British Extremists among 'Most Vicious' in Isis, Expert Says

THE GUARDIAN: Jihadism expert says Sunni Muslims from the UK do everything from suicide bombings to executions in Syria and Iraq conflicts

British extremists are among the "most vicious and vociferous fighters" in Islamic State (Isis) ranks in Syria and Iraq, a jihadism expert has said.

Sunni Muslims from the UK are taking part in the conflicts "in every way", according to Shiraz Maher from King's College London's International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation.

That includes acting as suicide bombers and executioners, he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme on Wednesday after a video purporting to show a US journalist being beheaded by an Isis fighter with a British accent was placed online.

The black-clothed and masked man, who spoke with traces of a London accent, threatened bloodshed in the gruesome video, accusing America of plotting against Muslims and interfering in their affairs before taking a knife to his victim's throat. » | Press Association | Wednesday, August 20, 2014

Islamic State to Americans: “We Will Drown All of You in Blood”

Read the article here

Islamic State Vows to 'Break the American Cross'

YAHOO! NEWS: BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Islamic State, the Sunni militant group which seeks to establish a caliphate in parts of Iraq and Syria, released a video on Tuesday that gave the strongest indication yet it might attempt to strike American targets.

The video with the theme "breaking of the American cross" boasts Islamic State will emerge victorious over "crusader" America. It follows a video posted on Monday warning of attacks on American targets if Washington struck against its fighters in Iraq and Syria.

The latest footage speaks of a holy war between the al-Qaeda offshoot and the United States, which occupied Iraq for nearly a dacade [sic] and faced stiff resistance from al Qaeda. » | Rueters | Reporting by Michael Georgy; editing by Ralph Boulton | Wednesday, August 20, 2014

HT: Robert Spencer @ Jihad Watch »

Anti-Semitism in Britain: "Sit Up and Take Notice"

GATESTONE INSTITUTE: "There is a direct link between politicians saying things and people being emboldened to go and attack Jews." — Jonathan Arush, Vice-President, UK Board of Deputies.

It is never the person who commits these sorts of crimes that is held morally responsible by Britain's media or politicians. That honor is reserved for a nation over 2,000 miles away, Israel.

What if Christians objecting to the genocide being carried out by ISIS in Iraq, say, went around in mobs violently menacing Muslim businesses?

A striking feature of the rising tide of anti-Semitism in Britain is the silence with which the country's leaders are choosing to respond to a growing climate of hatred and intimidation, directed not only at Jews themselves, but increasingly anything remotely Jewish.

According to a report published in July by the Community Security Trust, a charity established to ensure the safety of the Jewish community in 1994, even though four out of every five anti-Semitic attacks usually take place "in the main Jewish centers of Greater London and Greater Manchester," violent assaults against Jews and symbols of Judaism are also now taking place nationwide. » | George Igler | Wednesday, August 20, 2014

Mother: Jim Foley Died Trying to Expose Suffering in Syria

Aug. 20, 2014 - 5:46 - Wall Street Journal Assistant Managing Editor John Bussey reacts to Diane Foley's statement

ISIS Beheads American Journalist in Video

Aug. 20, 2014 - 2:05 - Leland Vittert reports from Washington

Hunt Begins for 'British' Islamic State Executioner of US Journalist James Foley

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Intelligence agencies try to identify masked jihadi killer of James Foley who spoke with accent believed to be from London or southern England


Intelligence agencies are trying to identify the executioner of American journalist James Foley after he spoke with what appeared to be an English accent.

The Islamic State jihadi, clad all in black with his face covered, addressed the camera during a five-minute video and delivered an anti-American rant in what appeared to be an accent from London or southern England.

It will raise fears about the role of extremists from the UK in Islamic State, which now controls large swathes of Syria and Iraq.

One tweet from an account dedicated to the "upcoming conquest of the Americas" described the man as a "foreign muhaji, British, who climbed the ranks and shook America to its knees." However, it was unclear if the author knew his identity or was simply responding to media reports.

In the video the masked man points a knife at the camera with his left hand and says: "This is James Wright Foley, an American citizen, of your country. As a government, you have been at the forefront of the aggression towards the Islamic State.

"Today, your military air force is attacking us daily in Iraq...any attempt by you, Obama, to deny the Muslims their rights of living in safety under the Islamic Caliphate will result in the bloodshed of your people." » | Nick Allen and Philip Sherwell | Wednesday, August 20, 2014

Removing Kosher Food from Shelves Is Giving In to Hatred

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Sainsbury’s action may have been banal, but it is part of a normalisation of anti-Semitism

Terrorism takes many forms. But whether it is Islamist extremists on the streets of London or IS beheadings in Syria and Iraq, it has one common thread – it is designed to instil such fear that a society or community changes its very way of life.

On Saturday, a branch of Sainsbury’s removed all kosher food from its shelves over fears that anti-Israel protesters picketing outside would attack the shop. Compared with the impact of the 7/7 murders, Sainsbury’s behaviour was certainly banal. But it was more than that, because in its way it was both giving in to, and colluding with, a form of terrorism.

In response to those protesters outside Sainsbury’s Holborn branch calling for a boycott of its Israeli goods, the manager ordered his staff to clear the shop of all its kosher goods. Clearly the manager is not the brightest spark in the firmament, since kosher produce – which is the only food observant Jews are allowed to eat – is not the same as Israeli produce – which is simply food produced in Israel. The kosher produce in the shop was apparently made in the UK and Poland, and had never been near Israel. » | Stephen Pollard* | Tuesday, August 19, 2014

* Stephen Pollard is editor of 'The Jewish Chronicle’

Islamic State Claim They Have Beheaded Kidnapped Journalist James Foley

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: The Islamist group released a video showing a masked militant purportedly beheading the reporter, who has been missing since he was seized by armed men in Syria in November 2012

Jihadist group the Islamic State have claimed to have executed American journalist James Foley in revenge for US air strikes against its fighters in Iraq.

The Islamist group released a video showing a masked militant purportedly beheading the reporter, who has been missing since he was seized by armed men in Syria in November 2012. » | Agencies | Tuesday, August 19, 2014

Britain Is Target for Islamic State Warns Former MI6 Chief

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: The threat from Islamist jihadists is a generational problem for Britain says a former assistant chief of MI6

Britain’s history in the Middle East makes it a target for Islamic State terrorists and it must deal with the threat from jihadists for “some considerable time to come”, a former deputy head of MI6 has warned.

Nigel Inkster said Britain’s role drawing up the modern map of the region made it a target for the Islamic militants who want to wipe away those borders for a new religious state.

But he said there is no case for America or Britain to send troops into Iraq to help the Baghdad government defeat fighters who have seized swathes of the country.

A “small but potentially significant” number of British and Europeans jihadists who can easily travel to the UK are already fighting in Iraq and Syria.

He said: “From a longer term perspective, I think the Islamic State would see it as part of its strategy to undertake attacks against former colonial powers.” » | Ben Farmer, Defence Correspondent | Tuesday, August 19, 2014

Why Western Democracy Can Never Work in the Middle East

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: The Arab states are governed less by the rule of law than by the rule of favour

As I write, the immediate crisis on Mount Sinjar appears to have been resolved but the appalling scenes which have dominated our television screens in recent weeks and the graphic reports in newspapers have galvanised public opionion. People demand that we do all in our power to help the Christians and the Yasidis who are being so viciously persecuted. And they are right to do so. This is a problem that will not go away. One million people have been displaced since Islamic State militants took over swathes of Northern Iraq. Yesterday, the governor of Dohuk province warned of a “genocide”, as hundreds of thousands sought refuge there.

So what exactly is in our power? This requires a realistic appraisal of the situation on the ground and of our capacity to change it. Certainly, the situation across the Middle East is now more chaotic and dangerous than it has been for half a century.

The enthusiasm of yester-year for the “Arab Spring” has proved entirely misguided. It has led to chaos in Egypt and anarchy in Libya. Those determined to be “on the right side of history” now find themselves on the wrong side of the argument. Democracy is empathically not the solution for extremely complex societies and Western meddling only makes matters immeasurably worse. The fundamental reason for our failure is that democracy, as we understand it, simply doesn’t work in Middle Eastern countries where family, tribe, sect and personal friendships trump the apparatus of the state. These are certainly not societies governed by the rule of law. On the contrary, they are better described as “favour for favour” societies. When you have a problem of any kind, you look for someone related to you by family, tribe or region to help you out and requests are most unlikely to be refused since these ties are especially powerful. In countries where there is no effective social security, your future security lies only in the often extensive family. Read on and comment » | By Andrew Green*, former Ambassador to Syria and to Saudi Arabia | Saturday, August 16, 2014

* Sir Andrew Green is a former Ambassador to Syria and to Saudi Arabia

Islam: The Enemy of Democracy and Freedom » | Mark Alexander | Friday, April 20, 2007

Geert Wilders Warning to Israel

Read the short article and comment here | Monday, August 11, 2014

Exiled Archbishop of Mosul: ‘I Have Lost My Diocese to Islam; You in the West Will Also Become Victims of Muslims’

BREITBART: The exiled Chaldean Catholic archbishop of Mosul, Iraq, is warning westerners about welcoming an increasing number of Muslims into their countries, naively believing that they too believe in democratic principles.

“Our sufferings today are the prelude of those you, Europeans and Western Christians, will also suffer in the near future,” said Archbishop Amel Shimoun Nona in an interview by Corriere della Sera. “I lost my diocese. The physical setting of my apostolate has been occupied by Islamic radicals who want us converted or dead. But my community is still alive.” Read on and comment » | Dr. Susan Berry | Monday, August 18, 2014

Anti-Israel Shop Protests Risk Bringing Middle Eastern Violence to High Streets – Jewish leaders

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Supermarket protests in Britain stirring up tensions and intimidation while achieving nothing for Palestinians, say Jewish community leaders

Protest groups targeting supermarkets over the sale of Israeli products risk importing Middle Eastern violence to British high streets, Jewish have leaders insisted.

In a joint statement the leaders of Britain’s main Jewish community organisations condemned a series of incidents at shops selling Israeli goods and kosher food accusing the organisers of intimidation and stirring up tensions.

They specifically challenged trades unions to distance themselves from the protests which prompted one branch of Sainsbury’s in central London temporarily to clear its shelves of kosher food amid fears that anti-Israel protesters were about to ransack the shop.

On Monday night the TUC spoke out against intimidation of shop workers and Usdaw, which represents retailers, said it supported its members in protecting their safety and their livelihoods.

It comes amid an upsurge of anti-Semitic incidents in Britain and other parts of Europe since the outbreak of fighting in Gaza this summer. » | John Bingham, Religious Affairs Editor | Monday, August 18, 2014

The British Muslims Who Want to Live under the Islamic State

Radical Muslims are demanding the security services allow them to leave Britain to live under Sharia law in parts of Syria and Iraq controlled by the Islamic State, so why can't they leave?

Read the short article here

Islamic State: "We Will Take Spain Back"

A tweeted photo of an Islamic State supporter holding the
IS black flag of jihad in front of Aljafería Palace in Zaragoza.

GATESTONE INSTITUTE: Calls to reconquer al-Andalus are becoming more frequent and more strident.

"Clearly Spain forms part of the strategic objectives of global jihad. We are not the only ones but we are in their sights." — Spanish Interior Minister Jorge Fernández Díaz.

Radical Muslims in Spain have launched a social media campaign aimed at generating support for the jihadist group Islamic State [IS].

The campaign involves posters that include images of famous Spanish landmarks and monuments emblazoned with Arabic slogans such as, "We are all the Islamic State" and "Long Live the Islamic State."

One poster includes an image of the medieval Islamic Aljafería Palace in the Spanish city of Zaragoza and the black flag associated with the IS. Another uses an image of the famous La Concha beach in the Basque city of San Sebastián. Yet another includes an image of the statue of Jesus Christ on Monte Urgull in San Sebastián, with the Arabic words "Al-Andalus Country" instead of "Basque Country."

Al-Andalus is the Arabic name given to those parts of Spain, Portugal and France that were occupied by Muslim conquerors (also known as the Moors) from 711 to 1492. As the Basque Country is surrounded by mountains, however, the Moors never succeeded in occupying it. The poster campaign comes after IS jihadists produced a video in which they vow to liberate al-Andalus from non-Muslims and make it part of their new Islamic Caliphate.

The video shows a jihadist speaking in Spanish with a heavy North African accent. He says:

"I say to the entire world as a warning: We are living under the Islamic flag, the Islamic caliphate. We will die for it until we liberate those occupied lands, from Jakarta to Andalusia. And I declare: Spain is the land of our forefathers and we are going to take it back with the power of Allah."

Radical Muslims (and many moderate Muslims) believe that all territories Muslims lost during the Christian Reconquista of Spain still belong to the realm of Islam. They claim that Islamic law gives them the right to return there and re-establish Muslim rule.

In recent years, the return of "occupied" Al-Andalus to the fold of Islam has become an obsession for Muslims of all stripes, and calls to reconquer al-Andalus have become more frequent and more strident.

Commenting on the latest video, Spain's Secretary of State for Security, Francisco Martínez, said Spanish police were remaining "vigilant" in the face of a "grave" jihadist threat. » | Soeren Kern | Sunday, August 17, 2014

Church Launches Bitter Attack on PM's 'Incoherent' Middle East Policy

THE OBSERVER: Bishop of Leeds slams failure over Islamist extremism in scathing letter backed by the archbishop of Canterbury

The Church of England has delivered a withering critique of David Cameron's Middle East policy, describing the government's approach as incoherent, ill-thought-out and determined by "the loudest media voice at any particular time".

The criticisms are made in an extraordinary letter to the prime minister signed by the bishop of Leeds, Nicholas Baines, and written with the support of the archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby. Seen by the Observer, it describes the UK's foreign policy as so muddled and reactive that it is "difficult to discern the strategic intentions" of the government's approach to the region.

The letter follows widespread claims that Britain and the west have been slow to respond to unfolding events in Iraq as Islamic State, formerly known as Isis, has imposed its bloody rule across northern Iraq and swaths of Syria.

Cameron is taken to task for failing to develop an effective plan to tackle the spread of violent Islamist extremism from Iraq to Nigeria, where the militant group Boko Haram has terrorised the north of the country. "We do not seem to have a coherent or comprehensive approach to Islamic extremism as it is developing across the globe," the bishop writes.

Cameron is accused of turning his back on the suffering of Christians. The letter asks why the plight of religious minorities in Iraq, such as the Yazidis, seems to have taken precedence. It notes that, though the government responded promptly to reports of at least 30,000 Yazidis trapped on Mount Sinjar, the fate of tens of thousands of Iraqi Christians fleeing jihadists from Mosul, Iraq's second city, and elsewhere appears to have "fallen from consciousness".

Baines asks: "Does your government have a coherent response to the plight of these huge numbers of Christians whose plight appears to be less regarded than that of others? Or are we simply reacting to the loudest media voice at any particular time?" He condemns the failure to offer sanctuary to Iraqi Christians driven from their homes: "The French and German governments have already made provision, but there has so far been only silence from the UK government." » | Mark Townsend, home affairs editor | Saturday, August 16, 2014

David Cameron: Isil Poses a Direct and Deadly Threat to Britain

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: The poisonous extremism on the march in Iraq and Syria affects us all - and we have no choice but to rise to the challenge, says the Prime Minister

Stability. Security. The peace of mind that comes from being able to get a decent job and provide for your family, in a country that you feel has a good future ahead of it and that treats people fairly. In a nutshell, that is what people in Britain want – and what the Government I lead is dedicated to building.

Britain – our economy, our security, our future – must come first. After a deep and damaging recession, and our involvement in long and difficult conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, it is hardly surprising that so many people say to me when seeing the tragedies unfolding on their television screens: “Yes, let’s help with aid, but let’s not get any more involved.”

I agree that we should avoid sending armies to fight or occupy. But we need to recognise that the brighter future we long for requires a long-term plan for our security as well as for our economy. True security will only be achieved if we use all our resources – aid, diplomacy, our military prowess – to help bring about a more stable world. Today, when every nation is so immediately interconnected, we cannot turn a blind eye and assume that there will not be a cost for us if we do.

The creation of an extremist caliphate in the heart of Iraq and extending into Syria is not a problem miles away from home. Nor is it a problem that should be defined by a war 10 years ago. It is our concern here and now. Because if we do not act to stem the onslaught of this exceptionally dangerous terrorist movement, it will only grow stronger until it can target us on the streets of Britain. We already know that it has the murderous intent. Indeed, the first Isil-inspired terrorist acts on the continent of Europe have already taken place. Read on and comment » | David Cameron | Friday, August 17, 2014

My comment:

Your reaction to the threat of ISLAM is pathetic, Sir. You do not understand Islam, and nor do you appear to want to. If you and your liberal ilk do not do something drastic about the growth of Islam in this country, we, the indigenous people of these lands, are done for. You talk a good line, but you do damn all about the problem.

I have voted Conservative all of my life, but I fear the time for voting Conservative is over. You have allowed so many immigrants of this persuasion into our country that I fear the country has already been lost to Islam. What was it I read about the most popular name for baby boys is this country? Yes, that's it: It's Muhammad, or one of its variations in spelling.

This country is heading for civil war. Wherever Islam is allowed to put down roots, civil unrest ensues. You and your ilk have a hell of a lot to answer for. You are craven to a man. Please don't expect me to vote Conservative again. It's not going to happen. – © Mark Alexander

This comment appears here also.

John Lewis's New Line, Hijabs to Wear at School: Department Store Signs Contract with Schools in London and Liverpool to Offer Conservative Islamic Clothing

MAIL ONLINE: John Lewis is offering hijab in school uniform department for the first time / Headdress is to be sold in the company's stores in London and Liverpool / Retailer signed contracts with two schools, including Islamia Girls' School / Hijab covers head and chest and is worn by Muslim women after puberty

John Lewis is offering the hijab in its school uniform department for the first time.

The headdress is to be sold in the company’s stores in London and Liverpool after it signed contracts with two schools – one which was set up to educate Muslim girls and a second that welcomes pupils from all religious communities.

The hijab covers the head and chest and is worn by Muslim women after the onset of puberty as a sign of modesty in the presence of men who are outside their immediate family.

It is different from the niqab, which is a full face veil and has proved divisive in schools and public life, for example if wearers are giving evidence in court.

There has been controversy over whether it is right for girls attending state schools to wear religious dress rather than the standard uniform.

But the fact that a mainstream retailer is starting to stock the hijab alongside blazers and blouses is likely to be welcomed as a breakthrough by Muslim parents who have so far had to rely on specialist shops. » | Sean Poulter, Consumer Affairs Editor | Saturday, August 16, 2014

British 'Jihadist' Describes His Plan to Go to Iraq or Syria to Fight

BBC: The role of a reported 400 British jihadists who have joined fighting in Syria and Iraq has been much highlighted in reports from the region in recent weeks.

But what is the motivation for people, usually revealed to be youngsters with little or no experience of conflict, to leave their homes in British towns and cities to do so?

One British man who is still in the UK has told the BBC in an interview that he feels it is his "obligation" to now go to Iraq or Syria.

We don't know his real name, or where he comes from in the UK, and during our TV interview his face is covered with a bright red scarf.

After he says hello, "Ahmed", as he wants to be known, speaks with purpose. He details why he wants to fight in Iraq or Syria.

"God has commanded for the Muslims to go and fight jihad", he says. (+ video) » | Ed Thomas | North of England Correspondent, BBC News | Friday, August 15, 2014