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Outrage over Nazi flag used at funeral

Italian Catholic and Jewish officials have condemned an outrageous act of right wing extremism, as a flag with a swastika was placed on a coffin outside a church after a funeral, as mourners in attendance gave Nazi salutes. Rome's Catholic archdiocese shared a statement that said priests at the parish of St. Lucy in a neighbourhood in central Rome, including the one who presided at the funeral, had no idea the stunt would happen. Pictures have surfaced on the internet of the coffin bearing the body of Alessia Augello, a former member of the right-wing extremist group Forza Nuova, covered by the Nazi flag. The diocese statement called the flag "a horrendous symbol that cannot be reconciled with Christianity" and said the stunt was an offensive example of "ideological exploitation" of a religious service. Italian police are investigating the incident as a possible hate crime. The Jewish community of Rome have expressed their outrage and devastation that such events could still happen more than 70 years after the Holocaust and the fall of Italy's fascist dictatorship. <div class="block-content"> <div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa">"It is unacceptable that a flag with a swastika can still be shown in public in this day and age, especially in a city that saw the deportation of its Jews by the Nazis and their fascist collaborators," the statement said.</div> </div> The Jewish community statement said the funeral incident was "even more outrageous because it took place in front of a church." In October 1943, a raid on Rome's Jewish neighbourhood saw more than 1,000 of the capital's Jewish people deported to the Auschwitz death camp in Nazi-occupied Poland. Only 16 people returned. Image credits: Getty Images / CNN

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Alleged right-wing extremist planned to 3D-print gun

A man from New South Wales’ Central West region has <a rel="noopener" href="https://7news.com.au/news/crime/nsw-man-with-nazi-flag-in-bedroom-arrested-c-3950729" target="_blank">been arrested</a> by counter-terrorism police for planning to produce a 3D gun. 26-year-old Michael Priest has been charged for possessing a blueprint to 3D print a gun - which is prohibited by NSW firearm laws and carries a penalty of 14 years in prison. <img style="width: 500px; height:281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7844024/arrest-dubbo2.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/788c57198f884c7ca9dbca51f26035fd" /> Image: Police Multimedia / AFP Police began investigating Mr Priest less than two weeks ago, after the Australian Border Force intercepted a package containing a firearm component addressed to the man. Upon further investigation by the NSW Joint Counter Terrorism (JCTT) team, they discovered the man listed as the recipient of the package was also a right-wing extremist. His home was searched by police on Friday, where they discovered a Nazi flag and a map of the state hanging on his bedroom wall. <img style="width: 500px; height:281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7844023/arrest-dubbo1.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/de74f9783a8c4647985b852da2139b7c" /> Image: Police Multimedia / AFP Mr Priest has allegedly been importing “legally obtained items” since the middle of 2020, which police said were to be used to manufacture weapons. “The Joint Counter Terrorism Team acted early to prevent him manufacturing a firearm, even though he allegedly made significant preparations to be able to do so,” Stephen Dametto, the counter-terrorism commander of the Australian Federal Police, said in a statement. The JCTT is made up of officers from the AFP and NSW Police, as well as investigators from intelligence agency ASIO and the NSW Crime Commission. “The potential for 3D printers to print firearms, or their components, is something police are constantly monitoring, and we will take action if we have evidence a person intends to manufacture a firearm,” Dametto said. NSW Police said homemade firearms were often poorly made, adding to the danger. “These types of firearms add another layer of risk in terms of the safety of the community as they are unstable, and many are unable to maintain integrity once fired,” Detective Superintendent Mick Sheehy of the NSW Police and Counter Terrorism and Special Tactics Command said in a statement. “We will not hesitate to take action if we believe there is a possibility that a firearm could land in the wrong hands.” Mr Priest appeared before a Dubbo magistrate on Monday, where he was refused bail. He is due to appear in court again on September 27. Image: Police Multimedia / AFP

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10 things that are considered “extremist tendencies” in China

A list of “extremist tendencies” has been pulled together in a book called the Australian National University’s 2018 China Story Yearbook. This book casts a spotlight on China’s disturbing crackdown on Muslims in the far west region of Xinjiang. The United Nations has said that between one and two million members of China’s Uyghur ethnic minority, who the majority practice Islam, have disappeared. Dr Gerry Groot, senior lecturer in Chinese Studies at the University of Adelaide, told <a href="https://www.news.com.au/world/asia/having-a-beard-and-owning-a-compass-seen-as-extremist-tendencies-in-china/news-story/d0a2cfcdf1b07c2f9478a6a68f5359a2">news.com.au</a> that many of these people have been sent to “vocational-education facilities” and prison following random police checks. “A lot of these people will be stuck in there for years and be doing hard labour under the guise of education,” he said. In his chapter, he explains that the missing people in Xinjiang are a result of the Chinese Communist Party not knowing how to deal with the country’s religious minorities. Groot also explains that state “encouragement” of China’s ethnic Han majority to Xinjiang and the reward of intermarriage over decades has dramatically reshaped the ethnic makeup of the region. Ever since the September 11 attacks in 2001, Groot says that the Chinese government has sought to link any unrest among the Chinese Muslims with foreign radical Islamist movements. “There’s zero interest against changing it within China, it probably has overwhelming support in so far as the average person knows what it’s about,” he said. “There’s almost zero support for Uyghurs among the general population because the Communist Party and, in particular, (Chinese leader) Xi Jinping, have framed these existential crises.” The issue lies with seeing religion and God above the Chinese Communist Party. “So, the party sees religion itself as part of the problem,” Dr Groot said. “If you believe in god then god is above the party and that’s a problem and they have to be crushed. You can’t have a different moral vision; you can only have a supportive moral vision.” The following ten reasons are just some of the 48 reasons you can be sent to an education camp. <ol> <li style="font-weight: 400;">Owning a tent</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;">Telling others not to swear</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;">Speaking with someone who has travelled abroad</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;">Owning welding equipment</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;">Telling others not to sin</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;">Owning extra food</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;">Eating breakfast before the sun comes up</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;">Merely knowing someone who has travelled abroad</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;">Owning a compass</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;">Arguing with an official</li> </ol>

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Outrage over Nazi flag used at funeral

Alleged right-wing extremist planned to 3D-print gun

10 things that are considered “extremist tendencies” in China

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