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Dublin: 5 °C Thursday 23 May, 2013

Photos: Israel evicts Palestinians from West Bank protest site

Dozens of protesters were evicted from the first-of-its-kind protest camp in an area slated for Jewish settlement.

Israeli border police evict Palestinian activists this morning
Israeli border police evict Palestinian activists this morning
Image: AP Photo/Nasser Shiyoukhi)

ISRAELI POLICE EVICTED dozens of Palestinian activists early this morning from a first-of-its-kind protest camp they set up in a West Bank area slated for Jewish settlement.

Police and activists confirmed that hundreds of Israeli police entered the campsite in the controversial E1 area on the outskirts of Jerusalem at around 2:30 am (00.30 Irish time) on Sunday.

They quickly bundled around 200 Palestinian activists at the Bab al-Shams (Gate of the Sun in Arabic) camp into buses and drove them from the site.

The camp been set up on Friday in the E1 area between Israeli annexed east Jerusalem and the Maaleh Adumim settlement.

Israel recently moved forward with plans to build in the area, drawing international criticism for the move, which Palestinians say would effectively end the chances for the creation of a contiguous Palestinian state.

“Hundreds of Israeli police came from all directions, surrounding all those who were in the tents and arresting them one by one,” Palestinian legislator Mustafa Barghouti told AFP.

But police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld told AFP that no arrests had been made.

“They were told they were trespassing and carefully escorted from the site one by one,” he said. ”Nobody was hurt on either side,” he added, saying around 500 police took part in the operation.

Mideast Israel Palestinians

Protest organisers said that six people were injured during the operation, and that those detained were taken elsewhere in the West Bank by bus and released.

In a statement, the Popular Struggle Coordination Committee group that organised the camp vowed that the protest would not be the last of its kind.

“This is not the end of the popular struggle and it will continue in its full strength.”

Supreme court injunction

Speaking to Israeli army radio, Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erakat praised the protest, saying, “Palestinians are trying to protect the land of their state and they have done something peaceful.”

“It was shameful for the Israeli government to do what they did this morning,” he added.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said on Saturday night that he wanted the protesters removed at once and that state lawyers were asking the Israeli supreme court to overturn a Friday injunction postponing the eviction.

Mideast Israel Palestinians

In documents released to the media, the lawyers argued that the protest could attract rightwing Israeli settlers, “some of them extremists”, who would stage counter-demonstrations that could result in “breaches of the peace against Palestinians and security forces.”

The court did not overturn the injunction before the eviction, but activists said they were told that Israeli officials considered the injunction prevented only the removal of the tents, and not the eviction of activists.

New tactic

The camp is a new tactic in the Palestinian arsenal of non-violent protest action against Israel’s occupation of the West Bank.

“This is a new type of resistance, different to armed resistance or stone-throwing,” 27-year-old protester Omar Ghassan, told AFP.

Mideast Israel Palestinians

It is modelled on the wildcat outposts that Jewish activists have set up on Palestinian land to try to force the government’s hand into authorising settlements, though Palestinian protesters noted that Israel’s government moves slowly, if at all, to dismantle Jewish outposts in the West Bank.

The international community regards all Jewish settlements on occupied Palestinian land as illegal, but the Israeli government makes a distinction between those it has authorised and those it has not.

(All photos: AP Photo/Nasser Shiyoukhi)

– © AFP, 2013

PHOTOS: Hamas allows huge Fatah rally in Gaza – the first since 2007 >

Read: Financially-strapped Palestine asks Arab nations to stump up cash >

Read: Former Israeli foreign minister charged with breach of trust and fraud >

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Comments (66 Comments)

  • The powers that be in Israel have yet again given the middle finger to international law. Bullies plain and simple and they wonder why they are disliked almost globally.

    Reply
  • And the world will stand by and do nothing….

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    • The problem isn’t the world standing by and doing nothing, the problem is the 800 pound gorilla called America which vetos any UNSC move to curb Israels criminality.

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    • We CAN do something!
      We can refuse to participate in the development of the Israeli economy by refusing to purchase any commodities that are imported into this country. We can refuse to travel to Israel on business or for vacation reasons. We can use our Trade Union movement to strike against the Distribution or offering for sale of Israeli products anywhere in Ireland. It might be insignificant as an economic gesture but watch how quickly it catches on and influences the Israeli Government.

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    • Correct. Anybody interested in boycotting Israeli goods can do so by not buying produce whose barcode starts with the number ’729′

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    • I don’t know whether this is right or wrong, – but I’m pretty sure of what would happen if 200 Jews protested & were bundled into buses in Pakistan, Yemen, Iran, etc. – they would never be heard from again, & all the ‘ fools for Palestine’ on this page, would remain silent.
      The total destruction of Israel and the annhilation of the Jewish people is a sentiment which is close to the heart of every muslim, – going all the way back to Muhammad, who declared ” there will come a time when even the rocks and trees will cry out, – oh muslim, – there is a Jew hiding behind me, – come & kill him.”
      14m Jews have won 160+ Nobel prizes,
      & they have contributed hugely to the advancement of science.
      1,400m Muslems have won 9 Nobel prizes,
      – mostly by apostates whose freedom of thought was strangled by Islam.

      Reply
    • Aldi and Tesco stock the most, particularly limes, clementines and herbs such as tarragon and rosemary, also be aware that if it says Origin: Palestinian Territories, it may still be Israeli produced, they are trying to rebrand for a quick buck

      Reply
    • Time after Time only the pro Israeli commenters use the word JEW! We are against Zionism not Jews. Judaism is a religion not a country and should not be confused.

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    • Harvey, I am a Muslim and I am from Pakistan. I don’t hate Jews but I don’t support what Israeli government is doing. Israel has violated countless UN resolutions, killed activists, assasinted foreign scientists, beaten war drums in UN general assembly against Iran. If any of that had been done against Israel, US would have bombed them by now under the disguise of liberty, freedom and democracy.

      By the way congratulations on all the nobel prizes. If only we had some of those stolen US secrets maybe we would have had few more too. Anyway we’d rather not have a showcase full of tropies piled up on human skulls and blood on our hands.

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    • Murtaza Ali, – Pakistani trained terrorists have committed 20,000+ obscene acts of murder, bombings, torture, etc. in the last 20 years alone.
      - Where were your comments all along…??
      - Do you think the terrorists were justified…??

      Reply
    • I was fully behind you until you mentioned the trade union movement. Fat cats with no interested in anything except themselves.

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    • Very knowledgeable post. How much do you know about Israel and UN resolutions?

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    • Harvey, I don’t support terrorism by any country or religion period! I hope that makes my stand bit more clear.

      As far as all the Pakistani trained terrorists are concerned, what would you say about CIA? They trainned Osama Bin Ladin and he ended up killing 5000+ Americans in just one incident and thats just one guy.

      CIA and Mossad train assasins by the dozens, Israeli soldiers openly kill aid workers, unarmed foreign activists, teenage boys for crying out loud.

      I can tell you more with facts but there is no use because in the end you will neither agree nor deny :-)

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    • Pakistan is the worst country on the planet and it’s a completely artificial state.

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    • So, Murtaza Ali, – Are you saying that the CIA trained every muslim terrorist…??
      - Everywhere on the planet, where muslims make up more than 10% of population, there is bloodshed.
      - It is in your koran; – ” terrorise them(the non-muslim) ”
      it is easy for journalists to criticise Israel, because there is no fear of retribution, – but criticise islam, or muslims, & all of a sudden there are 2 foaming-at-the-mouth muslims with machetes at your doorstep, – ready to hack you to pieces.
      - Hence, all the ‘yellow journalism’, ie. – be economical with the truth, in case ‘you know who’ is offended

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    • Lovely to see that you are nice and racist. Also you really don’t know your history. Much of modern science stems from Middle Eastern (Muslim, mainly Persian but also some Arabs) scientists in the early part of the last Millenium when much of Europe was incidentally under the thumb of the church.

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    • Nice and racist. All Muslims are apparently inherently bad according to you. Also you show a distinct lack of historical knowledge. Much of modern science stems from Middle Eastern scientists (Muslim Persians and Arabs) in the early part of the last Millenium.

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    • More racism

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    • Harvey, there is no bloodshed in Malaysia, Indonesia in-fact they are prospering even when the west is under resession.

      The bloodshed is mainly on those Muslim lands where there is oil, and for those countries they either have to bow down to their western masters or else they openly support and arm bunch or rebels to create chaos in the country or impose senctions. (go case study Libya, Syria, Iran, Iraq)

      With respect to Quran maybe your goggle skills are better than my reading skills because I have never found the verse which says ‘… go terrorise them’. Unless you yourself have translated it yourself.

      And finally with regards to insulting Prophet (PBUH), it hurts Muslims same as talking about Holocaust hurts Jews. If journalist can stay away from topics that hurt Jewish sentiments they can certainly stay away from the ones which hurt Muslim sentiments.

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    • Ok now Kevin you are racist bigot. Who are you to say that about someone’s beliefs?

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    • Racist? Being Muslim and extreme (comparing the Holocaust to insulting Islam) isn’t GENETIC. How on earth is that racist? I can’t stand Khalid Kelly the Irish Muslim. Am I racist against whites as well? Being Jewish BTW is an ethnic/religious identity. Never heard someone being of Muslim ancestry but I have heard of people of Jewish ancestry.

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    • to Mutaza Ali, – You lied when you said there was no bloodshed in Malaysia or Indonesia ;-
      1 August 2000: A bomb detonated outside the official residence of the Philippines Ambassador to Indonesia, Leonides Caday, in Menteng, Jakarta. The bomb killing two and injuring 21 others.[16]
      14 September 2000: A car bomb exploded in the basement of the Jakarta Stock Exchange, triggering a chain of explosions in which a number of cars caught fire. Most of the dead were drivers waiting by their employer’s cars.[17][18]
      24 December 2000: on Christmas Eve 2000, a series of explosions took place in Indonesia, which were part of a high-scale terrorist attack by Al Qaeda and Jemaah Islamiyah.[19] The attack involved a series of coordinated bombings of churches in Jakarta, Pekanbaru, Medan, Bandung, Batam Island, Mojokerto, Mataram, and Sukabumi which killed 18 people and injured many others.
      12 October 2002: The coordinated bomb attacks occurred on in the tourist district of Kuta, Bali. The attack was claimed as the deadliest act of terrorism in the history of Indonesia according to the current police general, killing 202 people, (including 88 Australians, and 38 Indonesian citizens).[20] A further 240 people were injured. Various members of Jemaah Islamiyah, a violent Islamist group, were convicted in relation to the bombings, including three individuals who were sentenced to death.
      5 August 2003: a suicide bomber detonated a car bomb outside the lobby of the JW Marriott Hotel, killing twelve people and injuring 150. The hotel located on Mega Kuningan, South Jakarta, Indonesia. All those killed were Indonesian with the exception of one Dutch businessman, one Danish, and two Chinese tourists.[21]
      31 December 2003: The bombing occurred during a concert at a night market in Peureulak, Aceh, Indonesia,[22][23] killed at least 10 people, including three children, and wounded 45 others.[24] The Indonesian military blamed Free Aceh Movement (GAM) for the attack.
      - just a few examples of muslim terror attacks in those regions.
      The koran clearly states;- ” kill the non-muslim where you find him. ”
      muhammad himself was a terrorist, robbing looting murdering, raping his way across the middle-east.
      muhammad murdered 900 unarmed boys and men,(battle of the trench) for simply not fighting with him,
      - that night, muhammad & his men raped all their wives & daughters.
      if you deny this, you are a liar.
      With such a ‘prophet’ – it’s no wonder that islam’s borders are bloody.

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    • Harvey, i was talking about the present day Indonesia and Malyasia and that does not make me a liar. Beside you would know better what CIA and Mossad did worldwide better than me.

      With regards to stories about Prophet you heard from your mammy and daddy, can you please state facts not fiction? Or did you hear them in your ‘i hate muslims’ club?

      Reply
    • - to murtaza Ali, – Trenches were dug in the bazaar of Madinah and a number of Jews between six and nine hundred were beheaded therein.

      Huyai, Ibn Akhtab, the chief of the Bani Nadeer and Safiyah’s father was captured in this siege and brought to the Prophet with his hands tied to his neck with a rope. In an audacious defiance he rejected Muhammad and preferred to be beheaded than submitting to his Religion by force. He was ordered to sit down and was beheaded on the spot.

      To separate men from the boys, the youngsters were examined and if they had grown any pubic hair, it was enough to behead them.

      Sunan Abu-Dawud Book 38, Number 4390

      Narrated Atiyyah al-Qurazi:
      I was among the captives of Banu Qurayzah. They (the Companions) examined us, and those who had begun to grow hair (pubes) were killed, and those who had not were not killed. I was among those who had not grown hair.

      If anyone cannot see that this is NOT how a messenger of God should behave cannot claim to have grasped the meaning of humanness. I believe the cruelty of what the Prophet did to the Jews of Arabia are self-explanatory and any fair-minded person would acknowledge that. It is inconceivable that a messenger of God could kill between 600 to 900 people and banish thousands more with no feelings or compassion.

      The man we call the Prophet, was full of hate. He thought of nothing but killing, brought nothing but death, taught nothing but vengeance. Muhammad was not a “mercy of God to mankind” but the curse of devil to humanity. Not only in his life he killed and banished all the Jews he could lay hand on, in his dead bed he instructed his followers to continue with the ethnic cleansing that he had initiated.

      Reply
  • Israel and it’s people should be ashamed. They do to others what they call crimes against themselves

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  • Other nations wonder why so many Irish people empathise with the plight of the Palestinian people. The photos say it all. Far too reminiscent of catholics being dragged off roads to let orange jackboots march through.

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    • I definitely sympathize with the Arabs who have over over 22 Arab/Islamic states and will never stand for a non-Arab/Islamic state in that region. Especially a Jewish one. Why does the world stand by for Saudi and other Arab Apartheid? Because they are not Jews.

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    • @kevin why do you limit your comments only to Islamic countries? There are plenty other nations around the world with poor regimes that have any number of religions. Poor governance has nothing to do with religious beliefs. Also to be clear intolerance of another’s beliefs is one of the main causes of conflict. This goes both ways. Muslims and Jews must respect each others views and this goes for all religions and secular society also.

      Reply
  • While the IDF was quick to expel Palestinians from BabAlShams, every single Israeli settlement in the West Bank is illegal under international law.

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  • I’m glad to see the media covering this non-violent protest & the disproportionate state response… civil disobedience is a powerful tool, although it requires great discipline & fortitude. It calls attention to injustice in a way that violent action never can.

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  • Well said Gary.

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  • The last time I compared these type of actions by the Israelis to those frequently undertaken by a certain right-wing fascist German movement in the 1930s and 1940s, my comment was promptly removed, so I shall not do so this time…

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  • Mac – This has nothing to do with Israel standing up for its self. They are breaking international law by these kinds if acts.

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  • Israel would probably have been better off to have left them there and made it look like a peaceful demonstration worked. Giving incentive for more peaceful demonstrations instead of rockets. Seeing as this has failed I imagine Palestinian people might see violence as the only way having tried peaceful methods but failing.

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  • Michael – Even if all nations boycotted trade with them , it really doesn’t matter because all the americans will do is bail them out.

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  • Have to say, it’s easy for us to pontificate here but as I have lived and travelled in Israel to be far one is ale to express political views without being thrown in jail. It is the only democratic country in the region

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    • Israel is holding thousands of political prisoners many of them children, just because the country happens to be a democracy does not excuse the occupation.

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    • At the moment, You have 16 thumbs down, & only 10 thumbs up, – for stating a simple truth,
      - That says enough about the bias of the ‘fools for palestine’ on this page.
      ” There are none so blind, as those who do not wish to see ”
      Poor poor stupid fools for palestine, – when will you ever learn……???

      Reply
    • So being a democracy automatically allows you to ignore international law? It allows you to forcibly occupy a territory (banned by the UN), evict citizens in an occupied zone (banned by Geneva) and construct illegal plantations in occupied zones?

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    • Racist

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    • Lol “plantations”. Jews really are made the scapegoats of people in every society; when they have nothing to do with them.

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    • Just because it is the only democratic country does not give them a right to persecute others. Why don’t they try assisting the nations to democracy, maybe they’d actually be thankful for it as opposed to teed off because of an aggressive stance taken. The reality is they are the only nuclear armed nation in the region.

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    • Ye you’re right we should just get rid of the Palestinians. . Oh wait.

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    • KEVIN.N 14/01/13 #

      Who on earth is proposing getting “rid” of the Palestinians? I think you have it the other way around.

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    • My point was in relation to Harvey’s comment. The problem is not just going to go away because you don’t like it. What is your solution to the situation then? Kicking the Palestinians out of the West Bank and gaza or letting them stay in Israel as second class citizens? What is your solution?

      In fact Mahmoud Abbas has come out in favour of a 2 state solution.

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    • KEVIN.N 14/01/13 #

      While being shown on Palestinian TV explaining he has to say this kind of stuff so they don’t risk loosing support for Palestine. But he didn’t mean it what-so-ever in the long-term he reassured furious Palestinians.

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  • MrKnow 13/01/13 #

    5 years ago everyone reading this headline would have side automatically with Israel, but like all crooks they are eventually exposed!

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  • Sorry why is Kevin Nazi allowed back on the journal? He was banned for disgusting comments aimed toward a journal reporter that later were proven untrue. Theres plenty of forums on fox or CNN for him to spout garbage. Please remove this disgusting man from the forums as he has obviously set up a new account.

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  • Ironic that they are now treating Palestinians as the Nazis treated the Jews during the 1930s

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    • You make very absurd allegations/points for someone with a “practical” mind.

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    • @kevin you say that Pakistan is the worst country in the world and then talk about me being absurd. Granted i will admit I was childish on this forum earlier but I simply do not like the idea that people think they can be racist simply because its on an online forum or because everyone else seems to be doing it. As far as the Israel Palestine issue goes. A 2 state solution is the only true solution unless the Israeli administration agree to some sort of powersharing like in NI which I can’t see happening in the near future. Can you not understand why the Palestinian people feel hard done by? the state of Israel was created out of their country without any consultation on their part and now Arabs in Israel are treated as second class citizens. Can you understand why they might be a little upset?

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    • Half of my heritage comes from the state of Pakistan. It is one of the worst countries on the planet, has nothing to do with race. Unless I’m racist against myself. I have experienced racism for being Pakistani myself that has not prompted me to become a defender of Pakistan or Muslims because of a few bigots. I support the Jews right to their ancestral lands from Islamic tyranny. Over half of Israelis descend from Jews from Arab states. Can we talk about how Jews are/were treated in Arab states and why they fled to Israel? The idea that Israel “occupies” the Palestinian Territories/Gaza is absurd. They have no control over those territories at all. Why are there no Jews in Palestine? But yet 20% of Israel is Arab/Muslim with them even taking seats in the Knesset? Power sharing? This isn’t NI, totally different conflict. You can’t reason with Hamas/Fatah. “their country”? Jews have been there for over 3,000 years and the claims that Jews were living fine before Israel was created is false. They were always treated as second class citizens. The Palestinian Leadership/Arab nations will never accept a two-state solution. The problem with many Muslims is they suffer from this extremely delusional victim mentality. You’d think it would occur to them maybe its not the Hindus, Jews, Christians, Buddhists, Atheists, etc. fault. Maybe we need to calm down and become a little more tolerant? Of course not!! Anyone who questions/insults Islam deserves to be punished, killed, tortured.

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    • You can say the same about almost all religions. Granted not so many in recent past but it was in fact the Christians that drove the conflict between themselves and Muslims in the beginning. Albeit Jews have been persecuted throughout history. However coming back to today, we should not blame all Muslims for the actions of the few. Most are actually quite tolerant of others views. It is extremism on all sides that we should be struggling against. I spent some time in the southern United States and their views are not exactly tolerant either, not to the same scale admittedly. As regards your comment re: Pakistan. I believe there are many African and South East Asian countries that could easily compete for that title with a strong history of genocide. As regards the artificial state statement, what do you mean by this? Also by our logic of ancestral home, the Australians can take over Britain if they wish, likewise the Germans large swathes of Poland and then in fact the colonisation of Africa was just homecoming.

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    • KEVIN.N 14/01/13 #

      Yes we can say this about all religions. I do not support/believe in any of the monotheistic religions. But we are living in 2013 not the Crusades period. There is a core difference between Jesus and Mohammed. Jesus never murdered anyone, beheaded/slaughtered Jewish tribes, advocated murder/pedophille, have slaves, or launch invasions/forced conversions. I would never blame an entire group of people for the actions of a few but the majority of Muslims are radical by Western standards. As for Muslims living in the West they are the most secular/liberal/tolerant/moderate Muslims in the world but a large minority of radicals still exist and this needs to be dealt with before it gets out of control. I live in the Southern US and am very aware of how the people are but they don’t threaten our democracy. Pakistan was formed because Indian Muslims couldn’t/wouldn’t live in peace with non-Muslim Indians. The largest ethnic group in Pakistan are Punjabis (Indians) they use to be Hindus until Arabs/Muslims conquered Western India and converted them. It seems everywhere this religion takes hold it causes destruction including present-day. Pakistani Muslims continue to “cleanse” Pakistan of non-Muslims and launch terrorist attacks on India just because they aren’t an Islamic state like Pakistan. My comments on Islam should not motivate people to kill/silence me but unfortunately there are those that wouldn’t pass the opportunity to do so.

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  • Well done Israel! Glad you are standing up for yourselves! Btw if all the friends of Palestine on here want to boycott Israeli products u better start with your keyboard warrior laptops with intel chips as a lot of these are developed and produced on Israel!

    Reply
  • It saddens me to see the amount of anti-Islamic sentiment being tolerated here when any antisemitism would be stopped (and rightly so) straight away. I’m not religious but I won’t ridicule people for their views despite disagreeing with them. That means not resorting to racism.

    Reply

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