This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
An ABC News reporter on Wednesday expressed "deep regret" for the way he portrayed "very touching" and "intimate" text messages between Charlie Kirk's alleged assassin Tyler Robinson and his transgender lover Lance Twiggs, but the journalist is still being shredded by media colleagues and Americans at large.
On Tuesday, ABC's Matt Gutman reported he was not sure "if we have seen an alleged murder with such specific text messages" that were "very touching, in a way, that I think many of us didn't expect – a very intimate portrait into this relationship between the suspect's roommate and the suspect himself, with him repeatedly calling his roommate, who is transitioning, calling him 'my love.' And 'I want to protect you, my love.'"
"So, it was this duality of someone who the attorney said not only jeopardized the life of Charlie Kirk and the crowd, but was doing it in front of children, which is one of the aggravating circumstances of this case. And then, on the other hand, he was, you know, speaking so lovingly about his partner. So a very interesting and, as Pierre said, riveting press conference."
Curtis Houck, managing editor of NewsBusters, noted Gutman "doubled down" ten minutes later after after his initial report on ABC News Live, as Gutman said: "It's heartbreaking on so many levels, Kyra. Obviously, Charlie Kirk was murdered brutally in front of a crowd of thousands … [O]n the other hand, there is this duality of a very a portrait of a very human person, a very human experience from this entire family … the kid who had got a 34 out of 36 on the ACT, who had a 4.0 …
"I don't think I've ever experienced a press conference in which we've read text messages that are A, so fulsome, so robust, so apparently, allegedly self-incriminating and yet, on the other hand, so touching – right – with the suspect reaching out to his roommate, who was allegedly his boyfriend, who we understand, you know, identified as male at birth, now identifies as female.
"And the terminology he used, he was trying to protect him. He kept calling him 'my love.' 'My reason for doing this is to protect you,' you know, but also asking him to delete the messages and not speak to law enforcement. So there's this, this heartbreaking duality that we're seeing very tragically playing out here."
Wednesday morning, Gutman expressed regret on X, stating: "Yesterday I tried to underscore the jarring contrast between this cold blooded assassination of Charlie Kirk – a man who dedicated his life to public dialogue – and the personal, disturbing texts read aloud by the Utah County Attorney at the press conference.
"I deeply regret that my words did not make that clear. But let there be zero doubt here: I unequivocally condemn this horrific crime and the pain it caused Charlie Kirk's family, those who were forced to witness it at UVU, and the millions of people he inspired."
Charlie Hurt of Fox News was not buying Gutman's comments Wednesday, explaining on the air: "When you're covering a very serious event like a murder trial or a hearing for a murder trial of an assassination, you go with a certain mindset. And the mindset is one that is very serious, it's very factual based, and you are aware of the human casualty that is going on here and you are respectful of what you're covering.
"And the idea that this guy is going to walk into cover this story and have sort of these fantasies, these fairy-tale fantasies, play out in his mind, I think goes to the heart of the lack of seriousness, the lack of gravity that these people approach a story like this. It boggles my mind. I don't understand it."
Hurt concluded: "I don't know how you get from the point from where you should be to where this guy ended up. It is appalling, it's disgusting. I guess the only maybe saving grace to it all is that I think that the media has so befouled themselves, they've so lost all credibility that I think a lot of people just sort of may have heard that and … shrugged and thought: 'Well, good thing I don't listen to them anymore.'"
Other comments from X users directly responding to Gutman's expression of regret include:
"'Touching' was the word you used to describe the messages of someone that just assassinated a father. You're also a father of 2 children, Libby & Ben. Your children aren't safe with someone who thinks a public assassination is 'touching.' You should be fired."
"Matt, you attempted to write a love story for a murderous monster in order to appease your left-leaning brain. There's nothing 'touching' about any of it. If you can't see how disgusting that was, then you really need to reevaluate your life."
"You twisted the assassination of Charlie Kirk into a gay man 'defending' his gay lover. You made it seem like a bitter love story you freak. You're not going to worm out of this."
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
As the Wall Street Journal recently reported, in India worshippers are flocking to the Chilkur Balaji Temple, better known as the "Visa Temple," to seek divine help in securing a U.S. work visa.
Priests bless passports, applicants walk 108 circles around an altar – and thousands believe the ritual offers a holy shortcut to Silicon Valley.
It would all sound like a satire piece, except it isn't. What's unfolding is a ritual economy wherein visas have become a kind of currency of faith.
As the Journal article puts it, "Indian place of worship touts its power to summon divine assistance for people who want to study or work abroad," quoting one participant as saying, "If we come here and pray, we get a visa."
As bizarre as it might seem to picture a deity distributing H-1B approvals, it's no more bizarre than the ways many American companies treat U.S. workers. The H-1B is a temporary work visa intended for highly skilled roles where no qualified U.S. worker is available. Employers must attest that hiring the foreign worker will not harm American wages nor working conditions, applications go through a lottery system and are capped by law. In theory, these safeguards are meant to prevent abuse. In practice, however, the system is routinely gamed, with companies using it as a massive pipeline for cheaper, visa-dependent labor.
So while families in Hyderabad burn incense to improve their immigration odds, Fortune 500 firms in the U.S. are constructing shrines of their own – shrines to outsourcing, offshoring and resumes stamped "foreign worker."
The Visa Temple's premise could just as easily serve as corporate America's HR policy: "If we pray hard enough, maybe we won't have to hire an American."
So laugh, if you like, at the marble floors of India's Visa God. But the real spectacle is how easily U.S. companies avoid hiring Americans and, unlike the temple worshippers, they don't need to walk 108 circles.
They just need to file another visa petition.
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
President Donald Trump's Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy is urging major U.S. commercial airlines to fire pilots and other employees who openly celebrated last week's assassination of civil-rights leader Charlie Kirk.
In a series of posts over the weekend, Duffy thanked American Airlines, United, Delta and SkyWest for suspending the viciously vocal pilots, but also pushed for their termination.
"Thank you @united for doing what's right by placing pilots celebrating the assassination of Charlie Kirk out of service," Duffy wrote. "They must be fired. There's no room for political violence in America and anyone applauding it will face the consequences. ESPECIALLY those we count on to ensure the safety of the flying public."
"Anyone entrusted with the safety of American souls on a plane must have good judgment and compassion," Duffy indicated.
"As our world heals from the devastating loss of Charlie Kirk, we must continue condemning political violence for the greater good of our country."
"This behavior is disgusting and they should be fired," Duffy also stated. "Any company responsible for the safety of the traveling public cannot tolerate that behavior.
"We heal as a country when we send the message that glorifying political violence is COMPLETELY UNACCEPTABLE!"
Duffy was responding to messages by Milo Yiannopoulos, a self proclaimed civil-rights icon, who noted:
"Steve Holmes, a pilot for @AmericanAir, says he is sorry Charlie Kirk got shot 'in your fat f***ing face,' mocking his death as 'the cost of our liberty.' Is this normal, American? Passengers will be concerned that yet another pilot of yours is so shameless, hateful and reckless."
Milo also noted: "Andrew Schweizer, a pilot for @united and @SkyWestAirlines, says he is glad Charlie Kirk is dead, because he was a 'f***ing Nazi,' stressing that he 'chose those words deliberately.' Would you put your life in Andrew's hands?"
American Airlines released a statement about behavior by employees, explaining: "American Airlines condemns violence of any kind. Furthermore, hate-related or hostile behavior runs contrary to our purpose, which is to care for people on life's journey. Any such behavior is unacceptable, and we have already initiated action to address this with our team."
A leaked internal memo from Delta was published by AviationA2Z, detailing the airline's recent actions. The memo stated:
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
It seems there may have been an active agenda under the Joe Biden administration to accelerate prosecutions over the Jan. 6, 2021, protest-turned-riot at the Capitol after President Donald Trump was elected in 2024 and it was clear Biden soon would be out of power.
It was under the Biden administration that judges uniformly held people suspected of offenses like trespassing for months, even years, in prison.
The cases were brought up as if there were serious charges like treason or insurrection involved, when there weren't.
Sentencing by the judiciary in the leftist enclave of Washington was harsh, and judges routinely refused permission for cases to be moved to other jurisdictions because of the obvious bias that existed.
Now it appears there may have even been a concerted campaign by the Biden administration to hurry up prosecutions and sentencings after Trump was elected last November, and it was clear Biden soon would be out of power and Trump even would have a free hand to pardon those J6ers, which he eventually did.
It is Judicial Watch, a government watchdog organization, that has confirmed it has filed a Freedom of Information lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Justice for records on accelerated Jan. 6 prosecutions.
Those happened after Trump's election last November.
"The Biden administration, anticipating President-elect Donald Trump's promise to issue pardons for January 6, 2021, defendants, is believed to have accelerated prosecutions in the final months of Biden's term," Judicial Watch reported.
Its case in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia came after the Justice Department failed to respond to a November 2024 FOIA request for the records of then-Attorney General Merrick Garland, then-Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco, then-Principal Deputy Associate Attorney General Benjamin C. Mizer, and then-Special Counsel Jack Smith "regarding a) pardons of any person(s) incarcerated due convictions in federal court in the District of Columbia related to crimes committed at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C, on Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021 b) directives or orders to focus on arresting additional suspects by type of offense allegedly committed. The timeframe of the request is from January – November 2024," Judicial Watch reported.
"On January 6, 2025, the Justice Department reportedly considered charging up to 200 additional people for their alleged involvement at the U.S. Capitol disturbance. About 1,583 people already had been facing federal charges. On January 17, 2025, it was reported that the FBI and federal prosecutors continued to make arrests and 'pursue hefty sentences for those who breached the U.S. Capitol grounds.' Authorities made four arrests just days before Trump's inauguration," the watchdog confirmed.
"The corrupt Biden Justice Department tried to undermine the Trump administration by maliciously prosecuting American citizens tied to January 6. Judicial Watch's lawsuit aims to get to the truth about this last-minute abuse of power," Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton said.
The organization previously has sued over "lawfare" targeting Trump and his supporters several times.
One fight it handled was for the benefit of the family of Ashli Babbitt, the unarmed Air Force veteran shot at point blank range and killed during that Jan. 6, disturbance. The government reached a $5 million settlement with her family and granted her military honors.
Another case involved the lawfare against Trump, a created organized crime allegation, brought by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, who later was ordered off the case because of her conflict in that she hired a paramour to do investigative work for her.
Judicial Watch also has been investigating how much Willis, Smith and others doing lawfare for the Democrats coordinated with Nancy Pelosi's partisan commission investigating J6.
It also has sued over IRS records suggesting targeting of Capitol protesters and their supporters, two conference calls involving Biden officials about the election certification that year, and a meeting in which Biden officials pressured each other to target "far right" Americans.
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
Authorities have revealed they believe the suspect in the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk this week had been getting more and more political in recent months, and that he had expressed opposition to Kirk even being on the campus of Utah Valley University, where he was killed this week.
The Washington Examiner reported that some of the details in the case that now is developing come from Utah Gov. Spencer Cox, a Republican who on Friday announced, "We got him."
The suspect was identified as Tyler Robinson, 22.
Cox explained a family member tipped off law enforcement.
"Robinson had become increasingly political in recent months, authorities said, at one point arguing with family members about Charlie Kirk at the dinner table, saying he was 'full of hate and spreading hate.' The suspect mentioned Kirk was coming to UVU and voiced his objection to his presence on campus," the report explained.
The revelations aligned with social media speculation that Robinson had become radicalized of late.
Cox also confirmed the political ideology the shooter took time to express – by cutting messages into the casings of the bullets in his gun.
Those included "Hey fascist! Catch!" the report said, as well as "Bella Ciao, Bella Ciao, Bella Ciao," the lyrics of an antifascist song.
Reports earlier confirmed that various ideological messages were found on bullets still in the apparent assassination rifle, which was found by authorities in a wooded area near the campus hours after the assassination.
The governor confirmed a "three-arrow symbol, an antifascist symbol made famous during street fights in Weimar Germany," was found on the casing that was fired at Kirk.
Further, the fired casing referenced a nearly decade-old sexual meme, saying, 'Notices bulge, OWO, what's this?'" the report confirmed.
The Examiner also noted that authorities revealed that Robinson's roommate showed police messages on the app called Discord that outlined the assassination plan and a description of what he'd done with the rifle, suggesting that there was communication going on with at least one other person aware of the shooting plan.
Authorities are accusing Robinson of hitting Kirk with a sniper shot from atop the Sorensen Student Center near the courtyard where Kirk had set up to engage with students about topics on which they had opinions.
A report at the Independent said, "Officials said they were informed Robinson 'confessed' or at least implied he fatally shot Kirk to a family member."
That explained he "reportedly become more political in recent years," and, in fact, "expressed negative views of Kirk."
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
As memorial messages about Charlie Kirk, assassinated in cold blood yesterday, are arising from admirers around the world, one very moving and profoundly meaningful remembrance – and warning – comes from American author, speaker and radio host Eric Metaxas.
In his post, titled simply "My friend Charlie," Metaxas writes:
"Today is 9-11 and just as we will all remember where we were when that tragedy struck over two decades ago, I know I will never forget where I was yesterday. I was sitting on a weight bench in the gym. I read a text from a mutual friend confirming what I couldn't dare to imagine. It hit me hard. And I took my head in my hands and wept. The cliche is true: No words can suffice. Ever. And soon thereafter I realized that my friend Charlie is a martyr. Nothing less. He was murdered for his faith in Jesus. By forces that hate truth and hate love and hate God – and anyone who represents God."
Metaxas, who was a long-time friend of Kirk and his wife Erika, at first briefly reminisces about their relationship and good times together, but then gets to his stunning assessment of his friend, his work, and the meaning of his assassination:
Ever since meeting him I never had the slightest doubt that Charlie would be the president of the United States. Had he lived. And a truly GREAT president of the United States. He was simply one of the most naturally gifted human beings we have ever had. His level of talent – and what he did with that talent in such a short time – was truly awe inspiring and almost shocking.
But it's vitally important to say that at the center of his truly astonishing gifting was his deep faith in Jesus. He wasn't "sort of" Christian. He was outspokenly and boldly Christian. That was at the heart of everything he said and did – at the heart of his patriotism and conservatism. Jesus was at the heart of it all. Which is the one reason I don't need to mourn his death as the world mourns. No. Charlie is with Jesus. That is inescapably glorious, however much we will miss him, and of course we will miss him A LOT.
But we can rejoice that according to God's plans – which are not our own – Charlie fulfilled his assignment. And therefore Jesus says to him what we should all earnestly desire to hear more than anything in the world: "Well done, good and faithful servant." We should all live to hear those words from the Author of our lives. From the Author of goodness and truth and peace and love and joy and hope. There is nothing more wonderful. Nothing. I can rejoice today because I know that Charlie understood that and lived for that.
Metaxas compares Kirk's assassination with "the murders of JFK and MLK Jr. and RFK," the "inspiring leader[s] of a great movement – to whom millions looked for leadership, and who gave those millions hope," yet who were "killed in cold blood." He adds, "Everything in us recoils in horror at the very idea of it. It is inconceivable."
But then, the No. 1 New York Times bestselling author zeroes in on the appalling current state of the American left.
[I]t has been a truly hideous and shocking thing to witness the degradation of the left in this country, to see what they have become since the Sixties. It seems that over the decades they have gone downhill and downhill and downhill. Today they seem to stand for nothing other than power and pleasure. It is truly horrifying to think of it.
When RFK was murdered in 1968 he represented a party that had noble aspirations. Caring for the poor. Ending the Vietnam War. Standing up for the little guy. What are their fundamentals now? They have stumbled downward to become the party of nothing much more than "I want total freedom to have sex for my own pleasure and gratification whenever I want WITHOUT CONSEQUENCES. And if there are consequences I want the right to legally murder those consequences." How horrifying.
But isn't that about it at this point? Is it any more complicated than that? So it follows that if anything gets in their way, whether it's an innocent baby in the womb or a brilliant young man who with his words makes me see the horrific emptiness of my positions – I will stoop to murder. I'm sorry to say that the left has become something seriously disturbing and ugly, has become the party of self-gratification and murder. But perhaps the murder of my friend Charlie will help some of them to see what they have become – and to ask God to lead them out of the abyss in which they now reside. May his tragic death wake some people up. May his murder lead some on the left to honest introspection about what they really believe and stand for. There is a way out of that abyss.
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
A sheriff trying his best to deal with crime in far-left Colorado is warning that state lawmakers forced him to release a suspect in an attempt murder case, and that person now is on the streets again.
"Someone's going to get hurt and someone's going to get hurt bad," explained Weld County Sheriff Steve Reams.
The suspect in question was caught on video allegedly punching one man until he fell backward, hitting his head and laying there unconscious. In a second situation, the suspect allegedly punched a man until he was lying flat on his back on the pavement, then continued to bash the man in the head.
Here is a local news report describing how the sheriff was forced, by leftist state lawmakers in Colorado's Democrat-majority legislature, to release the suspect, Debisa Ephriam.
He's a refugee from Tanzania, and was arrested on charges of criminal attempt to commit second-degree murder, first-degree assault and engaging in a riot, as well as aggravated menacing with a weapon and first-degree burglary in a second case.
A report at Not the Bee explained:
Under Colorado HB24-1034, passed in 2024, those deemed unfit to stand trial get taxpayer-funded psychiatric care that is provided "in a timely manner," but the state cannot hold them indefinitely in such facilities, meaning they end up back on the streets. Sheriff Reams said that Colorado lawmakers have "created a crisis where very dangerous individuals are being released to the street to reoffend over and over."
Unfortunately, that was the point of the "social justice" and BLM movements. It has happened the country over, from Weld County to Charlotte, North Carolina. We were told that systemic racism was unfairly prosecuting non-white Americans, so the scales of justice were tipped to allow preferential treatment for those seen as "marginalized."
The law had been signed by Colorado's homosexual governor, Jared Polis, who has fought President Donald Trump's Make America Great Agenda in a variety of ways.
The report explained, "Colorado's 'social justice' laws allow violent offenders to be released back into the public if they are deemed too stupid and/or crazy to stand trial. No, that is not satire. Not the Bee recently covered the case of a sex offender who was released despite trying to abduct a child."
Social media comments were not polite to the state:
"This is why you need to be armed at all times. Of course the same demons that released this guy are constantly trying to disarm you … hmmm…"
"So he got 5 free months room, board and meals and now he's in your neighborhood. Yay!"
The sheriff's office actually released video evidence in the case, accompanied by a warning about the violence documented:
The sheriff's office said, "Content Warning the videos in this press release may be disturbing to some viewers as they depict acts of violence. Both video clips were edited to redact personal identifiable features and information."
It explained Ephraim was being released "per Colorado statute."
Competency was raised in two of his criminal cases, and the courts found in July of this year his competency could not be restored, and therefore he would "not be able to stand trial."
He had been arrested last April in Greeley on the long list of criminal counts.
"The first video in this post is believed to have occurred in the Fort Collins area a few weeks prior to the second video, which allegedly happened in Greeley. Although the videos in this post could not be authenticated, they were found on social media and given to law enforcement by one of the victim's family members in the Greeley Police Dept's case," the report said.
"The state legislature and the governor have continued to weaken the criminal justice system by handcuffing law enforcement, prosecutors and judges for the sake of criminals. Colorado HB24-1034 has created a crisis where very dangerous individuals are being released to the street to reoffend over and over, this is the latest example. I pray this individual doesn't hurt another innocent victim but the public deserves to know of his past violent actions so they can protect themselves accordingly. God help this State," Reams said.
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
A "bikini barista" at a drive-thru coffee stand near Seattle was grabbed by the arm and yanked by a customer – leaving her with bruises and him with a first-degree attempted kidnapping charge.
Surveillance video shows the woman leaning out the window to hand drinks to a vehicle's driver, who grabs her and apparently tries to pull her into the car.
Fox 13 Seattle had the story:
According to the report, the incident occurred at a Ladybug Bikini Espresso stand in Lakewood, Washington, a suburb of Seattle, on Aug. 13.
The suspect, an apparent L.A. Dodgers fan, ripped the woman's shirt in the incident. The New York Post reports the barista was left with red marks on her wrist, bicep and shoulder
Fox 13 reports authorities tracked down the man in the footage, 19-year-old Ezekiel Guerrero, about a week later using information from his credit card receipt.
According to the report, the incident occurred at a Ladybug Bikini Espresso stand in Lakewood, Washington, a suburb of Seattle, on Aug. 13.
The suspect, an apparent L.A. Dodgers fan, ripped the woman's shirt in the incident. The New York Post reports the barista was left with red marks on her wrist, bicep and shoulder
Fox 13 reports authorities tracked down the man in the footage, 19-year-old Ezekiel Guerrero, about a week later using information from his credit card receipt.
The incident comes as attention is drawn to high-profile crimes against young women, most notably the stabbing murder of Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zrutska in Charlotte, North Carolina, which President Trump has pointed to as evidence of the need for tougher sentencing of criminals, especially repeat offenders.
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
Artificial intelligence may end up being good. Or bad. It may end up creating jobs. Or costing them.
But one is sure: It's providing a sarcastic, insulting, politician-skewering view of public officials.
Like ex-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who in fact with her husband has become a millionaire hundreds of times over while she was serving the public in Congress.
The redubbed version of her "statement" was reposted by President Donald Trump on Truth Social:
Editor's note: Be forewarned about very offensive language.
And it immediately made it onto another platform, X.
The rant is fabricated to make it look as if Pelosi is being interviewed, and she complains about what is happening as she's no longer in power.
""Since I left Congress my trades are sh**. I can't get any insider information any more. These f***ers won't tell me anything anymore. So I've been drinking a lot more. My husband's still in love with the homeless hammer guy. Visiting him in jail and sh**. It hasn't been easy."
The commentary at Gateway Pundit pointed out, "Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is not having a happy morning after President Trump absolutely destroyed her with a hilarious video on Truth Social that is now going viral. On Monday, Trump mocked Pelosi for her alleged insider trading schemes and her husband's unfortunate run-in with a homeless thug in their home. In the video, Pelosi is seen bemoaning her run of stock market losses since 'retiring' from Congress, while Paul Pelosi is having an affair with the man who brutally attacked him."
Among other accolades, Trump is being described now as a troll king:
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
Muslims long have had a history of exercising incredible influence in societies where they live, even when they are minorities. Just look at the "no-go" zones created throughout the United Kingdom by Islamists who have taken over neighborhoods and made certain anyone from another religious group is unwelcome.
Now a new report contends they are working toward an Islamic caliphate in Bangladesh, where they already are in the majority with some 90% of the population, to replace the secular government.
The report from Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury, an editor of the publication Blitz, was posted at Gatestone Institute.
He said it's Jamaat-e-Islami — the Bangladeshi ideological offshoot of the Muslim Brotherhood — that now is imposing a jizya tax on Hindus and other non-Muslims.
The move is seen as an open declaration of their intent to replace the country's democratic framework with Islamic Shariah law.
"Backed by Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence, and linked to global jihadist networks, including al-Qaida, Jamaat-e-Islami's move comes just months after a coup that brought Muhammad Yunus to power, triggering a rapid rise in radical Islamic influence," the report said.
The result is a new and significant threat to Bangladesh's fragile democracy but also the strategic security in South Asia.
Media there confirmed that Shafiqur Rahman, president of Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh, announced that now Hindus and other non-Muslims must pay the tax Shariah demands.
One media outlet explained, "Non-Muslims living in Bangladesh should be made to pay the 'Jizya tax.'. Since Muslims pay 'Zakat' (A portion of their wealth donated for religious purposes), if equal rights are desired, then Hindus should pay the Jizya. This is what is correct as per Shariah law, said a leader of the political party Jamaat-e-Islami in a public gathering."
The jizya is considered symbolic of being subjugated by Islamists.
"Its collection in present-day Bangladesh marks a dangerous shift from the country's secular founding principles toward a theocratic order," the Gatestone report explained.
It continued, "The imposition of the jizya tax by Jamaat-e-Islami is not an isolated incident. It is a clear signal that Bangladesh's religious minorities are being systematically targeted under a creeping Shariah-based agenda. This action not only violates the secular principles enshrined in Bangladesh's 1972 Constitution, but also undermines international human rights norms."
And the silence from the current government could be a warning sign.
"Is this the beginning of state-sanctioned religious persecution in Bangladesh? And if so, how far will it go before the international community intervenes? If the jizya tax collection is allowed to continue unchecked, Bangladesh risks sliding into a medieval-style religious apartheid, where Hindus, Christians, Buddhists and other non-Muslim minorities are reduced to second-class citizens in their own country. This development is not just a domestic issue — it is a warning to the world about the resurgence of militant Islamism in South Asia.
"The international community, particularly democratic nations that value religious freedom, must act decisively before Bangladesh becomes yet another cautionary tale of a secular state devoured by theocratic extremists."
Further, the report notes the troubling links between Jamaat-e-Islami and American organizations like the Council on American-Islamic Relations and the Islamic Circle of North America.
"According to the Observer Research Foundation, these organizations have succeeded in securing funding from U.S. federal agencies — particularly USAID, the Department of Agriculture, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)," the report said. "In 2020, Sam Westrop documented in the Middle East Quarterly that millions of federal taxpayer dollars have flowed to US-based Islamist groups with alleged terror connections … ."