Molenbeek
The world is awash with terrorism. I wonder how it feels to be branded a mastermind? Opening the page on the latest News I read there is a hunt out for the ‘Mastermind’ in terrorism. In the past a mastermind was someone who won TV quizzes. An answer for all questions, no matter how obscure the subject. In England there is group called ‘The Eggheads”, branded the ‘most formidable squiz masters’. It is amazing how much of facts including trivia seems to be able to get stored in people’s minds. The retentive memories play a role there. Of course elimination or deduction of other fact given in a choice of options is often helpful in getting the right answer. I often guess totally wrong which proves I have a lot to learn about pop music and names of 18th century Earls of Warwick.
But the terrorists was again up front this morning. The brother of one was featured on TV imploring his brother to give himself up.
It seems that the brothers grew up in a suburb of Brussels named ‘Molenbeek’ which is Dutch for ‘Mill- Brook (creek). No doubt in earlier times it would have featured a small river flowing in between the Belgian country side.
This from Wiki;
“The name Molenbeek comes from two Dutch words: molen, meaning “mill”, and beek, meaning “brook”. Although first applied to the brook that ran through the village, the name eventually came to be used to designate the village itself around the year 985. In the early Middle Ages, Molenbeek was known for its miraculous well of Saint Gertrude, which attracted thousands of pilgrims.
The village was made part of Brussels in the 13th century. As a result, Molenbeek lost many of its lands to its more powerful neighbour. In addition, its main church was dismantled in 1578, leading to further decline. The town’s character remained mostly rural until the 18th century.”
It is now a neglected and poor suburb of Brussels and many of the people there are from a middle Eastern background. Most of them law abiding and a ‘thriving and convivial community’ as someone living there explained in a TV interview. At the same time the area is known for being the hub of jihadist youth ripe for radicalisation. If ever there was a time for calm and reflection was needed, it is now. Bombing even more in Syria and Iraq does not help when the attacks are carried out by local born and bred people. They seem to be attracted to go into Syria and learn their evil trade before going back and install fear into millions
The anti Islam rhetoric as expressed by the likes of Pauline Hanson in Australia or Geert Wilders in Holland, Jean-Marie Le Pen in France, is exactly what the Is mob wants to hear, giving the excuse to keep on killing all around the world. Their aim is to foment anti-Islam hatred. We might try not to give them those encouragements.
It seems almost beyond solving but hatred is not the answer.
Tags: abdeslam-salah, Brussels, Geert Wilders, Islam, Jean-Marie Le Pen, Molenbeek, Pauline Hanson
Oosterman Treats Blog 
November 17, 2015 at 11:31 pm |
As far as I can see, which isn’t very far, these IS types can’t stand the thought of people enjoying themselves and do their best to prevent it. They have their beliefs and others must abide by them too. I remember a story concerning a couple of towns in Italy during the Roam period. One town was into drinking, casual sex, porn videos and the like, while the other lot were austere and scrubbed themselves down with sandpaper and hair shirts. But the austere lot attacked their neighbors several times, burning down their town. They had to be austere too and, failing that, dead. As I remember the towns were called Croton and Sybaris.
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November 17, 2015 at 11:40 pm |
Yes, Rod.
They knew how to do things so much better in the olden tymes..
This taken from Wiki:
“Maybe you, yourself, are a Sybarite!—that is, a person devoted to luxury and pleasure, yea, even unto wanton excess! Thus, maybe you’re having too much of a good time right now to read the rest of this. If that is the case, then go in peace, or as they used to say in Sybaris: Why don’t you have another glass of wine before you go? It’s piped in directly from the vineyard. Or enjoy another bath and massage. Or go back to sleep; it’s not even noon yet! Or take my wife. Please.*”
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November 18, 2015 at 12:08 am |
I agree with you, Gerard: by hating we are doing what they want (and have manipulated us into doing).
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November 18, 2015 at 12:17 am |
Thank you M-R. How are you travelling?
Waleed Aly urged Australians not to fall for ISIL’s strategy of divide and conquer.
“We are all feeling a million raging emotions right now. I am angry at these terrorists. I am sickened by the violence and I am crushed for the families that have been left behind, but, you know what, I won’t be manipulated. We all need to come together.
“I know how that sounds. I know it’s a cliche but it’s also true because it’s exactly what ISIL doesn’t want. So if you’re a member of Parliament or a has-been member of Parliament preaching hate at a time when what we actually need is more love, you are helping ISIL. They have told us that.
“If you are just someone with a Facebook or Twitter account firing off misguided missives of hate, you are helping ISIL. They have told us that.
“I am pretty sure that right now none of us wants to help these bastards.”
Recent attacks and threats against Muslims would serve to only aid IS’s aims, he said.
“They want societies like France and here in Australia to turn on each other.
“They want countries like ours to reject their Muslims and vilify them.”
Calling the organisation “weak”, he said, “What we don’t know yet is if the attack was planned, ordered or funded by ISIL’s leaders in Syria because the problem is, this is what ISIL do. They take credit for any act of terrorism on Western soil so they appear bigger and tougher than they actually are.”
He went on to say: “ISIL leaders would be ecstatic to hear that Muslims have been reportedly threatened and attacked in England, America and here in Australia because this evil organisation has it in their heads that if they can make Muslims the enemy of the West, then Muslims in France and England and America and here in Australia will have nowhere to turn but to ISIL.
“That was exactly their strategy in Iraq. And now they want it to go global.
“Saying that out loud, it is both dumbfounding in its stupidity and blood-curdling in its barbarity.”
Waleed Aly is a national treasure, somebody bottle him and give him a knighthood #TheProjectTV
Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/entertainment/tv-and-radio/the-projects-waleed-aly-praised-for-unity-message-in-the-wake-of-paris-attacks-20151116-gl0fz9.html#ixzz3rnVkiusZ
Follow us: @theage on Twitter | theageAustralia on Facebook
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November 18, 2015 at 12:19 am
I read it. I like Waleed. 🙂
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November 18, 2015 at 8:19 am
Waleed Aly is indeed a National Treasure – wonder if he will ever venture into politics. Maybe Australia is not ready for that.
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November 18, 2015 at 9:51 pm
Yes, I hope he will. We deserve a change.
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November 18, 2015 at 12:17 am |
We live in exciting times. Let’s enjoy the ‘good life’ we are so lucky to have so far. But please, please, let’s avoid all these severe excesses.
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November 18, 2015 at 12:22 am |
Yes Uta,
If you mean the excesses of the terrorists, I am with you as most of us are. The excesses in reply to Rod were in jest of course. Even so, an extra glass of wine is better that an extra dose of caster oil. 🙂
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November 18, 2015 at 1:41 am
An extra glass of wine is fine by me. Of course we like to joke about our excesses. And why not. One can joke about all sort of things and feel fine about it. I mean the excesses that destroy our souls and our lives. For instance if we buy things we cannot afford, going into debt and having to pay a lot of interest. gambling to excess etc. etc.
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November 18, 2015 at 9:39 pm
“Going into debt, buying things we can’t afford.” Yes, but to oppose that is almost seen as heresy and that would not make you many friends in the capitalist world.
Only the strong and informed would agree with you Aunty.
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November 18, 2015 at 12:55 am |
“It seems almost beyond solving but hatred is not the answer.”—Yes, well said. Well, the whole post is well said, but I really liked the closing line.
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November 18, 2015 at 9:55 pm |
If the people living there together with Kurds can gain back control, Isis will disappear but the war now seems to have a foothold well away from the Middle East.
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November 18, 2015 at 2:54 pm |
I agree wholeheartedly; the hatred and violent actions of the minority won’t be cancelled out, or stopped by similar responses. The answer? The only one I can see is changing hearts. How? One at a time. The easiest response? Revenge and like for like retaliation, to which there is never an end.
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November 18, 2015 at 9:56 pm |
Yes, with all the attention many must be queuing up to get recognition even if this entails being blown up in suicidal mania.
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November 18, 2015 at 7:35 pm |
The hatred will never stop. There will always be people who hate the idea that others live happy lives. If it isn’t about money it’s about religion. None of the smart people seem to know how to solve the problem.
The translation of Molenbeek is interesting. We have a “Millcreek Rd. here, and one of our daughters lives in a small town of Mill Creek.
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November 18, 2015 at 9:59 pm |
Yes, in the past water flowing was often used to power the mill into moving the stones to grind the wheat. Hence the name ‘mill-creek’.
Holland being flat did not have many flowing creeks but plenty of wind, so that’s how sails came into use. The windmill!
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November 18, 2015 at 9:12 pm |
I think the evidence is nearly conclusive by this point that the attacks in Paris were a false flag event geared to justify increased French and British bombing in Syria. The French knew who the masterminds were (one already had a 20 year sentence for terrorism). Moreover the Turkish had warned them about the attack the day before and French authorities did nothing to prevent it. It’s also interesting that all French police communications had been shut down for 24 hours at the time of the attack:
https://matrixbob.wordpress.com/2015/11/17/turkey-warned-france-twice-about-terrorist-attacker-was-ignored/
https://www.corbettreport.com/the-paris-terror-attacks-an-open-source-investigation/
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November 19, 2015 at 7:59 pm |
With my whole heart, I agree with you. Hatred and fear are not the answer. The answer is love. We must have the courage to count to 10 (or a thousand) and think this situation through. Respond, rather than react.
Thank you for being one of the thinkers.
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November 19, 2015 at 9:03 pm |
The clarion-call to our youth to become a jihadist has to be countered by a better future when now, so many seem to have lost purpose and direction. I mean, who can resist it when for many the alternative is so without hope? Especially when the reward dangling in front of the misguided youth, is a glorious death. Death is the whole aim of the jihadist’s adventure. Sadly many seem to be drawn to this.
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December 5, 2015 at 3:45 am
Perhaps it would also help to understand better what jihad is and is not. It is not an English word of course and has been appropriated by MSM. It has also been one of those words that has had the dreaded ‘ist’ added just to press the English interpretation further. For a more enlightened translation….
http://islamicsupremecouncil.org/understanding-islam/legal-rulings/5-jihad-a-misunderstood-concept-from-islam.html?start=9
Many people of the Muslim faith that I know would understand it as a Buddhist might understand enlightenment -through the personal striving for an internal fulfillment of spiritual understanding ….within oneself.
For example if Tony Abbott was truly on a Christian type of Jihad how would agreeing to send planes to bomb in Syria be seen in light of the ‘commandments’?
False logic and false intent abounds in religious based rhetoric.
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November 21, 2015 at 5:57 pm |
Yes, mastermind is probably gilding the lilly. A handful of blokes with AK47s and grenades did a hell of a lot of damage. I wonder, with this heightened sense of alertness, how such weapons aren’t seized at borders, or ships, planes, etc. One can’t board a plane in Australia without being searched for shoe bombs and nail files?
No, the answer isn’t more hate. I have Muslim friends who cringe over these incidences. It usually means that some nice young Muslim girl will be taunted on a train in Australia., rather than the protagonists being caught. When will it all end?
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