Barry Duke, the Angry Atheist

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1. 

   As someone who produced dozens of nativity plays as a teacher and a Sunday School leader, that title ‘A Gay…

2. 

   The defence of a Christian view never seems to be settled by debate: exchange of facts, reference to historical events.…

3. 

   But …… Rwanda is a safe place: Parliament says so.https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2024/8/contentsSafety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Act 2024 S 2 Safety…

4. 

   Religion can survive only on the most unquestionable assumptions. The statements made on Sundays on the BBC as if they…

5. 

   Yes, if I’ve got anything remotely like a phobia, as an ex-fundy, its bibles, churches, tracts etc. I like to…

AUSTRIAN authorities revealed today (Sunday) that they had arrested three young men—the youngest just 14—for allegedly planning a terrorist attack on Vienna’s Pride event that drew 300,000 on Saturday.

According to ABC News, the three—Austrian citizens of Bosnian and Chechen origin whose identities were not revealed—had become radicalized online and sympathised with the Islamic State group.

Omar Haijawi-Pirchner from the State Protection and Intelligence Directorate, told reporters that the suspects were arrested one hour before the start of the parade

He said there that there “no danger for the participants of the parade at any time.”

Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer expressed his gratitude to the investigators for preventing “a possible Islamist attack in Vienna.”

He said on Twitter:

This shows once again that we must never give in in the fight against radicals and extremists. They are a threat to our democracy and security and must be dealt with severely.

Vienna’s mayor Michael Ludwig expressed shock.

There must be no place for hate and exclusion in Vienna. Our city is colorful and cosmopolitan.

The intelligence service had received advance knowledge of the suspects’ alleged plans, kept them “under constant control,” and arrested them on the orders of the St. Poelten public prosecutor’s office following house searches on Saturday that uncovered various evidence, including weapons.

It’s believed that the suspects may have planned an attack with knives and a car, the head of the intelligence service said.

Image via YouTube

When asked whether there was any question of canceling the event, Haijawi-Pirchner, above, said that this had “of course been discussed” in advance.

But it was allowed to proceed because authorities were certain the three men had no accomplices, based on well-founded and reliable investigative findings.

Organisers of the Pride parade were only informed about the possible danger on Sunday, after the police raid had already taken place.

The parade’s organising team said:

We will not let the enemies of rights for LGBTQI people, democracy and an open society get us down.

The rights of the community have recently been “increasingly threatened by backsliding and we have to fight every day for our visibility and safety,” said Ann-Sophie Otte, chairwoman of the Homosexual Initiative Vienna.

The Japan Times reported that In November 2020, a convicted Islamic State group sympathiser went on a shooting rampage in downtown Vienna, killing four and wounding 23 others before police shot him dead.

It marked the Alpine nation’s first deadly jihadi attack.

Earlier this year, a Vienna court sentenced two alleged accomplices of the gunman to life in prison, while two others received prison terms of 19 and 20 years.

The Prophet Muhammad would have disapproved

Ironically, at the beginning of Pride Month, the following message was posted on Twitter:

As of today it received over 1,800 “likes”.

• Hat tip: Diesel Balaam

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