Europe

France Recovering Amidst International Worries of More Impending Attacks

January 15, 2015

By Kyle Herda

Impunity Watch Reporter, Europe

PARIS, France – Following the recent deadly attacks that began with the shooting on Charlie Hebdo, France is actively responding. France is upping participation in the U.S.-led coalition strikes against ISIS, as well as cracking down on hate speech and anti-Semitism within its own borders.

A number of world leaders joined in on the Paris march of well over 3 million. (Photo courtesy of The Washington Times)

A massive rally in Paris involving over 3 million people and many world leaders followed the deadly rampage on Charlie Hebdo. The rally was a peaceful show of solidarity and support for the magazine, as well as a proverbial and literal stand against terrorism. The rally was not limited to Paris, although the city was the scene of the largest rally.

Charlie Hebdo chose to rebound from the attack by not only publishing the mocking edition with Mohammed on the cover, but also publishing over 3 million copies with possibly more to come. World leaders, like German Chancellor Angela Merkel, were outwardly in support of promoting democratic values like free speech and promoting publication. Writers and artists around the world followed up the attacks, many that same day, with pictures mocking the terrorists and with a common theme of either resiliency or showing the absurdity of the attack on Charlie Hebdo.

France has since increased arrests on hate speech, anti-Semitism, and glorifying terrorism; at least 54 have already been arrested on these charges in the last week. 10,000 troops and 120,000 security forces have also been deployed around the country to protect Jewish schools, synagogues, mosques, and travel hubs. France is also sending an aircraft carrier to the Middle East to aid the U.S.-led coalition in fighting the Islamic State.

Two new events unfolded today following the release of the newspaper. First, a wave of cyber attacks has hit France with over 19,000 websites claiming to have been affected. In recent days, some of these same sites had reported being hacked by well-known Islamic hacker groups. Second, two suspects were killed in a gunfight with police in Verviers, Belgium. The two were being investigated as suspects of an operational cell with ties to Syria, and it is believed the group was about to commit terrorist attacks in Belgium.

For more information, please see:

ABC – Two Dead as Police Raid Terror Suspects in Belgium – 15 January 2015

CBS – France hit by unprecedented wave of cyber attacks – 15 January 2015

Huffington Post – France Arrests 54 For Defending Terror; Announces Crackdown – 14 January 2015

Huffington Post – Charlie Hebdo Cover Features Muhammad Holding ‘Je Suis Charlie’ Sign – 12 January 2015

The New York Times – Charlie Hebdo’s New Issue Features Muhammad on Cover – 12 January 2015

Los Angeles Times – 3 million across France march in solidarity against terrorism – 11 January 2015

Le monde Est Paris: Millions Attend French Unity Rally

January 11, 2015

By Kathryn Maureen Ryan
Impunity Watch, Managing Editor

PARIS, France – An estimated 3.7 million people across France have demonstrated in the country’s unity rally, the French Interior Ministry says. The Unity Rally honors the memory of the 17 lives lost during last week’s attacks at the Charlie Hebdo Weekly headquarters, a Parisian Kosher market as well as the murder of two French police officers. In the capital city of Paris, where the attacks took place, 1.6 million took to the streets to participate in Sunday’s rally. The unity rally recognizes and celebrates the religious and ideological diversity of the French Republic and celebrates the country’s long tradition of free speech and democracy. More than 40 world leaders attended the rally and took part in the Paris march, linking arms in an act of solidarity at the start of the March. Demonstrators of all walks of life carried signs thanking the French Police, supporting Free Speech and expressing solidarity with all of the victims of the horrific attacks in Paris. “Today, Paris is the capital of the world. The entire country will rise up,” the French president, François Hollande, said.

Among the world leaders who attended the event were German Chancellor Angela Merkel, David Cameron, prime minister of the United Kingdom Mariano Rajoy, Spain’s prime minister and Ukrainian president Petro Poroshenko as well as Jordan’s King Abdullah II and Queen Rania. Both Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas also attended the Rally. About 2,200 security personnel guarded the route of the march, passed the historic Place de la Republique to Place de la Nation in the east of Paris, a symbol of French democracy. Later Netanyahu and Francois Hollande, the French president, visited the Grand Synagogue in Paris.

Hundreds of World Flags were flown by demonstrators, who represented all religions and nationalities who turned out at the Rally, not only to show their respect for the victims of last week’s tragedy, but to demonstrate their support for the values of the French Republic: “liberté, égalité, fraternité” – freedom of speech and freedom of the press.

Hundreds of demonstrators held signs that said “Je suis Charlie” (I am Charlie) during the rally as well as “On est tous Charlie” (We are all Charlie), demonstrators also held pens as well as banners in French, English and Arabic and other languages. Some banners read “Nous sommes la République” (We are the Republic) and “Je suis Muslim”. One child held a banner reading: “I am Charlie, I am the police, and no Chérif will take away my liberty.” Another young boy carried a placard reading: “Later I will be a journalist. I’m not afraid!” a woman who attended the rally said “We are united – Muslims, Catholics, Jews, we want to live peacefully together.”

The rally was the largest demonstration as well as the largest gathering of people in the modern history of France. The French Interior ministry reports that the number of people who gathered in Paris in Sunday’s rally were more than those of the marchers who took to Paris streets when the allied forces liberated the city from the Nazis during the Second World War.

For more information please see:

ABC News – Paris Unity Rally – 11 January 2015

Al Jazeera – Millions Attend Unity Rallies in France – 11 January 2015

BBC News – Paris Attacks: Millions Rally For Unity in France – 11 January 2015

The Guardian – Paris Anti-Terror Rally: All Religions, Ages and Nations in Massive Show of Unity – 11 January 2015

At Least 12 Shot Dead at French Satirical Paper

January 7, 2015

By Kyle Herda
Impunity Watch Reporter, Europe

PARIS, France – Charlie Hebdo, the French satirical newspaper known for publishing the Prophet Mohammed twice over the past few years and causing an international stir, was attacked today by multiple gunmen armed with AK-47’s and possibly a rocket launcher. The gunmen, still on the run, stormed the building and began firing indiscriminately into the crowd for several minutes before an ensuing shootout with police outside. The gunmen eventually escaped into a rental car.

“Je Suis Charlie,” translating to “I Am Charlie,” has been trending on social media in a show of solidarity and support after the attack on Charlie Hebdo. (Photo courtesy of Zee News)

The attack came shortly after the newspaper released a tweet mocking Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. A few mocking releases by the paper in the past of the Prophet Mohammed have caused violent reactions. Following a 2011 “Shariah Hebdo” edition, a firebomb badly damaged the office after the paper claimed the Prophet Mohammed guest edited an edition to salute the victory of an Islamist party in Tunisian elections. In 2012, the magazine showed the Prophet Muhammed and forced French embassies and schools closed. Stephane Charbonnier, chief editor since 2009, has been on an al Qaeda hit list.

The paper, which has depicted many different religions and political figures in dissatisfactory manners, has been targeted by al Qaeda and affiliates in the past. This time has been the most severe, prompting French President Francois Hollande to visit the scene and report this is “undoubtedly a terrorist attack,” and that “several terrorist attacks were thwarted in recent weeks.” German Chancellor Angela Merkel also condemned the shooting as an “attack on freedom of speech and the press, core elements of our free democratic culture.” The United States, whom France was the first to join in striking IS targets in Iraq and Syria last year, also pledged assistance and condemned the attack.

France joins a few other nations in having suffered this type of lone-wolf attack. In May, a lone gunman shot four dead at a Jewish Museum in Brussels, Belgium. In October, Canada had a gunman storm Parliament after shooting dead a soldier at a monument across the street. In December, a lone gunman and two hostages were killed in Sydney, Australia after a long hostage crisis. All of these attacks have been linked to ISIS, although today’s attack has not yet been formally linked to any particular group.

For more information, please see:

NBC – Paris Terror Attack: What You Need to Know about Charlie Hebdo – 7 January 2015

France 24 – Live: Deadly shooting at Paris HQ of French satirical magazine – 7 January 2015

The Jerusalem Post – Merkel says shooting in France attack on core democratic freedoms – 7 January 2015

The New York Times – Terror Attack on Charlie Hebdo Newspaper in Paris Kills 12 – 7 January 2015

Mediaite – Charlie Hebdo’s Last Tweet Spoofed ISIS Leader Al-Baghdadi – 7 January 2015

Swedish Mosques Burned in Multiple Targeted Attacks

January 3, 2015

By Kyle Herda

Impunity Watch Reporter, Europe

STOCKHOLM, Sweden – Over the past twelve months there have been 14 attacks on mosques in Sweden, with three arsons alone in the past week. With no suspects and praise online, it appears that these recent attacks fall in line with a rising “Islamophobia” sentiment in Sweden.

People add hearts to the front of a mosque that was firebombed, calling it a “love bombing.” (Photo courtesy of Vox)

In addition to the recent arsons, there have also been several accounts of vandalism with racist remarks and symbols attached to mosques and even cars of Muslims. Muslim women claim that they are harassed on the streets on The Swedish Democratic Party, a popular nationalist political party, has also increasingly been adding fuel to the anti-immigrant movement. Sweden Democrats have pushed for a 90% reduction in asylum seekers allowed into Sweden due to the fact that roughly 16% of Sweden’s population is foreign-born, many from Iraq, Afghanistan, and Syria. Sweden accepts more asylum seekers per capita than any other nation in Europe, and expects over 100,000 asylum applications this year; Sweden Democrats aim to change that.

While Sweden Democrats aim to make change through political means, others have taken matters into their own hands. On Thursday, a mosque in Uppsala was attacked with a petrol bomb, although the building did not catch fire. Not long before, however, arson at a mosque in Eskilstuna injured five people. Social media praise claims that these attacks intend to intimidate and scare away Muslims. Some of the anti-Muslim sentiment comes from the fact that Sweden has one of the highest rates of ISIS recruits in Europe and reports of sleeper cells within Sweden.

In response to the rising Islamophobia, Muslims have staged a rally in Stockholm to raise support for Muslims across the nation. Further, the rally aims to solidify the validity of a Muslim political acceptance in Sweden, essentially affirming the high asylum rate and combatting Sweden Democrats’ proposed changes.

For more information, please see:

NDTV – In Sweden, the Land of the Open Door, Anti-Muslim Fervor Finds a Foothold – 3 January 2015

The Sydney Morning Herald – Sweden hit by third mosque arson attack – 2 January 2015

Vox – Thousands of people in Sweden show the right way to respond to Islamophobia – 2 January 2015

BBC – Sweden protest after three mosque fires in one week – 2 January 2015

The Local – Sweden’s Islamophobia is getting stronger – 2 January 2015

Pope Frances Condemns Violence Carried Out ‘In The Name of God’

December 25, 2014

By Kathryn Maureen Ryan
Impunity Watch, Managing Editor

THE VATICAN, VATICAN CITY – Pope Francis, leader of the 1.2 billion members of the Catholic Church, condemned murder and violence carried out by religious extremists in the name of god. During his annual Christmas message the pope condemned the “brutal persecution” of minorities carried out by members of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS) and said the joy of Christmas was blemished by the suffering of children in the Middle East and around the world. “I ask him, the savior of the world, to look upon our brothers and sisters in Iraq and Syria, who for too long now have suffered the effects of ongoing conflict, and who, together with those belonging to other ethnic and religious groups, are suffering a brutal persecution,” Pope Francis said during his Christmas message on Thursday. The Pope spoke emotionally of “children displaced due to war and persecution, abused and taken advantage of before our very eyes and our complicit silence.”

In his Christmas message Pope Francis spoke emotionally of “children displaced due to war and persecution.” (Photo courtesy of Al Jazeera)

He alluded to the ongoing conflicts in Iraq and Syria as well as the recent war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza in the Palestinian Authority, he said “I think also of those infants massacred in bomb attacks, also those where the Son of God was born,” Christians believe Jesus Christ was born in a manger in the town of Bethlehem in modern day Palestine.

Not far from the small town where Christians believe Jesus was born, Christmas has been a difficult time for Gaza’s Christian community, like all Gazans. The community is struggling to provide for their families after the summer’s devastating war with Israel “This Christmas is not like last year,” said, 24-year-old Hussam Abu Shaban, “Most Christians just take a small tree for the kids. They’ve lost a lot of family members, some from the war, some not.” More than 2,100 Palestinians were killed during Israel’s ground offensive against Hamas this summer. Several months after the violence buildings remain demolished and rubble remains where homes once stood. “There were a lot of Christians killed in this war. Christian homes were destroyed,” Nabeel al-Salfiti, 62, said, “Every year it’s been tougher.”

“Christmas is inevitably coming with its decoration, its finery and its celebrations, but our inner souls are still affected, in all respects, by the devastating effects of war,” Nahed al-Dabbagh, 25 said after attending Christmas Eve ceremonies at the Latin Church in central Gaza City. “We hope that the next Christmas will be a feast of goodness and peace on the Palestinian people.”

The Pope condemned violence and murder, especially violence that targets children. Without elaborating, the Holy Pontiff Spoke of the horrific murders of children committed during biblical times, possibly referring to the recent brutal and horrific attack carried out by the Pakistani Taliban at a school in Peshawar which took the lives of more than 100 children. He spoke of “contemporary Herods,” with blood on their hands, referring to the Biblical king who ordered children to be murdered because he saw the birth of Jesus as a threat to his power.

Speaking of world’s refugees who have been displaced by conflict and tragedy he asked that “indifference be changed into closeness and rejection into hospitality, so that all who now are suffering may receive the necessary humanitarian help to overcome the rigorous of winter, return to their countries and live with dignity”.

The Holy Pontiff also appealed for an end to conflicts in African countries, called for dialogue between Israelis and Palestinians, condemned the attack by Taliban fighters that killed more than 130 students in Pakistan last week, and thanked those helping to fight the Ebola epidemic and help the victims of the historic outbreak.

For more information please see:

Al Jazeera – A Muted Christmas in Gaza – 25 December 2014

Al Jazeera – Pope Decries Violence in God’s Name – 25 December 2014

CNN – Pope’s Christmas Message: Iraq and Syria Have Suffered Too Long – 25 December 2014

The New York Times – Francis, In Christmas Day Message, Focuses On Children in Peril – 25 December 2014