Hit By Terror

"Denmark has been hit by terror. We do not know the motive for the alleged perpetrator's actions, but we know that there are forces that want to hurt Denmark. They want to rebuke our freedom of speech."
Danish Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt

"There's no room to be naive. These are dark forces that want to hurt us."
"There will be a lot more police [on the streets]. This will continue for a while. But we're experiencing a capital city that looks different now."
Danish Justice Minister Mette Frederiksen

"When Lars Vilks and I emerged from the room where we had been hiding, we were surprised to see that some of the panellists had taken the initiative to restart the debate."
"There was actually a PowerPoint presentation going on, which was a sharp contrast to the chaos that had just been. It was a brilliant idea."
Helle Merete Brix, Lars Vilks committee

Reuters / Monday, February 16, 2015

People hold candles as they attend a memorial service held for those killed on Saturday by a 22-year-old gunman, in Copenhagen February 16, 2015. REUTERS/Leonhard Foeger

Those who assembled at the Krudttoenden cafe in Copenhagen "experienced shock and fear -- and tragedy", Mr. Vilks wrote after the attack on the assembly meant to discuss free speech. "Where do we stand now with that question?" the Mohammad-mocker asked. Well, more or less where the issue stood before. Before the attack in Paris and before accusations by Muslims of Western Islamophobia. The outraged and violent determination of Islamists to take revenge for the disrespect shown their Prophet continues.

One might think, mistakenly as it happens, that Denmark learned a lesson of sorts after the publication of the satirical cartoons in Jyllands-Posten earned them the violent enmity of Islam and an economically-crippling boycott of Danish products throughout the Muslim world. But no, Danes are patient and forgiving, and though champions of free speech and of Jews, also champion refugees of Islamic devotion whose ideological bent no one questions.

Before the Charlie Hebdo murders and the massacre at the Jewish kosher supermarket, there were the infamous Danish cartoons depicting Mohammad in unflattering caricatures meant to highlight the hypocrisy of a religion that touts itself as a defender of peace, but which incites its faithful to violent jihad through terrorist acts, lest non-Muslims fail to fully comprehend the power and might of Islam and its capacity to strike down unbelievers.

Now, the latest demonstration of rampaging Islamism has left another two people dead; one at the cafe, and another at a Synagogue where a Jewish security guard was shot in the back of the head, and two police officers at each site were also shot. The killer, a young Danish-born man of Palestinian heritage, Omar Abdel Hamid el-Hussein, born a thug and spending his young life terrorizing people, held to have been radicalized in prison.

Copenhagen, famous internationally for its 'livability', has now joined other European capital cities as one where those who mock Islam and its Prophet, along with Jews are treated to 'random' attacks, by 'lone-wolf' lunatics whose hatred and blood-letting 'have nothing to do with Islam'. Islamist terrorist attacks are not what they seem, obviously. Despite which 10,500 soldiers are on alert in France, and in Copenhagen as in Belgium, a record security operation is underway.

The 'radicalized' terrorist had occasioned a previous alert by prison authorities to security agencies in Denmark. His propensity to violence was not unknown, and his turn toward the 'dark side' acknowledged, but not to fret. "He could also have been inspired by material sent out by (the Islamic State group) and others", head of the Danish intelligence agency mentioned. Is that comforting?

Seizing the moment, Sacha Reingewirtz, president of the Union of Jewish Students of France, an organizer of the memorial that took place after Copenhagen's latest clash with Islamofascism, urged "We need to stand together in Europe ... and wherever jihadis try to threaten democracy". And even as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has stated his encouragement for a "massive immigration" of European Jews to Israel, he is rebuffed.

"They belong in Denmark -- and we will do everything we can to protect the Jewish community in our country", vowed President Thorning-Schmidt. No word on how that tiny country plans to tame the jihad-impulsiveness of faithful Islamists. But since, as Denmark's president noted, they have no idea the motive of the terrorist attacks, it isn't likely any time soon that authorities will face up to the reality of their situation.

And Danish Jews, however resilient they are, may wish to reconsider the courage of their defiant statements that they are Danes who just happen to be Jews since there are now an awful lot of Islamists who just happen to be Danes. Just as well Danes are not "naive", as their justice minister stated; unfortunate, however, that they're getting it half-right.

Reuters / Monday, February 16, 2015

People place candles and flowers as a memorial service is held for those killed on Saturday by a 22-year-old gunman, in Copenhagen February 16, 2015. REUTERS/Hannibal Hanschke