Islamic terrorists strike close to home -- theirs!

While we were waiting to see who was behind this weekends mass murders in El Paso and Dayton -- wondering if it was the work of terrorists (domestic or imported) or maybe just a couple of deranged individuals (as it turned out) -- the real terrorists, the jihadists, were in training in the Middle East. In Cairo, chief shithole of Egypt, to be specific.

Sadly for mearly two dozen Cairenes, their practice run -- moving a car full of explosives to the site of a planned attack -- didn't go off as planned. Or perhaps I should say it went off before it was planned, as the car exploded late Sunday night on the busy Corniche boulevard along the Nile River, setting other cars on fire, killing at least 20 and injuring at least 47, most of them Muslims. No cries of "Allahu akbar!" were heard, just a shout of "Oh shit!"

The massively weaponized vehicle [Hey! You learned a new word! Ed.] exploded near Egypt's main cancer hospital (pictured) shattering parts of the facade and some rooms inside and forcing the evacuation of dozens of patients. The hospital's main gate was damaged, along with several patient rooms and wards, according to a statement from Cairo University, whose medical school uses the institution as an educational facility. Windows and glass doors on the hospital building were shattered.

One patient told the meeja, "Parts of the ceiling of the hospital were collapsing as I got out of my room. People were running everywhere and shouting." The Egyptian Health Ministry did not say whether any patients or hospital staff were among the casualties. Another witness said that several vehicles on the street were damaged, burning those inside.

Inspector Mohammed Mohammed of the Cairo Police initially said the explosion was caused by a multi-vehicle accident. But today the Interior Ministry acknowledged that a car bomb was involved. The authorities accused a militant group known as Hasm, which has links to the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood, saying it was moving the car, which had been stolen months ago, to carry out an attack, errr, somewhere else.

The attack is the deadliest in Cairo since a bombing at a chapel adjacent to Egypt's main Coptic Christian cathedral killed 30 people during Sunday mass in December 2016. That attack was claimed by Egypt's affiliate of the ISIS group. For years, Egypt has battled Islamic militants, led by an ISIS affiliate, in the Sinai Peninsula. That insurgency has at times spilled over into other parts of the country. Smaller bombings, usually by roadside devices, have taken place more often, targeting security forces and in two cases tourists near the Pyramids. Car bombs, however, have been far rarer in the capital.

Egyptian President shows up Western pussies, calls air strike on ISIS

Were you surprised when the "soldier of ISIS" who blew himself up along with 22 innocent people in Manchester turned out to be Libyan? See "Manchester bomber: 'lone wolf' or 'known wolf'?" for a pic and more about Salman Abedi. He was born and raised in the United Kingdom, but ethnically Arab. His parents and at least one brother, since arrested, live in Libya.

Walt admits to being surprised. In my mind I connect the phrase "Islamic terrorists" with Muslim fanatics from places like Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan -- some of the millions now living in western Europe thanks to the insane immigration policies of the likes of Angela Merkel, all the while plotting the extermination of their nominally Christian hosts.

It's easy to forget that those millions comprise Arabs from the Maghreb -- the countries shown in black on the map at left -- who are no less anti-Christian than their cousins from further east, perhaps more so because they have a huge anti-colonial chip on their shoulders, particularly those from Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia, which were French colonies, and Libya, which was ruled occasionally (and badly) by the Italians.

Libya was in the latest terrorism news this week not just because of the late Mr Abedi, but because on Wednesday Islamic militants attacked a bus carrying worshippers in central Egypt, killing at least 28 people and wounding 25 others. This didn't get a lot of play in the Western lamestream media because the worshippers weren't white Europeans. They were Coptic Christians, members of a fast-dwindling minority in the predominantly Muslim land of the pharaohs.

Full credit, then, to Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Saeed Hussein Khalil el-Sisi -- himself a Muslim -- for calling in an air strike on terrorist camps in Libya! State television reported that Egypt carried out six air strikes in Derna in eastern Libya, which is where the militants who carried out the deadly attack on the Coptic Christians were trained.



For those who don't speak Arabic, the voiceover in the army video said the Egyptian air force carried out strikes on targets in Libya "after confirming their involvement in planning and committing the terrorist attack in Minya governorate on Friday." In a televised speech late today, President Sisi said he would "not hesitate to strike terrorist camps anywhere", and promised to "protect our people from the evil."

Countries supporting terrorism should be punished, said the President, as he appealed to President Donald Trump for help. Contrast that with the wimpishness of the G7 leaders (other than Mr Trump) who spent all day today condemning the Manchester massacre (without once uttering the word "Islamic") and yakking about security without, errr, actually doing anything.

Where, Walt asks, is Santiago Matamoros (Saint James the Moorslayer) now that we really need him? Can it really be that we must look to a Muslim -- President Sisi -- to show us the way?

FURTHER VIEWING: Gavin McInnes explains how the British class system informs reactions to the Manchester massacre. The upper class and the lower class have remarkably different ideas about what should be done with the Muslims who want to kill us. Ties in nicely with Mr McInnes's video on modern education and Marxist teachers, which I'm reposting here today. Warning: contains the C-word.

UPDATED: Pope Francis sez "no religion" is terrorist. LMAO!

Here, without edits or comments (other than my emphasis), are two posts from today's Catholic World News.

Pope lashes out at ‘corrupt’ global system, intolerance of foreigners

Pope Francis said that “no people is criminal and no religion is terrorist,” in a message to a California conference of popular movements.

“Christian terrorism does not exist, Jewish terrorism does not exist, and Muslim terrorism does not exist,” the Pope said. He explained his point: “There are fundamentalist and violent individuals in all peoples and religions—and with intolerant generalizations they become stronger because they feed on hate and xenophobia.”

In his address the Pope strongly endorsed the efforts by grassroots organizations to bring fundamental change to the world’s political and economic systems. He said that the global system today is “brutal” in its single-minded question for financial gain, and leaves many people by the wayside. The injustices of this system cannot continue, he said; “the system’s gangrene cannot be whitewashed forever because sooner or later the stench becomes too strong.”

The Pontiff charged that powerful interests preserve their status by encouraging fear of foreigners. Commenting on the parable of the Good Samaritan, he suggested that entrenched powers today are anxious to classify people as “neighbor” and “non-neighbor,” absolving themselves of their moral obligations toward those who are in need. He also said that corruption is widespread, and “the gutting of democracies is real.”

Pope Francis made these comments to a conference organizes by the Vatican’s dicastery for Integral Human Development and by the US bishops’ Catholic Campaign for Human Development, in association with an activist group, the National Network of People Improving Communities through Organizing (PICO).

Egyptian Copt gunned down; Islamic militants suspected

A Coptic schoolteacher was shot and killed in Egypt’s Sinai region on February 16, and officials indicated that a local affiliate of the Islamic State was suspected of orchestrating the murder. See update below.

Gamal Tawfiq was shot by two men who had followed him on a motorcycle as he walked home after classes in a school in the coastal town of el Arish. It was the second murder of a Coptic Christian this week, in a region where Christians have been under attack.

The men behind Catholic World News and CatholicCulture.org, Dr. Jeff Mirus and Phil Lawler, are big fans of the Holy Father. Apparently they misunderstand the doctrine of papal infallibility, for they seem to think Francis can do no wrong or teach no wrong, no matter how much his increasingly loony pronouncements (see first story) contradict reality (see second story). May God save His Holy Church!

UPDATE ADDED 24/2/14: Another Coptic Christian has been killed by Islamic militants in Egypt's Sinai peninsula. That's the 3rd such killing in two days and the sixth in a month. See "Sinai, Coptic Christian killed with a bullet to the neck, third victim in two days", AsiaNews 24/2/17.

Migrant crisis: Boat people wash up on Europe's shores

Pictured below, being offloaded from the Italian coast guard vessel AMB Gregoretti is one of the hundreds of victims of what authorities are now calling "the migrant crisis in the Mediterranean".

Over the weekend, hundreds of would-be refugees were drowned lamestream media when two rickety boats operated by human traffickers capsized while trying to reach safety in Italy, Malta or Greece, in flight from the Islamic civil war (not to mention poverty) afflicting northeast Africa.

As Walt writes, foreign ministers of the European Union are gathered for an emergency meeting on the growing crisis as migrants flee the instability in Africa and the Middle East at unprecedented rates. Some are calling for a naval blockade to intercept smugglers' boats as they leave ports in Libya. Others are going so far as to call for another invasion [a re-invasion? Ed.] of Libya to restore order to the failed state left behind by the previous NATO meddling.

Premier Matteo Renzi today told an Italian radio station today he will ask his EU counterparts to confront instability in Libya more decisively than in the past, but, "At this moment to intervene with international forces on the ground is a risk that is absolutely excessive. We cannot think about sending tens of thousands of men without a strategy, on a wave of emotion."

"Sending troops without a strategy on a wave of emotion..." Wasn't that what Britain, France, Italy, Canada and the USA did the first time? Isn't that what America and its camp followers are doing in Iraq and Syria? And yet, something must be done to stop Europe from being inundated by a tidal wave of Muslim refugees. Here are some numbers, published today by the United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR).

13,500 - Migrants rescued in just one week (10-17 April), now the burden of Italian taxpayers

1,600 - Migrants thought to have died attempting the crossing so far this year

35,000 - Migrants from North Africa landed in Europe (mainly Italy) so far this year

218,000 - Estimated to have crossed the Mediterranean (mainly to Italy) last year

3,500 - Migrants died attempting the crossing last year

What with all the commotion, hand-wringing and appeals to humanitarianism, little mention is being made of what it is that all these Africans, Arabs (and yes, south Asians) are running away from. That would be militant Islamists. Just yesterday, the Islamic State (ISIS/ISIL) released a new video purportedly showing the killing in Libya -- by gunshot or beheading -- of two groups of Ethiopian Christians in Libya. The jihad continues.

Pope calls Islamic extremism "product of the West"

No. Not that Pope. The reference is to Pope Tawadros II, Patriarch of the Coptic Orthodox Church, Egypt's largest Christian group. The Fides news agency reports that Pope Tawadros denounced Western policies which have fostered Islamic extremism in the Middle East.

The Patriarch (pictured here with leaders of the Russian Orthodox Church and members of the diplomatic corps)  made his comments in a television interview broadcast last Tuesday by the Al Hayat network, at the conclusion of the prelate's visit to Russia.

Responding to the interviewer's questions, Pope Tawadros made explicit reference to Western complicity towards extremist fanatical groups, aiming at reshaping the balance of power in the entire region. Their goals, he explained, include the total evacuation of the indigenous Christian communities in that area of the world.

He also called the confidence of those who expect aid from the West to the Christian communities of the Middle East misguided. "Some thought that America could protect us" when extremists burned dozens of Egyptian churches in 2013, he said, "no-one did anything."

The Fides report does not say if Pope Tawadros expressed any surprise at the lack of Western interest in or action on behalf of Christians in his country. Walt doubts it. Of course, Barack Hussein Obama is not a Muslim [Right! Ed.] but that doesn't stop him making nice with folks like Iran's Ayatollah Khameini, not known for being exactly pro-Christian. 

Springtime for Muslims in Eeeegypt

Coptic Christians in Egypt must be longing for the bad old days of deposed president Hosni Mubarak. In those days, they weren't exactly free to practise their religion [as we are here in North America? Ed.] but at least not many of them got killed for it.

Things have changed. As part of the "Arab spring" much beloved of Al O'Bama and other non-Muslims (???), Muslim extremists are rampaging through Cairo and other Egyptian cities, burning Christian churches and killing believers.

The Christians have gotten tired -- and hurt -- turning the other cheek, and have decided to fight fire with fire, literally. Yesterday, flames lit up downtown Cairo, where massive clashes raged, drawing Christians angry over a recent church attack, hard-line Muslims and Egyptian security forces. Associated Press reports that at least 24 people were killed and more than 200 injured in the worst sectarian violence since the uprising that ousted Mubarak in February.

After midnight, mobs roamed downtown streets, attacking cars they suspected had Christian passengers. In many areas, there was no visible police or army presence to confront or stop them.

Christians, who make up about 10 percent of Egypt's 80 million people, blame the country's ruling military council for being too lenient on those behind a spate of anti-Christian attacks since Mubarak's ouster. As Egypt undergoes a chaotic power transition and security vacuum in the wake of the uprising, the Coptic Christian minority is particularly worried about the show of force by militant Islamists.

The Christian protesters said their demonstration began as a peaceful attempt to sit in at the television building. But then, they said, they came under attack by thugs in plainclothes who rained stones down on them and fired pellets.

“The protest was peaceful. We wanted to hold a sit-in, as usual,” said Essam Khalili, a protester wearing a white shirt with a cross on it. “Thugs attacked us and a military vehicle jumped over a sidewalk and ran over at least 10 people. I saw them.”

Television footage showed the military vehicle slamming into the crowd. Coptic protesters were shown attacking a soldier, while a priest tried to protect him. One soldier collapsed in tears as ambulances rushed to the scene to take away the injured.

Last week, the military used force to disperse a similar protest in front of the state television building. Christians were angered by the treatment of the protesters and vowed to renew their demonstrations until their demands are met.

Western nations, especially the USA, which are backing the rebels in Egypt, Tunisia, Libya and other sandpits, have so far turned blind eyes and deaf ears to the plight of Christians in those countries. Will any actions or even words of sympathy be coming out of Washington or London or Paris? Walt predicts nothing will be said or done. Lifetime pct: .977.

"Anti-homophobia" clubs mandated by Ontario government, "Catholic" schools

We live in interesting times, as the Chinese say. Especially in the politically correctest city in the politically correctest state or province anywhere. That would be Toronto, Ontario.

Wringing its hands over the persistence of "homophobia" in Ontario schools, the government of "Premier Dad" McGuinty has pronounced itself in favour of "gay-straight alliances" or "anti-homophobia clubs". This is all part of its policy of "equity and inclusive education". God forbid... [You're not allowed to say "God". Ed.] OK... Richard Dawkins forbid that we should offend or upset anyone, no matter how "special" or "different" they are.

The comrades and progressive thinkers at the Toronto school boards, both Catholic and "public", have rushed to jump on the LGBT bandwagon. The Toronto Catholic board has proposed an Equity and Inclusive Education policy, to be voted on at the end of August, which includes "anti-homophobic measures". The "public" Toronto District School Board already has a similar "inclusionary" policy.

In the Catholic board's proposed policy, we read "The Board recognizes that any form of social or cultural discrimination is incompatible with Catholic moral principles and is in violation of the Ontario Human Rights Code". Ah yes, the dreaded Human Rights Code, which puts the fear of the Crown (if not the Lord) into all Canadians.

Apparently the so-called Catholic board has forgotten that it is a tenet of the True Faith that homosexuality is morally disordered, contrary to the laws of God as well as the laws of nature.

But Coptic Christians -- mostly immigrants from Ethiopia, Eritrea and Djibouti -- have not forgotten. Fr. Jeremiah Attaalla of the Ti Agia Maria and St. Demiana the Martyr Coptic Orthodox Church said his congregation is upset by the Toronto Catholic School Board’s proposed gay-friendly policy.

"In these young grades, we don’t want teachers talking about God creating Adam and Steve," Fr. Attaalla said. "It’s Adam and Eve."

The Coptic Orthodox parents are threatening to pull their children out of Toronto’s Catholic schools if the board goes ahead with its proposed equity policy. In a letter to the board on behalf of four Coptic Orthodox churches, Fr. Attaalla said the Coptic Church is vehemently opposed to any education about homosexuality.

The letter demands that teachings in Catholic schools remain true to Catholicism. “Our members do not want gay-straight alliance groups in our Catholic schools,” the letter says. “We will pull our children from the Catholic schools if they go ahead with it.”

A not unreasonable position for Christians adhering to one of the oldest branches of the Church. But, since the "public" board -- the one that provides prayer rooms for Muslims -- already has pro-gay policies, the Coptic congregations may have no choice but to go private.

"Having our own school may be our only option, especially for people who can’t afford private school," said Fr. Attaalla. "But we are a rich church, so we’ll fund a new school if we have to."

Catholic and Orthodox Christians! Pray to St. Michael the Archangel to defend your schools against the attempts by the state to remove from Catholic schools the last remaining shreds of true Catholic teaching.

And pray that the weak and deluded "Catholic" trustees of your school boards may be confounded in their efforts to impose the will of the secular humanists on those who still believe in the True Faith handed down to us through the Apostles by Our Lord Himself.

Muslims to Christians: "Get out of the Middle East!"

Christians make up less than 10% of Egypt's population. (Around 9% of Egyptians are Coptic Orthodox; only 0.3% are Catholic.) But even that small minority is too much for Muslim fundamentalists.

So says Father Rafic Greische, a spokesman for the Catholic Church in Egypt, in an interview with Vatican Radio. He discussed recent difficulties faced by Egyptian Christians, including the imprisonment of Christians who protested the government’s refusal to permit the construction of a church.

“This is what the Muslim fundamentalists want," he said. "They want the Christians to evacuate from the Middle East and leave [the region to them]. And this is what is happening every day… and the governments do not take serious action to relieve or solve these problems."

Contrast that attitude with the tolerance and freedom of religion which our secular governments expect us to show to the Muslims -- including Islamic fundamentalists -- whom we have accepted into our countries. As Christians we are taught to turn the other cheek, but really...