Islamic terrorist motive for stabbing being investigated
A 51-year-old man was injured in the attack close to the Ormeau Road area on 1 March. He has since been discharged from hospital.
Assistant Chief Constable Davy Beck said a motive had not been established but police were exploring a number of factors, "including the possibility that this was a hate crime, a mental health episode or driven by religious ideology".
An 18-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of wounding with intent to do grievous bodily harm and possession of an offensive weapon in a public place.
He was arrested following the attack but is now being detained in a mental health facility.
Police said the victim continues to receive support from specialist officers.
No other individuals are being sought in connection with the attack.
Police have asked anyone with information to get in touch.
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Miami Herald
5 hours ago
- Miami Herald
Muslim woman says deputy stomped on hijab, left her exposed. She's suing in CA
Two Muslim women arrested while participating in a pro-Palestinian protest at a University of California campus filed a federal lawsuit against a sheriff's office, accusing deputies of violating their religious rights by forcing them to take off their hijabs in jail. One of the women, Shenai Aini, 22, of Orange County, was protesting as a UC Irvine student when multiple male law enforcement officers apprehended her during the May 15, 2024 campus demonstration, according to the lawsuit, which is represented by the Council on American-Islamic Relations and Asian Law Caucus. A complaint filed June 30 says the arresting officers, including Orange County sheriff's deputies, first threw Aini to the ground, then one grabbed her arm to drag her 'to apply zip ties.' As she was dragged, Aini says an Orange County sheriff's deputy 'repeatedly stomped on (her) hijab…causing it to unravel and leaving her exposed and in plain view of men outside of her immediate family.' Having her hair seen by male officers and protesters was humiliating for Aini, as it violated her religious beliefs, according to the complaint. Like her fellow plaintiff, Salma Nasoordeen, Aini wears a hijab when around men who are not in her family, in accordance with their Islamic faith. 'Due to the actions of the OCSD deputy, my exposed hair was broadcast for the world to see,' Aini said in a July 2 news release issued by CAIR-CA. Her arrest was filmed and televised by local TV news crews, according to the complaint. In jail, Aini's religious rights were violated further, the filing says, when a female deputy required her to take off her hijab to search her. Afterward, Aini had to remove her hijab again for a mugshot, according to the complaint. 'In the process of being booked, I was forced to be exposed in view of males and to have my photo taken without my hijab against my will,' Aini said. In a statement to McClatchy News on July 2, Orange Sheriff's Department public affairs director Carrie Braun said deputies helped campus police enforce a dispersal order during the UC Irvine protest and denied the lawsuit's allegations. She said the agency 'upholds individuals' rights to protest lawfully and peace-fully, as well as the First Amendment right to religious freedom.' 'No women were required to remove their hijabs in front of male employees or male members of the public,' Braun added. 'Women were asked to privately remove their hijabs only once while inside the jail facility for a booking photo, and this occurred with only female deputies present.' But the lawsuit says a female deputy 'demanded' the other plaintiff, Nasoordeen, who was taken into custody within an hour of arriving at the protest, to take off her hijab for her booking photo at jail. Nasoordeen, 26, of Orange County, felt pressured into complying, according to the complaint. 'I've never had to remove my hijab for a government identification photo,' Nasoordeen said in a statement shared by CAIR-LA. 'I kept thinking, 'Is this allowed?'' Nasoordeen works as the youth coordinator for CAIR-LA, according to the Los Angeles Times. In the complaint, attorneys from CAIR-CA and the Asian Law Caucus wrote that by photographing Aini and Nasoordeen without their hijabs, the sheriff's department has created a 'public record that exposed each woman in a manner deeply contrary to her religious exercise.' According to Braun, the department has not made Nasoordeen or Aini's booking photos public. She said state law prevents the agency from doing so. During a July 2 news conference held at CAIR's office in Anaheim, CAIR-LA attorney Dina Chehata said 'It is not for the state to decide when it (a hijab) can be removed,' according to the Orange County Register. Braun said 'the account of events' detailed at the conference were 'misleading and inaccurate.' In a similar, unrelated case in Tennessee, a Muslim woman sued deputies in Rutherford County, accusing them of forcing her to remove her hijab for a booking photo. The county later paid Sophia Johnston a $100,000 settlement, McClatchy News reported in January 2024. Johnston was threatened with indefinite jail time if she didn't remove her hijab, according to her federal lawsuit, which accused deputies of publishing her booking photo online and denying her request for religious accommodation. Aini and Nasoordeen, with their lawsuit, demand a jury trial. 'A year later, I am still deeply affected,' Aini said. 'I still hear my pleas to be covered, along with flashbacks reminding me that my religion was disrespected and I was spiritually harmed and exposed without my hijab when my arrest was broadcast to the public.' The lawsuit seeks an unspecified amount in damages and judgment against Orange County deputies for violations of state and federal law.
The Hill
10 hours ago
- The Hill
The worst ‘invaders' in history. MAGA's demonization of immigrants is preposterous.
Every night for the last two weeks, I have had explosions go off outside my Southern California home. Was it the invaders that MAGA politicians insist have infiltrated our country with the intent of destroying it? Maybe it was MS-13 or Venezuelan gangs. Perhaps it was a cartel or it was an Islamic terror cell. The reality is that it was the nightly Disneyland fireworks show. Of course, politicians might have told you that Los Angeles and its vast surrounding areas were a war zone that warranted the National Guard, Marines and scores of federal agents who seem to not want to show their badges or their face. And of course, we have seen the arresting of people at immigration hearings, job sites, and off the street which caused Southern California residents to protest in the first place. The justification for these actions started off as benignly as cracking down on illegal immigrants. Then it turned into criminals. And now everyone from Vice President JD Vance to White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller is using the term 'invader.' This preposterous descent from immigrant to invader shows just how afraid Republicans are of demographic changes in this country, even if those changes help this country thrive. As a Marine veteran and history major in college, I know a thing or two about invasions. We all know the most famous invasion, the Allied assault on Normandy. We may have learned about Napoleon's failed invasion of Russia and the Mongol hordes wreaking havoc across Asia and Eastern Europe. We know the last invasion of England was in 1066 and that the Marines specialized in amphibious invasions, especially in their island-hopping campaign against the Japanese Empire. And of course, we invaded Iraq and Afghanistan (and maybe Iran soon, who knows). While all these invasions have relied on horses, tanks, amphibious assault vehicles, along with weapons like bows, swords and guns, this current invasion of America is way worse. You have guys sneaking across the border and proceeding to head to a Home Depot to help a contractor remodel a kitchen. A lot of invaders have taken up jobs at hotels to clean rooms of guests, clearly nefarious behavior. Of course, the most dastardly of all, are the thousands of invaders who work tirelessly to ensure that millions of Americans have access to fresh fruits, vegetables, meat and other produce. These are the first invaders in history to actually make a country stronger and more profitable. It turns out that President Trump and company ran out of criminals to deport but still need photo ops to look like they are accomplishing something. The running out of criminals part is no joke. About 93 percent of the people arrested in these Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids don't have any violent convictions. So in order to keep this narrative, the Trump administration has decided to reframe immigration at large. You see, coming to this country and working is now considered an invasion. That's where the Republicans are. Not immigration reform. Not fixing a broken system. Not getting the backlog fixed. Not a Ronald Reagan-style amnesty. And surely not punishing the people that hire undocumented labor. Instead, Americans are having to reconcile seeing federal agents dressing up like Delta Force commandos running around the streets of America using explosives to enter houses or arresting Afghans who helped U.S. troops at their immigration hearings. It seems like to keep support up for his tough immigration stance, Trump and his acolytes have to keep moving the goal posts. Illegal immigration is an important topic to Trump voters. Eighty eight percent of Republicans wanted mass deportations and 96 percent wanted tougher security on the border. However, 71 percent of Republicans are OK with letting in high skilled immigrants, 63 percent were fine with allowing international students who earned a degree to stay, and 55 percent supported accepting immigrants who could fill labor shortages. In other words, there was and is a massive disconnect between who Republicans thought would be deported and who Trump is trying to justify deporting now. Americans are seeing that the vast majority of people whom Trump and company called invaders are just ordinary folks who make America a better and more prosperous place. Key in on the word prosperous. There is no doubt we need to fix the current immigration system. It is exploitation. In fact, it seems like Trump wants to give reprieves to certain sectors knowing full well that his promise of mass deportations would damage an already teetering economy. Farmers and hotel workers are the latest group Trump is giving a break to. So, how do you keep the economy from suffering a labor shortage while still keeping your promise to deport? Frame even more people as invaders. Illegals didn't work, and criminals couldn't stick. So, now we have to pretend that the guy who is washing dishes at a restaurant is invading our country just like the Russians are invading Ukraine. Sounds ridiculous right? Yet, that is what MAGA is trying to convince the rest of us. Jos Joseph is a published writer and is a graduate of the Harvard Extension School and Ohio State University. He is a Marine veteran who served in Iraq. He currently lives in Anaheim, Calif.
New York Post
a day ago
- New York Post
Iran executes 6 people, arrests hundreds in espionage crackdown
Iranian authorities have executed six people and arrested 700 in a nationwide espionage crackdown during its 12-day war with Israel, officials and human rights groups said. After Israel's bombardments on Tehran's nuclear program exposed the extent of the Jewish state's infiltration of Iran, the Islamic republic began sweeping up residents on suspicion of treachery, with a half dozen killed in lightning-fast trials, according to the Center for Human Rights in Iran. Human rights groups and local media estimate that more than 700 were arrested across five Iranian provinces, with many of the incarcerated clueless about the charges being levied against them. 4 Iran conducted mass sweeps for alleged spies during the 12-day war with Israel that saw dozens of Iranian scientists and military commanders killed. Morteza Nikoubazl/NurPhoto/Shutterstock Advertisement 4 The strikes saw Tehran come under direct attack from Israel, with police going after residents who posted about the airstrikes on social media. UGC/AFP via Getty Images Asghar Jahangir, a spokesman for Iran's judiciary, said that the state will soon reveal exactly how many people were arrested in the sweeps, as well as what charges they will face. He told reporters Sunday that many were arrested for 'spying for the Zionist regime' — just as the Iranian parliament announced an emergency bill to impose harsher punishments, including the death penalty, over espionage charges. Advertisement Jahangir said the judiciary was also expanding its monitoring of electronic communications to go after online accounts that were allegedly cooperating with Israel. The US-based human rights website HRANA claimed that nearly 300 of the people detained so far were arrested for their online activities, including for making posts on social media regarding the Israeli bombardments. 4 Iranians said they're falling in line with Tehran's strict demands as they fear being targeted as spies for Israel. Getty Images Amnesty International first rang the alarm over the crackdowns during the war, reporting that one man was killed over espionage accusations just three days after the Israeli attacks began on June 13. Advertisement 'Official calls for expedited trials and executions of those arrested for alleged collaboration with Israel show how the Iranian authorities weaponize the death penalty to assert control and instill fear among the people of Iran,' the human rights group said of Tehran's alleged misuse of the judicial system. 'The authorities must ensure all those detained are protected from enforced disappearance, torture and other ill-treatment, and afforded fair trials at all times, including during armed conflict,' the group added. 4 Ayatollah Ali Khamenei declared victory in Iran's war against Israel. IRIB NEWS AGENCY/AFP via Getty Images The crackdown has created a chilling effect across Iran, with many opting to lose their colorful clothes and don more traditional outfits lest they be marked traitors and targeted by authorities. Advertisement 'As long as this government exists, I am concerned about the chances of increased repression, but during times when there's an 'external threat,' the repression gets much worse, as they have more excuse to see us as enemies,' a 26-year-old from Tehran told the Washington Post. An activist who identified herself only as Zahra, 41, told the outlet that at least four of her colleagues were arrested during the sweeps, with more arrests likely to come as Iran tries to keep its iron grip on its citizens firm. Iran has a history of rounding up and executing dissenters in crackdowns that date back to the Islamic republic's founding in 1979. In 2022, 22-year-old lawyer Mahsa Amini died in police custody following her arrest for allegedly violating the country's strict hijab rules — sparking nationwide protests.
