Nearly 10 percent of restaurants in the United Kingdom have gone bankrupt since the coronavirus epidemic hit last spring, a joint survey of business and professional consultancy firms presented by AlixPartners and CGA on Sunday showed, meaning after the industry’s full reopening on Monday, a significantly smaller number of restaurants, bars and pubs will be available than in March last year.

In the UK, from Monday, restaurants, pubs and bars will be able to open their indoor service rooms. The easing also allows the opening of cinemas, theaters, concert halls, museums and stadiums, hotels, and other tourist accommodations in the country.

According to the survey, bankruptcies have hit restaurants the hardest within each category: 4,204 restaurants have closed permanently. This means that 9.7 percent of UK restaurants have closed since March last year. Within the average, the loss was even more severe among restaurants that belonged to the mid-priced, “average” market sector and thus attracted the most populous audience: 19.4 percent of restaurants in this category — almost a fifth — went bankrupt.

According to the survey, the number of British establishments specializing mainly in the distribution of alcoholic beverages — namely pubs and bars — has fallen from 61,229 to 57,783 since March 2020, meaning that 5.6 percent of them have disappeared over the more than one year since the epidemic began.

In line with the opening schedule of the British government, the previous easing of restrictions was on April 12 when restaurants were allowed to open their terraces and garden areas to the public. However, according to a survey published by AlixPartners and the CGA on Sunday, less than a third of British restaurants — 32.9 percent — had such facilities, meaning that more than two-thirds of restaurants and pubs remained closed until today. Thus, the recovery process in the hospitality sector can only really start after the full opening from today, states the study.

British pubs and restaurants open today, but the entire industry already paid a heavy toll

Disciplinary action is being taken against Lisa Keogh, 29, for “offensive” and “discriminatory” comments she made during classes at Abertay University in Dundee. Keogh was denounced by younger students after she maintained that women are born with female genitals and that “the difference in physical strength between men and women is a fact”. A formal investigation into her conduct has now been launched.

Keogh said she was stunned when she received an email accusing her of transphobic and offensive comments at seminars on gender feminism and the law. “I thought it was a joke,” she said. “I thought it was impossible for the university to prosecute me for using my legal right to free speech,” she told the British newspaper The Times.

She allegedly stated that women were the “weaker sex” and that her classmates were “feminists who hate men” after one of her classmates claimed that all men are rapists and pose a danger to women.

“I didn’t deny that I said these things and I told the university exactly why I did it,” she said. “I didn’t mean to be offensive, but I took part in a debate and expressed my sincere views. I was abused and called names by the other students, who told me I was a “typical cis white girl”. You must be able to freely exchange different opinions, otherwise it is not a debate”.

During a video seminar Keogh had raised concerns about a transgender woman’s participation in mixed martial arts fights, but was muted from participating. “I argued that this woman had testosterone in her body for 32 years and as such would be genetically stronger than your average woman,” she said.

“I wasn’t mean, transphobic or offensive. I was just stating a basic biological fact. I used to work as a mechanic and when I was in the workshop there were heavy things that I just couldn’t lift, but male colleagues could.”

The university’s definition of misconduct includes “use of offensive language” or “discrimination against gender reassignment”. Sanctions include expulsion from the institution. Keogh, mother of two, fears for her future. “I don’t come from a legal background and I have worked incredibly hard to get to where I am,” she said.

“I’m afraid my chance to become a lawyer, and to make a positive contribution, may end just because some people have been offended.”

Abertay University said it would not comment on disciplinary issues.

https://freewestmedia.com/2021/05/17/scotland-law-student-faces-expulsion/

An outbreak of hatred against Jews – in the middle of Germany’s streets! How should our country react to this?

Gerhard Schindler (68), head of the German foreign intelligence service BND from 2011 to 2016, is highly alarmed by the anti-Semitic marches in Gelsenkirchen and other major cities by predominantly Arab demonstrators.

“This development of the last few days is frightening and intolerable because it violates the German reason of state,” Schindler said on the tabloid BILD Live. “Flag burning, stone throwing against synagogues, anti-Semitic hate slogans on German soil are simply not compatible with our own history.”

In BILD Live, the lawyer explained why he sees a red line crossed – and why German politics must react harshly to the disgusting, openly displayed anti-Semitism on our streets.

He clarifies: “Of course, we must not play down anti-Semitism among the German population, we must not talk it down. But the anti-Semitism that we now see among migrants is a fact that we have to face.”

He added that one had to wait for the police investigations to find out who had taken part in the marches. “But the findings so far show that it is not only Palestinians who are involved.

Visible evidence: Tunisian and Turkish flags, for example at the march in front of the synagogue in Gelsenkirchen, where participants shouted “Sh… Jews”.

Schindler explained why politics must not go back to business as usual this time: “These people disregard our hospitality in two ways. On the one hand, by committing criminal offences – insulting, threatening, denying Israel’s right to exist. And in the second respect, by violating our basic socio-political consensus, namely that no anti-Semitic agitation may take place on German soil.”

This is not a trivial offence. “This affects the DNA of the German understanding of the state”.

Citizens could trust the German security authorities: “The police leadership, but also the state offices for the protection of the constitution and the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution are doing a good job.” The concepts for the protection of Jewish institutions are certainly “very up-to-date and appropriate to the current situation”.

Schindler does not share criticism of the possibly too passive behaviour of the police forces: “I think it is always difficult to want to judge the current situation on the ground from the living room or in front of the TV set.”

But one thing is clear: “The security authorities can only tackle the symptoms. The cause of this basic problem is a societal problem that everyone must address.”

What is needed now, he said, is to “fight the anti-Semitism that has taken root in our society” – specifically among young migrants. “Of course, we must not play down the anti-Semitism of the German population, not talk it down. But the anti-Semitism that we now see among migrants is a fact that we have to face.”

Schindler’s explosive demand: “It is not enough that we openly address this fact. We must also expel those who abuse our hospitality here.”

Three points are necessary in Schindler’s view:

“We need better integration of these people. They are now here, and then we also have to take care of them. BUT, said the ex-BND chief: “Those who won’t let us help them, we have to expel them from the country.”

“Secondly, we need better education, especially better adult education.”

And thirdly, Schindler expects “the Muslim associations and organisations to take on a huge responsibility”.

He expects “much more commitment” from them, such as moderating words at Friday prayers: “For me, the question is: In what percentage of German mosques has the imam called on people not to take part in anti-Israeli demonstrations? I would be very interested to know that. And I say again: I see more deficits here than hopeful approaches.”

https://www.bild.de/politik/inland/politik-inland/ex-bnd-chef-ueber-judenhasser-unbelehrbare-ausser-landes-bringen-76408860.bild.html

With special trains, the Rhein-Neckar-Verkehr GmbH in Mannheim apparently made it easier for one of the nationwide Palestinian gatherings to take place on May 15, 2021. The state-owned company with close contacts to the municipality and the police had trams full of Palestinian flags running with the notice: “Sorry out of service”. When they got off the trams, the demonstrators shouted aggressively: “Allahu akbar”. The Rhein-Neckar-Verkehr GmbH press office could not be contacted about this. The WIM editorial office was unable to get a statement. The rally with numerous foreigners demonstrably receives state encouragement and support. I can’t recall a single city that has ever organised special trams or trains for rallies against Corona measures for over a year.

https://politikstube.com/gehts-noch-staatlicher-fahrdienst-fuer-israel-hasser-in-mannheim/

Attacks on Asians are increasing in the United States. In the first quarter of 2021, there were 164 percent more so-called hate crimes against Asian Americans than in the same period last year.

USA Today reported on the dramatic increase, citing a study by the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism (CSUSB) at California State University in San Bernardino. According to the anti-racism organization Stop AAPI Hate, 6 600 such cases have occurred since the beginning of the Corona pandemic.

Representatives from Stop AAPI Hate (AAPI stands for Asian American and Pacific Islanders) complained that behind it there is a deeply rooted racism against Asians. The group’s co-chair, Evangeline Chan, emphasized that it already existed before 2020.

As the media in the US and the EU never tire of emphasizing, the former President Donald Trump also particularly poisoned the social climate by calling the Corona virus the “China virus” and this is how he stirred up hatred against Asians. The US Democrat and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, has blamed “white supremacy” for the increasing attacks on US citizens of Asian descent. According to her, the perpetrators are white and they have racist motives.

On Tuesday, Fulton District Attorney Fani Allis announced that she would apply for the death penalty for a white offender who shot eight people in mid-March. Six of his victims were Asian. Although the gunman had stated that he had killed the victims in massage parlors for religious reasons and because of his alleged sex addiction, the act was nevertheless promoted as evidence of white racism against Asians, especially in the media.

Videos show black people as perpetrators

The most recent and particularly shocking examples of violence are currently two recent acts. In San Francisco, a man stabbed two Asian women waiting for the bus. The two women, aged 84 and 63, were seriously injured. Two days earlier, a woman had also attacked two Asian women in New York with a hammer and injured them.

Both cases occurred on the street. The perpetrators attacked their victims without warning. In the reporting on these two crimes, the fact that the attackers were black in both cases, is being ignored.

Even in less spectacular cases of physical assault, this perpetrator-victim scheme is often kept silent. However, videos circulating on social media show that violence against Asians is often not the result of so-called white racism. However, this circumstance apparently disturbs the narrative of the liberal US media, obsessed with ex-President Trump.

Please do not destroy the narrative!

In the case of San Francisco, the judiciary is trying very hard not to attribute an anti-Asian motive to the crime. The alleged perpetrator will not be indicted for a hate crime, reported 2 KTVU. The African American has “mental health problems” and has possibly assaulted others in the past.

In the case of the New York crime, a racist motive for the crime is being excluded, because, as the news portal ABC7 reported, the black woman was drunk during the attack. So in this case too, it was not racist.

Notably, in a major city in British Columbia, Canada, anti-Asian attacks are rifeand they can not be attributed to Donald Trump but to Justin Trudeau, the pro-immigration, multiculturalist and anti-white supremacist Canadian prime minister. Curiously, the perpetrators of these hate crimes against Asians in Vancouver are never mentioned either.

“Last year, more anti-Asian hate crimes were reported to police in Vancouver, a city of 700 000 people, than in the top 10 most populous US cities combined. With almost 1 out of every 2 residents of Asian descent in British Columbia experiencing a hate incident in the past year, the region is confronting an undercurrent of racism that runs as long and deep as the historical links stretching across the Pacific,” Bloomberg reported.

https://freewestmedia.com/2021/05/16/white-supremacy-or-black-criminals/

The following is the commentary by Johannes Boie,
Editor-in-Chief of the WELT AM SONNTAG

In recent days, I have witnessed the numerous attacks on Jewish places of worship, the clamour of mostly migrant demonstrators who pay homage to Hitler, approve of the Holocaust, call for the destruction of Israel and spread hatred of Jews. And I came to a sad realisation: perhaps it’s a matter of willingness. This state, this country, this government, this society may simply not want to eliminate anti-Semitism forever.

In Gelsenkirchen, young men with a migration background shouted “fucking Jew” in front of the synagogue, and across the country the threat “You Jews! Mohammed’s army will be back soon”. In Kreuzberg, the same mob openly demanded “attack Tel Aviv”; in Dresden, counter-demonstrators carrying Israeli flags were attacked. In Pankow, an Israeli flag was torched, in Würzburg one was torn from its pole. In Hanover, demonstrators tore up Israeli flags, in Solingen one burned. In Halle, demonstrators shouted “Takbir! Strike, strike Tel Aviv!”

These are people who feel encouraged in Germany to give free rein to their hatred of Jews. No wonder in a country where the Federal President congratulates the terrorist state of Iran on the “anniversary of the revolution”. In which a candidate for chancellor – Annalena Baerbock – publicly speaks out against supporting Israel with military technology. In which left-wing politicians show up supporting Jew-hatred demonstrations in Neukölln.

In which Ditib, an organisation of the Turkish president who is drifting into Islamism, is still not banned. In which the Social Democratic Party (SPD) parliamentary group leader Rolf Mützenich blames the country of Israel for anti-Semitic attacks in Germany. In which people pin a “Jewish star” to their chest because they think the government is behaving wrongly in the Corona crisis. In which the city of Hagen takes down an Israel flag that was hoisted to refer to the establishment of diplomatic relations between Israel and Germany on May 12, 1965, because a few Jew-haters wanted it that way. […]

A country where Hamas terrorists are reliably referred to as “activists” in numerous media: on n-tv, in the “Tagesschau”, on “Spiegel Online”, in the “FAZ”, in the “Tagesspiegel”, in the “Frankfurter Rundschau”…

“Spiegel Online” placed the reasonably clear statement of the German Foreign Minister (“Israel … has the right to self-defence”) without comment and without any context next to that of the Iranian counterpart, who spoke of “criminal acts” by Israel. His country also supplies the weapons fired at Israel, that was missing as a small hint.

The “shitty Jews” shouting in front of the synagogue in Gelsenkirchen was turned into an “anti-Israeli demonstration” by this media from Hamburg, as if it had not been anti-Semitism but a critical confrontation with the only democracy in the Middle East.

The news agency dpa also reported the event in Gelsenkirchen – and managed not to mention the milieus from which the hatred of Jews emanated. Later, the agency added to its report that it had “not yet been able to say much” about the demonstrators.

Similarly, the news programme “Tagesschau”: “Whether it was immigrants, if so, what religious or cultural background they have, or whether right-wing radicals were involved in the crime, we simply don’t know.” Yet videos had long been public showing a zillion and almost exclusively people with an immigrant background. Meanwhile, broadcaster Deutsche Welle interviewed a pro-Palestinian activist as an expert. A staff member of broadcaster WDR asked on Twitter: “Dear God, make the old philosemites dead”, to which his employer responded apologetically: “a private tweet” that was “exaggeratedly formulated”. An acquittal can be that simple.

These days, two milieus in particular complement each other: people who have learned from their childhood, whether it was in Neukölln or in the West Bank, that Israel is to be hated, that Jews are to be detested and attacked. And above all, left-wing politicians and media who negate this attitude, who talk down the problem and too often even secretly agree with it.

It is the same mostly left-wing negligence that has led to some neighbourhoods in Germany being controlled by clans (all from the same, anti-Semitic milieu). The stance is seconded by international stars: Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai spoke out unilaterally against Israel, Greta Thunberg too.

There are a few approaches that show that things can be done differently, could be done differently. In Bonn, citizens take turns to sit in front of the synagogue to make sure nothing happens. The Christian Democratic Union (CDU) had its Israeli flag stolen, but hung up a new one, unimpressed. And some Germans took to the streets on Saturday to show solidarity, if not with Israel, at least with German Jews. All this is good, right, impressive. But I am sceptical whether it is enough.

https://www.welt.de/debatte/kommentare/article231162615/Deutschland-ermuntert-die-Antisemiten-ihrem-Hass-freien-Lauf-zu-lassen.html

The Danish government is looking for ways to deter refugees seeking international protection and has come up with the idea of directing asylum seekers to countries outside the European continent. Danish MEPs are currently debating a bill that would allow the Scandinavian country to transfer responsibility for receiving applicants to a third country or several third countries, Le Monde reported.

The bill proposal states migrants would be registered upon arrival in Denmark, and authorities would take their fingerprints to check whether they have not applied for asylum in another EU country. They would then be seated on a plane to Africa where further application processes would be handled by third countries.

According to the RFI radio station, Denmark has tried to conclude an agreement with various countries, including Tunisia and Ethiopia, but negotiations with Rwanda look the most promising.

However, human rights organizations do not agree with the proposal, arguing that if other countries follow the Danish example, the right to asylum will be jeopardized. But Danish Migration Minister Mattias Tesfaye says the measure will be more humane than current processes because it will reduce the influx of refugees who risk their lives on dangerous migration routes for a better life. The initiative is also supported by a large part of the Danish population.

Danish Prime Minister and chairman of the Danish Social Democrats Mette Frederiksen, who, according to Le Monde, sought the votes of far-right party voters in the last election, pledged to curb migration in her election campaign.

Since 2019, when she became the prime minister, she has been tightening the country’s migration policy. In 2020, 1,547 people applied for asylum in Denmark, which is the lowest number since 1992. For comparison, according to data published by the Czech Ministry of the Interior, 1,922 people applied for international protection, or asylum protection, in the Czech Republic in 2019.

However, Frederiksen still found the number of applications lodged in Denmark last year to be too high. In January, she announced that her ambition is to reduce asylum applications in Denmark to zero. In April, Denmark was the first European country to decide not to renew the residence permit for Syrian refugees, explaining that part of Syrian territory was already safe enough for them to return home.

https://rmx.news/article/article/denmark-wants-to-send-asylum-seekers-to-africa

The Frankfurt professor Susanne Schröter is head of the Research Centre Global Islam. She accuses politicians of ignoring anti-Semitism in Muslim communities for years. In an interview with FOCUS Online, she explains, among other things, why the crime statistics for anti-Semitic offences are wrong.

FOCUS Online: Professor Schröter, against the backdrop of the Middle East conflict, riots and attacks on synagogues are on the rise in this country, what are we currently experiencing as a result of the protests ?

Susanne Schröter: Muslim anti-Semitism is manifesting itself here, which has always been ignored by the German public. Violence and incitement against Jews is not only rampant in the extreme right, but anti-Semitism is also growing in Muslim communities. But this is swept under the carpet.

In recent years, there have been repeated attacks by Muslims on Jews in the underground trains, or on Jewish children in schools. For fear of attacks, some Jews now refrain from wearing religious clothing in public. Unlike right-wing extremism, this dangerous development has never really been taken seriously.

What is behind this ?

Schröter: Some circles in culture and politics see Muslims as a victim group. This is what the term Islamophobia or anti-Muslim racism stands for. Ergo, victims cannot be perpetrators. Unfortunately, this mindset is also fuelled by scholars who come from postcolonial theory. These researchers explicitly emphasise that Muslims cannot be perpetrators because they are victims. This is an unrealistic view of things.

Why didn’t politics take up this anti-Semitism phenomenon earlier ?

Schröter: For many politicians and church representatives in particular, the topic is too hot. They always use the killer argument that a public discourse would only serve the AfD’s interests. And so the problem is no longer even discussed. But now we have the problem that there is extreme hostility towards Jews among Muslims. This is not so much criticism of the Israeli government’s measures, but rather an anti-Semitic mixture of politics and religion. This is not a new phenomenon.

When the Middle East conflict boiled up in 2014, young demonstrators on German streets threatened that the army of the Prophet Mohammed would return and destroy the Jews. With such slogans, reference is made to Islamic intellectual history. In some of Muhammad’s Koran verses and hadiths, there are passages that place Jews and Muslims in an absolute relationship of enmity. Immigration from the Arab civil war countries has further exacerbated this anti-Semitic attitude in this country. If politicians do not deal with the problem, it will continue to escalate until it gets out of hand.

However, the police statistics contradict their analysis, according to which almost 94 per cent of anti-Semitic crimes are the work of right-wing extremists.

Schröter: These statistics present a distorted image. The fact that the police attribute anti-Semitic crimes primarily to right-wing extremist circles is simply misleading. All cases where no perpetrator can be found are automatically attributed to right-wing extremism. This happens in about half of the registered anti-Jewish offences. This is the reason for the blatant overhang towards the right-wing. However, this statistic clearly contradicts the interviews with Jewish victims. I believe that the law enforcement agencies are pretty much in the dark here. But they do not take note of this.

What is in store for us?

Schröter: A few statements of consternation on the part of politicians will not be enough to make this anti-Semitic trend disappear. The riots and attacks on Jewish institutions will pop up again and again. Especially since Islamic organisations are also fuelling the hatred of Jews.

Which organisations are you referring to?

Schröter: For example, the state-controlled Turkish religious authority Diyanet and the umbrella organisation of Turkish-Islamic religious associations in Germany DITIB. On their Turkish home pages, there is currently a large-scale propaganda against Israel and the Jews. Suddenly you feel like you’re in a holy war.

How widespread is anti-Semitism in the left camp ?

Schröter: There has been latent anti-Semitism in the left spectrum for decades. This goes back to the terrorist group RAF in the 1970s and other radical left movements that allied themselves with militant Palestinian groups. In the case of assassinations or hostage-taking, Jewish victims were sometimes specifically singled out.

Ok, that was once, what is the current situation ?

Schröter: I would distinguish between two groups of activists who position themselves against Israel. One group consists of ideological hardliners who basically glorify Palestinian organisations as a “liberation movement” and deny Israel the right to exist. They themselves show solidarity with Islamofascist groups such as Hamas. These actors can be found above all in the BDS movement, which demonises Israel and its citizens and calls for a boycott. They are convinced left-wing anti-Semites.

A second group is driven by taking the side of the supposedly weak. These are often young people who act primarily emotionally but have only a rudimentary knowledge of the Middle East conflict, which is not exactly easy to understand. Perhaps a better education would save them from some naïve partisanship. If they knew that Hamas, in its charter, not only seeks the annihilation of the state of Israel, but also the annihilation of all Jews, some people might start to think.

https://www.focus.de/kultur/gesellschaft/folgen-des-nahost-konflikts-dfdf_id_13299126.html