Lessons from the Abdul Ballout Case

The Finnish newspaper Iltalehti reported today on the subject of my article from yesterday, namely the criminal history of Abdul B., also known as Abdul Ballout. According to the report, his crimes appear to have become increasingly serious over the years.

In 2020, Ballout was convicted after robbing another person of a pair of headphones. Five years later, he was sentenced in Lebanon to three months in prison for attempting to join the ISIS terrorist organization.

In May of this year, Ballout was given a suspended prison sentence of one year and ten months in Germany for planning an act of violence endangering the state and for publishing ISIS propaganda on social media.

One might have expected this to set off alarm bells within Germany's security and judicial authorities. However, that did not happen. On the contrary, Berlin prosecutors appealed the sentence.

The court, however, stated that it had taken into account Ballout's imprisonment in Lebanon, his lengthy pre-trial detention in Germany, as well as the fact that he had confessed to his crimes and appeared to have distanced himself from the terrorist group.

As a result, the German authorities naively and in good faith allowed him to remain at liberty instead of isolating him from society. We now know the outcome: Ballout killed one person by driving a car into them, while another fifteen people were injured.

* * *

This raises the question of whether Germany—and Western countries more generally—should reconsider how they deal with individuals whose criminal histories point toward increasingly serious offenses and an interest in extremist ideologies connected to terrorism. Should they, by one means or another, ensure that such individuals are prevented from carrying out terrorist attacks that harm other people?

At present, this issue particularly concerns immigrants from Islamic countries. History has, of course, also witnessed similar violence motivated by other ideologies. In Germany, for example, the most recent comparable threat came from far-left extremists during the late twentieth century, while Finland's history includes both the Red Terror and the kidnappings carried out by the far right roughly a century ago.

There is, however, one important difference. Those historical cases involved ethnically European perpetrators, whereas the Islamist threat in Europe has grown alongside modern mass migration. The perpetrators mainly originate from the Middle East and North Africa and therefore do not generally share the worldview of Western societies that have become increasingly secular. Consequently, many of them also have little desire to assimilate into the Western way of life.

Previous articles on the same topic:
"Abdul B" Drove Into a Pride Crowd
Reflections on the Terrorist Attack in Australia
Will European Culture Collapse Under the Weight of Islamic Immigration?

Burning a Man Alive Led to Life Imprisonment

One of the consequences of the immigration policies practiced by Western countries has been the emergence of Islamist terrorists in Europe. This naturally means a deterioration in the security situation in the West, but also an increased burden on judicial and prison systems.

This came to my mind while reading a news article stating that a "Swedish man," Osama Krayem, had participated in the murder of a Jordanian pilot in 2014 and has now been sentenced to life imprisonment for war crimes and terrorism. The same man had previously been sentenced to 30 years in prison for the 2015 Paris and 2016 Brussels terrorist attacks.

Osama Krayem grew up in Malmö, the Swedish city most affected by immigration, and became radicalized already as a teenager. When the opportunity arose, he traveled to Syria and joined the terrorist group ISIS.

According to the court proceedings, Osama Krayem led the pilot of the plane shot down by ISIS into a metal cage and guarded it until it was set on fire with the man still alive inside. Thus, the sentence handed down now is undoubtedly well deserved, though it naturally cannot undo what was done.

Previous thoughts on the same topic:
Activism Without Truth
Western Countries Have Neither a Reason Nor a Need to Accept Asylum Seekers from Syria or Gaza
Three Islamists Arrested in Finland on Suspicion of Belonging to a Terrorist Group

 

Western Countries Have Neither a Reason Nor a Need to Accept Asylum Seekers from Syria or Gaza

After the Syrian revolution, many believed that a new and better era was dawning for the country. This was despite the fact that the HTS alliance, which came to power in December, has an Islamist background.

However, the persecution of Syria’s minorities recently made headlines, after which President Ahmed al-Sharaa promised to end the violence and arbitrary executions. Now, however, it has emerged that Alawites who fled to Lebanon have a different view.

According to one of them, “Bashar al-Assad is a murderer, but al-Sharaa is even worse. Words cannot describe the horrors.” 

A Christian, on the other hand, claimed that government forces had shot his father. According to him, “The troops entered our house, and my father was the only one home. Otherwise, we would all be dead.”

At this stage, it is difficult to assess the accuracy of these accounts, as there is no precise information available on the violence that has occurred. Allegations suggest that, in response to uprisings against the new government’s fighters, Islamists have retaliated ISIS-style with arbitrary executions and by kidnapping women as sex slaves.

If this has indeed happened, it is, of course, an extremely serious matter. On the other hand, it is clear that people who have fled Syria are not necessarily reliable sources.

Therefore, it would be important for the intelligence agencies of other countries to obtain more reliable information about what is currently happening in Syria. And if the allegations of crimes described above are confirmed—or especially if they appear to be becoming the new norm—the rest of the world must take action.

Or alternatively, acknowledge the situation and let people live in the reality of their own society without even trying to change it. While at the same time declaring that all cultures are equally good. And to understand that for this very reason, Western countries have neither a reason nor a need to accept asylum seekers from Syria.

* * *

Israel attacked Gaza again some time ago, stating that the reason was that Hamas had been preparing attacks on Israeli territory. This justification became very clear today, when Hamas' military wing announced that it had fired rockets into Israel.

One of the rockets was intercepted, and two fell in uninhabited areas within Israel. The almost certain consequence of this will be an Israeli counterstrike, which will cause even greater suffering for the people of Gaza, who are already experiencing hard times.

Also in this case, Western people should acknowledge that all cultures are equally good. And understand that therefore they have no reason to accept even a single Palestinian asylum seeker.

Previous thoughts on the same topic:
Uncertain Horizons: Syria's Post-Assad Era
The Need for Asylum Among Syrians Disappeared with the Regime Change
On the Consequences of Russian Inability in Syria

The Need for Asylum Among Syrians Disappeared with the Regime Change

The power transition in Syria reportedly occurred partly with the help provided by Ukraine. According to available information, Ukraine had sent in advance 20 drone operators and 150 FPV drones to the rebel organization that took power.

If and when this information proves to be accurate, it highlights the vastly different scale of warfare in Ukraine compared to Syria. In Ukraine, 150 drones have almost no significant impact on the overall course of the war.

From the perspective of Western countries, one of the biggest questions regarding Syria's regime change concerns refugees. After all, they have primarily fled either Assad's regime or the ISIS caliphate, neither of which now plays a significant role in Syria.

For this reason, Finland and many other countries have already suspended the processing of asylum applications from Syrians, as it is apparent that those who fled Assad's regime or ISIS and came here no longer require asylum. Logically, this should mean that even those previously granted asylum would be returned to their country of origin.

Denmark has already promised a €20,000 package for Syrians who return to their homeland. This is logical, as Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen does not want even a single asylum seeker in her country.

On the other hand, Turkey’s three million Syrians have not needed to be incentivized to return to their homeland; even too many of them have already rushed to the border. It remains to be seen whether the rest will follow in the near future.

This, in turn, depends on what kind of role Syria’s new administration takes. Will it adopt a constructive role and unite the nation, or will it prove too weak to prevent rebellions by other factions operating in Syria? Naturally, our hope in the West is for the Syrian people to unify and for the state to develop into a functioning human rights state and democracy.

Previous thoughts on the same topic:
On the Consequences of Russian Inability in Syria
Revolution in Syria: What Comes Next?
The Futile Civil War in Syria

Revolution in Syria: What Comes Next?

The Syrian rebels have overthrown the regime of dictator Bashar al-Assad. The country's new leader is Ahmed Hussein al-Shar’a, though he is better known by his Islamist name, Abu Mohammed al-Julani.

Upon taking power, the revolutionary leader has reverted to using his real name, possibly to emphasize that he has not been associated with the Al-Qaeda terrorist organization for years. Interestingly, he has also promised the Syrian people and administration a peaceful transition of power. As a sign of this, public institutions have been ordered to continue operating under the framework of the old regime.

At least Bashar al-Assad’s prime minister, Mohammad Ghazi al-Jalali, has remained in the country and offered cooperation with the new authorities. Meanwhile, the former dictator himself has fled Damascus on an aircraft whose signal disappeared shortly after takeoff. Before vanishing, its trajectory pointed north.

This all suggests that, contrary to my initial expectations, Syria’s new government is unlikely to immediately establish a brutal regime akin to Afghanistan’s. Instead, despite its Islamist roots, it appears to be aiming to create a civilized administration—perhaps even a democracy.

However, it is possible that the country will begin a gradual shift toward Islamism once the dust settles. It is also conceivable that the rebels could eventually fall into internal conflict.

This is because the newly empowered Hayat Tahrir al-Sham is not the only faction that opposed Assad. Other groups continue to operate within the country, including the ISIS terrorist organization, which still dreams of its own caliphate, and the Kurdish Rojava, which has effectively governed the northeastern region of the country for over a decade.

Let us therefore watch the situation with cautious optimism, fearing the worst but hoping for the best—and hoping that this revolution does not lead to a new wave of mass migration from Syria to Europe.

Previous thoughts on the same topic:
The Futile Civil War in Syria
Hassan Nasrallah Has Been Killed, but Lebanon Is Unlikely to Become the Switzerland of the Middle East Again
Three Islamists Arrested in Finland on Suspicion of Belonging to a Terrorist Group

Three Islamists Arrested in Finland on Suspicion of Belonging to a Terrorist Group

Finland's National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) has arrested three foreign men suspected of involvement in the activities of the Islamic terrorist organization ISIS. Two of the suspects were born in the 1980s and one in the 1990s.

The police are not commenting on the possible crimes committed by the men, but under Finnish law, merely participating in the activities of a terrorist group can lead to a conviction. At this stage, however, nothing suggests that there has been a terrorism threat directed at Finland.

If the men are found guilty of involvement in a terrorist group, they will be sentenced to a minimum of four months and a maximum of eight years in prison.

So far, Finland has only had one Islamist terrorist attack. It occurred in Turku in 2017 when Abderrahman Bouanane, a Moroccan who came to Finland as an asylum seeker, randomly stabbed people, killing two of them.

For this act, Bouanane was sentenced to life imprisonment, from which the president can pardon him if desired—usually no earlier than after 12 years of imprisonment. It remains to be seen whether Finland’s first Muslim terrorist will ever be released.

In this regard, it is interesting that - relative to the size of Finland’s Muslim population - the country sent the highest number of terrorists to ISIS's caliphate in Syria and Iraq during the last decade. However, none of them have yet been convicted for their atrocities there. Additionally, the police have not suggested that the arrest of the current suspects is in any way related to ISIS’s caliphate.

Previous thoughts on the same topic:
The Stabber Killed Three People in an Extremely Multicultural City
Cancellation of Taylor Swift's Concert in Austria Was a Success for the Terrorists
Two out of three Palestinians support October 7 attack

Cancellation of Taylor Swift's Concert in Austria Was a Success for the Terrorists

Terrorists with links to the ISIS organization achieved success in Austria when three concerts by an American pop star Taylor Swift were canceled. This is, of course, unfortunate news for those who had purchased tickets and were looking forward to seeing a major star.

However, an even more distressing situation is the impact on a liberal, organized society, which has been brought to its knees in front of terrorists. This is because, even though the Austrian authorities have apprehended them — or at least three of them — the damage is already done by demonstrating that terrorist acts can influence Western countries. I am sure that this will inspire those individuals who, for one reason or another, are interested in or even excited by terrorism.

It must be said, however, that the descendants of the former Austro-Hungarian empire have themselves partly to blame, as Finnish media have reported that the "suspected perpetrators are 15, 17, and 19 years old, individuals already known to authorities." Yet they were still roaming free in the middle of Europe.

This raises several questions, to which we are unlikely to get answers. For example, why were these three known to the authorities not returned to where they came from? And more broadly, why is Western Europe and its culture slowly committing suicide by allowing an endless queue of Muslims seeking a higher standard of living and social security across its borders, even though they have shown countless times (example, another, and a third) that they pose a risk to organized society?

Previous thoughts on the same topic:
Sweden's Rapid Demographic Shift Causes Challenges
Two out of three Palestinians support October 7 attack
Prediction: Sharia law in force in the United Kingdom, Belgium, and France by the year 2044

The Finns rewarded a mass murder with 213,000 euros

European immigration policy occasionally leads to sequences of events that are too unbelievable to be accepted even as the script of the silliest tragicomedy. What does my esteemed reader think of the following?

In Finland, a few years ago, Iraqi brothers were suspected of a mass murder. However, the charges did not lead to a conviction.

Three and a half years later, one of the Iraqi men confessed the crime. This happened last August when the Iraqi man was arrested by the police while filming with his twin brother outside the Finnish Security Intelligence Service building in Helsinki.

Specifically, the Iraqi told a detective that he had killed 1,700 people at Camp Speicher in Iraq. This is evident in the police video. It was a mass murder carried out by the terrorist organization ISIS, for which the same Iraqi man and his twin brother were acquitted by a court of appeal decision in February 2020.

Unfortunately, Finland practices overly protective legal practices towards criminals. Therefore, convicting the Iraqi man after the court has made a ruling of acquittal would require more evidence than just a confession. So right now, it seems that the Iraqi man can continue his peaceful and unrestricted life and enjoy the €213,000 he received from Finnish taxpayers as compensation for being detained during the investigation of his actions.

The Iraqi man and his brother must be having a good laugh right now.

Previous thoughts on the same topic: The Rwanda Law of Britain paves the way for the future of Western Europe Getting asylum in Finland becomes significantly more difficult A Finnish police officer is afraid to speak about the problems of immigration

A caliphate was demanded in Germany

Last Saturday, a demonstration was held in Hamburg, demanding the establishment of a caliphate in Germany. Joe Adade Boateng, the leader of the organizing Muslim Interaktiv organization, stated in his speech that a caliphate would be the best way to correct the image of Muslims portrayed in the media.

The incident unpleasantly evoked memories of the events in Syria and Iraq 2010´s, where the authoritarian rule of Muslims violated all possible human rights. This is despite the fact that in Germany in 2020, there were "only" 5.5 million Muslims, which is just under seven percent of the population.

However, the number of Muslims living in Germany is rapidly increasing, and it is estimated to grow to as much as twenty percent by the mid-century. Germany, however, is not the only European country with a large Muslim population. Sweden serves as an extreme example, with approximately one million Muslims, projected to constitute around thirty percent of the population by 2050.

It remains to be seen whether Muslims will adapt to secularized European societies or whether they will engage in conflict, as indicated by last Saturday's march. Additionally, how the rapidly aging, low-birth-rate, and consequently shrinking native population of the continent will react to their increasing numbers is a question for the future.

Previous thoughts on the same topic:
In Germany, immigration policy changes are being planned
Sweden already in trouble - Finland following
Riots in Sweden: what next?

Immigration is an asset in the USA, but in Europe, it's just a burden

People criticize immigration, but it is a source of economic growth, said Michael C. Burda, an economics professor at Humboldt University in Berlin.

So, does this mean that we should accept all immigrants trying to come to Finland? And at least keep the eastern border open to grow our economy?

No, because the professor continued his thought by noting that people coming to the United States do not receive welfare benefits, it is not possible. It is very difficult to get money for free in the United States.

In other words, immigration alone will not save Europe's economy; in addition, newcomers should be integrated into a productive economy by preventing them from having an alternative lifestyle offered by European social democracy.

And this, precisely this, is the reason why humanitarian immigration is only a burden for Europe and not the asset one would hope for.

* * *

Yesterday's terrorist attack on the Moscow concert hall was exceptionally bloody, claiming 60 lives and injuring a staggering 145. The perpetrator has identified itself as the Islamic ISIS organization, though its motives remain unclear.

It is also unknown whether the perpetrators were born in Russia, had migrated there, or had simply entered the country for the purpose of carrying out the attack. However, US intelligence had prior knowledge that a terrorist attack was imminent in Russia.

In this context, it is important to emphasize that terrorist attacks are never acceptable, and there is no reason to rejoice even when they target the dictatorship led by Putin. Instead, it is concerning to note the resurgence of the ISIS organization, the consequences of which will undoubtedly be felt sooner or later in Western democracies due to the human rights and immigration policies pursued therein.

Previous thoughts on the same topic:
The EU's 7.4 billion euro aid package is intellectual dishonesty
The Rwanda Law of Britain paves the way for the future of Western Europe
Are we going to allow ISIS women to ride on their children?