At least 719 Muslim pilgrims crushed to death at hajj in Saudi Arabia

MINA, Saudi Arabia -- Two huge waves of Muslim hajj-goers collided at an intersection on Thursday near the Islamic holy site. More than 700 were crushed and trampled to death in the holy frenzy to get close to a stone that was said to be a gift from Allah, but had been used for pagan rituals long before Islam began.

This was the worst disaster at the hajj in twenty-five years. In 2006 in the same area, 360 Muslims were crushed and killed in a stampede, while in 2004, 244 were killed. The worst hajj-related disaster recorded was in 1990, when 1,426 Muslims killed each other in a stampede in an overcrowded pedestrian tunnel leading to a holy site in Mecca.

"People were climbing over one another just to breathe," Abdullah Lotfy of Egypt said. "It was like a wave. You go forward and suddenly you go back."

The hajj drew over 2 million Muslims from over 180 countries this year. It's a holy pain in the neck for the Saudi kingdom, who have spent billions of oil dollars to accommodate the growing number of pilgrims to maintain safety and security at the yearly event where non-Muslims are not allowed.

An investigation was begun by the Saudis, according to Interior Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Mansour al-Turki [a man who is the very model of a modern Major General]. Al-Turki added that initial reports showed two crowds coming from opposite directions and converged at an intersection in the town of Mina, on the outskirts or out-burqas of Mecca.

This is when the not getting along with their fellow Muslims. It started with pushing and shoving and escalated into a "I gotta get there first because Allah is waiting for me."

"Unfortunately, these incidents happen in a moment," al-Turki said at a fake news conference.

However, four survivors wondered how officials managing the flow of human traffic could allow two enormous crowd on a collision course to intersect on two streets packed with pilgrims.

"What happened was more than they were ready for," Lotfy told the AP.

The Saudi civil defense directorate said late Thursday the death toll reached 719, but that would rise as bodies continued to be counted and sent to the morgue. At least 863 people were injured.

According to an AP journalist, there were bodies still lying on the ground over 10 hours after the crush and stampede in Mina, a valley containing 160,000 tents, none of which were purchased at Cabelas. The town is about 3 miles from Mecca.

One crowd had finished throwing pebbles at three stone columns representing shaytan [the devil] when it collided with the second wave of people about to perform the same task. That's when all hell broke loose.

Mohammed Awad, 36, was separated from his 56-year-old father when the pushing began. Awad said he tried to get out of the crush of bodies for 30 minutes and was eventually able to climb over a gate with others. It took him an hour before he could look for his father who was beneath 10 bodies, but he was still alive.

"You can't count how many bodies there were. They were stacked high," Awad said.

The place was a mess. Scores of bodies still dressed in terry cloth garb worn during hajj were lying amid crushed wheelchairs and water bottles. The streets where the trampling deaths occurred were blocked off by military police.

The Saudis take pride in their role as keepers of Islam's holiest, albeit most dangerous site to visit. Every Muslim is required to perform at least one pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in their lives and purchase a bottle of water.

One would think that with over 100,000 security forces and 5,000 CCTV cameras throughout Mecca and Medina, this collision of wills and determination could have been avoided.

But perhaps Allah works in strange ways.

And for many Muslims, if you're going to die, dying in Mecca is a golden guarantee to paradise. Even if it happens in a stampede.

This was the second major screwup of the hajj season. On September 11th, a construction crane mysteriously crashed down onto the Grand Mosque, killing 111 people and injuring over 390 others. Authorities blamed it on high winds from a powerful storm.

This tragedy came as Muslims worldwide marked the start of Eid al-Adha holiday, a festive time in which livestock is slaughtered and distributed to the poor [Muslims].

In Lahore, Pakistan, Sajida Arif said her father, Haji, was among the dead. "Before leaving for the hajj, he told me he had a wish to be buried in Mecca," she said.

Be careful what you wish for.


Tweet

Violence rears its Muslim head at Western Wall

Jerusalem -- Well there you go again. Violence breaks out once again as Muslims who worship the anti-Semitic words of the Qu'ran throw stones at the Western Wall as Israeli police fire stun grenades in violent dispute over basically nothing but more security to protect Muslims from their own violence.

Police fired tear gas and rubber bullets in addition to the stun grenades following an 11-day boycott imposed on worshippers by the Palestinian Authority who try to blame it on the Jews. The Palestinians retaliated by throwing stones, which they are quite good at with all the practice they get with their women targets.

Red Crescent said it all began when Israeli troops closed one of the gates to the Haram al-Sharif compound after Muslims murdered two police over a week ago.

The head of the Arab League warned that attempts to control religious sites in Jerusalem will risk a "religious war," something that Muslims have been waging ever since Mohammad, their prophet, was married to his 9-year-old child bride Aisha. 

The mosque has been at the center of an Israeli-Palestinian standoff over Israeli security installations that include metal detectors and cameras, which have since been removed. 

When Israel installed the devices after Israeli Arabs show and killed two police officers, the Palestinians were upset that they were protecting themselves under the guise that the Israelis were attempting to gain further control over the site.

They couldn't care less.

So the Palestinians had been praying in Jerusalem streets, in a scene right out of Dearborn, Michigan. Blocking traffic, heads down on the ground, butts to the sky, as they block traffic in a display of resistance.

Saying that Israel is 'playing with fire and will only ignite a religious war and shift the core of the conflict from politics to religion," said Ahmed Abul Gheit.  But Muslims have been waging a religious war since they made the pilgrimage from Mecca to Medina, when Mo's army was ten thousand strong, rather than two hundred and fifty weak.

This has always been an anti-Semitic, anti-Christian, anti-infidel war. Who the hell are they trying to fool?

As they entered the Al Aqsa Mosque the worshippers shouted, "Allahu Akbar" meaning "Allah is greater." 


Tweet

Iran critical of Saudi terrorism (not the Onion)

In a stunning display of abject hypocrisy the Iranian foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif wrote a scathing op-ed in The New York Times attacking Saudi Arabia for exporting global extremism. 

What a joke.

Zarif may have paid for the article with the ransom money they were given by the Obama administration (that Obama denies was ransom money).

Both countries have been criticizing the other in a series of escalating rants.

The Saudis cut off ties with Iran in January after a hate-crazed mob stormed their embassy following an execution of a popular Shi'ite cleric. They claimed that Iranians were not Muslims and in response to that, Iran criticized the way the Saudis handled the hajj this year. 

The hajj is the annual pilgrimage to Mecca which Muslims are obligated to make at least once in their life in order to get to Paradise. If it is impossible to travel to Mecca, another way some Muslims choose to get to Paradise is by shouting "Allahu Akbar" then blowing themselves up in front of as many witnesses as possible.

Zarif, who goes by the sobriquet "Mo," blasted the Saudis claiming that they are the source of extremism. (He's half correct.) He tweeted: "Indeed; no resemblance between Islam of Iranians & most Muslims & bigoted extremism that Wahhabi top cleric & Saudi terror masters preach.

Zarif then wrote to The New York Times calling for the West to "Rid the World of Wahhabism," the extremist (orthodox) form of Islam practiced in Saudi Arabia, the hub of Sunni Islam.

Zarif would like the West to rid the world of terrorism using terrorism to do so. He, and his cohorts, are too stupid to see the hypocrisy.

"While the 2003 American-led invasion of Iraq set in motion the fighting we see today," he wrote, "the key driver of violence has been this extremist ideology promoted by Saudi Arabia--even if it was invisible to Western eyes until the tragedy of 9/11."

Yes, Saudi money funded 9/11 and global terrorism for many years. The UK's Channel Four estimates in 2008 that the Saudis spent $100 billion promoting Wahhabism and that number has increased. 

Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin Talal gifted Harvard and Georgetown $20 million each to expand the "HRH Prince Alwaleed bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding." 

Of course there are stings attached and the "understanding" is that Islam is the only real religion, superior to Christianity, and don't even get the prince started on Judaism and other false religions.

So while Iran develops a nuclear weapon, thanks to the nuclear deal, and is likely to use it to destroy the West in order to establish their world caliphate, their foreign minister calls the Saudi kettle 'black' by insisting they are the terrorists. 

But with Iranian terrorism, "it's just business."


Tweet

Man stabs 2 strangers, shouts "Allahu Akbar"--no motive known

Roanoke, Virginia -- Wasil Farooqui, a 20-year-old Muslim man, was charged with two counts of aggravated malicious wounding in a stabbing attack involving two people on Saturday. The FBI is investigating whether Farooqui attempted to behead one victim and also to ascertain whether the attack was inspired by ISIS.

Allow me to digress:

I believe a mistake we make with these Islamic-inspired attacks is to attribute the problem to ISIS rather than the more bellicose scripture calling for this kind of behavior.

ISIS is certainly one important aspect of the problem, but it is only a symptom of a larger problem that is found within the Koran. Simply put, there are, in effect, two Korans: the Mecca Koran and the Medina Koran. The first was written when the prophet of Islam had few followers while in Mecca, perhaps 250 in all. But as the religion grew and Mohammed traveled to Medina, he had over 10,000 followers all willing to fight and die for him.

The Meccan Koran was far more tolerant of other religions than the Medina Koran and it is this later portion of Islamic scripture that jihadis follow.

And they can justify following the latter Koran because of abrogation--the directive to obey that which came later and is better in the scripture. Of course, that questions the idea of why would a supposedly 'perfect book' need to be abrogated in the first place, but that never gets discussed by Mohammed or later scholars.

Back to the incident:

The FBI told Fox News that it's investigating the dual stabbing along with Roanoke County Police Department in order to determine if it is a possible terrorism-related incident.

Special agent in charge of the case, Adam Lee, said that the FBI is working with the local police but added, "While I cannot discuss details of the investigation at this time, I do want to reassure the community that we are working to determine the nature of the incident." 

ABC News said that Farooqui traveled to Turkey last year and may have tried to sneak into Syria to fight for ISIS.

Witnesses in the apartment complex where the attack took place said that Farooqui was yelling "Allahu Akbar" as he stabbed the two victims, a man and a woman. Both are in serious condition.

It's a mystery as to why Wasil Farooqui would want to kill perfect strangers, as this appears to be the case. A total mystery.




Tweet

Brennan, Islam, 9/11 and Saudi Arabia

CIA Director and possible Muslim convert, according to Al Arabiya News, John Brennan, does not want the secret 9/11 documents released because there's no "there" there. So if that's the case, why not release the 28 pages?

Maybe Brennan is trying to protect his Islamic roots acquired when he was a CIA station chief in Riyadh. John Gauandolo, a retired FBI agent said on the U.S. Trento Radio Show that Brennan converted to Islam in Saudi Arabia and visited Mecca and Medina during the hajj season with Saudi officials, who may have been the people responsible for getting him to convert.

Brennan "marveled at the majesty of the Hajj and the devotion of those who fulfilled their duty as Muslims by making that pilgrimage."

Non Muslims are not allowed to visit the Hajj, which leads one to conclude Brennan is a Muslim. 

Brennan said that the 28 pages of a bipartisan commission's report contains "uncorroborated, unvetted information" that some could use to make the claim that the Saudis were involved in the attacks. 

He spoke on "Meet the Press" and said such claims would be "very, very inaccurate."

And he knows this how?

I am not a conspiracy theorist. I have no doubts that Osama bin Laden was the brains behind 9/11--it wasn't an 'inside job' as conspiracy theorists like Alex Jones claims.

But facts are facts, and the evidence on Brennan's possible conversion to Islam is powerful. That alone, however, does not mean he is in bed with Saudi leaders. It's his reluctance to reveal available information on 9/11 and allow us to decide its validity.

Brennan is unfit to be our CIA Director.


Tweet

Mecca's death toll doesn't break the record

The death toll is now up to 717 and at least 863 others were injured in an attempt to walk around a pagan stone known as the Hajj, located in the Muslim so-called holy city of Mecca. The estimated crowd of stone worshipers is about 2 million. 

If you thought the "Pet Rock" was a big deal, this tops it by far.

The stone-walking thing marks the start of the Eid al-Adha holiday which signifies a break in other aspects of Islamic stoning and Sharia related atrocities.

According to Reuters, Saudi state television reported the stampede happened in Mina, a tent city located about 3 miles east of Mecca, just a stone's throw from the hajj.

Mina is on the main road from Mecca near the Hill of Arafat, thought by Muslims to be the place where Mohammed, the so-called prophet of Islam and pedophile, gave his farewell sermon to his army who accompanied him from the killing, robbing and slave-sex orgies, to go to Mecca near the end of his life.

About 2 weeks ago, a tragedy struck in Mecca as Muslims put head to earth, butt to sky, as they prayed to Allah. In answer to their prayers, a crane fell into the mosque killing 111 of the devout, injuring scores of others. 

According to Islamic "experts," all are now in Paradise because they died praying to the moon god, Allah.

Back to the hajj.

Many of those who died in the crush were trampled to death as they were on their way to practice throwing stones at imaginary Sharia violators. Not really--the stone throwing, while it does help develop better aim, is actually a symbolic stoning of the devil (who looks Jewish, I bet) and the objects are aimed at 3 stone columns in Mina.

Two survivors told the AP the disaster started when one wave of crazed Muslims found themselves heading into a mass of other crazed Muslims heading in another direction.

"I saw someone trip over someone in a wheelchair and several people tripping over him. People were climbing over one another just to breathe," one survivor said. "It was like a wave. You go forward and suddenly you go back."

Saudi King Salman, the guy who appears to be going for the Saudi Arabian beheading record this year, ordered the creation of a committee to look into the matter.

Major General Mansour al-Turki, the Interior ministry's spokesman, blamed it on global warming and pilgrim fatigue. He said there was no evidence that authorities were to blame for the event. 

President Barack Obama is expected to praise him for his assessment as al-Turki is in lockstep with "mainstream science."

Another survivor, call him Ismail, 58, from Nigeria, recalled falling and then being trampled over by marching Muslims. "It was terrible, it was really, really terrible," he said, not adding that it had made him question his belief in Islam as doing so would have undoubtedly made the trampling job look like kids play.

At least 89 Iranians died in the trampling and 150 were injured, none of whom were known nuclear device scientists.

Ironically, perhaps, no Egyptians died and Alex Jones is claiming that this was because it was an "inside job."

Be that as it may, this year was not even close to the record that happened in 1990, when 1426 of the faithful were trampled or suffocated in an Islamic stampede that happened in a pedestrian tunnel leading to the "holy" site. 

Other attempts at the record were in 2004 with 244 killed, and in 2006 with 364 dead. But the Saudis say it isn't their fault. 

So should we blame Allah or Mohammad? You make the call.

Meanwhile, back in New York, Pope Francis came to town.

To ensure no harm came to the pontiff via crazy fanatics or Islamic orthodox folks, the NY Police Department (NYPD) had the town tied tighter than Hillary's tush. There were no incidents, no attempts at harming the pope and nobody got crushed by the Christians who came to see him. Definitely not as exciting as Mecca.

Pope Francis met with so-called president Obama and gave the cold shoulder to the Obama buddies who believe it's okay to kill babies in the womb and halfway out.





Tweet

Turkey's Yippy is Yappy About Nonsense

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is becoming increasingly crazier with his non sequitur rhetoric. In his best Obama-esque moment Yippy, as his wife calls him, told reporters the Muslims have "never taken part in terrorist massacres." Perhaps he meant that "terrorists have never stopped taking apart infidels in their religious massacres." 

"A penny for your thoughts, Yippy"

The guy is either nuts or using that dreaded tactic Muslims who kill, or like other Muslims to kill for them use: Taqiyya. (Which brings to mind a song.)

In fact, Yippy blames the West for the Charlie Hebdo attack, although he didn't mention the murder of Jews at the Kosher supermarket because that's what Muslims do, and Jews don't count in the body count of terrorism.

Yippy doesn't seem to deal well with his country's Constitution. They mandate a secular Turkey, he wants his bird to pray 5 times a day facing Mecca. Of course, if prayer is not effected by gravity, then all prayers that are not actually in or above the earth's curvature would fly off into space. But Muhammad didn't know that so it isn't in Allah's book that this illiterate claimed to have had the inspiration to reproduce. 

The Boston Terrorist, Islam, and a Nice Jewish Hospital

Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, the 19 year old Boston terrorist, is lying in an American hospital, ironically receiving care at Beth Israel, a Jewish medical facility. Dzhokhar, was the younger brother of the terrorist duo. His older brother, Tamerlan, age 26, died in a shootout with police and FBI, and was run over and dragged about 50 feet under the getaway car used by Dzhokhar, which obviously finished the job. 

In the meantime, the Muslim terrorist who killed 3 innocent people is being treated and kept alive in a Jewish hospital. Ironically, the Koran refers to Jews as being descendants of apes and pigs. Imagine how upset his father must be and those who helped train him knowing that the Jews have him--how un-Islamic. 

If he receives a civil trial, he will be dealt with in a civil manner--we will not give him the same fate as he gave 8 year old Martin Richard, Lu Lingzi and Krystle Campbell. There is no death penalty in Massachusetts--he will become a jail house star by his Muslim co-slammer dwellers.

Our government uses the term "Islamic Extremists." How very politically correct that is. One would think from hearing this term that being a jihadist, killing infidels, goes against the Koran--it doesn't--it only conflicts with the Mecca Koran, the early life of Mohammad, but follows the Medina Koran, that came later in life. And the Koran is very clear with its law of abrogation, that the stuff that came later, supersedes the earlier nicey-nicey stuff.  Thus, terrorism, killing the infidels, pleases Allah's blood lust, and this is not an Islamic extremist position; it is an Islamic religious position. In other words, a good Muslim is a better terrorist than a bad Muslim, which is not to say that bad Muslims love Jews and Christians any more than their Islamic counterpart, but they simply want that counterpart to do the heavy lifting. 

My latest novel, Jihad Joe, is about Islamic terrorism and suspense.  In it I challenge the precepts of the religion through my protagonist, Zed Nill, a journalist, captured by terrorists and who is destined to be killed if the American President refuses to release three Gitmo prisoners.  Of course, American policy demands we never give in to terrorists, and for Zed, the clock is ticking.

Jihad Joe Soft Cover       

click here for ebook version   

Tweet

Holiday?

l'eglese
Originally uploaded by Rob Hoey

Well, it's almost Holiday Time when all the children adorn the holiday tree with holiday balls and lights to make this holiday season something to almost remember, but I forget what. I went holiday shopping today and bought holiday gifts-the kids especially love this time of year because they're the ones who enjoy the holiday magic. I'm most grateful that this season has not offended others of different religious backgrounds who don't want to actually call this holiday anything more than that--a holiday. But it occurs to me that the word 'holiday' comes from the old English term, Holy Day. Well, I don't know who it's holy for anymore, but I can tell you that even Canada is following the new traditions of the USA and have renamed the old holiday (it starts with a "C" for certain people, and an "H" for others who were almost annihilated by a guy in World War 2) but I think it's just better to allow these holiday terms to remain unspoken lest we offend those who come from different parts in the world in the hope and spirit of turning Canada into Mecca.

Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah to all, and to all a good night.