From Sky News:
A rabbi and several worshippers have been released after being held hostage by a gunman at a Texas synagogue.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott wrote on Twitter: “Prayers answered – all hostages are out alive and safe.”
His words came nearly 12 hours after the standoff began and not long after a loud bang and what sounded like gunfire were heard in the building.
At least four hostages, including the rabbi, were believed to be inside the Congregation Beth Israel synagogue in Colleyville when the attack took place.
The report said that the gunman was demanding the release of Islamic terrorist Aafia Siddiqui who is serving an 86 year sentence for attempted murder after opening fire using a guard’s gun on US troops following her arrest in connection with terrorist financing. The Islamic terrorist Khalid Sheikh Mohammed has allegedly named her in connection to being a courier for Al Qaida. She’s being held in a federal penal medical facility in Texas.
At the time of writing it appears that the gunman was killed by US special forces. However I wonder if this hostage situation could have been averted if the Synagogue guard or someone present among those attending this service had been armed? US authorities are exploring the idea that the gunman might be a relative of Siddiqui but whatever the connection the gunman has with her I believe that the ultimate motivation behind this incident is jihad.
No doubt the Board of Jewish Dep….. Errrrr Marxists, will attribute it to the “far right” and that ol’ favourite “Islamophobia”
I don’t know about that but already the Left and the ‘nothing to do with Islam’ crowd in the USA are already whining about how this incicent will create ‘Islamophobia’.
Edit to add: It appears that the gunman in the Texas synagogue hostage case had a British accent. I wonder if the odds of him coming from Tower Hamlets, Newham or Bradford are pretty high? https://news.sky.com/story/suspect-shot-dead-after-taking-hostages-in-texas-synagogue-siege-was-british-sky-news-understands-12517347
Anyone who is armed and takes hostages in a place like Texas should expect to be shot to death. As to the question regarding should security be armed who can say, many say yes, and many say no. It’s the old question of does the government trust the people and in UK the answer for always no. This of course was in USA and I guess it’s their house and their rules, if you don’t like that don’t go there.
“A brother of Malik Faisal Akram [originally from the Blackburn area of Lancashire] issued a statement apologising to the victims and saying he had been suffering from “mental health issues”.”
Let’s be fair, he was suffering from mental heath issues, in his case the Mental Elf’s name is Islam.
I noticed the ‘mental health’ excuse being deployed very early in this case. It may well be a case of nutter follows nutty ideology that makes him murderously nutty. It’s odd isn’t it that such religiously inspired violent mental health cases seem to be more prevalent in one particular community and not so much among Christians, Jews, Sikhs, Hindus, Jains or the Methodists.
I can’t do the screen shot here, but the Blackburn Muslim community is hoping that Akram receives the highest rank of paradise …
… which is reserved for those who die in Jihad …
… so I presume that means his community, or at least its spokesmen (and they will be men) are supportive of his actions and will consider him a “shahid” – martyr.
As I’ve said before (though thankfully in this case only the terrorist died) Christian and Jewish martyrs are killed for their faith, Muslim martyrs kill for their faith.
Yes just covered this story about the Blackburn Muslim Community group. Definitely looks as if there could be more like Akram in that area.