Jihad and the World

You’ve likely heard former Chancellor Merkel’s moniker “Wir schaffen das,” or “We can do it!” This goes back more than 10 years, when Merkel opened Germany’s gates to absorb more than a million mostly Muslim migrants. She clarified, “We Germans can successfully integrate these migrants into our societies.” Was this claim borne out? The answer depends on whom you ask. The optimistic, multicultural, and left-leaning set will likely say this is a national work in progress. Given the killings and social stressors, it would not be convincing to say we have done it. By that, I mean the general argument that migrants have been successfully integrated into the mainstream of German society. Too many Muslims rely on regional and federal benefits, and many remain siloed in Muslim neighborhoods. Attitudinal surveys do not indicate broad acceptance of Western values among Muslim immigrants or their children. To support my claim, I would like to give some examples.

The first was the early August 2026 car attack at the Christopher Street Day gay pride celebration in Berlin. A German-born Muslim man, whose mother came from Lebanon, plowed a van into the celebrants. He then hit a tree, scrambled out of the van, and chased revelers with a machete. He murdered one woman and injured 29 people. The assailant, Abdul Ballout, was known to Berlin police. Earlier, he attempted to join ISIS and was placed in a deradicalization program. Well, it apparently didn’t work. Could his attack have been prevented? Many people say yes, though it is not clear how he could have been deported, given that a parent was naturalized and that he was born in Germany. Some said he could have worn an ankle-tracking device. OK, but how would that have stopped him? Also, Ballout was one of nearly 29,000 Islamofascists under surveillance by German authorities.

Hello. This is Mark Silinsky, president of Kensington Security Consulting, where we bring education to national security. Today we will look at Spain. Specifically, the flood of North African migrants into Spain in late July and early August 2026. How did this happen? Why did this happen? What are the consequences? I will conclude with a tragic account of a young woman who literally could not live with her depression caused, in large part, by a migrant gang rape.

OK. Let’s start with the invasion. You likely read about it in the papers. But was it really an invasion? When I think about invasions, I think of Germans thrusting into Russia in 1941 or the Allies storming the beaches of Normandy three years later. Invasions are generally contested. They are often coordinated military operations that meet spirited resistance on the shores. Did this happen in Spain last month? Hardly. Let’s take a look by first listening to the Prime Minister of Spain, Pedro Sanchez. Here he is:

“I’m the Prime Minister of Spain. This Is Why the West Needs Migrants. Imagine you’re the leader of a nation, and you face a dilemma. Half a million or so people who are crucial to everyone’s daily lives inhabit your country.” And his solution? To legalize 500,000 migrants. It was not difficult to do this.” So, that is what he said, and the legal system allowed him to do it. The Spanish Supreme Court ruled that migrants entering by sea could need to have their asylum claims reviewed before they could be deported. This could take years. When the word went out, thousands of Arab Muslims responded by entering Ceuta, a Spanish city in North Africa that shares a border with Morocco.

And poor Ceuta, which has a population of 85,000 covering 7 square miles, was promptly swamped. And this is not the first time tiny Ceuta became inundated with a population it could not possibly absorb. At the time, PM Sánchez assured his countrymen that many newly arrived would be returned to Morocco. Some were, but many were not. They were, in the terms of the Spanish government, “regularized.”

Did Spain benefit from this regularization? Migrants, Sánchez claimed, had given Spain a booming economy and urged Americans and Europeans to accept mass migration. He continued, “What is working for us can work for others. The time has come for leaders to speak clearly to their citizens about the dilemma we all face. We, as Western nations, must choose between becoming closed and impoverished societies or open and prosperous ones… Governments can buy into the far-right’s zero-sum thinking and retreat into isolation, scarcity, selfishness, and decline.”

Well, this is quite a claim. Yes? Sanchez offers Western nations a binary choice. Become, in his words, “closed and impoverished” or “open and free.” Governments that choose the former sink into “isolation, scarcity, selfishness and decline.” Really? Does he offer evidence to support this? Has Britain become more open, free, and prosperous as a result of the half-century of Third World immigration? Are Britons getting better jobs? Are they happier? Is the standard of living better? A few months ago, a credible report estimated that Great Britain was poorer than Mississippi. So Britain is now poorer than the most impoverished state in the Union. Is this a consequence of immigration? Perhaps not all of it, but did it contribute? You decide.

Sanchez has his detractors. Nabil Bissada, a popular blogger, opined, “Of course you are the Prime Minister of Spain. Your loyalty must be to Spain and to the citizens of Spain. If the West needs migrants, they must choose the correct ones. Not those who have already committed murder, rape, beheading, theft, destroyed churches, and kidnapped, and who live on welfare. Their target is to Islamize the West. If you are accepting more Muslims as migrants, it means you agree with and support all the crimes they are committing daily against your citizens.” Well, Bissada may have overstated this, but many Europeans would agree with the gist of it.

By August 2, Moroccans had swarmed into Spain at the repeated invitation of Spanish authorities. The invitations were both active and passive. Spanish leaders toasted the benefits of their newly naturalized countrymen in speeches, on television, and on social media. They also encouraged greater migration through passivity. Not all is perfect, of course. There are problems. But whom do Spanish leaders blame for the problems? Who is the default villain? Israel, of course. Let me explain. This is from the Algemeiner. Spanish Transportation Minister Óscar Puente issued a sharp rebuke that appeared to suggest Israel was behind the crisis, promoting claims that Jerusalem was attempting to undermine Spain. “Things are starting to become quite clear,” the Spanish official wrote in a post on X. Things are becoming clear? Well….its not clear to me. And the evidence for this? There is none because Israel had nothing to do with this situation. So, why the accusations? And why would Israel do this?

Well, I have several ideas. First, the leftist government in Madrid despises Israel and, to some extent, the Trump administration. I have repeatedly discussed the Green-Red Alliance of leftists and Muslims. This alliance is particularly strong in several European countries, including Spain. The Spanish press is fiercely anti-Israel. In an Instagram post, Spanish political commentator Carolina Alonso accused Israel of collaborating with Western right-wing forces to undermine Spain through immigration. These accusations also divert attention and blame from Spaniards towards the all-powerful hidden hand of Israel. Then, there is rank anti-Semitism, which has reached a fever pitch. Last week, French Jewish tourists were harassed as they left a synagogue in Barcelona. It is often dangerous for Jews to walk the streets in identifiable Jewish clothing in Spain.

And for Spain’s future? Well, Pedro Sanchez sees blue skies and sunlit uplands. How do we know? He told us so. In fact, he told us so repeatedly. Others are not so sanguine. They point to strains on Spanish society resulting from absorbing roughly one million migrants. What will happen to Spain’s hospitals and medical clinics, residential housing, education, and security?

Let’s take a look at what Florida Governor Ron DeSantis posted about Spain: “It doesn’t take Sherlock Holmes either to recognize that leftist policies are destroying the West. Yet many populations continue to vote in hard leftists. The self-hating mentality of leftists, who hold personal values that do not align with those of any Muslim country, is sinking the West, as those same leftists oversee the inundation of Western countries with millions of Muslim migrants.”

Finally, let’s leave Spain by acknowledging the death of a young woman who died by suicide after being gang-raped by migrants and traumatized to the point of attempting suicide. Noelia Castillo of Barcelona died by lethal procedure at an assisted living facility in Spain. Castillo has been confined to a wheelchair since 2022, when she attempted suicide by jumping from a fifth-floor building after being left traumatized by a horrific gang rape. She wanted to die, explaining, “I want to go now and stop suffering, period. None of my family is in favor of euthanasia. But what about all the pain I’ve suffered during all these years?” Were the migrants who raped her Muslims? I don’t know. Do you? Despite searching the Internet, I could not confirm their countries of origin. Some stories referred to them as North African. So, we can only guess.

This wraps up this episode. Nothing I said represents the official position of the United States government. If you are interested in Muslim-European relations, please consider picking up my latest book, Cauldron of Terror – Hamas, Israel and the World. On behalf of Kensington Security Consulting, this is Mark Silinsky. Out here.

Hello. This is Mark Silinsky from Kensington Security Consulting, where we bring education to national security. Welcome to the Kensington Weekly, a program that explores Islam's relationship with the world, week by week. This is the third week in August 2026. Let’s take a look at Jihad Watch and see what stories are posted.

First, let’s go to Germany to examine the migrant situation. This is a recurring theme in my podcasts. Years ago, then-Chancellor Merkel promised her countrymen that “We can do it.” She meant that native Germans could assimilate the “New Germans.” So…how is it going? Well, let's look at a few examples. First, there is a municipal swimming pool in Berlin. What can be controversial about a public pool? A drowning perhaps? No, nothing like that. Maybe it was those burkinis. The combination of a burka and a bikini. You may have seen them. Imagine a wet, swimming mummy in a pool, and you will get the idea. But that is not it. No, this harkens back to the Nuremberg Laws of the 1930s. It is a sick story of rank racial discrimination….AGAIN!

Berlin allocated €300,000 (£255,000) to open a "people's swimming pool." A people's swimming pool reminds me of the Volkswagen, Ya? Well, the pool announced six hours of restricted swimming. That is, no whites were allowed to swim during those hours. It was scheduled for August 14, 2026. Now… let's look closer. From the article I read, an organization called Each One Teach One, which bills itself, in its words, “as a non-discrimination collective,” was behind the effort. And the reasoning for the exclusion? In the words of Each One Teach One. "In doing so, the People’s Swimming Pool provides access for people who are frequently affected by exclusion and racism.” I am not sure that I understand the logic here. Do you? And, while we are at it, what is a non-White? I mean…would Barack Obama have been invited or excluded? His mom was white, and his father was black. Maybe he could have gone halfway, to his waist, into the pool given his mixed-race genes.

I had never heard of Each One Teach One. So let’s drill down a bit. This is from its homepage. “We counsel according to the principles of empowerment and partisanship, which means that the person seeking advice, with his or her history, desires and interests, is at the center of our work. In most cases, discrimination is subtle and difficult to grasp; sometimes there is even uncertainty as to whether it was discrimination at all. Those seeking advice can also turn to us in order to find words to express what they have experienced.”

Wow! I am taken by this line: “In most cases, discrimination is subtle and difficult to grasp.” Well, folks, I don’t think there is any subtlety to a pool sign that says “people of color only.” Do you? It is about as subtle as saying “Raus Juden!” Well, this group disagrees with me and other critics. They announced, "Labeling this (the black-only restriction) as a form of discrimination is very revealing." Well, Each One Teach One: we agree on one thing – it is revealing. Yes, it reveals to me the continued obsession with race in Germany and elsewhere. After pressure, the government canceled this event. But some form of it will be back. Mark my words.

What does this have to do with Islam? I don’t have the details, but many of them are considered non-white and are from North Africa and, presumably, Turkey and the Middle East. So, I would like to know who funds this group. Let me know if you have insights or opinions.

Let’s move away from the pool and into the classroom. How well are things going there with mass migration? Here is a story from Hugh Fitzgerald about a school in the Rhineland. The headlines read, “German teacher says school with 75% migrant-background students is plagued by violence, drugs, and even prostitution in toilets.” Speaking anonymously to Bild, special education teacher “Carola S.” said many New Germans had arrived from Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, or Ukraine. The teacher said, “It’s all blowing up in our faces. Every day is a challenge. Fights, shouting — this happens in the classroom and on the schoolyard,” she told the German tabloid. “We are happy if we can teach for a few minutes at a time. Sometimes the police have to come several times a week.” Her students are high on drugs, which are sometimes peddled openly. And the scourge of drugs brings prostitution. A 15-year-old student prostituted herself in the school toilets for drugs and money. She became pregnant and left the school. “And the academic implications this year, almost 40 percent failed to obtain their secondary school leaving certificate.” Carola S. calls her school a “holding pen” controlled by students who, in her words, are “mini-Islamists.” Well, they are also tomorrow’s leaders and voters. Well, good luck Carola.

Let’s turn now to that most puzzling friendship between gays and Muslim activists. I stress Muslim activists because garden-variety Muslims consider homosexuality foul and criminal. More than a few would like gays thrown from tall buildings. This comes from Adam Zivo: “British socialists fracture over Islamic homophobia,” National Post. In Britain last week, Muslim clerics from the group 5pillar, concerned about the growing appeal of the gay lifestyle, presented a short “practical” guide warning against the peril of the truth that dare not speak its name. Homosexuality was framed as an affliction that calls for “compassion without compromise.” Parents were further advised to monitor their children’s social media.

Well, this shouldn't be surprising. But how will this affect the Green-red alliance? I’ve written extensively about the partnership between leftists and Muslims. They are bound by a mutual hatred of the West, particularly of Israel and the United States. Can this friendship survive these strains? We will keep you posted.

We now go stateside to revisit the ongoing comic saga involving the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC). I’ve discussed this organization a few times. The Justice Department zeroed in on the SPLC for funding the hate organizations it purports to investigate. Yes, the SPLC is anything but poor, and its leaders hardly live in poverty. Its leaders responded that they made payments to infiltrate hate groups. We’ll see what comes out in court. But now let’s look at CFO Heidi Beirich, who may be facing prison. Heidi was arrested in California on fraud charges. According to the charges, she paid off the KKK and other anti-black groups. I hope they make a tongue-in-cheek docudrama about this. It could be a lot of fun. It certainly has all the elements of satire.

We have an unusual actor in Britain’s Islamic scene. China. Investigations in the U.S. and Britain have revealed China’s funding of anti-Israel groups, including Code Pink. This is from Nick Gutteridge, The Telegraph: U.S. politicians investigating alleged secret Chinese backing of Code Pink. I’ve discussed this group and profiled it in Cauldron of Terror. It is strongly anti-American and anti-Israel and appears to support Communist China. I mentioned earlier that Neville Singham has contributed “hundreds of millions of dollars” to far-left groups — Code Pink apparently has received the most — that spread Chinese communist propaganda.

So, why would China lavish millions to tarnish Israel’s image in Britain? The author speculates that it is part of a larger effort to sow division in the West. Maybe, but Israel’s image is very tarnished already. So, I think that this is a curious case.

Well, still in Britain, let’s turn to comedy. But be careful. The wrong joke could get you arrested or fined heavily. I’ve presented more than a few examples of near-lethal humor, and I intend to offer more for a few reasons. First, it is a warning to my listeners that the wrong joke – and by that I mean a joke about Islam – is very dangerous these days. I’ve been through it with you before. Reputational damage can get you sacked, demoted, or forced to publicly repent. Second, I use these fines and arrests as markers of the Islamification of Britain, which is well under way. Third, these are sad tales for me. I earned my master’s degree from Oxford in the late 1970s and early 1980s. England was both fun and funny to this young Yank. Well, as some Englishman said, the past is a foreign country.” This story comes from the British newspaper The Telegraph.

Stephen Gray, a retired police officer, made a joke. Whether it was funny is for you to judge. He wasn’t laughing when he was charged with a criminal offense for sharing online posts critical of Islam. He confessed, “I guess some of the posts may have been in bad taste. Some of them may upset one or two people, but I didn’t think for one second it would be cast as grossly offensive by the police, the Crown Prosecution Service and by the courts. Not for one second.”

And what were these offensive posts? The first had the words “time for mass deportation” alongside an image of a Middle Eastern man, who was in his late 20s or 30s, and the words “Children in Need”. The image had the caption “12-year-old Mohammed recently arrived at Dover. Please donate to help him move from a three-star to a five-star hotel which has a better halal menu, free Wi-Fi and Sky and is nearer to a girls’ school”.

The second image was a picture of a rasher of bacon and a man in a turban, alongside the caption “Fun facts about Bacon!” People who eat bacon have a lower chance of marrying a 9-year-old!” Well, I like the joke about bacon, but the judge didn’t yuck it up, and he ruled against the former policeman. The judge ruled that the first joke, which was about migration, was, here I quote, “not grossly offensive and related to a political issue that had been debated in Parliament.” So, he acquitted him on joke one. No prison and no fine. But now came joke two. This was the bacon joke, and yesterday’s bobby was found guilty as charged and fined 1,000 pounds. He is appealing the charge, and I will keep you posted. Please share your opinions about this.

So, that is it for this week. On behalf of Kensington Security Consulting, thanks for listening. Nothing in this or any other Kensington podcast represents the official view of the United States government. Until next week, out here.

Hello from Kensington Security Consulting, where we bring education to national security. This episode is called Ramming – Muslims, Cars, Pedestrians, and Europe. Last week, I discussed the rampant and random stabbing attacks. I offered you the term “getting stabby,” a play on words. In England, it means getting irritable and getting skewered on the street generally by a knife-wielding Muslim in the name of Allah. Well, this applies to running people over as well as impaling them. I don’t have any gallows humor or punny phrase for vehicle killings. Is there an equivalent for “getting stabby?” I don’t know of any. Let me know if you do. But let's get right to the stories.

Well, you likely heard about yet another car-ramming incident in Europe. More specifically, a 21-year-old named Abdul Ballout. Following the terror attack during the Christopher Street Day event in Berlin, a car struck several people in the Tiergarten area. One woman died in the attack and over 16 were wounded. According to the German magazine Bild, he was a German citizen of Lebanese descent. If you are curious about Christopher Street, it is a famous street in Manhattan that attracted many gays before the Stonewall Riot of 1968.

Back to Berlin … well, Ballout had a past, not a clean one. In fact, he has a long criminal record. But why would a repeat offender plow a car into a group of peaceful gays celebrating an annual festival? Why kill his fellow countrymen? What gives? Well, the answer lies in Islamofascism. Last week, I shared an episode called “Getting Stabby.” I quoted Robert Spencer, and I will do so again. The Islamic State issued this call back in September 2014. Here it is -“So O muwahhid, do not let this battle pass you by wherever you may be. You must strike the soldiers, patrons, and troops. Strike their police, security, and intelligence members, as well as their treacherous agents. Destroy their beds. Embitter their lives for them and busy them with themselves.” It continues, “If you are not able to find an IED or a bullet, then single out the disbelieving American, Frenchman, or any of their allies. Smash his head with a rock, or slaughter him with a knife, or run him over with your car, or throw him down from a high place, or choke him, or poison him….” Sound familiar? It should be, because this sentiment is often repeated by Muslim clerics.

Notice that the demand is to kill by any means possible, with a bullet, bomb, poison, rock, knife, or car. Use whatever you have. And Islamofascists do just that. According to Bild, Ballout was long part of the Islamofascist scene in Berlin. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz declared, “We will not allow this poison of terrorism to spread further in our society.” That was tough talk indeed, but what are the chances he will purge the “poison of terrorism” from Germany? And notice that Chancellor Merz did not mention Islam, let alone Islamofascism. I have discussed this ad nauseam. Western leaders avoid, at almost all costs, the ideology that drives the attacks. And that ideology is Islamofascism. European leaders are not alone. Several gay activists openly stated this. Before Ballout’s identity was known, they hoped the perp was a Christian, white person. And this is the mindset of intersectionality, which is part of the Green-Red alliance. I have discussed this repeatedly.

Was Ballout the only Islamofascist to bowl over Europeans like tenpins? Hardly. In February of last year, Farhad N. carried out an Islamofascist vehicular rampage in Germany. He killed several infidels but did not die in the attack. The prosecutor in his case said, “He acted out of religious motivation.” Well, yes. So what was that religion? Was he a Lutheran? Lots of Lutherans in Germany, and Catholics, too. Jews? Probably not. Most are long gone. Hmmmm. Buddhists or Hindus? Maybe, I suppose. Hmmm. Well, somebody in the prosecutor's office added: “He believed he was obliged to attack and kill randomly selected people in Germany in response to the suffering of Muslims in Islamic countries.” Let’s examine the logic here. He drives into a crowd of Germans because Muslims abroad suffer. Did Germans cause the suffering? Yes? How? And were the Germans at this German rally directly responsible for the suffering of Muslims abroad? Yes? I don’t see how. Well, if this makes sense to you, please explain it to me.

Let’s turn to another ramming in Germany. This time, it is a combination of ramming, burning, and slashing in an Islamofascist attack. In September 2024, a 41-year-old Syrian national wounded 31 people, including two children who were left in critical condition, in arson attacks in Essen. He, like the killer of Christopher Street, was well known to police. This attack was planned. This Islamofascist set several residential buildings aflame, randomly slashed kaffirs with a machete, and ran his car into several storefronts. He carried a Palestinian flag as he attacked.

• Let’s go to Norway and examine the case of a woman who plowed into pedestrians. An Islamofascist woman deliberately ran her sports utility vehicle into a man who had just burned a Koran. But you would not know this from the AFP headlines. On January 27, 2024, Robert Spencer points out the AFP headlines, which read, “Woman jailed over car-chase with Norway anti-Islam activist.” Well, yes. This is true, I guess. She is a woman. It was a car chase. The victim was certainly opposed to Islamofascism, and I assume he had little time for Islam in general. But I think the headline was intentionally misleading. First, what kind of woman was she? Christian? Pagan? Quaker? Don’t you think it matters? Well, I do. She attacked her victim because she was a Muslim, in the name of Islam, to avenge a slur against Islam, and the victim was a critic of Islam. I see a lot of Islamic issues in this woman.

Let’s go to the “car chase.” Maybe it is me, but I think of a car chase as Bonnie-and-Clyde types of things. Or the scene in the French Connection, a great movie. Better yet, Steve McQueen scouring the streets of San Francisco with his 68 Mustang in Bullitt. But is running somebody over a car chase? What do you think?

Now we move to the last part of the headline, which is the characterization of the victim as a critic of Islam. This is true…yes…sure. But he was also a free speech activist. He was also a defender of Western civilizations and norms. He was a Norwegian patriot. So, I suggest we conjure up some alternative headlines. These are a few:

“Female Islamofascist Tries to Kill Norwegian Patriot.” Here is another one, “Rampaging Muslim woman Berserker.” I could go on, and yes, I am being sarcastic. I’ll stop. But I think you get my point. And this is about it for this episode. Thanks for listening. Nothing in this podcast represents the official position of the United States government. I am very excited about the publication of my latest book, Cauldron of Terror – Hamas, Israel and the World – 500 Days in Gaza. On behalf of Kensington Security Consulting, until next time, out here.

Hello. This is Mark Silinsky from Kensington Security Consulting, where we bring education to national security. Welcome to the Kensington Weekly, a program that explores Islam's relationship with the world, week by week. This is the second week in August 2026.
Let's begin with an article by Hugh Fitzgerald at Jihad Watch that tells a compelling and tragic German story. What happened? Marius Dick, a young German, was killed by an Afghan who stabbed him. Dick was walking home after shopping when Afghan asylum seeker Sajad M, 22, sprang from a hedge and plunged a kitchen knife into his heart. The two had never met. Why did Sajad M kill a random pedestrian? According to a public health officer, he was mentally ill. This surprised some who knew him, who described him as a good neighbor and fellow worker.

October 7, 2023 changed the Middle East and the world. It was a slaughter unlike anything the Jewish world had experienced since the Nazis. You know that. Well, let me offer you a take on the attack and its aftereffects that I discuss in the book. But I want to emphasize two elements that I think are of great interest to this audience. First, I will discuss the counterterrorism strategy and how effectively it was applied to Hamas. Second, I will address how Hamas is defined. Others and I suggest that Hamas is what it is, not what we want it to be. Third, I will examine the global response to the attack. I think it shocked most of us. Almost immediately, Israel, the victim, became the genocidal victimizer.

This episode is called Getting Stabby – Muslims, Knives, and the West. An interesting title? Brace yourself for an unconventional talk. Muslim stabbing frenzies are much in the news these days. Britain has long been a stabbing center in Europe. It was there that the term “getting stabby” was coined. Well, this has two meanings: becoming irritable, and unwanted knife activity. And there is plenty of unwanted slashing and plunging stainless steel activity in London. In May, a jihadist group suspected of links to Iran claimed responsibility for the stabbings of two Jewish men. All this and more is in Getting Stabby.

Hello and welcome to Jihad and the World. This episode traces the early Muslim migration to Britain. It is entitled, “Islam Comes to Britain.”

"Already London is the biggest center for Islamic finance outside the Islamic world. But I want London . . . to be one of the great capitals of Islamic finance anywhere in the world. John Cameron, 2013

“A cesspit for Islamists" Wole Soyinka, a Nobel Laureate for Literature, description of London, 2010

Origins

Islam's presence in Britain began in the 19th century through colonial ties to India. The East India Company established trade relations with Muslims, especially in India, and employed many South Asian workers. The first notable play about Islam was the 1802 production “The Bedouins, or Arabs of the Desert,” a comedy in which an Englishman navigates Arabia. In 1857, a boarding house advertising itself as a home for “Asiatics (sic) Africans and South Sea Islanders” opened in London's Limehouse district. Arab design and fashion influenced Britain. Brighton’s Royal Pavilion, built in 1815; the 'Arab Hall' at Leighton House in London; and the 'Arab Room' at Cardiff Castle, all from the mid-19th century, introduced a new aesthetic to the country.

The opening of the Suez Canal in 1869 brought more Muslim workers to Britain. The first notable mosque was established in Liverpool in the early 1890s. Henry William Quilliam became Shaykh Abdullah Qulliam after converting to Islam in 1887. The Ottoman sultan appointed him Shaykh al-Islam of the United Kingdom. During both world wars, Muslims fought for and against Britain. In the Middle East, the exploits of Lawrence of Arabia became famous as he led a revolt by Arab Muslims against Ottoman Muslims during the Great War. Britain liberalized its immigration policies after World War II. The British Nationality Act of 1948 was significant, welcoming former colonials as countrymen. The journey of the “SS Empire Windrush” from Jamaica to Britain that year symbolized the beginning of what is now called multicultural Britain.

Many families from the Indian subcontinent soon followed, increasing the Muslim population decade by decade. As the social landscape changed, British lawmakers crafted anti-racial-discrimination legislation. A series of Race Relations Acts in the 1960s and 1970s became the legal foundation for combating perceived discrimination. Muslims were not initially defined as a race and were not afforded protections under the Acts. Some Britons were worried about the growing influence of South Asia and the Middle East. But others were well placed to take advantage of the billions of petrodollars. London’s City, its financial center, was delighted to absorb new financial flows. British home banks courted domestic finance and eagerly accommodated Muslims through Sharia-compliant finance, which is Islamic-compatible lending and investing. Sharia-compliant stock funds may not invest in industries considered sinful, such as alcohol and pork.

Multiculturalism

“We gonna rock down to Electric Avenue and then we take it higher.” This line from Eddy Grant’s song Electric Avenue references the Brixton riots of 1981.

Social tensions grew during the 1970s and 1980s. In April 1981, the London suburb of Brixton erupted in anger against the police. The riot pitted traditional police officers, armed with wooden truncheons, against alienated non-white residents. Journalists and elites generally discussed these riots in terms of racial alienation or class struggle.

In the 1990s, Prime Minister Tony Blair championed Muslim-friendly immigration policies. He admired Islam, calling it a beautiful religion and describing Muhammad as an “enormously civilizing force.” He increased immigration levels and boasted about “rubbing the Right’s nose in diversity.” A pivotal shift in immigration policy followed the publication of “Research, Development, and Statistics Occasional Paper No. 67.” Released in 2001, the paper projected a bright, prosperous multicultural future. The large influx of immigrants was expected to boost wages for all Britons and to culturally enrich the United Kingdom. Tory leaders criticized the Prime Minister for turning Britain into “a foreign land.”

Middle Eastern migrants continued to arrive, straining the country's resources. By 2017, Britain was among many European countries that absorbed millions of Middle Eastern migrants, most of whom were young men. Some claimed to be 16 or 17 years old but had receding hairlines and stubble beards. They had no official documents to verify their age.

All is Not Well

“It’s our country, it’s not a Christian country. You jealous we taking over?” A Muslim shopkeeper to a leader of a Christian Patrol marcher, May 2017.

“Islamophobia is an oxymoron.” A sign held by an ex-Muslim, London, July 2017

Tensions between Muslim and non-Muslim Britons surfaced in the early 21st century. Muslim advocates demanded and received law enforcement protection against slights to their religion. Some claimed to suffer emotional distress caused by “Islamophobia,” a term that became deeply embedded in the British lexicon.

But many white British, rich and poor, felt they needed protection. Working-class whites organized through groups, particularly the English Defense League, and through ad hoc patrols of their neighborhoods. The well-heeled class, no longer feeling inoculated against Islamist violence, beefed up security in the tonier parts of town. The long-iconic English nanny, made world-famous through Mary Poppins, retooled. British counterterrorism specialists taught aspiring nannies at Norland College how to protect wards from terrorists. Across Britain, ideas that would have been laughed off as bad jokes are now taken seriously.

By 2015, there were at least 3 million Muslims living in Britain. Of these Muslims, 47% were born in Britain; 68% were ethnically Asian; and 33% were under 16 years old. Eight percent of all school-age children in Britain were Muslim, and many schools had student bodies with over 50%.

But many Muslims, particularly women, did not work outside the home and were dependent on welfare, known as benefits in Britain. Nor were Muslims proportionally represented in professional occupations. “About 6 in 10 Muslim women who have had traditional Islamic weddings in Britain are not legally married, according to a survey. They have had a nikah marriage, but 61% failed to go through a separate civil ceremony recognized by the family courts. If their marriage breaks down and they cannot agree on a division of assets, they must fight through the civil courts rather than start with a presumption that they will get an equal share.”

The growth of the Muslim population has brought significant voting power. Muslims are a decisive voting bloc, comprising 20% or more of the electorate in 26 constituencies and residing in all local authority areas in England and Wales. Islam will likely become the dominant religion in Britain within several generations.

All this has raised concerns about pervasive “whiteness.” London's transport authority is far too dominated by white men, according to London Mayor Sadiq Khan, who promised “to reshape (it) to better reflect London's diversity in the interest of Londoners.” The Department for Education plans to recruit an additional 68,000 teachers from black and minority ethnic (BME) backgrounds to better reflect England’s pupil demographics. Some organizations are simply too white for some tastes. British Red Cross chief: “There is a risk that in a very diverse community like Grenfell, an organization with the words ‘British’ and ‘Cross’ in its title is confused with a Christian establishment organization.”

This concludes this episode of Jihad and the World. Future podcasts will update relations between Muslims and non-Muslims in Britain and on the continent. If you liked it, please subscribe and give us a like. We are very excited about our latest book, Cauldron of Terror – Hamas, Israel, and the World, which may now be available for purchase. Nothing in this podcast represents the official position of the United States government. Until our next podcast, thank you for listening, and goodbye from Kensington Security Consulting.

Hello and welcome to Jihad and the West. This episode is one of many that examines the integration of Islamic culture into European society, particularly in the wake of the surge in immigration from Muslim countries into Europe, especially Western Europe. It looks at relations between Muslims and non-Muslims in Europe, particularly in Britain. It is called “Not all rainbows and unicorns – Four levels of Friction between Muslims and non-Muslims in Europe.”

Four Levels of Friction

“There are those who carry out acts of terror in the name of Islam, but it is not truly in the name of Islam,” Theresa May said on December 1, 2017, in response to President Trump’s retweeting of violent images from Britain First.

By 2018, there were roughly four levels of tension between Muslim and non-Muslim Britons. The first involves general, often mutual, unease; the second is a clear display of contempt through nonviolent means; the third involves physical intimidation and nonlethal violence; and the fourth includes violence that could cause injury, disfigurement, or loss of life. Many forms of violence do not fit this model. For example, female genital mutilation (FGM) is usually, though not always, performed by adult Muslims on young Muslim women. Acid attacks are committed by both whites and Muslims, but direct violence by individuals of one religion against those of another is not typically seen.

Friction Level One- A Generalized, Non-violent Unease

The first level of hostility is a generalized, nonviolent unease. It is a palpable mutual resentment between Muslims and non-Muslims, confined to words. Some name-calling is illegal because there are no legal protections for speech. Muslim organizations use hate-speech laws to censor discussions they view as deriding Muslims or Islam. Conversely, non-Muslims resent efforts to elevate Islamic law above British law and liberal norms. Many whites complain that the constant, loud protests against anti-Muslim harassment and bias are exaggerated and create a chilling effect on open discussions about Islam. Casual comments have resulted in fines or imprisonment. For example, a burger van owner was prosecuted for saying that Muslims “are taking over” and that he would like to feed them bacon. The comment cost him about $1,000 in fines.

Level One includes passive aggression. Whites complain that they are treated disrespectfully and that their customs are subordinated to those of Muslims. For example, a Muslim shop assistant refused to sell a bottle of wine, citing her religious beliefs. In Scotland, the largest-ever immunization program was scotched after Muslim parents complained that a vaccine contained pork gelatin. In turn, Muslims claim they are victims of employment and social discrimination. They say they are excluded and blocked from entering the upper strata of British life.

Friction Level Two - Aggressive Contempt and Harassment

"Butchers of Basra . . . Anglian Soldiers Go To Hell." Islamists chanting at British soldiers at their homecoming parade in Luton, March 10, 2009

"Eng-er-land! . . . Eng-er-land! . . . We pay your benefits!" Britons in Luton returning chants to Islamists at British soldiers’ at a homecoming parade, Luton, March 10, 2009

The second level of friction is aggressive contempt and harassment. At that level, tensions escalate beyond harsh glances and social snubbing. Anger is expressed through yelling, threatening, shoving, and sometimes throwing things. In March 2017, in Luton, the British Armed Forces faced hostility when Muslims called returning British soldiers murderers. Townspeople responded with yelling. This incident drew national attention and led to the creation of the English Defense League, making its leader, Tommy Robinson, a widely known and controversial figure. Jayda Fransen also gained some fame when she organized a Christian patrol in response to Sharia patrols. She also received a fine after berating a Muslim woman about hormonally driven Muslim men, whom Fransen claimed “raped women” across Europe. This statement cost her $2,500.

In some British cities, white residents complain that Sharia patrols harass them if they carry alcohol or if women dress in ways considered inappropriate under Muslim norms. Gays sometimes face mockery and belittlement when showing affection for their same-sex partners. Jews in traditional dress are spat on. Behaviors such as sexual harassment, staring, and some groping are treated as minor conflicts. Former Muslims and gays are often targeted with verbal abuse.

Level Two conflicts include whites teasing Muslims by tossing bits of bacon. A man who told Muslims to “go eat bacon” was fined, and another was imprisoned for leaving bacon sandwiches on a mosque’s doorstep. After reports that someone left two pieces of bacon on a Muslim’s windshield and a full pack of bacon strips near a mosque, a Cambridgeshire police spokeswoman said, “We will be carrying out extra patrols in the area of both Cambridge mosques.” There is sometimes friction between practicing Muslims and ex-Muslims. In Islam, leaving the religion is punishable by death. British Muslims who convert to Christianity sometimes live in fear. Due to concerns about hate speech, some criticism of both female genital mutilation (FGM) and forced marriage is banned.

Friction Level Three – Violent, non-lethal Attacks

“They were overlooked, they were discriminated against... They were treated appallingly by protective services,” said Sara Rowbotham, a Rochdale sexual health counselor, referring to girl victims of sexual exploitation.

At the third level of friction, there are intentional acts of violence driven by religious animus. These include spontaneous shoving, fistfights, and non-homicidal attacks with bladed weapons, vehicles, poisons, firearms, and other objects that were weaponized. Level three may also involve threats of violent acts. Police are often hesitant to classify violent acts as motivated by religious or racial animus. Unless clear evidence shows that the attack was solely or mainly driven by religious animus, it may not be classified as a hate crime. Stories of rape have become so common that only the most sensational make headlines. Beating, both random and targeted, has also become frequent.

Some attacks are clearly motivated by religion. Three Muslim men in their 20s approached men on Liverpool’s streets, asking whether they were Muslim or Christian. Those who answered “Christian” were beaten, as was one who said, “It’s none of your business.” Some of these attacks were captured on video; the attackers were arrested; and one, after being detained, confessed to “targeting people because they were white and non-Muslim.”

Notorious sex-grooming scandals surfaced. Many underage white girls were targeted and pressured into sex by men and boys of Pakistani or Somali heritage. Some girls were given narcotics to develop addictions, which then pushed them into prostitution. In some cases, girls were simply abducted and raped. Nearly all of the girls who were groomed were non-Muslim, and almost all of the perpetrators were Muslim men. The wives of jailed Muslim sexual offenders blame the victims. Labour MP Naz Shah shared a social media post urging victims of heinous sexual abuse to stay silent for “the good of diversity.” Many Britons have remained silent about the widespread sexual abuse, but some victims have spoken out.

Level Four – Homicide

“There’s only one way Britain should respond to attacks such as Manchester. That is by carrying on exactly as before.” Andrew Buncombe, a journalist at The Independent, referring to the Manchester bombing, The Independent, May 23, 2017

The fourth level of friction is homicide. These attacks make international headlines, especially when there are multiple homicides or gruesome casualties. In Britain, mass killings by Irish separatists persisted for years. Since the 7/7 attacks in London, most politically motivated multiple killings have been linked to radical Islam. In spring 2017, a 47-year-old white man drove a lorry into Muslim worshipers at a London mosque, shouting, “This is for London Bridge.” He killed one person and injured others.

Bombing targets vary. Iconic structures like London Bridge are common targets in Britain and elsewhere in Europe. The technology used was relatively advanced, as seen in the Manchester suicide attack. Bombs are designed to kill and maim as many people as possible. A notorious homicidal attack was the Manchester Arena bombing. A young suicide bomber packed a rucksack with a 'massive number' of small metal objects to kill, blind, maim, and scar as many people as possible. Twenty-two people were killed, and 220 received medical treatment. Mother and daughter Lisa and Saffie Roussos were in the audience to see Ariana Grande. The 48-year-old mother was severely injured in the blast. Five days later, after emerging from a coma, she learned that her eight-year-old daughter had been killed at the scene.

Given the randomness of the attacks, it is usually impossible to predict who will be targeted tomorrow. Victims typically begin the last day of their lives without suspecting they will be murdered before dawn. Their families and friends are often unprepared for the shock and grief that will endure for the rest of their lives. In March 2017, on Westminster Bridge in London, a British convert ran over and stabbed people. More than 50 people were injured, and five died from their wounds. What about more recent attacks? These are the subjects of upcoming podcasts.

Thank you for listening to this episode of Jihad and the World. We will soon release an updated version of these four levels of friction. We are also very excited about our latest book, “Cauldron of Terror – Hamas, Israel and the World,” which will soon be available for purchase. Nothing in this podcast represents the official opinion of the United States government. Until our next podcast, thank you and goodbye from Kensington Security Consulting.

Hello and welcome to Jihad and the World, a product of Kensington Security Consulting, where we bring education to national security. Today's episode is entitled "Whip Hands and Bloody Rivers - Immigration Comes to Britain."

Whip Hands and Bloody Rivers

Mercurial, brilliant, eccentric, and legendarily controversial, Enoch Powell was a prominent figure in Britain until 1968. He served as a Member of Parliament for 18 years and was openly nationalist and conservative. Raised in a middle-class family in Birmingham, he excelled as a scholar at Cambridge, where he later taught classics. He had a distinguished military career and became one of the youngest brigadiers of his era. He couldn't fulfill his dream of becoming the viceroy of India because it had gained independence. As a result, he entered politics, where he made a significant impact.

He delivered a speech in Birmingham on April 20, 1968, that shocked the nation. Using alarmist language that made international headlines and ended his political career, he warned Britain that soon "the black man will have the whip hand over the white man.” With a historical reference to Virgil, it became known as the “Rivers of Blood Speech.”

Immediately, people tried to understand why he said what he did. Why would he gratuitously give fodder to his political rivals? Why did he refer to blacks as “wide-grinning pickaninnies”? Fluent in Greek, Latin, Hebrew, French, German, Italian, Urdu, and medieval Welsh, Powell could have used less derogatory words. Why did he give the speech on Hitler’s birthday? Many fellow Tories agreed with Powell's critique but not his word choice.

His Legacy

Today, few Tories would openly embrace Powell’s rhetoric. However, leaders of the anti-immigrant British National Party (BNP) have no such hesitation. The group’s Midlands leader said, "It has taken us 40 years to admit it. We shuffled into this nightmare we find ourselves in, where our traditions, history, and culture are being replaced far more quickly than Mr. Powell could even have dreamed of.” But many Britons have forgotten him. He was the MP from Wolverhampton, and many local college students have asked, "Enoch who? Yeah, I've heard of him. Who was he?" A British journalist snickered that for today’s generation, "Rivers of apathy" better describes politics. Others have compared him to American Senator Joseph McCarthy, the fiery scourge of communism of the early 1950s. McCarthy inflated the number of communists in the U.S. government. He disparaged the loyalty of American civil servants, some of whom had no connection to the Soviet Union. Nonetheless, he identified a significant, very real conspiracy that compromised national security. But a popular backlash made it difficult to accuse American officials of being communists, even if the charge was true. Today, in Britain, intellectuals and politicians do not want to be accused of McCarthy-like or Powell-like sentiments regarding immigration. They stay silent. The wrong words could end a career.

Terror Central

And what about Powell’s city of Birmingham? Outside the Maasha' Allah internet cafe, Mohammed Hussain raised his voice over the recorded Quranic verses blaring from the abaya shop two doors down. He was furious that Britain's latest terrorist attacker had amplified the stigma against his city. "Why do all the jihadis come to Birmingham?" he half-shouted, prompting a passing group of teenage girls in bright-colored headscarves to frown, then giggle. A few years ago, a Fox News terrorism commentator had to apologize for describing Birmingham as a "Muslim-only city" where non-Muslims "don't go." Nonetheless, Birmingham, Britain's second-largest city after London, has produced a disproportionate number of convicted Islamist militants, including some linked to the Sept. 11 attacks and last year's bombings in Brussels. So many Islamist militants have been born in Birmingham—or have passed through—that the Birmingham Mail once lamented the city's dubious distinction as "Terror Central."

When a masked member of Shabab, the Somali extremist group, celebrated the murder of soldier Lee Rigby in a 2013 video, he identified Birmingham as the main source of its fighters. The man believed to have recruited the militant known as Jihadi John, the Islamic State executioner with a King's English accent, was from Birmingham, as was his closest associate. Other notable militants linked to the city's underground networks include Abdelhamid Abaaoud, who organized the 2015 Paris attacks, and Mohamed Abrini, a Belgian national involved in the 2016 Brussels attacks. After-school madrassas are increasingly sought by parents who want their children to study the Quran. Even state-funded schools often accommodate religious needs by allowing lunchtime prayer, shorter days during Ramadan, and optional headscarves. Mr. Choudary, now in prison after being convicted last year of encouraging support for Islamic State, has recently preached in Birmingham several times. His group would arrive in large vans on Coventry Road, an area associated with conservative Islam, to preach and distribute leaflets. "They turned religion into a gang-like thing, with thugs around him saying, 'Come join our gang,'" said Mr. Ashfaq, director of Kikit. Their message, he explained, was "you can be cool, you can become a gangster," a jihadi message.

2018

Britain had changed many times in the 50 years since 1968. The Beatles had long since disbanded, and many genres of music had come and gone. Pink Floyd’s Roger Waters was still shredding the guitar and had been a political activist for years. By 2018, Britain was filled with technology that could not have been imagined 50 years earlier. The internet, cell phones, DVDs, biomedical technologies, and vape stores had long been staples for generations X, Y, and Z.

Britain had become multicultural, which brought benefits. A visitor on a London street would likely note diversity in full bloom. An Afro-Caribbean takeout restaurant would be next to a salon hawking hair weaves and henna tattoos, which would be next to a Muslim bookstore. But the British were increasingly careful with some imagery. Athletic clubs and fashion houses had, for years, removed cross emblems from their uniforms and sporting clothes. from its crest on new sportswear after its website was. The Crusades trigger emotions for some Muslims. Years before, the Middlesex Crusaders cricket club changed its name to the Middlesex Panthers.

Women’s issues, rarely discussed in Britain in 1968, were broadcast on television in 2018. The BBC One series “Casualty,” a medical drama, became the first mainstream drama on British TV to address female genital mutilation. Cringe comedy sparked some laughs. Satirists enjoyed mocking an all-women gang of suicide bombers in Mesopotamia. In 2017, the BBC featured "The Real Housewives of ISIS," a comedy sketch some see as “revolting” for trivializing British Jihadi brides. Others appreciated it as weaponized humor.

Fashion in Britain reflected the country’s demographics. Large department stores sold hijabs. In 2017, London hosted an inaugural “Modest Fashion Week.” The smiling models strutted down the runway wearing clothes that, promoters promised, adhered to “Muslim values.” Critics, however, called this a medieval fashion show. The advertisements for women’s clothing on London’s buses were not as revealing or risqué as the bikinis or mini-skirts of 1968. In solidarity with British feminists, the Muslim mayor pulled and blocked “body-shaming ads.” He did.

The appearance of British street toughs changed. The “mods and the rockers” of the early 1960s were long gone. Gangs, some white and some Asian, lingered in the streets of London. There was a new phenomenon of Sharia patrols in some cities. Religiously dressed young men demanded that passersby follow Islamic Sharia law. Some were filmed shouting, "This is a Muslim area.” Seventy years after the Nationality Act and 40 years after the “Rivers of Blood” speech, parts of Blackburn, Birmingham, Burnley, and Bradford have populations that are between 70% and 85% Muslim. Britain had changed. Is this important? What do you think? We want to hear from you.

This concludes this episode from Jihad and the World. It does not represent the official position of the United States government. Thank you for listening. Until next time, goodbye from Kensington Security Consulting.

Hello from Jihad and the World – a podcast that explores the intersection of Western and Islamic cultures. The author is Mark Silinsky of Kensington Security Consulting, and today’s episode will look at the changing face of Britain. The look, feel, and substance of Britain changed significantly from 1968 to 2018. In that 50-year span, Muslim populations mushroomed throughout the country. This episode is titled "The New Multicultural Britain."

“To me, the most remarkable thing about the Koran is how progressive it is.” Tony Blair, 2007

Britain is an epic poem of empire; civilization; liberalism; humanity, decline; and, today, multiculturalism. Minister Tony Blair promised to change Britain forever by throwing open the door the nation’s door to immigration. He kept his promise, which will be discussed at length in the next few podcasts.

Demographics

“It’s our country, it’s not a Christian country. You jealous we taking over?” A Muslim shopkeeper to a leader of a Christian Patrol marcher, May 2017.

By 2015, there were at least 3 million Muslims living in Britain. Of these Muslims, 47% were UK-born, 68% were ethnically Asian, and 33% were aged 15 and under, indicating that the Muslim population was relatively young. Eight percent of all school-age children (five to 15) were from Muslim households. Some schools have a high proportion of Muslim pupils, such as those in Washwood Heath in Birmingham, where 86% of school-age children were Muslim.

As the Muslim population has grown, a powerful voting bloc has emerged. Muslims now form a decisive voting bloc, making up 20% or more of the electorate in 26 constituencies and present in all local authority areas in England and Wales. Islam will likely become the dominant religion in Britain within several generations.

In addition to immigration and fertility, conversion is a source of new Muslims in Britain. Some converts have gained fame; Myriam Francois-Cerrah became well known as a child for her role in the 90s hit film 'Sense and Sensibility.' Now, she is gaining more recognition as one of the many educated, middle-class female converts to Islam in Britain. “

Britain - 1968 and 2018

“This is London Calling.” The British Broadcasting Corporation World Service’s Station Identification

In 1968, the London scene burst with artistic creativity and social change. For years, living standards had been rising. A decade earlier, Tory Prime Minister Harold Macmillan toasted the growing prosperity with the cheery observation, “You never had it so good.” There was social license as never before. Abortion was legalized, and the birth control pill was available.

The Beatles continued to define the Western music scene. They made their last TV appearance together in 1968 and produced the White Album. The Rolling Stones topped the charts with “Jumpin’ Jack Flash.” Pink Floyd and Jethro Tull gave a free concert in Hyde Park. British actors performed nude in the London musical “Hair.” “Top of the Pops” was hosted by Jimmy Savile. .

Alan Bennett’s first play, “Forty Years On,” was staged. On British television, Lindsay Anderson’s “If” satirized a posh boarding school filled with boys gone bad. Also in 1968, “A Lion in Winter” dramatized the pageantry and pathologies of a deeply dysfunctional royal family. The animated film Yellow Submarine fused the music of the Beatles with the artistry of Peter Max. Censorship in the theater was abolished.

Muslims were an increasingly noticeable but not yet prominent part of the social landscape. Many immigrants in the 1950s and 1960s came from India and Pakistan in search of a better standard of living. Many found it. They could earn 30 times as much in Britain as on the subcontinent. They, along with Jamaicans, Africans, and millions of other people of color, had come to Britain to stay.

2018

“London Bridge is falling down, falling down, falling down,

London Bridge is falling down, my fair lady.”

Fifty years later, Britain had changed many times. The Beatles had long since disbanded, and many musical genres had come and gone. Pink Floyd’s Roger Waters was still shredding guitar and campaigning for political causes. In 2018, Britain was teeming with technology that could not have been imagined 50 years earlier. The internet, cell phones, DVDs, biomedical technologies, and vape stores had long been staples for generations X, Y, and Z. There was a new architectural style, an anti-terrorist one. In London, government buildings had embedded barriers.

If sexual mores had been liberalized in 1968, they would have become more confused 50 years later. The year before, a British convert to Islam was found guilty of attempting to join the Islamic State and of attempting to purchase a juvenile sex slave. In his words, “. . . the younger & experienced the better.” Pakistani sex-grooming gangs were exposed in many cities and found to have victimized many thousands of British white girls.

Britain had become multicultural. A visitor on a London street would likely notice diversity in full bloom. An Afro-Caribbean takeout restaurant stands next to a salon hawking hair weaves and henna tattoos, which in turn is next to a Muslim bookstore. But Britons were increasingly careful with historic imagery that could set passions aflame. For years, athletic clubs and fashion houses had been removing cross emblems from their uniforms and sportswear. In 2016, the Middlesex Crusaders cricket club changed its name to the Middlesex Panthers. Sainsbury’s stopped selling the Real Easter Egg in 2017 and began carrying a halal chocolate egg with no references to Jesus. The trend continued.

Television shows touched on social strains and taboos, usually gently. BBC One's “Casualty,” a medical drama series, became the first mainstream British television drama to grapple with female genital mutilation. Cringe comedy drew some chuckles. Satirists had fun with an all-women gang of suicide bombers in Mesopotamia. In 2017, the BBC featured "The Real Housewives of ISIS," a comedy sketch some viewers called “revolting” for trivializing British Jihadi brides. Others enjoyed it as weaponized humor.

Fashion in Britain reflected the country’s transformed demographics. Large department stores sold Islamic garb and featured smiling hijab-clad women in their advertising. In 2017, London hosted the inaugural “Modest Fashion Week.” The statuesque models who strutted the catwalk wore clothes that promoters promised complied with “Muslim values,” while others called it a medieval fashion show. Advertisements for women’s clothing on London’s buses were less revealing than in earlier years. In solidarity with British feminists, the Muslim mayor pulled revealing bikini photographs, which he called “body-shaming ads.”

The appearance of British street toughs changed. The “mods and the rockers” of the early 1960s had long since disappeared. Gangs, some white and some Asian, loitered on the streets. Sharia patrols emerged in some cities. Religiously dressed young men demanded that passersby follow Islamic Sharia law. Some were filmed shouting, "This is a Muslim area.” Seventy years after the Nationality Act and 40 years after the British politician Enoch Powell warned his countrymen about unchecked immigration, parts of Blackburn, Birmingham, Burnley, and Bradford now have populations that are between 70% and 85% Muslim.

Throughout Britain, the level of integration was uneven and, for some, alarming. According to a 2001 Daily Telegraph survey, many Muslims lived in cultural self-segregation. Many did not see themselves as British Muslims but as Muslims living in Britain. By 2017, segregation was even more pronounced. Longitudinal medical studies also revealed abnormally high rates of genetic abnormalities among Pakistani British. This may have resulted from a tradition of marrying first cousins. Britain had changed.

Muslims were an increasingly noticeable but not a prominent part of the social landscape. Many immigrants in the 1950s and 1960s came from India and Pakistan, seeking a better standard of living. Many found it. They could earn 30 times as much in Britain as they did in the subcontinent. They had come to Britain to stay, and some Brits had something to say about that. One very vocal critic was Enoch Powell, who is the subject of our next podcast.

Thank you for listening to the episode of Jihad and the World. Nothing in this reading represents the official position of the United States government. Until our next episode, goodbye from Kensington Security Consulting.

Hello from Jihad and the World, a product of Kensington Security Consulting, where we bring education to national security. This episode is part of a series of podcasts that examine Islamic and non-Islamic in Europe. This episode offers analytic snapshots of the press and police in Europe. Future podcasts will expand on the general themes presented in the podcast, titled The Press and Police – Lover Boys and Easy Meat. The author is Mark Silinsky.

The Press

Over the past fifty years, European journalists have developed a new language, avoiding words that could be culturally offensive. Some see themselves as protectors of progressive values. Across the continent, an unspoken rule governs which topics to discuss and which words to use, lest they threaten social unity. In Germany, ethnic Germans are called “those who have lived here longer.” Increasingly, the ethnicity and religion of criminals or suspects are ignored or concealed. Journalists dismiss the motives of violent offenders as irrelevant. In Sweden, four men described by police as looking like “foreign tourists” drugged and gang-raped young women. Establishment politicians in most European countries deny the existence of “no-go zones.” In Arnhem, Holland, near the Nelson Mandela Bridge, a gang of boys and men called two gay men “filthy faggots” in Dutch/Moroccan slang and then beat them. The arrested perpetrators were simply referred to as "youths" in the mainstream media. Brutal, often gruesome, slashings or vehicle attacks are labeled as actions of "lunatics,” with little or no mention of political or religious motives. Those opposed to Islam are often labeled racists.

Editors have altered or revised the meanings of many words to avoid offending social and religious groups. Islam is often described as a race rather than a religion. Some of this concealment is self-censorship, while other cases stem from fear of retaliation, such as the cartoon killings in France and Denmark. The German Press Council, which oversees journalistic standards, stated that information about a person’s ethnicity shouldn’t be published “unless there is a justified public interest in doing so.” European Union Justice Commissioner Vera Jourova demanded that social media giants Facebook and Twitter censor rhetoric or conversations that might threaten social cohesion.

There are dissenting journalists who use the Internet and non-mainstream media outlets. However, European countries lack anything comparable to the American First Amendment, which protects free speech. European journalists cannot avoid prosecution by citing the truth as a defense. They have learned to keep quiet.

Public Officials

“I am so damn tired.” Swedish police officer Peter Springare publicly expressed his fatigue and shame over downplaying the level of immigrant crime.

Public servants include police officials, social workers, schoolteachers, judges, and other government workers. Police forces are strained, particularly in the “no-go zones.” Driven by fear of crime, some of Europe’s senior citizens live in a self-imposed state of house arrest and have little faith in the police. In a suburb of Stockholm, residents rallied behind local Hells Angels, begging them to stay in their neighborhood. In the absence of effective policing, parents saw the biker toughs as new Praetorians, guarding their daughters against migrant molestation. One resident explained, “We have for 10 years never known any discomfort or fear because the current tenants are Hells Angels, rather the contrary.”

European police and security officials are handicapped. A veteran Swedish policeman explained that he is not permitted to ask suspects about their religion, but their names are “Ali Mohammed, Mahmoud, Mohammed, Mohammed Ali, Muhammad, again, again, again.” Another police officer shrugs, “The criminals are laughing at society.” In another Stockholm suburb, Rinkeby, police are building a new station to fortress specifications. It will have bulletproof windows and steel-reinforced walls. But officers will likely not take public transportation to work for fear of being attacked. They will be driven to work in teams and under guard. By 2017, the postal service was suspended in Rinkeby. Swedish postal officials declared it too "unsafe" for workers. Some call all this the new Stockholm Syndrome – a cocktail of broad-based fear and fatalism leading to resignation and paralysis.

In May 2016, Greater Manchester Police tested its anti-terrorist measures by conducting a large-scale exercise in the city to assess the effectiveness of the emergency response. More than 800 volunteers participated, and the mock terrorist yelled "Allahu Akbar." Immediately, Islamic and leftist leaders demanded and received an apology for stereotyping terrorism. The Community Safety Organization, which seeks to combat Islamophobia, tweeted, “This sort of thing panders to stereotypes and further divides us. It will increase anti-Muslim hate crimes.” The police chief responded, “We acknowledge that it was unacceptable to use this religious phrase immediately before the mock suicide bombing, which so vocally linked this exercise with Islam.” “We recognize and apologize for the offense this has caused.”

Classrooms and school grounds have also become lawless. In Lund, Sweden, a migrant boy was found guilty of rape but was not expelled from the school. Instead, he served 100 hours of community service. In Britain, there are nationwide Pakistani pedophile grooming gangs whose “lover-boys” target attention-starved, working-class schoolgirls. In street slang, the girls are sometimes called “easy meat.”

In schools, the curriculum is sometimes poisonous. Saudi-funded schools in Britain sometimes refer to Jews as “apes” and to Christians as “pigs.” Schools throughout Europe have dropped course content, including the Holocaust and the Crusades. Students and their parents demand special dietary accommodations and prayer rooms. They sometimes require segregated classes and, at times, their own schools. Often, public servants appease them.

This concludes this episode of Jihad and the World. It offers a brief glimpse into the press and public officials in Europe several years ago. Future podcasts will expand on these themes and offer profiles of men and women who are part of the drama of Islam and Europe. Nothing in this podcast represents the official position of the United States government. We are excited about our latest book, Cauldron of Terror – Hamas, Israel and the World, which will be available for purchase in summer 2026. Until our next podcast, on behalf of Kensington Security Consulting, thank you for listening.

Hello from Jihad and the World – a podcast that explores the intersection of Western and Islamic cultures. The author is Mark Silinsky of Kensington Security Consulting, which provides education on national security. Today’s episode is longer than most. It begins a series called Jihad and the West, titled – Europe Has Fallen: Islam, Britain, and the Continent. Episode One offers an overview of Europe from several years ago. We will update parts of this podcast in future episodes. First, let's turn to a book by English wit G. K. Chesterton, who may have been satirically prophetic. You can decide.

'When men stop believing in God, they don't believe in nothing; they believe in anything. G.K. Chesterton

In the 1914 novella, *The Flying Inn*, Prohibition has indirectly reached England. Here, the temperance movement isn't led by Christian reactionaries. Instead, Chesterton envisions a Progressive Islam influencing British society. As a result, alcohol sales to the poor are nearly banned, while the wealthy can obtain alcoholic drinks "under a medical certificate.” Public houses still exist, but their signs are prohibited. However, pubs can't serve wine and spirits without a sign. Consequently, two rebels travel across England with an inn sign, setting up temporary pubs in unlikely locations. The two adventurers are Patrick Dalroy, an Irish soldier, and Humphrey Pump, a former innkeeper. They carry a barrel of rum, a wheel of cheddar cheese, and are accompanied by a dog and a donkey. Their enemy is Lord Ivywood, a sinister, officious MP who enacted the oppressive law. Ivywood relentlessly pursues the good guys until he's confronted by a small crowd and forced to face the unpopularity of his laws.

Do you see any similarities to Europe today? Could there be a loose link? Many confusing laws and unspoken assumptions restrict open discussion of Islam. As for signs outside English pubs, well, not yet. However, there are Sharia patrols—roaming groups of young Muslim men who insist that passers-by in Muslim areas of large cities not carry alcohol. And there is more.

In some parts of towns and cities, European civilization is already in decline or fading. Demographic, religious, and cultural changes reflect this trend. One indicator is fear; many Europeans are afraid to travel in certain areas, attend large events, or criticize or mock Islam. Another sign is widespread exhaustion among Europeans. The constant fear of attacks can lead to injuries. In summer 2017, 1,500 people were injured in a panic-driven stampede at a soccer game in Turin, Italy. A firework was mistaken for a bomb, and panic quickly spread.

Exhausted and defeated, many Europeans accept a slow, uncontrollable social decline. After a 2017 suicide bombing in Manchester, England, that killed girls as young as eight, a BBC host remarked, “Europe has to get used to this.” Much of Europe has been transformed in ways earlier generations would not recognize. Enclaves in Britain, France, Belgium, Germany, and Sweden no longer seem truly European and are not governed by European law or customs. Small sparks of freedom still shine within civil society, and democratic principles motivate many European leaders. Some intellectuals and political figures resist the spread of Islamic law and the growth of mosques. For most Europeans, Islam remains a contentious topic. Influential and political circles are very cautious about when and where they discuss it.

Europeans are experiencing a decline, and this has happened before. The Black Death of the late Middle Ages, the Thirty Years' War, the Napoleonic Wars, the World Wars, and communism wiped out millions. Famines and crop failures also caused Europe’s populations to migrate to the United States, colonies, and other distant lands. Still, the continent’s population recovered and grew again. Today, however, Europe faces a new challenge—sub-replacement fertility levels. Since the late 20th and early 21st centuries, Europe has seen a sharp decline in birth rates. Europeans are not having enough children to keep their population stable. Their numbers are likely to be replaced by new generations of Muslims.

European civilization is being tested. Christianity, central to Europe’s identity, arrived with Constantine and splintered during the Reformation. However, the church's influence began to decline in the late 19th century. Today, Christianity is increasingly being replaced by Islam, whose followers remain steadfast in their faith and traditions. Public displays of Christianity are sometimes met with disapproval. Men and women of faith, including airline flight attendants and teachers, have been reprimanded for wearing small crosses in public. In 2016, officials in Brussels canceled their Christmas tree lighting ceremony. A high school in Germany went further by forbidding teaching about the history of Christmas.

Nativity scenes and Christmas caroling have been outlawed. There may already be more practicing Muslims than Christians in Britain. Tomorrow, shuttered churches will likely become museums of a lost faith or be transformed into mosques across Europe. Europe’s democratic and free-thinking traditions are under assault. Born from the Enlightenment and tested over centuries, liberalism took root and flourished. With the fall of the Soviet Union, democracy—with all its quirks and flaws—became Europe’s unifying political thread. Women, the LGBT community, religious minorities, satirists, artists, and Bohemians enjoyed their post-war freedoms. Today, these liberties are threatened, and I do not believe they will survive Islam for more than two generations.

A visitor to Europe might notice parallel societies, with Muslims and non-Muslim Europeans, often called whites, living separate lives. Many Muslim women never enter the workforce, and some depend on government assistance. Some Muslim men have succeeded; many have not. The population of white Europeans is decreasing, while the number of Muslims is increasing. The French critic Renaud Camus called this “The Great Replacement.” And the migrants keep coming. Many arrive from Mesopotamia, cross the Mediterranean, and head north.

Europe Today

In several European cities, a feeling of invasion persists. Using rhetoric and imagery of the Blitz, British leaders vowed to create new “rings of steel” to safeguard tourist sites and pedestrians in London. Bollards have appeared like mushrooms around London’s attractions. In Manchester, neighborhoods were sealed off as bomb squads and police searched homes for explosives after a devastating suicide attack at a rock concert. Those who aid the injured can become victims themselves. Running toward the cries of the dying, Australian nurse Kristy Boden was killed by Islamists, who cut her throat on London Bridge. Europeans seek protection, and those responsible for defending European nations are prime targets. In Scotland, cadets were advised not to wear their uniforms in public. Parents of future soldiers were told that boys and girls should “cover up their uniform when traveling to and from cadet activities." Across Europe, military personnel exercise caution when wearing their uniforms.

Men used their cars to run over pedestrians and then stab survivors in the chest or other vital organs. In current British street slang, it is called “getting stabby.” Khalid Masood, who knifed a London police officer to death near Westminster Bridge in 2017, earlier joked that stabbing was “like playing drums on your back with two knives.” A few weeks later, pedestrians on London Bridge had their throats cut. There have been stabbing frenzies on the Continent and in Israel in recent years, and they are likely to continue. The Islamic State, or ISIS, singled out crowded London streets as “ideal targets,” naming Regent Street and Piccadilly Circus as venues to “flatten” unbelievers under trucks. It struck hard in Manchester at a soft-rock concert that drew thousands of teenage girls. Many were killed and injured when a British-born Muslim detonated himself. By mid-2017, British police were making terror-related arrests “on a near daily basis.” Non-Muslims walk carefully in Muslim neighborhoods of European cities, which have “no-go” zones. Sharia patrols oversee their behavior. Roving enforcers of Islamic virtue judge whether a woman’s clothing is too revealing, if pedestrians are allowed to openly show affection, or if a blind person can walk safely with his guide dog.

Non-Muslims also watch what they eat there. In Denmark, a young couple was assaulted in a pizzeria for eating ham. The police described the attacker as “of an ethnic origin other than Danish.” In Sweden, waving bacon in front of a Muslim in a café might be illegal. Police charged a man with swinging a slice too provocatively while grinning at a veiled woman. The charge was “incitement to racial hatred.”

Europeans live in fear. Many French people worry about a constant threat of becoming the next terror victim. Where could it happen? Streets, homes, cafes, and clubs are all possible targets. In response, France has increased its national security measures, changing the country's appearance. Police patrol the streets and popular locations. There is a “dog army” of four-legged detectors for parcels and vehicles. In resort areas, soldiers in body armor, armed and vigilant, patrol southern beaches next to bikini-clad young women. Children, like their parents, prepare for potential Muslim attacks. Kindergarteners are trained to protect themselves from attackers. A teacher warned that a ‘big bad wolf’ was prowling the school and that all children must freeze and stay silent.

French intellectuals have introduced a new literary genre to analyze these changes. Many older citizens miss the “Glorious Thirty,” the 30 years from the end of World War II to the oil crisis and the start of Eurabia. A common theme among Europeans over 50 is nostalgia for a gentler, safer, and more innocent era. This was the Europe of their youth. French philosopher Alain Finkielkraut sighed, “People are homesick at home.” Eric Zemmour, former columnist for the journal Le Figaro, wrote the best-selling “The French Suicide,” blaming a range of social issues on Muslims who do not assimilate. Michel Houellebecq, a well-known French novelist, published Submission, a bleak vision of France in the near future when the country falls under Arab rulers and their French allies. The book was released on the same day as the Charlie Hebdo massacre in Paris in January 2015. For many French Jews, daily life is becoming intolerable. In traditional dress, they are often targeted for violence and humiliation. Many have left or are preparing to leave for Israel. For them, dystopia is arriving quickly. All of this will be discussed in future podcasts.

Thank you for listening to this episode of Jihad and the World. Our upcoming book, Cauldron of Terror – Hamas, Israel, and the World, will be available for purchase in July 2026. This podcast does not represent the official position of the United States government. Until next time, goodbye from Kensington Security Consulting.

Hello from Jihad and the World – a podcast that explores the intersection of Western and Islamic cultures. The author is Mark Silinsky of Kensington Security Consulting, which provides education on national security. It is part of a series titled "Europe Has Fallen: Islam, Britain, and the Continent." The author is Mark Silinsky of Kensington Security Consulting, and today’s episode focuses on Britain and its challenge of balancing free speech with respect for the sensitivities of the country’s Islamic and pro-Hamas communities.

Today, we head to northern Yorkshire in Britain, where we meet Pete North, a man in his late 40s who has issues with Hamas, Muslims, and Palestine. He is very open and outspoken about his contempt for all three. His tweets “f_Hamas, f–k Palestine” and “f–k Islam earned him an arrest by the Yorkshire police. It also gained him support from people who share his opinions and from those who hold on to what little free speech remains in Britain. This is what happened:

Peter North posted a meme on social media using the F word three times in reference to Hamas, Islam, and Palestine. In response, police knocked on his door at 9:30 on 25 September 2025 to arrest him and take him to the police station. Two officers informed him that he was under arrest under section 19, which relates to spreading racial hatred. One officer explained, “So you've posted something online that we believe is spreading racial hatred." However, according to North, the police refused to disclose the offending post. Was it on "Twitter or Facebook?"

Responded a policeman, "Well, I can't explain too much. It's just to give you the context beforehand.”

"What, you're taking me away now?"

"Yes, so you're under arrest..."

"In the middle of the night, over a tweet?"

"I am, unfortunately."

And off North went to the police station, where he was interrogated.

North recalled, “The officer in the interview said, ‘Well, firstly, let’s start with the meme. You posted a meme that said f—k Hamas,’” North claimed. “I said, ‘yeah, I did post a meme that said f—k Hamas, because Hamas are a proscribed terrorist organisation internationally, including in Britain.“ ‘Just so we’re on the same page, you do know who Hamas are?'” “And he just … shook his head,”

North continued, claiming the officer was just as clueless when he asked if he knew about the horrors committed by Hamas on Oct. 7. “He was totally oblivious,” he claimed. “If you’re going to arrest people for memes, you probably need to pay more attention to current events.” North was later released without charges after a lengthy interrogation and has since accused authorities of trying to “terrorize” people into being politically correct online.

I was held in a holding area for some time before being taken for an interview. During the interview, to my shock and disgust, I had to explain to the interviewing officer what Hamas is. He was completely unaware. It seemed he didn't know what happened on 7/10. One of the questions was “Do you know who Tommy Robinson is?”—followed by “Are you aware that he was the first person to post this meme?” North responded that he did not believe that is what happened.

North then explained that Hamas is a proscribed terrorist group in the UK. In his words, “The Palestine flag is the flag of Islamo-leftist revolution, and the agenda it represents is committed to the extermination of Jews. If you want to stand in support of that, you should go to a Muslim country. As it happens, many Muslim countries would lock you up—both for supporting Hamas and for protesting.”

North expressed his disgust towards the police, stating: "I'm disgusted by the police because they could have handled this in an orderly, civil manner, but instead they chose the maximum intrusion, and it was essentially like being treated as an act of terrorism. "They were trying to find evidence that I intended to stir up racial hate with it, which is unbelievable. It's crass. The meme itself is controversial, but controversy isn't illegal, and it simply reflects my opinion.”

North did not back down. In fact, he double-downed. “I feel quite strongly that what political cartoons and memes I post on social media is none of the police’s business. Nobody should be facing police inquiries for posting memes on Twitter. “The whole point of this exercise is not to win convictions. It’s to terrorize people like me into thinking twice about posting spicy memes.”

North received support on social media. On Jihad Watch, many followers offered comments like these:

“Is this Communist China? Why do the people here speak English?

From MihaiI, “I have a genuine question for every police officer in the UK: Is this what your ancestors fought and died for?

One said, “Hamas is a terrorist group. Are the police defending Hamas now?

Lou C. asked, “When are the police in the UK going to wear Brown Shirts? This is the same path followed by the Nazis in late 1930s Germany... The UK is done. Put a fork in it.”

Tee Dee asked, “Since when did Hamas become a race???”

Said one Briton, “ISLAM GO HOME. You're not welcome and never were.”

Well, North was released by the police on unconditional bail but maintains that the tweet in question remains 'a sentiment I wholly endorse.' He continued: "I'm quite shaken by the whole thing right now. I haven't slept and probably won't. I've always known my tweets could be a bit spicy, but being snatched by a goon squad at night for a 'F*** Hamas' meme is just breathtakingly outrageous and absurd. My wife was mortified. She was left alone after I was taken out of the house and was in tears, but she is very stoic and is my rock."

When asked if he regretted his post, he responded: 'I don't regret at all expressing my solidarity for the principle of free speech. Not at all, because it was an act of solidarity with Tommy Robinson, who had been hauled over the coals for posting that meme.”

Thank you for listening to this episode of Jihad and the World. Our upcoming book, Cauldron of Terror – Hamas, Israel, and the World, will be available for purchase in July 2026. This podcast does not represent the official position of the United States government. Until next time, goodbye from Kensington Security Consulting.

Hizballah - When the Beepers Went Boom!

On September 17 2024, explosions rocked Lebanon and Syria. These were not rockets launched from aircraft or shells from naval ships or ground-based artillery. Instead, they seemed to come from hand-held pagers, but witnesses and observers were not sure. Most of the explosions took place in Beirut, a stronghold for Hizbollah. Soon, the connection between the pager and Hizbollah was clear. But what on earth was happening? Why did the beeps go bang?

For many younger listeners, pagers are largely artifacts of the past. They belong to yesterday’s technology. Maybe their parents used them early in their careers. They appear in old TV shows from the 1980s and 1990s, when women had poofy hair, and men wore suspenders at the office. But today’s generation is the cell phone generation. So, what exactly are pagers?

Pagers are handheld communication devices that display short text messages relayed over telephone lines by a central operator. They operate on radio waves rather than the Internet. This makes them harder to monitor, which, in turn, makes them popular with terrorist groups, including Hizbollah.

Hizbollah turned to pagers after its leadership determined that cellphones were being monitored by Israeli intelligence. Israeli intelligence got wind of this intended switch in communications and saw it as an opportunity. It crafted an intelligence operation like no other and one likely to make a mark in the history of intelligence operations, because it is one hell of a story! And here it is.

When Israelis heard about the planned bulk purchase of cell phones, intelligence got to work. Technicians designed pagers with a battery that concealed a small but potent charge of plastic explosive and a one-of-a-kind, largely undetectable detonator. The Israeli pseudo-pager was significantly larger than other pagers to accommodate the mini-bomb. They crafted a marketing campaign to incite would-be Hizballah purchasers. Sure, the pager was bulkier, but that was because it was combat-tough – a real war pager. They dressed up the ads with military paraphernalia. But who would sell these pagers? Hizballah would not buy an Israeli pager or one connected to Israel. So Israel invented a company and the pager it claimed to sell. This company was BAC Consulting, ostensibly a Hungary-registered firm that partnered with a Taiwanese company, Gold Apollo. In fact, these were shell companies created by Israeli intelligence.

But BAC Consulting would have to appear credible. Why didn’t it have significant sales? Why haven’t more people heard of it? What is this company, anyway? It is not well-known because it has very few clients. After all, it was military-grade. BAC needed only one client – Hizballah. And Hizballah took the bait and bought hundreds. Hizballah bought and distributed the pagers in the summer of 2022. The group’s technicians found nothing suspicious in the new product. Now, Israel would wait and wait for an opportune time to kill and maim.

The moment came when Israel claimed it had thwarted a Hizballah attempt to kill senior Israeli leaders in September 2024. When the Israeli attack struck, it did so like lightning. Hundreds of pagers exploded nearly simultaneously, killing dozens and maiming and disfiguring scores of others. While the largest number of casualties was in Beirut, many people were also wounded in the country's north and south.

But what were the mechanics of the attacks? Israeli intelligence sent a ring to each pager. The recipient then picked up the pager and, usually, saw the message “error.” This was followed by the message “Press OK,” which many did. This detonated the explosive inside the pager and usually killed or seriously injured the victim. Many lost fingers, which were blown off. Many suffered severe facial scars and blindness because they held the pager close to their face so they could read the message. The facial scars will remain clearly visible.

There was also the psychological trauma. Mohammed Awada, 52, and his son were driving when the boy saw a pager explosion. Awada said. “My son went crazy and started to scream when he saw the man’s hand flying away from him.” Elsewhere, a young girl, Fatima, had just come from school when she answered her father’s pager. The explosion killed the 9-year-old girl. How reliable is each story related to journalists? Some are certainly fabricated or exaggerated. However, local hospitals treated people of all ages.

Lebanese government officials and Hezbollah were quick to blame Israel. "After examining all the facts, available data, and information regarding the heinous attack this afternoon, we hold the Israeli enemy fully responsible for this criminal aggression.” The following day, hundreds of walkie-talkies used by Hezbollah operatives also exploded.

Hello from Jihad and the World. The author is Mark Silinsky of Kensington Security Consulting, which provides education on national security. Today’s episode is called “Roger Waters and Medea Benjamin – Pretty in Pink.” It examines two colorful characters.

Roger Waters

“We, the ordinary people of the world, hugely outnumber the Israeli scum and the ruling Elites in the West. We stand alongside our brothers and sisters in Iran in the fight to end the occupation, oppression, and genocide in Palestine.” Roger Waters

For listeners over 50, the name Roger Waters is instantly recognizable. You likely know some of his songs by heart. Some songs were rebellious, while others were gentle. Pink Floyd blasted onto the London music scene in 1965 and stayed on the charts for over a decade. The iconic album The Wall was released in 1979. Waters, one of the group’s veterans, continues to make music and stir controversy. Like many entertainment celebrities, he is an activist. A very loud one, and his perennial hobby horse is Israel. He is certainly not alone, but his theatrical flair has drawn the attention he sought.

He appeared publicly in a Nazi uniform and performed with a giant inflatable pig bearing a Star of David on its side. The balloon also features words and symbols such as “kyke” [sic], “scum,” “follow the money,” and dollar signs. Waters is particularly incensed by the “religious supremacism” he attributes to “the Jews.” He says that “supremacy of all kinds is the key to understanding why people behave in these extremely evil ways, like the Israelis have done for the last 75 years and are continuing to do so with the support of the American empire, including my country, the United Kingdom, which is part of the American empire.” “And it’s deeply, deeply depressing to me.”

He repeatedly assures his fan base and others that, in his words, “I am not an antisemite.” But not everyone is persuaded. Polly Samson, the wife of his former Pink Floyd guitarist David Gilmour, who has known Roger Waters for decades, is credited with texting, “Sadly, Roger Waters, you are antisemitic to your rotten core. Also a Putin apologist and a lying, thieving, hypocritical, tax-avoiding, lip-synching, misogynistic, sick-with-envy, megalomaniac.” It doesn’t help his cause that so many of his comments are captured on tape and that his cavalier insults annoy his bandmates more than he realizes.

Given all this, it surprised few that he wanted to weigh in on the joint American-Israeli attacks against Iran in 2025 and 2026. The Pink Floyd bassist texted, “March 1st, 2026, is day two of WW3. We, the ordinary people of the world, hugely outnumber the Israeli scum and the ruling Elites in the West. We stand alongside our brothers and sisters in Iran in the fight to end the occupation, oppression, and genocide of our brothers and sisters.”

This was a broadside against Israelis and Western elites, presumably Americans. He speculated that Donald Trump might have him assassinated. His contempt is not limited to Donald Trump. He loathed his predecessor. Iranian media referred to Waters as a “political expert” and quoted him on the Russian channel RT as saying, "Biden (is a) warmongering servant of the oligarchy that rules the United States of America and will continue to be so for however long he remains the president of the United States. He's not to be trusted on anything.”

On his television show, Piers Morgan unsuccessfully pressed Waters to condemn Iran. On his show, he said to the 82-year-old rocker: "(Roger) You like to stand up for one of the world's worst regimes in Iran and pretend that the only reason people there are protesting is because of the economy, and that's because of sanctions put on it by other countries, wrongly, because they don't prop up any terror groups. "So, when I look at your worldview, I don't see a guy - with all due respect, Roger - who's standing up for the voiceless and powerless. I see somebody trying to prop up terrorists and powerful dictatorships and regimes." That is what Piers said.

Medea Benjamin

There is another “pink” in this podcast beyond Pink Floyd. This is Code Pink, cofounded by Medea Benjamin. The website touts Code Pink’s involvement in many causes. These include Justice for Palestine, U.S. Out of Africa, China is Not our Enemy, Peace in Ukraine, and, for our purposes today, No War on Iran/Peace with Iran. The site requests, “Tell Congress we don’t want ANY troops sent to the Middle East, we want a complete halt in military equipment and aid to Israel, and we want peace with Iran. Over 60% of Americans want to stop arming Israel, and Americans certainly do not want to go to war with Iran. No more endless wars, we want peace!”

The website offers an “action toolkit” that is not easily accessible. But Ms. Benjamin and Code Pink call people of conscience to “Gather a group of people - reach out to your local anti-war coalition to broaden your base. Check out our basic events checklist. Gather your signs, art, chants, and other striking visuals. Review the CODEPINK Statement of Nonviolence. Take action! Host a rally, a street teach-in, a sit-in at your representative’s office, or something even more creative. Demand no war on Iran!”

As for the woman herself, Medea Benjamin has much in common with Roger Waters. She finds a kindred spirit in Waters’ focus on Israel as a central force of the world’s evil. Born Susan Benjamin in 1952 on Long Island to Jewish parents, she changed her name to that of the Greek mythological woman who killed her children to spite their father, who loved them. At Tufts University, she threw herself into left-wing activism. In the early 1980s, this trust-fund woman of privilege lived in Cuba and married the black coach of the country’s basketball team. But she was jailed and deported after rubbing Fidel’s regime the wrong way. On her return to the United States, she pursued a slew of anti-American causes.

Like Waters, Benjamin is highly theatrical. In 2024, during Israel’s war against Hamas, she appeared on video wearing striped pajamas that evoked the German concentration camps. She said, “I’m wearing these pajamas that are supposed to symbolize the concentration camp and the people in the Holocaust who died of starvation, to say people are starving right now in Gaza.” She makes similar claims about the U.S. and Israeli attack on Iran today.

For those interested in her perspective on this war, please read Code Pink's webpage. For those seeking a more critical account of her advocacy, consider her profile on the Canary Mission website. For those interested in a sympathetic account of Roger Waters' politics, his videos are widely available online. Please consider watching the 37-minute film titled “The Dark Side of Roger Waters.”

This concludes this episode of Jihad and the World. Our upcoming book, Cauldron of Terror – Hamas, Israel, and the World, will be available for purchase in July 2026. This podcast does not represent the official position of the United States government. Until next time, goodbye from Kensington Security Consulting.

Hi, Mark here from Kensington Security Consulting videocasts. This is our second videocast, titled “The Southern Poverty Law Center – Islamophobia? Really?” Today, we turn to the Southern Poverty Law Center, or SPLC, which is much in the news these days. First, let’s recap our first videocast, “Of Pigs and Men . . . and Women, too.” In that video, we briefly examined two stories about pigs in Europe. The first involved a yellow plastic pig in the front window of an Italian delicatessen. It was clearly a marketing prop, and there is no reason to believe the store owner intended to offend Muslims by displaying it. But a Muslim village elder demanded that the owner remove it, and when he refused, the case went to court.

The owner and the pig won round one. There is a standoff, as the deli’s owner refuses to chuck the swine and influential Muslims demand that he do so. Why did I mention it? This is one of the myriad points of tension in Europe over seemingly trivial issues. The pig dustup is, by itself, trivial. But it, almost humorously, illustrates the growing tensions in Europe, which, to my observation, are worsening rather than improving.

The other pig story is the claim that women are buying pigs to keep annoying Muslim men at bay. I think this is largely a hoax, which is why I mentioned it. As the story goes, European women are tired of unwanted sexual advances from Muslim men, so they harness pigs to leashes and walk them on city streets. Right. A woman will bunk near a pig in her tiny European apartment and clean up after it so she can use it as a deterrent against Muslim men? Does that make sense to you? Well, it is circulating online, and I don’t buy it. If you have inside baseball on the pigs of Paris or Rome, please let us know. But anyone who believes this is a truthful story will believe anything. But prove me wrong! OK, enough of pigs.

Now, let’s turn to today’s episode, “The Southern Poverty Law Center – Islamophobia? Really?” This week, we will examine the ongoing controversy surrounding the Southern Poverty Law Center, or SPLC. Staying true to our goal at Jihad and the World, we will limit this podcast to Middle Eastern issues within the broader drama of the SPLC. In particular, we will focus on the SPLC’s charges and biographies of leading Middle East commentators whom the Center labeled as Islamophobic. We will look at the origins, mission statement, evolution, and the controversy in which it is currently embroiled.

What is the SPLC? The answer depends on whom you ask. By its own account, it “defends racial justice issues.” OK. Good so far, but what do they mean by racial justice issues? Their website lists quite a menu: challenging racism, strengthening democracy and voting rights; dismantling white supremacy, ending unjust imprisonment, and eliminating poverty and economic inequality. Hmmm, that is an exhaustive mission statement. Tackling multiple wicked problems. Certainly ambitious. I’m still confused, but I would like to limit this videocast to Middle Eastern and Islamic issues.

But first, what is the current lawsuit about? The Department of Justice was indicted in April 2026 on charges of fraud and money laundering. Prosecutors said the group misled donors by using their money to pay informants who served as leaders in the very hate groups the organization was founded to fight. Why would they do that? The SPLC responded that it paid informants just as the FBI or the military does. Justice says that this explanation is nonsense. The payments were part of a vast fraud that funded high-profile organizations to inflate their importance and lethality. These groups included the Ku Klux Klan, which is nationally notorious. But funding the Klan? Is this serious? Yes. Because the SPLC needed a cause – a great big one – to solicit mega donations. Well, it worked. The SPLC has an endowment of nearly $1 billion, some of which is held offshore.

So, where does the Center stand on these issues? It has the Intelligence Project Dispatch. Let’s look at it. “The Southern Poverty Law Center works to dismantle white supremacy in public forums and online, exposes hate and anti-democratic extremism, and counters disinformation and conspiracy theories with research and community resources.” The Intelligence Project monitors and exposes white supremacy, anti-immigrant activity, and anti-Muslim activity, as well as their impact on communities.

OK. That’s still awfully broad. What counts as anti-Muslim activity? Certainly, harassing or harming Muslims because they are Muslims is an anti-Muslim activity. OK. But what about drawing cartoons of Mohammed? What about displaying the yellow pig of Padua? Are these anti-Muslim activities? We don't know because the SPLC does not define anti-Muslim activity.

Now let’s turn to an article the SPLC published in 2011. “A decade after 9/11, anti-Muslim hatred is on the rise again. This time, a cadre of activists and officials is largely responsible.” OK, and what are those groups, and who are these people? Over the years, the SPLC has listed seven key Islamophobes. They are Robert Spencer, Brigitte Gabriel, Frank Gaffney, David Horowitz, David Yerushalmi, Daniel Pipes, and Steve Emerson. I would like to investigate the charges against a few of them to see whether they are, in the SPLC’s damning words, Islamophobes.

Daniel Pipes

Let's start with Daniel Pipes. Who is he? I have a very different take from the SPLC. The SPLC asserts that “Pipes has spent the better part of three decades actively promoting anti-Muslim rhetoric. His anti-Muslim bigotry has not waned. In an August 2017 interview, Pipes, founder and president of the think tank Middle East Forum, called Islam “an imperialist faith” and claimed that “Muslim immigrants want to replace existing European civilization with Islam.” In another interview last month, he lamented that Islam will soon “replace” Western civilization because of “unfettered immigration and blind multiculturalism.” Let's examine these charges in greater detail.Let us assume that the SPLC . But the implicit charge is that these comments are bigoted and false. Is calling Islam an imperialist faith bigoted? What was the Ottoman Empire if not an empire? Why did the Ottomans call it an empire? Wasn’t it Muslim? That empire is defunct, but have all imperialist elements been purged from Islam? Yes? Has this been reflected in the fatwas from Al Ahzar University? I haven’t seen this. Have you? Where is the bigotry?

Regarding Muslim immigrants who want to replace existing European civilization with Islam, I do not see any bigotry in this observation. Do all Muslims want to impose Sharia law on Europeans? No. But if many do, and I think many do, where is the bigotry?

The SPLC claimed that “Pipes was among the first to peddle the unsubstantiated myth that 80 percent of American mosques are controlled by extremists. Despite being debunked on several occasions, the 80 percent figure is still promoted within anti-Muslim circles and publications.” OK. If that figure is debunked, what is the number, SPLC? Do you share Dr. Pipes’s definition of extremist? What are your sources?

The SPLC also chides Dr. Pipes for popularizing the term “no-go zones” in Europe. He used the term in 2006 to describe Muslim-only zones in France and later regretted it. Fair enough, but that was 20 years ago. Demographics have changed. Have Muslim areas in Europe become safer for police and Europeans, or less safe? Can a Jew dress as a Jew and feel safe in large cities? Off the record, many police officers in various European cities have referred to parts of those cities as no-go zones. Some avoid the term for fear of being labeled an Islamophobe. What would the SPLC call these zones? Is it Islamophobic to even mention them?

Finally, I want to address one charge that Dr. Pipes responded to in 2016. The SPLC’s Heidi Beirich, a contributor to its Field Guide to Anti-Muslim Extremists, wrote that “the call for a ban on any religious dress is indeed extreme, regardless of the religious institution. Daniel Pipes, another extremist on this list, has also called for a similar ban. These calls are contrary to religious freedom.”

In fact, Dr. Pipes wrote that niqabs and burqas should be banned because they hide the face, obscuring identification. Pipes wrote, “Had you bothered to consult my blog on this subject, with over a hundred incidents where these articles of clothing have been used to facilitate criminality, political violence, and jihad, you would understand the problem.” That makes sense to me. What about you? In my view, Daniel Pipes is as well informed as any commentator on militant Islam alive today. I thoroughly endorse his products.

Another SPLC target is Brigitte Gabriel, founder and head of ACT! for America and the American Council for Truth. The SPLC uses Gabriel’s words to condemn her. She said, “America has been infiltrated on all levels by radicals who wish to harm America. They have infiltrated us at the C.I.A., at the F.B.I., at the Pentagon, at the State Department.” Well, that is quite a charge. Let’s focus on the Pentagon. Military personnel committed mass murder at Fort Hood, including Nidal Hasan, and Mark Fidel Cools, who murdered American soldiers. I would be curious to know her sources for the claims of infiltration, but I do not see it as bigotry. I would like to learn more.

Then there is Robert Spencer, who runs the Jihad Watch website. The SPLC derides him as, in their words, “entirely self-taught in the Koran.” Not true. He has an advanced degree in religion, and the fact that he doesn’t hold a Ph.D. from Columbia or Georgetown in Middle East studies is, in my view, not a slur. The SPLC condemns him for his associations. In their words, “Spencer has been known to fraternize with European racists and neo-fascists, though he says such contacts were merely incidental.” And who were these racists and neo-fascists? What is their definition of a neo-fascist?

I could continue with other charges and other SPLC targets. But I think I made my case. In my view, many of these charges were reckless and unsubstantiated. They are smears, and these charges can sting. Reputational destruction has led to blacklisting, just as it did in the 1940s and 1950s. There could be a whole podcast, or several, about victims of the SPLC. Some have lost clients, and some have been demonetized online. So, I am excited that the SPLC’s activities will be fully investigated. As information emerges, we will share it with you. If you have opinions on the SPLC, please share them with us.

On behalf of Kensington Security Consulting, thank you for listening to our second videocast. Nothing in this videocast, or in any other videocast or podcast, represents the official position of the United States government. My latest book, Cauldron of Terror, Hamas, Israel, and the World, will be available for purchase in summer 2026. Until our next podcast, goodbye, and thank you for listening

Hello from Jihad and the World, a product of Kensington Security Consulting. We will look at the Hamas-Israel war, the subject of our upcoming book, Cauldron of Terror – Hamas, Israel, and the World. Let’s begin by examining and updating the profile of Vlada Patapov, known to the world as the “Lady in Red.” Who is she? You may have seen her on television or social media, running for her life across the desert plain at the Nova Music Festival on October 7, 2023. Her panicked, desperate look quickly circulated around the world. Her red shawl became instantly iconic, earning her a moniker.

The twenty-something Vlada darted to safety, unlike more than 393 revelers who were pursued by Hamas gunmen and shot dead, some begging for their lives. Hamas gunmen stormed the Nova music festival, killing and taking 40 people hostage. Much of her story is unique, but much of it is common among survivors of that day. First came shock, then awareness, then a response to the attack. Nova’s attendees were in shock because they couldn’t make sense of what was happening. They saw paragliders approaching but didn’t realize they were Hamas operatives. Then came the pop, pop, pop, and the screams. That was when awareness gripped them. They were under attack, and the enemy was killing anything that moved. The party was over, and the response came quickly. Run, hide, plead, or fight if you can.

OK. Let’s set the stage for the attack. The attack on Nova was last-minute. Hamas likely had no prior knowledge of the Nova Festival, as it was initially scheduled for October 6th. The Nova music festival, or Supernova Sukkot Gathering, was an open-air trance music festival held in the Re’im area in Israel’s western Negev desert. Many Supernova attendees who paid $100 per ticket were tickled about the warmth, sounds, and friendship they anticipated. “Nova is like a family,” says a 26-year-old Tel Aviv bartender. “I bartend at many festivals, and Nova is different. People had been preparing for this party for weeks. Everyone knows each other. It was like magic.”

This was to be a party of electronic dance music, which has flourished in Israel since the late Eighties. Festivals and packed crowds are the norm, thanks to a temperate climate and a shared desire to chill out. “There’s no DJ in the world who doesn’t like to come to Tel Aviv — the great people, the great weather. You can party more than in any other city in the world.”

Does this sound a little like Woodstock 1969? There was likely little electronic music at Woodstock, and Crosby, Stills, and Nash did not perform at Nova. At Nova, partiers are fans of psychedelic trance, or psytrance, the intense, celestial dance-music subgenre. A veteran British DJ explained, “The music is based on a philosophy of life. It’s Woodstock with electronic music. It’s that kind of mentality: a hippie culture, but the music is different. These are the sweetest people. They would never harm anybody.”

Ukrainian-born Vlada was among the partygoers. This Ashdod-based wedding planner and mother of one decided at the last minute to attend the festival in southern Israel with her partner, Matan, and a friend, Mai. They came, danced, and sang, and then the killing began. The “sweetest people, who would never harm anyone,” were randomly raped, shot, and mutilated. More than 100 were abducted. We detail the party massacre in Cauldron of Terror, so we won’t go into detail here.

As for Vlada, she was separated from her friends and watched helplessly as people were hunted down and killed. 'So Mai and I started running again, and that's when you see me in the video get into the car of my angel, a man called Yosef Ben Avu. He stopped and told us to get in, and we did, all the while shooting was going on.' There were eight of us in the car. It was a Kia Picanto, and we were all on top of each other. I called Matan and told him I was OK, and he said he had been picked up as well and was safe.” Vlada and Mai eventually made it to the safety of an army base at Tze'elim, while Matan went to one 20 minutes away at Orim. She said: 'The whole thing had lasted three hours, but it went by so quickly. The longest part was waiting at the base before I could be picked up and go home and see my daughter Romi, and I gave her the biggest hug ever.'

During the attack, her primary concern was staying alive for Romi. “She will be four soon, and for a quarter of her life she has known only war. When Romi hears the sirens, she is so scared that she starts crying,” Patapov explained.

"If I had one wish, it would be to have told everyone at the festival one hour before Hamas attacked that something was going to happen, so everyone could have gotten away. I've been in therapy and counseling, like many of the others who were there, and I find that speaking to people helps me cope with what happened that day. If I had one wish, it would be to have told everyone at the festival one hour before Hamas attacked that something was going to happen, so everyone could have gotten away.' I survived, but others weren't so fortunate. I think about that. It weighs on my mind. I am still traumatized by what happened a year later. I've been receiving therapy and counseling, like many of the others who were there, and I find that speaking with people helps me cope with what happened that day."

She is battling PTSD and survivor's guilt. For over a year, she agonized over the hostages. “But it's the hostages who are still there that I feel for the most, and their families as well, the little babies still there a year later. Who would have thought we would still be in this situation a year later?” All the hostages would be returned, alive or dead. But the PTSD? That certainly remains a recurring theme in this podcast series and the upcoming book, Cauldron of Terror.

Thank you for listening to this podcast, Jihad and the World, hosted on our Cauldron of Terror channel. Nothing in this podcast or any Kensington podcast reflects the official position of the United States government. Thank you for listening. Until our next podcast, goodbye from Kensington Security Consulting.

Hello from Jihad and the World, presented by Kensington Security Consulting, where we bring education to national security. Today, we will discuss the general friction between Italy’s Muslim and non-Muslim communities and Rome’s policy towards Hamas.

Until the American-Israeli war on Iran, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni had positioned Italy as one of the more pro-American European states and less hostile to Israel than most. Immediately after the Hamas attacks on October 7, 2023, she expressed sympathy for the Israeli victims. She then vacillated and called for a de-escalation of hostilities. She feared a heavy-handed Israeli response in Gaza would engulf the Middle East in a broader war.

She said, "Although our starting points are far apart, our interests overlap perfectly: that what is happening in Gaza does not become a much wider conflict, a religious war, a clash of civilizations." She, along with France and Germany, called on the European Union to impose ad hoc sanctions against Hamas and its supporters. In her words, "The swift adoption of this sanctions regime will enable us to send a strong political message about the European Union's commitment against Hamas and our solidarity with Israel." Her tone towards Israel gradually became less supportive.

Meloni faced pressure from a pro-Hamas, left-wing Muslim political coalition in Italy that organized pro-Hamas protests across the country. Hamas’s ties to left-wing parties were revealed in a series of investigations in 2025. They coordinated and promoted anti-Israel riots and harassment of Jews. In December 2025, Italian authorities arrested nine people linked to three charitable organizations on suspicion of raising millions of euros in funds for the Palestinian militant group Hamas. Among those arrested was Mohammad Hannoun, president of the Palestinian Association in Italy, prosecutors said, describing him as the “head of the Italian cell of the Hamas organization.”

There is no clear line between attacks on Israel and anti-Semitic harassment. For a recent example, let’s go back to 1944. Italy had switched its allegiance. Mussolini was out of the picture, and Italy was now fighting with the Allies. One Allied unit that fought enthusiastically was the 5,000-man Jewish Brigade. They were pitted against the Germans and fought ferociously. In April 2026, Italian leaders invited descendants of that Brigade to participate in the Milan Liberation Day march, which celebrated the expulsion of German forces from Italy.

This was not new. The children and now grandchildren of the Brigade marched proudly, hoisting placards bearing the Star of David. But in 2026, things were different. Thousands of Italians from the far-left pro-Hamas coalition descended on the Brigade’s marchers, blocked their path, and began hurling curses and insults, including:

“Zionists out of Milan”

“Long live Hitler.”

“You’re lucky you’re not soap bars”

Police required the Brigade marchers to leave the parade and disband. The stated reason was that their presence posed a menace to public safety. Emanuele Fiano, a Jewish former Italian MP, said bluntly: “We were kicked out. I can’t describe it any other way.” For Emanuele Fiano, an Italian politician and former president of the Jewish Community of Milan, this was his 50th march; his first had been with his father, carrying signs about the concentration camps.

This is one example among many that underscores tensions between Muslims and non-Muslims in Italy and across the continent. Muslims have become a strong political bloc, and Italian authorities have grown increasingly sensitive to issues that offend Muslims. Pork is one such issue. Some of the tensions appear almost comical, but they add up to create an undercurrent of social friction.

For example, in Padua, Muslim leaders demanded that a plastic pig displayed in a delicatessen’s window be removed. “A Muslim elder declared that the presence of a pig was inappropriate.” The deli’s proprietor responded that the offending swine promoted his pork sandwiches. The pig is yellow, stationary, and clearly a facsimile of a real pig. It could not be mistaken for a living pig. While many Muslims declared that the pig was, in their words, “in poor taste,” the deli owner has stood his ground and said it will stay where it is. As for the courts, they have ruled that there is no legal basis for defenestrating the pig. As of this writing, the standoff continues.

On a related note, there are reports of young Italian women strolling with leashed pet pigs. What gives? Muslims traditionally consider pigs unclean, so these women believe walking with a pig keeps away predatory male attention. Videos flooded social media, showing women confidently walking their pigs down the street—some even dressed them in pink bows.

But some investigators have dismissed stories about leashed pigs in Muslim areas of European cities, particularly in France, as fake news. A reporter from MSN followed a woman walking a pig in Paris, but she could not confirm any connection to Islam. The reporter speculated that these pig tales were hoaxes by Europeans who disliked Muslims. These false claims were barbs of soft aggression meant to stir resentment against Muslims. The only confirmed strolling pet pigs in Italy were Dior the Piglet and Hansel the Lamb, which is an odd name for a pig. Real or not, funny or not, the angst over pigs is another example of cultural friction in Europe today.

What to do about these cultural tensions? In October 2025, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni proposed a series of nationwide laws to address the immigration challenge. She looked to municipal regulations in Italy as models for broader laws.

First, the Islamic face covering would be banned. Under the draft legislation, individuals found violating the ban could face fines ranging from €300 to €3,000. This is proposed for security reasons. Criminals hide behind face masks, and clever lawbreakers could pose as burka-clad women. Second, coerced marriages would be banned. Italian leaders announced that they would protect women, particularly girls, from being forced to marry men they were not attracted to. Third, radical clerics could be expelled more easily. In October 2024, Italian authorities expelled a Pakistani imam, Zulfiqar Khan, who had publicly endorsed Hamas and disseminated hateful rhetoric. Fourth, there have been municipal bans on prayer gatherings. Some leaders view these gatherings as an expression of collective political power and as an obstruction to vehicle and pedestrian traffic.

A fifth and challenging suggestion is to promote European beachwear as Muslim swimming attire, particularly the burkini. Melonia called fully draped women swimmers. She characterized clothed swimming as an unacceptable form of “Islamisation”, threatening community standards. Related to this is the sixth plan, which involves canceling women-only pool events. A privately organized pool party for Muslim women in Limbiate was canceled in July 2023 after a politician labeled the event a “female segregation party.” The cancellation reflected a national concern that Islamic migration is increasing male-female segregation after much progress has been made in breaking down sex barriers.

The seventh plan is to restrict mosque expansion. Authorities in cities throughout Italy are concerned about large and small mosques mushrooming throughout the country. This bill would restrict the conversion of garages and warehouses into mosques. Will all of these proposals be turned into law, and will they be enforced? This is the subject of future podcasts.

Perhaps the most alarming concern is violence and its place in Muslim-non-Muslim relations in Europe. Some recent killings illustrate the difficulty of determining how much of this violence is connected to religion. One example concerns a North African migrant who decapitated a homeless woman in Florence. This may have nothing to do with Islam. Italian police described the suspect as a “young man from North Africa and known to suffer from mental health problems,” and said the pair were seeing each other and shared a makeshift shelter in the area. What were his motives? We don’t know, despite having read several articles. By all accounts, he was a drug-addled, homeless criminal. His motives may have had nothing to do with his religion. However, the police's statements do not address this issue.

Robert Spencer, a critic of Islam, opined that the claim of mental illness would “be significantly more credible if it weren’t the fallback excuse that European authorities so frequently use for jihad activity. They do not admit the existence of Islamic jihad, and many have decided to classify jihadis as mentally ill. This does not, however, make the global jihad disappear.”

This concludes this episode of Jihad and the World. Hamas’ connection to Europe is explored in greater detail in our forthcoming Cauldron of Terror – Hamas, Israel, and the World, available for purchase in summer 2026. Nothing in this or any of our podcasts reflects the official position of the United States government. Until our next podcast, thank you for listening, and goodbye from Kensington Security Consulting.

Hello from Jihad and the World. The author is Mark Silinsky of Kensington Security Consulting, which provides education on national security. Today’s episode is called “Who is Joe Kent and Why is He so Angry at President Trump? It examines the controversy surrounding the resignation of a leading intelligence official.

Joe Kent, former director of the National Counter-Terrorism Center (NCTC), was an impressive, multi-tour soldier. Years ago, this former Green Beret and aspiring Republican candidate caught the attention of leaders in the re-elected Trump administration. His efforts to win a seat in the House of Representatives were unsuccessful. However, Republican leaders liked what they saw in his Special Forces combat service and his hard-fought participation in 11 combat missions, mostly in Iraq. After retiring from 20 years of Army service, Kent became a paramilitary officer with the CIA and served as a counterterrorism adviser to Trump’s 2020 reelection campaign. He appeared regularly on TV shows and podcasts to promote Republican candidates.

With his stellar record, he was nominated and confirmed to lead the NCTC, an agency responsible for analyzing terrorist threats. His movie-star looks certainly didn't hurt. But from the start, all was not well. Even before he took office, political operatives revealed uncomfortable ties to people and groups many Americans consider extreme and unsavory. Some ties were exposed by opposition research teams during Kent’s Congressional aspirations. Others surfaced during Kent’s confirmation hearings. According to the Associated Press, Kent acknowledged that during one of his two failed congressional campaigns, he consulted Nick Fuentes, who proclaimed that “Hitler was awesome, Hitler was right.”

During his 2022 House campaign, Kent employed Graham Jorgensen, a member of the Proud Boys, as a consultant. He also worked closely with Joey Gibson, the founder of the Christian nationalist group Patriot Prayer. However, Kent claimed that these ties were tenuous and did not shape his view of the world or America’s role in international relations. He was also prone to impulsive and impractical comments. He called for defunding the FBI and impeaching President Biden. But the Director of National Intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, liked him; others, a bit more cynical, were assuaged by his retractions of those early hot-headed comments.

But he was not a good fit for the NCTC, and he felt morally compelled to resign as its director. This shocked many at the Center, though others were not entirely surprised. So, what happened? Why didn’t it work out?

Reason One – The American-Israeli attack on Iran was unethical, unnecessary, and unexpected. By his account, Kent resigned because he could not morally support the president's decision to attack Iran. He argued that Iran posed, in his words, no imminent threat to the United States. This was an extremely significant charge. Under international law, military attacks are only allowed if the threat is imminent or self-defense is required. Kent argued that this was not the case.

Reason Two – Opposition to the “America First” policy of keeping out of long, non-essential wars. He believed the war in Iran contradicted these principles and marked a return to an era in which neo-conservatives, Republican interventionists, controlled policy-making.

Reason Three - This was a war for Israel and not the United States. He claimed that the hidden hands of a pro-Israel lobby controlled the White House. Kent argued that the US was pushed into conflict and that public perception was manipulated by Zionists. T

Reason Four - This reason was driven by the earlier three reasons. He felt he could not participate in an immoral activity. He stated, “I cannot, in good conscience, support the ongoing war in Iran.” He continued that many others in the Intelligence Community agreed with him but were cowed into silence.

Reason Five - Kent also suggested that intelligence narratives were manipulated. By whom? If he was clear, we are unaware of it. He did say that the decision to attack the nuclear sites was driven by intentionally manipulated intelligence claims.

So, Kent claimed that these were the five basic reasons he left government service. We at Kensington Security Consulting will take him at his word that these stated motives were his actual motives. But they raise some questions for us.

First, from what we can tell, he was adamant that there was no “imminent threat.” He made this claim to Tucker Carlson soon after he resigned. But exactly what did he mean? Did the threat have to be both existential and near-immediate to be imminent? If the intent and ability to craft nuclear warheads were revealed, would that constitute an imminent threat? Would the only acceptable definition of “imminent threat” be the certainty that nuclear weapons would be detonated against the United States within several hours? We are disappointed that his use of the word “imminent” was not clearer. The White House claimed that Iran was very close – weeks, maybe months – to achieving a nuclear weapons capability. Perhaps reasonable people could debate whether this was imminent. However, many observers of nuclear proliferation note that no country enriches uranium to 60% for peaceful use. And once enrichment reaches that level, the remaining step to weapons-grade is short. Some might claim imminent.

Also, Kent claimed that Ayatollah Khamenei issued a religious edict, or fatwa, against nuclear weapons. Perhaps. But many spurious fatwas have been used to beguile credulous Westerners. Further, there is the Islamic practice of takiya, the use of falsehoods to disguise actual intentions. It is hard to believe that the director of the NCTC would be unaware of this.

Kent bewailed President Trump’s drift away from isolationism to fight, in his judgment, Israel’s war. He referred to a malignant, hidden control that forced his hand in deciding to go to war. However, he did not explain why seven successive U.S. presidents assured the electorate that, under no circumstances, would they allow Iran to have nuclear weapons. Further, many people were not convinced that the Israeli Prime Minister or anyone else had the ability to force Donald Trump into war. Many Americans see Donald Trump as fiercely independent. As with his claim of lack of imminence, Kent does not explain exactly how Israel or a domestic cabal in the United States forced the president’s hand.

He accused Israel of dragging the United States into war with Iraq, a war that tragically took his wife’s life. But what evidence has he offered to support the claim of Israeli control? By most accounts, Israeli leadership warned that Iran — not Iraq — posed the far greater threat to both the U.S. and Israel. Colin Powell’s United Nations presentation relied on Western intelligence, not Israeli sources. Ariel Sharon called the war against Iraq “the wrong war,” and he was not alone in that assessment. Many Israeli leaders agreed, both publicly and privately.

Kent also seems dangerously naïve about his assessment of Ali Larinjani, Iran’s leading security official, who was killed by Israel in March 2026. He referred to Larinjani as moderate. Moderate? Really? Compared to whom? When did Larinjani break with the orthodoxy of the Islamic Republic? So, what is to make of Kent and his resignation? We at Kensington are confused. Finally, if he was convinced that President Trump was under the operational control of Israel or its agents, why wouldn’t he stay in his position and inform Donald Trump that he had been captured? Why wouldn’t he show evidence of the plot? We have our ideas. But we would like to hear yours.

This concludes this episode of Jihad and the World. Our upcoming book, Cauldron of Terror – Hamas, Israel, and the World, will be available for purchase in July 2026. This podcast does not represent the official position of the United States government. Until next time, goodbye from Kensington Security Consulting.