Brutal stabbing of bishop deemed a 'terrorist incident' — prompting Australian officials to consider tougher knife laws
Australian officials have determined that the savage stabbing that left Assyrian Orthodox Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel, a priest, and at least two others wounded during church services in Sydney Monday was an act of terrorism.
While authorities have indicated there is a religious motive for the attack and indicated the attacker was speaking Arabic at the time, they appear unwilling to name the 16-year-old bearded attacker's obvious religious affiliation.
Extra to remaining mum about critical details pertaining to the terrorist attack, New South Wales officials are apparently considering tightening knife laws as if that might amount to a deterrent for future attacks.
The attack
Blaze News previously reported that police officers were dispatched around 7:10 p.m. to the Christ the Good Shepherd Church in Wakeley, a suburb of Sydney, in response to reports that "a number of people were stabbed."
As the church was livestreaming the bishop's sermon, the horrific incident was caught on video. The footage shows the 16-year-old attacker, dressed in a black hooded sweatshirt, march up to the altar with a knife concealed in his hand.
The Guardian reported that Mike Burgess, the director-general of security in charge of the Australian Security Intelligence Organization, indicated the attacker appears to have been speaking in Arabic at the time of the attack.
In the video, the attacker can reportedly be heard saying, "If he [the bishop] didn't get himself involved in my religion, if he hadn't spoken about my prophet, I wouldn't have come here. … If he just spoke about his own religion, I wouldn’t have come."
The attacker lunges at Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel, a past critic of radical Islam, and stabs him repeatedly while parishioners scream out in terror and a group of worshippers rush the sanctuary to intervene.
The attacker brings the 53-year-old bishop to the ground and continues stabbing but is quickly pulled off by the incensed Christians.
According to Fairfield City Deputy Mayor Charbel Saliba, "His Grace Mar Mari got stabbed but he got up, bleeding, and prayed on his attacker before he was taken to hospital."
Police subsequently took the attacker into custody.
The New South Wales Police Force indicated that the bishop suffered lacerations to his head and a 39-year-old priest who attempted to intervene was dealt a shoulder wound and multiple lacerations. Both were taken to Liverpool Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
Their attacker apparently failed to get out unscathed, as he too ultimately had to be taken to a hospital. The Assyrian National Broadcasting agency alleged that "in response to Mar Mary's three stabs, three fingers were cut off from the assailant's hand."
Fr. Daniel Kochou, secretary to the bishop, released a statement Tuesday saying, "The Bishop is currently receiving treatment at hospital for sustained wounds and his condition, by God's divine grace and your prayers, is stable and improving."
Fr. Kochou indicated the attacker delivered multiple blows to the bishop's head and body, then "made another attempt on one of our Parish Priests, Fr. Isaac Royel, who is also receiving treatment for injuries sustained."
The priest further underscored that persecution against Christians is nothing new, stressing, "The Holy Saints and Church Fathers all attest to this same form of persecution, since early times, for Christ's namesake."
The Coptic Orthodox Diocese of Sydney noted in a statement Tuesday, "We strongly condemn the senseless act of violence that took place during [Bishop Mari Emmanuel's] sermon. Such actions not only bring distress but also contradict the cherished values of compassion and unity that are integral to our Australian identity."
The diocese further stated, "The desecration of a sacred space where individuals seek solace and spiritual nourishment is particularly distressing."
The Ancient Church of the East similarly condemned the terror attack and called on Australian authorities "to take the necessary steps to prevent such heinous acts."
The Church of Christ the Good Shepherd is presently closed until further notice.
The response
Chris Minns, the state premier of New South Wales, stated shortly after the attack, "Disturbing scenes tonight in Wakeley tonight."
"It's important that the community remain calm and continue to listen and act to the directions of Police and Emergency Services. We are a strong community in NSW and it’s important that we all stick together, particularly in the face of adversity," added Minns.
"I understand a lot of members in our community are really distraught but what is important is I believe that the bishop has been taken to hospital and should be okay," Fairfield Mayor Frank Carbone told Sky News Australia. "We live in difficult times right now … so I can understand frustration and the anger from the communities but I ask them as the mayor just to please be calm."
Minns, Carbone, and other officials appeared concerned over the possibility that the terrorist action might provoke a significant reaction. After all, thousands of Christians and concerned citizens had swarmed the church after the attack in protest.
Some demonstrators, cognizant that police were still holding the attacker at the church for the sake of his safety, demanded that authorities hand him over, according to Reuters.
According to the NSWPF, "two police officers were injured and a number of police vehicles sustained damage" in the ensuing clashes between authorities and the agitated mob.
One constable reportedly sustained a twisted knee and a chipped tooth. Another constable had his jaw broken after being struck in the face with a brick.
Armored police used tear gas to disperse the crowds, and the attacker was taken by police to an undisclosed location.
The Guardian reported that Minns gathered the leaders of the local Assyrian, Melkite, and Muslim communities together Monday night and had them condemn the violence and call for calm.
"It's a combustible situation and I'm not going to sugarcoat it," said the premier.
Anti-Christian terrorism
Following a preliminary investigation, NSWPF Commissioner Karen Webb declared during a press conference Tuesday morning, "We believe there are elements that are satisfied in terms of religious motivated extremism."
"After consideration of all the material, I declared that it was a terrorist incident," added Webb, who had just days earlier declared that the mass stabbing at the nearby shopping center was not similarly terroristic.
Australian Federal Police, the Australian Security Intelligence Organization, and the NSW Crime Commission will be aiding the NSW Joint Counter Terrorism Team and the NSWPF in its investigation.
"We'll allege there's a degree of premeditation on the basis this person has traveled to that location, which is not near his residential address, he has traveled with a knife and subsequently the bishop and the priest have been stabbed," said Webb.
While a violent ideology appears to have been the problem, Australian officials may take a page out of American leftists' playbook and blame the weapon.
Premier Minns confirmed that the attacker had a run-in with the law in November over his illegal possession of a switchblade. A judge reportedly cut the prospective terrorist free for good behavior earlier this year.
Minns indicated he was open to exploring tightening knife laws in the wake of the mass shopping center stabbing Saturday and Monday's terrorist attack.
"I'm not prepared to rule anything out right now. Obviously when people are being killed and you've got a situation where a knife is being used, then it would be irresponsible not to look at," said the premier.
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Communist China cozies up to Hamas, calls terrorist group 'part of the Palestinian national fabric'
Chinese communists appear to be cozying up to Hamas.
Chinese diplomat Wang Kejian recently met with Ismail Haniyeh, the political leader of the Islamic terrorist organization. A Chinese foreign ministry readout reportedly indicated Wang and Haniyeh "exchanged views on the Gaza conflict and other issues" while in Qatar.
According to a Hamas statement reviewed by the Middle East Media Research Institute, Haniyeh said he was "proud of the close relations between the two friendly peoples" and expressed gratitude to China for its help at the United Nations, particularly on the Security Council and in the International Court of Justice.
Hamas claimed that Haniyeh impressed upon Wang the need to "cause the occupation army to withdraw [from the Gaza Strip], return the displaced [Gazans to their homes], and provide what is needed to rebuild [the Strip]."
Haniyeh also discussed the terrorist organization's aspirations to establish a "fully sovereign, independent Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital, and to implement the [Palestinians'] right of return and right to self-determination."
Wang allegedly "stressed the close and historical relations between the Palestinian and Chinese peoples, as well as China's unwavering positions on the Palestinian issue and its support of the Palestinian people's just demands for freedom, independence and the establishment of the Palestinian state."
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The Chinese communists are keen on Palestinian statehood but remain opposed to recognizing the sovereignty of Tibet, Hong Kong, Uyghuristan, and the island nation of Taiwan. Additionally, the regime in Beijing appears keen on gobbling up territories belonging to Japan, Malaysia, the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, India, and Brunei.
Wang allegedly "emphasized that the Hamas movement is part of the Palestinian national fabric and that China is acting to preserve the relations with it."
China has yet to condemn Hamas for the Oct. 7 terror attacks, which resulted in the massacre of more than 1,200 Israelis and dozens of Americans. It has, however, condemned Israel's subsequent war on terrorism and called for a "two-state" solution.
CNN reported that Wang, a former communist Chinese ambassador to Lebanon, has been in the Near East since at least March 10, meeting with counterparts in Egypt, Israel, and Qatar. Wang also met with the Palestinian Authority's Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki who presented the Palestinian case to the U.N. General Assembly last month.
When in Israel, Wang reportedly told officials that the top priority is a "comprehensive ceasefire, cessation of the war, guarantee of humanitarian aid and protection of civilians."
China has exploited the Israel-Hamas war as an opportunity to curry favor with nations antipathetic to the U.S. and Israel.
Last month, Wang said in Beijing, "China supports Palestine's full membership in the U.N., and urges [a] certain UN Security Council member not to lay obstacles to that end."
Wang's meeting with the terrorist leader came just days after Hamas presented a new ceasefire plan, which would require Israel to release hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, including scores of verified terrorists, and Hamas to release some of the Israeli women, children, and geriatrics it has taken captive. Following the prisoner releases, the plan indicates Israeli forces would retreat from Gaza.
Despite feigning interest in peace, the Jerusalem Post reported that Osama Hamdan, a Lebanon-based Hamas official, told the Hezbollah-linked Al-Manar this week that "the battlefield is not confined to Gaza."
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Germany preparing for yet another New Year's Eve spoiled by rioting migrants
Germany is preparing for another New Year's Eve spoiled by rioting migrants largely from the Middle East. This time around, officials are taking extra precautions as they anticipate even worse violence on account of the Israel-Hamas conflict.
These preparations — which come just one week after German police flushed out Hamas terrorists believed to have been plotting an attack on European soil — bookend a year that began with a debate over immigration policy and the failure of cultural integration. Judging from government officials' sustained concerns, it appears that debate did not prove fruitful.
What's the background?
Last New Year's Eve, riots broke out in several German cities, including Berlin, Hamburg, and Frankfurt. Rioters targeted first responders and passersby with firecrackers, rockets, and starting pistols, according to Warsaw's Centre for Eastern Studies.
Some rescue workers were lured into ambushes and attacked nearby vehicles that had been set aflame. Others were robbed.
The German paper Bild reported that the police and fire brigade responded over 3,900 times on that fateful night, facing especially bad attacks in the "hotspot districts of Kreuzberg and Neukölln with a high proportion of migrants."
Reuters reported that two-thirds of the rioters detained by police were non-citizens, including 27 Afghans and 21 Syrians. The others were largely residents from migrant communities. The majority were under the age of 21.
"It's more about unregulated migration, failed integration and a lack of respect for the state rather than fireworks," Jens Spahn, a German politician who served as federal minister of health until 2021, told the Berliner Zeitung. "The attacks on emergency services are unspeakable."
The right-wing Alternative for Germany party issued a statement on Jan. 2, noting, "Anarchy reigned in Berlin on New Year’s Eve. It was a first foretaste of future everyday life in German cities because although the authorities and the press are adamantly silent when it comes to the specific naming of the perpetrators, the countless videos of that night speak volumes."
The AfD added, "There is only one effective remedy against such scenes: finally protect the borders and deport criminal migrants immediately."
German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser stated, "Good politics must clearly state what is happening: In major German cities we have a problem with certain young men with a migrant background who despise our state, commit acts of violence and are hardly reached by education and integration programs."
Kai Wegner, a German politician with the Christian Democratic Union and governing mayor of Berlin, told Bild, "This must finally come to an end. The state can no longer stand by and watch as chaotic people repeatedly attack police officers and firefighters. These are not trivial offenses, they are crimes. These incidents must be consistently pursued and punished."
Rather than address the underlying problems, authorities instead mulled over addressing one of the bombastic symptoms. German police and firefighters' unions reportedly called for a ban on personal fireworks as well as increased surveillance.
Conservatives countered, suggesting a fireworks ban wasn't necessary if German officials would only enforce the criminal laws already on the books.
Christine Aschenberg-Dugnus, a politician with the Free Democratic Party, said, "[O]nly consistent prosecution of the perpetrators under criminal law can prevent such attacks," reported DW.
Riots redux
Faeser expressed fear Thursday that the usual suspects will pick up where they left off last January, attacking police and firefighters, torching vehicles, and wreaking havoc in Berlin and other major cities, reported DW.
"I'm worried that New Year's Eve could once again be a day on which we are forced to experience blind rage and senseless violence in some cities, for example, against police officers or emergency services," said Faeser.
The interior minister indicated that federal states will roll out additional police this year on the basis of new risk assessments.
"On days like New Year's Eve, we now see a general increase in violence," Faeser continued, "and, of course, we have to keep a very close eye on the danger of this mixing with radicalization, which we are now seeing in light of the Middle East conflict."
Some Germans fear that there will be other targets this year beside first responders, especially amidst the recent rise in anti-Jewish violence.
German actress Monika Gruber told Bild in a recent interview, "I'm really a bit afraid of New Year's Eve this year, especially given the anti-Semitic protests like the ones recently in Essen. I'm horrified by the images that might come."
DW indicated that as of early November, anti-Semitic incidents had increased by 300% in Germany since the Oct. 7 Hamas terror attacks against Israel.
Why Germany debates immigration, integration and racism after New Year's Eve escalations | DW Newsyoutu.be
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Iran turned off cameras belonging to a UN nuclear watchdog in one of its uranium enrichment facilities
The Iranian government was exposed for turning off two surveillance cameras of a United Nations nuclear watchdog program that was monitoring one of the country’s atomic development sites.
The Independent reported that the development initially broke on Iranian state television. The report did not identify at which of the nuclear development sites the infraction occurred, but it did indicate that the interference was a likely a part of a new pressure technique being pushed by the Iranian government as it seeks to muscle its way out of an imminent censure from Western nations at an upcoming meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency.
The Iranian state television report described the two disabled cameras as monitoring “OLEM enrichment levels and flowmeters.” This refers to the IAEA’s Online Enrichment Monitors, which watch the enrichment of uranium gas through piping at enrichment facilities.
Reportedly, the Iranian government is enriching uranium gas at both its Fordo and Natanz underground nuclear sites.
In 2015, the Iranian government and various world powers agreed to a nuclear deal that would allow the Iranian leadership to drastically restrict the amount of uranium it could enrich in exchange for lifting economic sanctions.
In 2018, former President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew the U.S. from the arrangement, subsequently raising tensions in various parts of the Middle East.
In the time since Trump’s withdrawal from the arrangement, Iran has broken every limit imposed on it by the 2015 deal and now enriches uranium at a 60% purity — weapons-grade enrichment is 90%. Despite the Iranian government’s disregard for the restrictions placed upon it, the IAEA has been allowed to continually visit the country’s enrichment facilities.
The Vienna-based IAEA did not immediately acknowledge the Iranian regime’s disabling of the surveillance cameras.
This past February, a senior official in the U.S. State Department said that Iran was “weeks, not months” away from being able to power an atomic.
The statement came after a series of indirect discussions with Iran and other world powers in Vienna.
After over a year of negotiations, the State Department confirmed that diplomatic talks with Iran and other nations about the future of the country’s nuclear capabilities would come to an end whether Iran accepts the deal offered to it by U.S. officials or not.
At the time, the Biden administration believed that Iran’s nuclear program had become so advanced that there would be no benefit to proposing a return to the 2015 arrangement that restricted Iran’s nuclear enrichment capabilities while gradually lifting economic sanctions on the country.
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Levin: Biden would rather trash America than our terrorist enemies
Pro-Palestinian protesters were caught on camera attempting to break through the White House gate, but, of course, the Biden administration doesn’t care. Instead, they’re still locking up peaceful protesters from January 6.
Nor do they care about what happened in Thousand Oaks, where an older Jewish man with an Israel flag was hit over the head and killed.
“And then we have the White House talk about Islamophobia,” Mark Levin says, disgusted. “There is no Islamophobia in America.”
Unlike the Chinese, who are slaughtering Uyghurs in China, there are no Muslims being slaughtered in America.
“We don’t slaughter Muslims in this country,” Levin says. “Who are the people marching in the streets? Are they rabid Jews violent against Muslims? No.”
Levin notes that on college campuses, it also isn’t the Jews who are controlling speech and throttling academic freedom.
“It’s nobody else except the Islamists,” who Levin describes as “somebody who believes in a caliphate” and “imposing their religion on everybody else.”
“And not just their religion,” he adds, but “their ideological terrorist approach to their religion on everybody else.”
But the Biden administration and the Democrat Party aren’t concerned, as they would rather trash Americans.
“Joe Biden, even the other day, after the election, would rather trash tens of millions of Americans as extremist, radical, MAGA Republicans. He doesn’t talk about that way to the Islamo-Nazi regime in Tehran,” Levin says.
Instead, Biden and his fellow Democrats should encourage people of other religions and cultures to “assimilate into this country” — not force Americans to “assimilate into their culture.”
Otherwise, Levin warns that “soon there’ll be nothing left to assimilate into cause they’re destroying our culture.”
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