EU: Going Full Orwell

by Judith Bergman • February 5, 2019 at 5:00 am

The problem is that this professedly noble initiative comes from an organization that has already for several years been censoring free speech in Europe.
The handbook guidelines state that journalists should "Take care not to further stigmatize terms such as 'Muslim' or 'Islam' by associating them with particular acts... Don't allow extremists' claims about acting 'in the name of Islam' to stand unchallenged. Highlight... the diversity of Muslim communities... where it is necessary and newsworthy to report hateful comments against Muslims, mediate the information." In other words, the guidelines ask journalists to disinform the public.
This is the same European Commission that most recently expressed its disapproval of the withdrawal of Austria from the UN's "Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration." The Compact stipulates that media outlets that do not support the UN's migration agenda will not be eligible for public funding. How is that for "fully respecting Europe's fundamental principles of freedom of expression, a free press and pluralism"?

The EU has launched a comprehensive Action Plan against Disinformation. Its purpose, according to a recent press release from the European Commission, is apparently to "protect its democratic systems and public debates and in view of the 2019 European elections as well as a number of national and local elections that will be held in Member States by 2020".

In June 2018, leaders of EU member states had met in the European Council and invited the European Commission "to present... an action plan by December 2018 with specific proposals for a coordinated EU response to the challenge of disinformation..." It is this action plan that the Commission presented to the public on December 5.

The Action Plan focuses on four areas:

Improved detection of disinformation (the European Commission dedicated 5 million euros toward this project and seemingly expects Member states to contribute on a national level, as well).

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Philippines: Christians Slaughtered, Churches Bombed

by Raymond Ibrahim • February 5, 2019 at 4:00 am

The new terrorism in the Philippines is not merely inspired by political or territorial grievances, real or imagined, but rather is imbued with intrinsic hate for the "other" — for the "infidel."
In May 2017, in the city of Marawi, a civilian bus was stopped by jihadis; when 9 passengers were discovered to be Christian — apparently because they were not able to quote the Koran — they were tied together and shot dead, execution style. The jihadis who took over Marawi during the uprising forced women into sex-slavery and ordered Christian men embrace Islam or be used as human shields against the Philippine Army.
January's deadly church-bombing, which claimed 20 lives and wounded more than 100, is the latest reminder that, as with other nations that have a sizeable Muslim minority, the Philippines is embroiled in the jihad. While the ostensible reason behind it may be political or territorial, the sadistic hate that accompanies attacks on Christians and their churches suggests that ideology is the ultimate cause.

In May 2017, an extremist uprising erupted in the majority-Muslim city of Marawi, Philippines. The jihadis who took over Marawi during the uprising forced women into sex-slavery and ordered Christian men embrace Islam or be used as human shields against the Philippine Army. Pictured: Smoke rises from the scene of fighting in Marawi on May 30, 2017. The Philippine Army was battling the Islamic Abu Sayyaf terrorist group for control of the city. (Image source: Jes Aznar/Getty Images)

On Sunday, January 27, extremist Muslims bombed a Catholic cathedral during Mass in the Philippines. At least 20 people were killed and 111 wounded.

At 8:45 am, two explosives were detonated about a minute apart in or near the Cathedral of Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Jolo. According to the Associated Press:

"The initial explosion scattered the wooden pews inside the main hall and blasted window glass panels, and the second bomb hurled human remains and debris across a town square fronting the Cathedral of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, witnesses said."

Photographs on social media showed human bodies and remains strewn on the street just outside the cathedral. Last heard, the officiating priest, Fr. Ricky Bacolcol, "was still in shock and could not speak about what happened," said a colleague.

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