistance must not be condemned,' fundraiser host Melina Abdullah's group said on Oct. 9
As Reps. Jamaal Bowman (D., N.Y.) and Cori Bush (D., Mo.) face difficult primary challenges, the progressive lawmakers are teaming up—by holding a swanky joint fundraiser alongside anti-Israel activists who have endorsed Hamas terrorism and defended notorious anti-Semite Louis Farrakhan.
Bowman and Bush attended the Saturday fundraiser at the Los Angeles home of Sylvia Aroth and Dante Cacace, with attendees paying as much as $13,200 to attend. The fundraiser's host committee included a slew of anti-Israel activists who have defended Hamas in the wake of the terror group's Oct. 7 attack on the Jewish state.
Melina Abdullah, for example, serves as executive director of BLM Grassroots, which said that "resistance must not be condemned" and praised the attack as "a desperate act of self-defense." Another host, Jodie Evans, serves as cofounder of Code Pink, a left-wing group that argued on Oct. 7 that Hamas had "every right to resist" Israel's "apartheid regime." Estee Chandler also served as a fundraiser host—Chandler, who leads Jewish Voice for Peace's Los Angeles chapter, blamed Israel for provoking Hamas's attack, citing the Jewish state's "constant ethnic cleansing."
The fundraiser comes as both Bowman and Bush face serious primary challenges driven in large part by their anti-Israel views. The left-wing lawmakers have emerged as Israel's top opponents in the wake of Oct. 7, with both accusing the Jewish state of "genocide" and "ethnic cleansing." Those remarks prompted condemnation from Jewish leaders in Bowman's and Bush's districts.
Twenty-six rabbis in Bowman's New York City district wrote a letter in October denouncing Bowman's "anti-Israel policy positions and messaging." In Bush's St. Louis district, a coalition of Jewish organizations accused the congresswoman of "fanning the flames of antisemitism."
"Representative Bush has shown little outrage against the horrendous attacks by an organization whose very charter calls for the killing of all Jewish people," the coalition said in a November letter.
"To the contrary, in private discussions she has stated repeatedly that she supports the Jewish community, is listening to our fears and concerns, and stands against antisemitism," the coalition continued. "She then issues public statements that directly contradict what she told us in private."
That criticism helped drive a pair of pro-Israel Democrats to challenge Bowman and Bush. Westchester County executive George Latimer launched his campaign against Bowman in December and has since criticized the congressman for voting against a resolution that condemned Hamas. St. Louis County prosecutor Wesley Bell, meanwhile, is challenging Bush, a run that has seen him condemn those who accuse Israel of genocide.
"It is offensive to me that you would say that Israel defending itself is genocide," Bell told a self-described "anti-Zionist" attendee during a November campaign event. "Israel was attacked by a terrorist organization, who in their charter says that the destruction of Israel is their goal. They stated after this attack that they were going to do it again and again."
Both challengers have outraised their incumbent opponents in recent months. Latimer raised $1.4 million in the last quarter of 2023, while Bowman raised just $724,000. Bell during that period raised $490,000 and holds most of that cash—$409,000—on hand. Bush raised $487,000 in the last quarter of 2023 and holds just $216,000 on hand.
While Bowman and Bush's Los Angeles fundraiser may help them close that money gap, it is also prompting pushback. In addition to BLM Grassroots' embrace of Hamas, Abdullah defended Nation of Islam leader Farrakhan after he was banned from Instagram and Facebook. Farrakhan, an unabashed anti-Semite, has called Jews "termites" and praised Adolf Hitler as a "very great man."
"We should all be outraged by the banning of Minister @LouisFarrakhan from Instagram and Facebook," Abdullah wrote in 2019. "In a country built on our backs there can be no 'Black supremacy.'"
For Rabbi Abraham Cooper, associate dean of the Simon Wiesenthal Center, "no one should be surprised" by Bowman and Bush's decision to hobnob with Hamas-sympathizing activists.
"Members of the 'Squad' and these organizations are a cover to excuse any and all atrocities inflicted on the people of Israel," Cooper told the Washington Free Beacon. "They are looking to drive a wedge between the Jewish community and it's not working because a crime against humanity was committed on Oct. 7."
Bowman and Bush, neither of whom returned requests for comment, are also under fire for reasons unrelated to Israel. Bowman was forced to apologize last week after the Daily Beast unearthed a poem he published online that suggested the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks were a false-flag operation used by the U.S. government to wage war in the Middle East. One day later, Bush confirmed she is under criminal investigation for misusing federal and campaign funds to pay for private security.
Published under: Anti-Semitism , Cori Bush , Democratic Donors , Democratic Primary , Fundraiser , Hamas , Israel , Jamaal Bowman , Louis Farrakhan , Missouri , New York , The Squad
We Didn't Think The Squad Could Disgrace Themselves Any Further. They Proved Us Wrong.
The cadre of left-wing Jew haters are having a banner week
The radical left-wing lawmakers who comprise "The Squad" have consistently behaved in a manner that can only be described as shameful and un-American. We honestly didn't think it was possible for them to disgrace themselves any further, but the events of this past week proved us wrong.
Shockingly enough, none of these recent developments involved Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D., Mich.), the recently censured congresswoman who is best known for her anti-Semitic outbursts. Here's a look at what Tlaib's fellow Squad members have been up to lately:
Rep. Cori Bush (D., Mo.)
The Department of Justice is investigating Bush for misusing congressional and campaign funds to pay her enormous private security bill, which has been the subject of extensive reporting in the Washington Free Beacon.
It was only a matter of time before the feds took action. Bush's security spending—more than $750,000 since 2019, including $152,000 to her personal friend and anti-Semitic spiritual guru who claims to posses the power to summon tornadoes—was so egregious the authorities could only ignore it for so long.
Bush's extravagant personal security budget is at odds with her support for defunding the police. She has urged critics of her security spending to "suck it up." The Squad member denied any wrongdoing in a statement released Tuesday, which claimed her spending was justified due to "relentless threats" to her life and safety.
Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D., N.Y.)
This week we learned the renegade lawmaker promoted 9/11 conspiracy theories in a poem published on the personal blog he operated from 2011 to 2014. In the rambling poem, titled "Recapitulate," Bowman implied the terrorist attacks were orchestrated by the United States government as a pretext for invading Iraq and Afghanistan.
"2001/Planes used as missiles/Target: The Twin Towers," Bowman wrote in one stanza. "Later in the day/Building 7/Also Collaspsed [sic]/Hmm…/Multiple explosions/Heard before/And during the collapse/Hmm…" the poem reads. "Allegedly/Two other planes/The Pentagon/Pennsylvania/Hijacked by terrorist/Minimal damage done/Minimal debris found/Hmmm…"
Bowman's poem also cites two conspiratorial "documentaries" about the 9/11 attacks that promote similar theories about the U.S. government's involvement and allege a global plot by international financiers to control the world. Before his work as a poet came to light, Bowman was best known for pulling a fire alarm (and lying about it) in order to obstruct an official proceeding on Capitol Hill.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D., N.Y.)
The celebrity politician rushed to the defense of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) this week after a damning report alleged that at least a dozen employees of the Palestinian aid group participated in the Hamas terrorist attack that killed nearly 1,200 Jews on Oct. 7.
As many as 10 percent of the agency's 12,000 staff members are believed to have ties to terrorist groups, according to an Israeli intelligence assessment, which also alleged that UNRWA employees have been helping Hamas hide Israeli hostages in Gaza.
The Biden administration paused funding to the organization in response to the allegations, a decision most people would consider reasonable. Ocasio-Cortez was outraged, calling the move "unacceptable" in light of the "important work" UNRWA does in the region.
Rep. Ilhan Omar (D., Minn.)
The notorious anti-Semite came under fire this week for remarks she gave at a meeting of Somali-American leaders in Minnesota. According to a translation of Omar's speech posted on social media, the congresswoman identified herself with members of the crowd "who know they are Somalians first, Muslims second," and promised to protect Somalia at the expense of the disputed, breakaway Republic of Somaliland.
Several GOP lawmakers have called for Omar's resignation since the remarks came to light. Omar claimed the translation of her speech was "not only slanted but completely off," and slammed her critics as "propagandists." The Squad member has previously drawn criticism for attacking Israel, as well as for funneling millions of dollars in campaign funds to her husband's consulting firm.
Published under: Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez , Cori Bush , Ilhan Omar , Jamaal Bowman , The Squad
Biden Admin Probes Alleged Anti-Muslim Incidents at Harvard at Behest of Pro-Terrorist Group
The Muslim Legal Fund of America's chairman has a history of anti-Semitic comments
The Biden administration launched a civil rights investigation into anti-Muslim incidents at Harvard University based on a complaint from a Muslim legal fund that has represented convicted terrorists and pushed anti-Semitic rhetoric.
The Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights launched the investigation on Tuesday in response to a complaint from the Muslim Legal Fund of America, which claims that Muslim and Arab students have faced discrimination at Harvard University for taking part in anti-Israel protests at the school.
The group could prove a controversial litigant. Hatem Bazian, the Muslim Legal Fund of America's chairman, has called for "intifada" against the United States and circulated erroneous claims that the Israeli government illegally harvests Palestinians' organs. Bazian is also the founder of Students of Justice for Palestine, an anti-Israel group that has defended Hamas at campus protests across the country. Members of the group's George Washington University chapter projected the pro-Hamas phrase "glory to our martyrs" onto the school's library. The group's national chapter organized a "day of resistance" in support of Hamas a day after the terrorist attack, in which more than 1,000 Israelis were slaughtered.
The Muslim Legal Fund of America, which launched in the wake of 9/11, has raised money and provided legal defense for Islamic terrorists convicted in some of the country's biggest terrorism cases. The group raised money for and represented the "Holy Land Five," a group of officials at an Islamic relief charity who were convicted of funding Hamas.
The fund also represented Aafia Siddiqui, dubbed "Lady Al Qaeda" for her connections to the terrorist group. Siddiqui, who said at her trial that she did not want "Zionist Jews" on her jury, was sentenced in 2010 to 86 years in prison on attempted murder and other charges.
Sami al-Arian, a Florida professor who pleaded guilty to raising money for the terrorist group Palestinian Islamic Jihad, tapped the fund to cover his legal expenses. The group hailed al-Arian as a "leading champion" of Muslim-American civil rights who was the victim of an "overzealous government."
The Muslim Legal Fund of America also represented Hafiz Khan, a Miami imam convicted in 2013 for funding the Pakistani Taliban. The legal fund claimed as part of a fundraising drive for Khan that he was arrested for "educating children."
The Department of Education is opening its probe of Harvard as President Joe Biden tries to placate Muslim voters upset over his handling of the Gaza war. Biden campaign manager Julie Chávez Rodriguez last week visited Dearborn, Michigan, the largest Muslim community in the country. She met with Osama Siblani, an influential Dearborn leader who has called Hamas "freedom fighters" and refers to Biden as "Genocide Joe."
Education Secretary Miguel Cardona has met with other Muslim activists who have espoused support for terrorist groups. In November, he met Lina Assi, an official at the group Palestine Legal, to discuss anti-Muslim activities on college campuses. Assi has called for "intifada" and praised the terrorist group Hezbollah as "crucial and important," the Washington Free Beacon reported.
The Department of Education said it does not comment on pending civil rights investigations.
Published under: Anti-Semitism , Biden Administration , Department of Education , Hamas , Harvard , Islam , Miguel Cardona , Terrorism
Palestinian Migrant Accused of Anti-Semitic Assault on Homeowner After Stealing Israeli Flag
A Palestinian migrant from North Africa on Sunday allegedly stole an Israeli flag and pro-Israel banner before assaulting a Long Island owner and spewing anti-Semitic slurs.
Bechir Lehbeib, a 26-year-old asylum seeker, stole from outside a home a combination U.S.-Israeli flag and a banner that read, "In this home we stand with Israel," police said. When the homeowner caught up to him to recover the property, there was a physical altercation in which Lehbeib allegedly punched the victim.
The owner eventually took back his property, but Lehbeib attacked him again, wrestling the flag and banner out of his hands before stomping on them and "stating his dislike for Jewish people," the Nassau County Police Department's statement read.
"Basically saying, 'kill all the Jews' and other heinous crimes and indignities," Nassau County executive Bruce Blakeman (R.) said at a news conference.
Lehbeib told the victim he was Palestinian, made threatening statements, and then ran away, officials said, according to ABC 7. He had stayed in a migrant shelter in Staten Island and a home in Queens. District Attorney Anne Donnelly (R.) charged him with robbery, assault, and criminal mischief, all of them as hate crimes.
Police notified the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force of the incident, Fox News reported.
Fox also reported that Lehbeib entered the country from Mexico through Arizona over the summer, though ABC 7's reporting said he arrived in November.
The attack came about a week after a group of migrants allegedly beat up police officers in Times Square, leading Gov. Kathy Hochul (D.) to call for their deportation. Hochul is not the only Democrat to have made strong comments about the migrant crisis. New York City mayor Eric Adams (D.) last month called on the federal government to "deal with" it at his State of the City address. He previously said that the issue would "destroy New York City."
France Remembers Victims of October 7 Hamas Terror
PARIS (AP) – France is paying tribute Wednesday to French victims of Hamas´ Oct. 7 attack, in a national ceremony led by President Emmanuel Macron four months after the deadly assault in Israel that killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and saw around 250 abducted.
The ceremony will pay homage to 42 French citizens who died in the attack and three hostages still believed to be held by Hamas and other militants in Gaza, Macron´s office said. Four French hostages have been previously released.
Photographs of the victims will be displayed in the Invalides’ monumental courtyard in central Paris. The Republican Guard´s orchestra will play the “Kaddish” by French composer Maurice Ravel, written in 1914 based on a traditional Hebrew melody.
Families of victims will attend the ceremony, many coming from Israel on a special flight chartered by the French Republic.
Yashay Dan, a relative of French-Israeli hostage Ofer Kalderon, said he hopes the ceremony “can resonate all around the world, not only in France.”
“I think from this perspective that France is showing a great gesture by being with those that have suffered an enormous blow,” he told The Associated Press.
Ayla Yahalomi Luzon, sister of French-Israeli hostage Ohad Yahalomi, said: “We don´t need people to hope for us. I have hope. We need help. Ohad is a French citizen and I ask France to make all efforts to release him and everyone.”
Macron´s speech is expected to address a sharp rise in antisemitic acts in France. Data from the Interior Ministry and the Jewish Community Protection Service watchdog showed that 1,676 antisemitic acts were reported in 2023, compared to 436 the previous year.
The ceremony also comes after France’s new Foreign Minister Stéphane Séjourné made his first trip to the Middle East, including Israel and the Palestinian territories, where he pushed for the release of hostages.
Denmark’s parliament has passed a bill that makes it illegal to burn copies of the Quran in public places... The bill, which prohibits “inappropriate treatment of writings with significant religious importance for a recognized religious community,” was passed with 94 votes in favor and 77 opposed... In practical terms, it will be forbidden to burn, tear or otherwise defile holy texts publicly or in videos intended to be disseminated widely. Those who break the law risk a fine or up to two years in prison… The purpose of the law is to counter “the systematic mockery” that, among other things, has contributed to intensifying the threat of [Islamic] terrorism in Denmark, the Ministry of Justice said.
We’ll note here that this quote is from Hassan al-Banna, the 1928 founder of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt. And here is the motto of the Muslim Brotherhood:
‘Allah is our objective; the Prophet is our leader; the Quran is our law; Jihad is our way; dying in the way of Allah is our highest aspiration.’
Terrorist Bombing Campaign Kills 28 in Pakistan on Day Before Heated Election
Two bombings targeting a political party headquarters and a local government office killed at least 28 people in Balochistan, Pakistan, on Wednesday – the day before a massive nationwide election preceded by outsized political violence and what some have branded state persecution of opposition parties.
The deadly explosions on Wednesday, which local outlets have not attributed to any individual or terrorist organization in particular at press time, followed a string of at least nine bombings on Tuesday in which terrorists on motorcycles hurled grenades at polling stations.
Pakistani officials have vowed to hold the elections on Thursday despite the wave of violence and accusations of suppression of the Islamist Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, whose leader, former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan, was sentenced to 24 years in prison in two separate sentencings the week before the election. Khan, a radical Islamist who polling indicates is the most popular politician in the country, lost the prime ministership via a vote of no confidence in April 2022.
Targets of the regional terror bombings (Elmurod Usubaliev/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Multiple attempts to imprison him failed as Islamist mobs surrounded Khan’s home, preventing police from accessing it, until a final attempt succeeded in August. Khan has since been campaigning for PTI candidates using, among other strategies, artificial intelligence to create realistic videos of his AI self reading speeches written in prison.
Pakistan’s major news outlets did not indicate if the situation surrounding the PTI and Khan was related to the bombings on Wednesday.
The Pakistani newspaper Dawn reported that the Balochistan bombings appeared to be caused by explosives hidden in a parked motorcycle. One of the bombs hit the offices of a local union council – a municipal government authority – and was placed near the election office of an independent candidate, Jumma Dad Mandokhail.
The second bomb, the newspaper added, appeared to target a local office of the Islamist political party Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam Fazl (JUI-F).
Authorities reported that the first bombing killed 18 people and injured 23, while the second killed ten and injured 20. More deaths are possible in the near future as many of the injured sustained serious injuries.
Local officials described the bombings as an “attempt to sabotage the process of peaceful elections” and urged voters not to be intimidated out of exercising their right to vote. The attacks on Wednesday appeared to be part of a larger campaign against election targets, as Dawn had documented 19 similar incidents in the past week. On Tuesday, the newspaper reported that Balochistan had experienced a wave of “at least nine grenade attacks targeting election offices of candidates and polling stations.” At least one grenade destroyed the windows of a school set up to serve as a voting station.
On February 2, Dawn reported a similar wave of “at least 10 bomb and grenade attacks” in Balochistan, which killed one person, 84-year-old Abdul Khaliq Shah. The newspaper, citing statistics from the Centre for Research and Security Studies, relayed that Pakistan had “witnessed 1,524 violence-related fatalities and 1,463 injuries from 789 terror attacks and counter-terror operations in 2023,” 90 percent of them in either Balochistan or Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
While the number of incidents skyrocketed in 2023, political violence has been common in Pakistan for years. In 2022, Imran Khan was shot in the leg while delivering a speech at a rally intended to regroup PTI supporters after his ouster. Khan delivered an over hour-long speech in a wheelchair immediately after the assassination attempt in which he accused Shehbaz Sharif, his successor, of plotting his assassination.
The main players as Pakistan head to the polls (Photo by Elmurod Usubaliev/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Pakistani Senator Samina Mumtaz Zehri described the bombings last week as, according to available intelligence, part of “a well-thought-out plan,” but did not offer any information regarding who or what organization may have been behind the alleged plan.
Pakistanis are scheduled to vote on Thursday in elections representing over 800 contested seats, both in the Pakistani Parliament and in local legislatures. The heads of several of the largest political parties will be on the ballot – Imran Khan being the major exception – including the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) chairman Bilawal Bhutto and former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif of the establishment Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N).
Nawaz is seeking to succeed his brother, Shehbaz Sharif, who took over after the ouster of Imran Khan, and return to power himself after a corruption scandal resulted in his resignation and a ten-year prison sentence in 2018. Sharif responded to the conviction by fleeing to the United Kingdom and returned shortly before the high court of Islamabad overturned Sharif’s corruption convictions in November.
The controversial return of Nawaz Sharif and the treatment of Imran Khan have invited international scrutiny. A spokesperson for the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Liz Throssell, issued a statement on Tuesday condemning the persecution of Khan’s supporters.
“We are disturbed by the pattern of harassment, arrests, and prolonged detentions of leaders of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party and their supporters during the election period,” Throssell said, according to the Pakistan Express Tribune.
Pakistani paramedical team take injured people to the hospital for treatment after two separate attacks killed at least 25 people and dozens of injuries in Quetta, Pakistan on February 07, 2024. (Mazhar Chandio/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Throssel also observed that, “in the lead-up to the vote, there have been no less than 24 reported instances in which armed groups have staged attacks against members of political parties.” The statement was issued before Wednesday’s bombings.
The treatment of PTI supporters has become a prime issue in this election cycle. The Islamabad High Court – the same court that overturned the corruption convictions on Nawaz Sharif – issued an order on Tuesday commanding national police forces to stop harassing PTI candidates and volunteers after PTI leaders accused police of accosting PTI supporters and threatening them with legal action if they voted for the party.
“They are making phone calls and telling PTI candidates that if they hold a rally, they will be booked under a case,” added PTI attorney Shoaib Shaheen denounced.
The government also banned PTI from using its cricket bat logo – Imran Khan was famously a professional cricketer before entering politics – on ballots. The use of logos is pivotal in Pakistani elections, as much of the electorate is illiterate.
Speaking to anonymous young voters on Wednesday, the Express Tribune found that the PTI, despite its radical Islamic ideology and the government’s actions against it, remains popular.
“Two of our friends have decided to quit jobs to vote for PTI because their boss refused to give them leave on polling day,” an unnamed young man in Islamabad told the newspaper, saying that he himself “wouldn’t mind leaving the job if it comes to choosing between vote and job.”
Another man said he would support the PTI as, “in the polling booth, I will be alone with the ballot paper.”
Follow Frances Martel on Facebook and Twitter.
Illegal Palestinian Migrant Arrested for Anti-Jewish Hate Crime in New York
A self-described Palestinian migrant was charged with assault and robbery as a hate crime for allegedly ripping a Long Island man’s Israeli flag from his porch and then beating him up in front of his neighbors.
Bechir Lehbeib, 26, allegedly stole the flag — which declared “In This Home We Stand with Israel — from Aleksandr Binyaminov’s porch, cops said.
“When I grabbed the flag away from him, he was saying ‘I’m from Palestine, you Jews are killing Palestinians,'” Binyaminov recalled for NBC News New York.
Lehbeib walked away from Binyaminov and made an obscene gesture on video. The accused had walked several houses away when Binyaminov caught up to him on his child’s bicycle.
On video (watch below), Binyaminov challenges Lehbeib who punches him in the head. The two then begin to fight.
“He punched me in the face gave me black and blue put me in a choke hold and he headbutted me, that’s how I got a black eye,” Binyaminov explained.
The flag was put up after Oct. 7, in honor of a relative of Binyaminov’s wife who he said died when Hamas terrorists attacked Israel.
“The subject continued to swing wildly and struggle with the victim and threw the victim to the ground,” said Nassau County Deputy Police Commissioner Kevin Smith.
Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman addressed the incident by saying, “This insanity has to stop.”
At a news conference, the county executive and Republican elected officials blasted border policies for the incident.
“Living in America, I never thought this would happen to me. As a Jew, we live here happily. Feels a little bit disgusting that this happened to us, these hate crimes should be stopped,” said Binyaminov.
Lehbeig was ordered held on $50,000 bail and the judge agreed with prosecutors that his passport be seized.
The New York Post reports Lehbeib entered the U.S. from Mexico in November. Officials said they aren’t sure of his country of origin, but said they believe he migrated from somewhere in North Africa.
Are We on The Doorstep of Another Civil War?
Before I get into my analysis, I want to make it clear I believe that anyone who wants a civil war to happen in the U.S. is dangerously naïve, insane, or working for one of America’s enemies. Imagine a Russia-Ukraine-type conflict in the U.S.
Thanks to Hollywood, most Americans believe that rebellions can be started and won by small ragtag groups of patriots, freedom fighters, insurrectionists, or everyday common folk. All you need are pistols, assault weapons, bows and arrows, and maybe a few Molotov cocktails. Blow up the Death Star, and the problem is solved.
But that is not how it usually works. Revolutions require armaments, soldiers, money, something worth fighting for, and popular support. Unless lives are at stake, few people are angry or committed enough to leave jobs or families to risk going to jail or dying needlessly.
The most daunting task is overcoming the opposition. The weaponry and manpower available to peacekeepers in our country is formidable. This includes the local sheriff’s departments, city police, state police, National Guard, and various federal agencies, most notably the FBI. Plus, in a crisis, these organizations will usually work together. An uprising of twenty, fifty, or even a hundred-plus armed citizens would quickly fail.
Ever heard of the Whiskey Rebellion of 1794? In 1791, Congress passed a distilled spirits tax. Residents of western Pennsylvania, who used whiskey as money, protested and refused to pay the tax. Sporadic acts of violence and resistance began, along with threats to secede from the Union. The unrest culminated in 1794, when a group of around 600 armed citizens took a federal marshal prisoner. When the government sent 13,000 troops, commanded by George Washington, to restore order, the rebels went home without firing a shot.
What about John Brown’s Raid? In 1859, abolitionist John Brown and 21 other armed followers attempted to start a slave rebellion by capturing the Federal Arsenal in Harper’s Ferry, Virginia. He and his followers were confronted by U.S. Marines, commanded by Colonel Robert E. Lee. Ten of the rebels were killed during the ensuing firefight. Seven more were tried and hanged later.
Remember the Weather Underground? This was a Marxist antiwar faction that wanted to start a revolution by radicalizing students to oppose the Vietnam War. The Weathermen, a group of around 400 people, were involved in numerous bombings of federal and state facilities between 1969 and 1973. Almost all of them were eventually arrested and imprisoned.
This brings me to the two most significant military conflicts on American soil, pitting family against family and brother against brother. One is the American Revolution, basically an English Civil War, and the other is the American Civil War. One was fought over taxation and individual rights, the other over slavery and states’ rights.
The battles that started the Revolution were between the British army and the Massachusetts militia. Some might equate the word “militia” with a mob. But at that time, the militia was a legitimate military organization, like today’s National Guard.
On April 19, 1775, around 700 members of the British occupation force in Boston were sent to capture or destroy military supplies stored at Lexington and Concord. During the early morning hours, the militia was warned that the British were coming, so individual units began to assemble while the military stores were being moved.
At Lexington, around 77 local militia faced roughly 400 British troops. The militia realized they were heavily outnumbered and were about to disperse when someone fired a shot, prompting the British to open fire and charge. Eight militia members were killed and several wounded. This might have been swept under the rug as an unfortunate incident except for what happened at Concord.
At North Bridge, roughly 400 militiamen faced off against about 100 British soldiers. As both sides maneuvered to control the bridge, supposedly, a panicked British soldier fired his musket. Before their officers could stop it, other British soldiers opened fire. In self-defense, the militia did the same, resulting in several killed and wounded on both sides.
As the British began to retreat, other militia units began to arrive. Word of the casualties at Lexington and Concord had spread, prompting a running firefight between the militia and the British all the way to Boston. In only one day, the situation had gone from an uneasy peace to an armed rebellion. In 1776, the other colonies finally chose sides and declared their independence.
In 1860, the U.S. was divided over the issue of slavery. When Abraham Lincoln, who supported the abolition of slavery, was elected president, seven Southern slave states decided to secede. These states then asked that all federal facilities within their jurisdiction — forts, shipyards, etc. — be turned over to them.
However, Lincoln refused to give up Fort Sumter in South Carolina. So, on April 12, 1861, the South Carolina militia opened fire with artillery and bombarded the fort. Two days later, the small contingent of federal troops defending it surrendered. Lincoln then issued a call for volunteers to fight the rebels. At that point, the eight other slave states decided to either secede from the Union or stick with it. Now that sides had been chosen and shots fired, the war began.
You might notice a pattern here. First, important issues divide our country, like independence versus obedience to the king or slavery versus freedom. Then, either a military skirmish occurs before sides get chosen or sides get chosen before the military gets involved. Both the Revolution and the Civil War were started by state military organizations, not by groups of armed radicals.
We are at a similar junction in history right now. Politics has divided the country, and the pivotal issue is unlimited illegal immigration. Few wanted it. No one expected it when he voted for Biden. And now almost no one is willing to pay the price socially or financially to support it.
The White House may have believed that its open border policy would get someone, anyone, to pick up a gun to stop the madness. It would give Biden an excuse to impose martial law, ban assault weapons or handguns, or both. But the horde of right-wing extremists the far-left fantasizes about does not exist.
It seems the administration may have gone too far too fast. The whole country is aware of this issue, and opposition is rising, leading the states to get directly involved.
The Texas National Guard has been sent to the border to stop the flow of migrants. Roughly half of the states have declared their support for Texas.
If Democrats want to continue unlimited illegal immigration, Biden could nationalize the Texas National Guard, take control, and send it home. But what happens if Texas says no? Would Biden order the armed forces to disarm or attack the Texas Guard? Would the use of the armed forces be legal? Do Democrats care?
History tells us that civil wars happen when our country is divided and the states believe they must get involved. That time may be at hand.
Pray that sanity prevails.
Image: Michael Theis via Flickr, CC BY-ND 2.0.
London Chemical Attack Suspect is ‘Good Muslim’ Who May Have Faked Christian Conversion to Get Asylum
More details are emerging about the identity of an Afghan man wanted in London in relation to a “horrific” chemical attack in London that injured 12, including his criminal past, failed attempts to claim asylum, and questionable conversion to Christianity.
Police named 35-year-old Abdul Shokoor Ezedi on Thursday as being wanted in connection to a serious attack near Clapham Common in South London on Wednesday which saw a woman run over, a child repeatedly “smashed” into the ground, and a strong alkali chemical thrown, causing severe burns. 12 people were injured, some seriously, including a mother, her daughters, members of the public who went to help them, and police officers responding to the scene.
Police warned “dangerous individual” Ezedi should not be approached if seen, but the “horrific incident” he is alleged to have perpetrated and the circumstances surrounding his being in the United Kingdom at all have seen questions raised — yet again — about the quality of the nation’s immigration system.
Pizza takeaway chef Ezedi, it is now claimed, is an Afghan asylum seeker who arrived in the UK illegally hidden in the back of a truck and who despite two previously failed asylum application attempts from 2016 onwards and a conviction for a sex offence in 2018 finally had his application accepted around 2021. It is reported by The Daily Telegraph that this third application for asylum by Ezedi was on the basis that he was a Christian convert and consequently faced prosecution for apostasy if he returned to his native Afghanistan.
Yet people who know Ezedi in the Newcastle neighbourhood where he had come to live after moving to Britain gave an account of his life that stood at odds with his claim — backed up by a Church of England priest — that he’d left his Muslim faith behind. A halal butcher who said he regularly sold Ezedi meat described his customer as a “good customer” who talked of going back to Afghanistan to find a wife, somewhat throwing into question the basis of his claim returning to his homeland would put him in danger.
The shopkeeper is reported to have said: “Every two weeks he would come here to buy a half sheep… He never bought any alcohol. He was a good Muslim. Some Muslims do buy alcohol, but he never bought alcohol… I thought he was respectful and a very good guy, a good Muslim. I know he was Afghani”.
The revelation the alleged London chemical attacker had made what may be a false conversion to game the asylum system has triggered inevitable comparisons to Emad Jamil Al Swealmeen, an Iraqi asylum seeker who had lied about being Syrian, and being a Christian, to get the right to remain in the United Kingdom. He blew himself up inside a taxi in an apparent attempted terrorist attack against a hospital in Liverpool, but ended up being the only victim.
In the Swealmeen case, as appears to be the case with Ezedi, the Church of England supported the asylum application by saying a conversion had taken place.
British state broadcaster the BBC now reports Ezedi’s right to remain in the United Kingdom should never have been approved as, given his 2018 conviction for a sex crime, he was not eligible for asylum status anyway.
Government figures have cited this case as an example of the broken asylum system that allows migrant criminals to stay in the country even when the rules would otherwise mean they should leave. The Prime Minister, for instance, has gone on record criticising the rules, saying through a spokesman per The Times that he doesn’t think “foreign criminals should be able to stay, putting the public at risk”.
The comments about the poor state of British governance pertaining to immigration and border control were made despite the Prime Minister leading the British government, commanding a large majority in Parliament able to pass legislation with ease, and leading a party which has had control over the laws in the country for 13 years.
Police gave an update on the manhunt on Friday evening, saying the mother attacked in Clapham on Wednesday was still in hospital “very unwell” and has had to be sedated. Her injuries are said to be “life changing”, but the injuries of her two daughters are now said to not be as bad as previously feared.
Commander Jon Savell said of the police response to the “horrific incident” that police had executed three warrants, two in East London and three in Newcastle seeking suspect Ezedi. While no arrests have yet been made but “we’ve recovered some significant and important evidence including “Two empty containers with corrosive warnings on the label”. The senior officer also appealed directly to the suspect, saying: “Mr Ezedi, you clearly need significant help with that serious injury. Do the right thing and hand yourself in”.
“I would also like to reiterate the fact that if you see Ezedi, call 999 immediately. He should NOT be approached”, Savell said.
African Knifeman Wounds Three People in Paris Train Station Attack
(AFP) — Three people were injured Saturday in a knife attack at Paris’s Gare de Lyon railway station, a major travel hub, police said, adding that a suspect had been arrested.
The detained man, a Malian national, went on a stabbing spree at around 8:00 am (0700 GMT) at the station, which operates domestic trains as well as those heading to Switzerland and Italy.
One person suffered serious injuries to the abdomen while two others were lightly wounded, police said.
“The suspect did not cry out (any religious slogans) during his attack,” a police source said. “He presented the police an Italian driving licence”, which gave his date of birth as January 1, 1992.
Passers-by overpowered the man before railway police arrived on the scene, the police source said.
“A thank you to those who overpowered the man who carried out this unbearable act,” said Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin on X, formerly Twitter.
The attackers’ motives remained unclear.
French forensic experts and police work after a knife attack at Paris’s Gare de Lyon railway station, a major travel hub on February 3, 2024. (Photo by Thomas SAMSON / AFP) (Photo by THOMAS SAMSON/AFP via Getty Images)
The Paris prosecutor’s office launched an inquiry into the attack, while the national anti-terrorist prosecutor said it was observing proceedings at this stage.
The assault took place less than six months before Paris hosts the 2024 Olympics and and an expected 15 million visitors.
Each year more than 100 million passengers go through the Gare de Lyon, France’s biggest mainline hub.
The area between halls one and three were temporarily inaccessible, rail operator SNCF said on X, formerly Twitter.
Services to the Paris region were delayed, the SNCF said, referring only to “an act of criminal intent”.
Cori Bush, Rashida Tlaib Oppose Barring October 7 Terrorists from USA
Reps. Cori Bush (D-MO) and Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) were the only two votes against a bill in the U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday that would ban Palestinians who joined in the Hamas terror attack on Israel on October 7 from entering the U.S.
The Jewish Insider reported:
Reps. Cori Bush (D-MO) and Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) broke with the rest of the House on Wednesday evening to vote against a bill barring participants in the Oct. 7 attack on Israel from entering the United States. Rep. Delia Ramirez (D-IL) voted present on the bill, while 422 other lawmakers voted in favor.
The “No Immigration Benefits for Hamas Terrorists Act” would designate any members of Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad and any other individuals involved in perpetrating, planning, funding or supporting the Oct. 7 attack on Israel as barred from the U.S. and from seeking any immigration relief from the U.S.
It would also expand existing immigration restrictions barring some representatives of the Palestinian Liberation Organization from the U.S. to include all PLO members.
Both Bush and Tlaib, members of the left-wing “Squad,” said the bill duplicated existing law, which already bars terrorists from entering the U.S., and that it was crafted to further anti-Palestinian, anti-Muslim, anti-Arab, or anti-immigrant narratives.
The two legislators, who campaign together, have called for an immediate ceasefire that would leave Hamas in place in Gaza.
Joel B. Pollak is Senior Editor-at-Large at Breitbart News and the host of Breitbart News Sunday on Sirius XM Patriot on Sunday evenings from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. ET (4 p.m. to 7 p.m. PT). He is the author of the 2021 e-book, “The Zionist Conspiracy (and how to join it),” now updated with a new foreword. He is also the author of the recent e-book, Neither Free nor Fair: The 2020 U.S. Presidential Election. He is a winner of the 2018 Robert Novak Journalism Alumni Fellowship. Follow him on Twitter at @joelpollak.
Report: Blinken, Biden Considering Unilateral Recognition of Palestinian State
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has reportedly asked the State Department to review options for a unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state at the end of the war between Hamas and Israel — a major break from past U.S. policy, and from Israel.
Barak Ravid of Axios reported:
While U.S. officials say there has been no policy change, the fact the State Department is even considering such options signals a shift in thinking within the Biden administration on possible Palestinian statehood recognition, which is highly sensitive both internationally and domestically.
For decades, U.S. policy has been to oppose the recognition of Palestine as a state both bilaterally and in UN institutions and to stress Palestinian statehood should only be achieved through direct negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority.
The story — almost certainly leaked deliberately from the State Department — comes as Blinken prepares to visit Israel for the fifth time since the Hamas terror attack on October 7 launched the war.
Though Blinken has expressed sympathy for the Israeli people, he has also tried to restrict Israel’s military response, and has lately become adamant about forcing Israel to accept a Palestinian state, which would be a major win for Hamas, which would achieve that outcome after the mass murder of civilians.
Blinken has even blamed Israelis for being intransigent on a Palestinian state. The truth is that nearly two-thirds of Israelis had supported such a state in 2012 — but now nearly two-thirds oppose one, because of the way Hamas turned Gaza into a terror base.
The Biden administration pursued a Palestinian state since before October 7, even reportedly blocking a Saudi-Israeli peace deal because of the administration’s insistence that it include a Palestinian state, whether the Palestinians are ready for one or not.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has adamantly opposed a Palestinian state as the outcome of the war — and he has begun to rise again in some polls, as Israelis rally behind a leader seen as the only Israeli politician who can stand up to the U.S.
Joel B. Pollak is Senior Editor-at-Large at Breitbart News and the host of Breitbart News Sunday on Sirius XM Patriot on Sunday evenings from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. ET (4 p.m. to 7 p.m. PT). He is the author of the 2021 e-book, “The Zionist Conspiracy (and how to join it),” now updated with a new foreword. He is also the author of the recent e-book, Neither Free nor Fair: The 2020 U.S. Presidential Election. He is a winner of the 2018 Robert Novak Journalism Alumni Fellowship. Follow him on Twitter at @joelpollak.
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