Bulgaria:
Press TV: Bulgarian Imams’ trial resumes. ‘In the Southern town of Pazardzhik, a controversial trial against a dozen of Imams over what? has resumed. It has no equivalent in Bulgaria’s judicial history. So, nationalists took the opportunity and staged a rally with banners, such as “Today fundamentalism, tomorrow – terrorism”, “Bulgaria for the Bulgarians”.’
Sofia Globe: Heightened security as ‘radical Islam’ trial resumes in Bulgaria’s Pazardzhik. ‘Security was tightened at the district court in Pazardzhik on October 29 2012 as the trial resumed of 13 Muslims alleged to have advocated the violent overthrow of the Bulgarian state and its replacement with an Islamic theocracy. Compounding the situation was a planned protest by Bulgarian ultra-nationalists who said that they would be at the court to stand in support of a secular state and against the wearing of Muslim garb.’
Nation: Bulgaria nationalists rally in support of Muslims’ trial. ‘Hundreds of nationalists rallied in a southern Bulgarian town on Monday in support of the prosecution of 13 religious leaders accused of spreading extremism in a case causing communal strains in the Balkan country.The trial, just months after a suicide bomber killed five Israeli tourists and a Bulgarian driver at the Black Sea port of Burgas, has tested a delicate ethnic balance between the country’s minority Muslims and its Orthodox Christian majority.’
Greece:
Greek Reporter: Greeks threaten Albanian classmate with Golden Dawn. ‘An Albanian girl who had achieved the highest grades at a Greek school in Farsala, earning the right to carry the Greek flag in a parade, declined to do so after it was reported her classmates didn’t want her to have the honor because she wasn’t Greek, and said they would threaten her and the school’s principal with the neo-Nazi group Golden Dawn.’
Business Insider: We can help suffering Greeks the same way one WWII hero saved many Jews. ‘Greece’s debt crisis is a human crisis. The economy’s demise has come with the rise of the extremist Golden Dawn party, which is seen as a modern day Nazi party. Even their symbol (see right) resembles the swastika. In a new piece for Project Syndicate, George Soros proposes a way to help not just migrants, but all struggling Greeks.’
Pictures – Guardian: Golden Dawn party on the rise in Greece.
Russia:
Reuters: Gunmen kill religious leader in Russia’s Dagestan. ‘Gunmen shot dead a Muslim religious leader in Russia’s Dagestan region on Tuesday in an attack likely to worsen a spiral of militant violence that threatens Moscow’s hold on the restive North Caucasus.
BBC News: Russia Caucasus: Imam shot dead in Derbent, Dagestan. ‘Attackers have shot dead an imam and two of his male relations, as they drove to a mosque in the Russian North Caucasus region of Dagestan. They were shot on their way to morning prayers, close to the imam’s home in the Caspian Sea town of Derbent, law enforcement sources told reporters.’
Ukraine:
Boston: Ukraine opposition hesitant after ruling party win. ‘Ukrainian opposition parties on Tuesday appeared split over whether to recognize the ruling party’s victory in a parliamentary election denounced as unfair by international observers. President Viktor Yanukovych’s Party of Regions was poised to retain a majority in the 450-seat Parliament, according to nearly final official results, but it was not clear how many of those seats Yanukovych’s loyalists will get.’
Reuters: Ukrainian far-right surges in protest voting. ‘Allied in Europe with France’s National Front, the British National Party and Hungary’s Jobbik among others, Svoboda, whose name means Freedom, may take some 33 of parliament’s 450 seats; having never previously held more than one, it will now be one of three main parties opposing President Viktor Yanukovich.’
Times of Israel: Anti-Semitic party makes strong showing in Ukrainian election. ‘Ukraine’s anti-Semitic far-right Svoboda party made a strong showing Sunday in a parliamentary vote tainted by the jailing of the country’s top opposition leader.’
Poll via Electionista:
- Ukraine (official result): Party of Regions 30.99% Batkivschyna 24.84% UDAR 13.62% Communists 13.56% Svoboda 10.01%
