Explosions and gunfire in Paris

[Cobblepot]

Hannover Germany is being targeted. Germany - Netherlands Soccer game is cancelled, the stadium is evacuated. There is an ambulance filled with explosives found.

 

[Unbreakable Lex]

Well obviously. You do realize that forcible is more acceptable and godlike than consensual.

There was a great NY Times article about this. The article detailed a young Iraqi's ordeals when her town was conquered by ISIL. The rapers would basically try to convince themselves that it was okay because God allowed this. It was God's will to rape these young girls.

That's how they recurit. The use these dark age methods to convince illiterate sheep herders that if they join ISIL, they can live in a world where they can have women to sleep with, they have some sense of purpose and power, they are part of a greater cause. A bunch of Luke's getting pulled into the fight against the evil Empire.

 

[chamber-music]

The Escape from Isis Documentary was one of the depressing thing I've ever watched.

Secretly filmed footage from inside ISIS capital Raqqa
[YT]/cefc2czF844[/YT]

 

[jmc]

Hannover Germany is being targeted. Germany - Netherlands Soccer game is cancelled, the stadium is evacuated. There is an ambulance filled with explosives found.

New report saying no explosives found.

 

[Teelie]

In America some 'might' be okay with Christian refugees but only them and that's a big maybe.

According to Ted Cruz and Jeb Bush, it is okay if we only let in the Christians.

Ted Cruz said the United States should deny entry to Muslim refugees from Syria, but leave the door open to fleeing Christians. Allowing tens of thousands of "Syrian Muslims" into the country was "nothing short of lunacy," the Texas senator said, because there is no way to know who among them may be terrorists. "It is a different situation with the Middle Eastern Christians," Cruz said in South Carolina.

Jeb Bush echoed that view, saying U.S. efforts to assist refugees should focus on Christians.

"I do think there is a special important need to make sure that Christians from Syria are being protected because they are being slaughtered in the country," Bush said on CBS on Sunday. "And but for us, who?"

CNN

I wish they could comprehend the level of anti-Christian rhetoric coming out of their mouths but they are oblivious to it, as are all the other Christians who blithely ignore the tenants of Christ.

 

[terry78]

"Are the WW2 allies coming together again to face a common threat? - Wolf Blitzer



Oh lord.

 

[Rocketman]

"Are the WW2 allies coming together again to face a common threat? - Wolf Blitzer



Oh lord.

Ohhhhh, so World War 3 is upon us? Better make a flea from the draft.

 

[terry78]

It's sad to say, but the media would love another war. It would be a bonanza for years.

 

[jmc]

In this age of instant gratification the media is going hype the crap out of events like these. What a sad world we live in. We can't just get news, we've got to get sensationalised news that is created to look dramatic and more terrifying than what it actually is, bringing in so called 'experts' to give their opinion, fill the screen with more graphics than a Pixar film and talk ad nauseum trying to fill airtime until a piece of actual news comes through.

 

[Victarion]

"Are the WW2 allies coming together again to face a common threat? - Wolf Blitzer



Oh lord.

You lads know what's funny? Before this happened I was watching a doc on how Roosevelt, Stalin and some other guy were working together in WWII to take down Hitler. Not going to lie, I thought about Obama, Putin, and the others uniting to take down ISIS.

 

[Teelie]

And a refreshing change for once coming from religious leaders.

Two of the country's largest and most influential religious groups, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and the National Association of Evangelicals, are urging the United States not to halt the resettlement of Syrian refugees after the deadly terrorist attack in Paris last Friday.

"Of course we want to keep terrorists out of our country, but let's not punish the victims of ISIS for the sins of ISIS," Leith Anderson, NAE president, said on Tuesday.

CNN

 

[terry78]

Well, ISIS feels France just threw a punch, so who knows. We may very well get sucked into it.

 

[Legendver2]

You lads know what's funny? Before this happened I was watching a doc on how Roosevelt, Stalin and some other guy were working together in WWII to take down Hitler. Not going to lie, I thought about Obama, Putin, and the others uniting to take down ISIS.

It would be like some twisted form of IRL Avengers.

 

[Victarion]

It would be like some twisted form of IRL Avengers.

Twisted either way you want to look at it. The old guard did good work against Hitler, but the ripple effects of their victories were in the form of Germans that flew the white flag being executed and hung as warnings while others committed suicide either alone or with their families.

 

[InCali]

Twisted either way you want to look at it. The old guard did good work against Hitler, but the ripple effects of their victories were in the form of Germans that flew the white flag being executed and hung as warnings while others committed suicide either alone or with their families.

Crazy stuff. The losses suffered by the people of the Soviet Union in WWII (not to mention the losses suffered by the Soviet people at the hands of Stalin) were STAGGERING.

While I have my opinions, really wrapping my head around all of what happened back then is a real challenge.

I hope that, going forward, we think twice about the cost of these "conflicts". It's heartbreaking to see the suffering in other parts of the world. It's equally heartbreaking to see the damage done to those veterans of war returning "home" without the support they deserve. It's easy to have a bumper sticker saying "Support our Troops"; it's harder to truly support them upon their return.

If war isn't a last resort, we are all in for tougher times than necessary.

 

[Dr. Evil]

You lads know what's funny? Before this happened I was watching a doc on how Roosevelt, Stalin and some other guy were working together in WWII to take down Hitler. Not going to lie, I thought about Obama, Putin, and the others uniting to take down ISIS.

Obama, Putin, Hollande, Cameron and Merkel vs. ISIS.

Question I have: Does ISIS dare attack China? China has had their issues in the past with their Muslim community. The fact that they took down a Russian plane means that they are not afraid of anybody.

 

[hafizbat]

Horrible times...we all need to unite against this pure evil. Doubly depressing from a moderate American Muslim standpoint...we're just normal people, but the actions of a few unfortunately cast a bad light on nearly a billion innocents. I can't say enough how much it means to me when reasonable, compassionate people understand that Muslims have nothing to do with ISIS. It seriously means a lot to us. As for the people who unfortunately associate us with those scum, I can't blame them. It's not their fault, but our responsibility to show everyone the true side of Islam. It really hurts, reading such hateful comments on websites (always a bad idea to read those, lol) or getting dirty looks in public. From personal experience though, all it takes is a genuine smile and a kind word to change someone's perspective of you. I'm hopeful that the Muslim community can accomplish this on a worldwide scale..

I consider you all my friends here, so I just wanted to contribute a bit and share this video by Hamza Yusuf, one of the most prominent, influential, and intelligent Muslim leaders we have. He's also an American convert and president of the only Islamic college in the U.S. There's probably no better video that explains the moderate Islamic view on ISIS. Being educated is essential in this polarizing climate, so it would be awesome if y'all can take a listen if you're interested in exactly how Muslims feel.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hJo4B-yaxfk

The need for open communication and transparency is absolutely vital for us...sadly there have already been many threats to mosques in America and a Muslim family was attacked near where I live. We're all on the same side here!

This isn't a battle of religion or faith or anything of the sort. It's a battle between good and evil, and it transcends all races and religions. It's come down to basic human decency.

Here's another short article that expresses the average Muslim sentiment.

http://theamericanmuslim.org/tam.php/features/articles/we-must-unite-to-defeat-isis/0020432

 

[the gael]

The french police just launched an assault in Saint Denis (suburb north of Paris)
3 suspects are dead (apparently, one woman blew herself) and many cops are injured. Apparently, the target is / was the "brain" behind what happened friday....

http://www.lemonde.fr/societe/live/2015/11/18/attentats-du-13-novembre-les-dernieres-informations-en-direct_4812231_3224.html

 

[BatLobster]

Hafiz....my heart goes out to you and anyone else struggling in your situation. It is so important to understand that tearing us apart and creating social unrest is precisely what ISIS wants, which is why it is more important now than ever to unite and not play into their hands.

ISIS flat out wants to dive Muslims and non-Muslims and usher in an age of darkness and war...the notion of this is both laughable in its sheer stupidity yet something we must take seriously. We must remain vigilant and not be manipulated into playing into their nihilistic world view.

This is not to say I think we should open our shores to 10,000 refugees. Security has to come first, IMO, and if we can't properly vet the refugees then it's too great a risk to potentially allow this seed of evil to spread into our country. There is too much at stake right now.

But as for assimilated, moderate American Muslims like yourself? Just try not to pay the idiots too much attention, and be strong. We all have to be right now. Transparency, like you've stated, certainly can't hurt. The more trust we can build will only strengthen our society. And just know that there are millions of non-Muslim Americans that are standing with you in this fight against ISIS.

 

[PacificBoy]

Question I have: Does ISIS dare attack China? China has had their issues in the past with their Muslim community. The fact that they took down a Russian plane means that they are not afraid of anybody.

Al-Baghdadi has already rattled his saber at China. I don't know whether Daesh actually dares, but it certainly fits their rhetoric to co-opt what is essentially a foreign separatist fight into their own.

 

[the gael]

Hafiz, I'm a white non muslim french guy, but I understand what you suffer. Stats never lies. In France, 5000 people are probably salafist / have a link to either Al Qaida or ISIS, and 5 millions muslim live in France (on 67 millions people living in the country). 0,1 % of french muslims are pro ISIS... So 99,9% of them have nothing to do with these criminals, and are the victims the actions of this ridiculously small and non representative minority.

 

[InCali]

Horrible times...we all need to unite against this pure evil. Doubly depressing from a moderate American Muslim standpoint...we're just normal people, but the actions of a few unfortunately cast a bad light on nearly a billion innocents. I can't say enough how much it means to me when reasonable, compassionate people understand that Muslims have nothing to do with ISIS. It seriously means a lot to us. As for the people who unfortunately associate us with those scum, I can't blame them. It's not their fault, but our responsibility to show everyone the true side of Islam. It really hurts, reading such hateful comments on websites (always a bad idea to read those, lol) or getting dirty looks in public. From personal experience though, all it takes is a genuine smile and a kind word to change someone's perspective of you. I'm hopeful that the Muslim community can accomplish this on a worldwide scale..

I consider you all my friends here, so I just wanted to contribute a bit and share this video by Hamza Yusuf, one of the most prominent, influential, and intelligent Muslim leaders we have. He's also an American convert and president of the only Islamic college in the U.S. There's probably no better video that explains the moderate Islamic view on ISIS. Being educated is essential in this polarizing climate, so it would be awesome if y'all can take a listen if you're interested in exactly how Muslims feel.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hJo4B-yaxfk

The need for open communication and transparency is absolutely vital for us...sadly there have already been many threats to mosques in America and a Muslim family was attacked near where I live. We're all on the same side here!

This isn't a battle of religion or faith or anything of the sort. It's a battle between good and evil, and it transcends all races and religions. It's come down to basic human decency.

Here's another short article that expresses the average Muslim sentiment.

http://theamericanmuslim.org/tam.php/features/articles/we-must-unite-to-defeat-isis/0020432

Thank you for the link. As others have said, don't listen to the idiots and bigots. Any time you have a large enough group, you are going to find some crazy people. Most of us believe that everyone has the right to worship (or not) as they wish without repercussions.

 

[TheDreamMaster]

Apparently the headquarters of the attackers in Paris was raided.

http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world...aid-north-of-paris/ar-BBn9MAB?ocid=spartandhp

PARIS — A woman triggered a suicide blast Wednesday as more than 100 police and soldiers stormed an apartment in northern Paris, acting on tips that the suspected ringleader of last week’s bloodshed could be hiding in the tense French capital.

It was not immediately clear whether the massive raid snared any of the most-wanted figures linked to the Paris bloodshed — including a Belgian militant who had boasted he could slip easily between Europe and the Islamic State strongholds in Syria.

But the seven-hour siege left no doubt that other potential threats remained.

As security forces closed in, the woman set off the blast — possibly an explosive-rigged vest or belt — after opening fire. Soon after, a police helicopter spotted a man trying to escape as he fired at police. Sharpshooters killed him, authorities said.

In addition to the two dead, police arrested at least seven people before the showdown was over in the historic heart of Paris’ Saint-Denis neighborhood, a teeming quarter with a large immigrant population.

Paris prosecutor François Molins told reporters that the operation was launched after authorities had received information that the suspected overseer of the Paris carnage, Abdelhamid Abaaoud, was perhaps in the area.

Abaaoud, raised in a hardscrabble district of Brussels, was believed to be in Syria earlier this year. But some officials speculate he could have returned Europe, perhaps lost among the flood of asylum seekers pouring into Greek islands from Turkey.

Abaaoud is seen as the “guru” of Friday’s deadly attacks at a stadium, concert hall and bars and restaurants in Paris, which killed at least 129 people and wounded more than 350 others.

Molins did not confirm that Abaaoud was present at the raid site, and French officials gave no immediate details on the dead or captured. Two of the suspects arrested were found “hiding in rubble” from explosions, authorities said.

The siege unfolded as police scored another potential breakthrough in the probe: the discovery of cell phone in a garbage can near the Bataclan Concert Hall, the site of one of Friday’s assaults.

The phone’s data contained a map of the music venue, French media reported, along with a chilling text message sent shortly after the first gunmen entered the venue: “let’s go, we’re starting.”

The information on the mobile phone opened fresh leads, including to an apartment southeast of Paris in Alfortville, according to Mediapart, a French news outlet.

In his latest address to the country, French President François Hollande again cast the fight against Islamist militants in terms of a new kind of warfare that requires the West and others to unite. Hours earlier, France wages another round of airstrikes against Islamic State targets in Syria.

“We are at war against terrorism, terrorism which declared war on us,” Holland said. “It is the [Islamic State] jihadist organization. It has an army. It has financial resources. It has oil. It has a territory.

“It has allies in Europe, including in our country,” he continued, “with young, radicalized Islamist people. It committes atrocities there and wants to kill here. It has killed here.”

In Saint-Denis, Uthayaseelan Sanmugan, a 38-year-old cook who lives near the targeted apartment, said he woke up at 4:30 a.m. to the sound of gunfire, and went to his window and saw the lights of weapon lasers outside.

“When I got to the street, I saw a lot of blood on the sidewalk. The blood of the terrorists.” Later, he said he heard the sounds of explosions so loud that the buildings trembled.
(more in the article...)

 

[Whiskey Tango]

I wish they could comprehend the level of anti-Christian rhetoric coming out of their mouths but they are oblivious to it, as are all the other Christians who blithely ignore the tenants of Christ.

My facebook feed is infested with this garbage. Nothing but raw hatred from people who profess to be good and upstanding folk. One of my own close friends is spreading this anti-refugee stance everywhere he goes, despite his own father's family having bailed out of Europe when the Nazis started invading. His utter lack of self-awareness is baffling.

And it seems like these people are everywhere. Has it always been this bad and I just didn't notice? It's really grossing me out.

 

[Teelie]

It has always been a hum in the background but with certain politicians (and there are many) banging the drums to gain votes and using immigration and refugees to finger for virtually anything bad (crime, the economy, lost jobs, identity theft, etc) it has only grown louder.

Now when people truly need help and the opportunity for these conservative religious folks to show their true colors they come out as staunchly opposed to helping anyone and citing lies or at best inflated figures to back their hatred and fear of anyone not like them.

We're still coming out of that economic recession and some people are still coping with a black (and falsely in their minds, Muslim) President. Having more "other people" coming into the country scares them.