Den siste överlevande från Babi Yar

 

Michael Sidko, 85, är den siste överlevande från massakern i Babi Yar vid Kiev i september 1941.

Babi Yar var den största enskilda massakern under kriget då 33.771 ukrainska judar mördades på två dagar i en ravin i Kievs utkanter.

Han var bara sex år gammal vid massakern men minns fortfarande hur hans mor och syskon mördades inför hans ögon. I veckan berättade han för israeliska Ynet News om sina minnen.

*** 

Michael Sidko was just six years old when he witnessed how the German forces and their Ukrainian collaborators murder in cold blood his infant bother Volodya, his baby sister Clara and his mother, who screamed in pain while the Nazi troops kept firing to make sure she is dead. 

Sidko, 85, is now the last living survivor of the massacre in the Babi Yar ravine in Kyiv, which marked the start of the Holocaust in the occupied Soviet Ukraine. The massacre took place over the course of two days on September 29-30, 1941, killing approximately 33,771 Jews.

For 60 years Sidko kept his Jewish identity and what he had witnessed at Babi Yar a secret. Even his own kids didn't know their father's history, who continued to live in the country where his loved ones were murdered in cold blood.

"I remember everything, even the small details, but I don't want to, it hurts too much", says Sidko.

"They moved us through a checkpoint, took all our documents, all the jewelry and everything we had. Then the healthy men were sent to forced labor, the women and children were sent to two different places and the rest, both the old and the young, were sent to the pit", he says.

The Babi Yar ravine where the massacre took place

By pit, Sidko refers to the massive death pit on the outskirts of the city, in which in just two days the entire Jewish community of Kiev was wiped out. Among them were also Sidko's brother, sister and mother.

"My sister Clara was born in 1938, she was three and a half years old, and my brother Volodya was just four months old. My mom was holding my brother, and Clara stood next to her, holding her skirt. One of the Ukrainian collaborators took Clara, hit her in the head, and stepped on her chest until she suffocated to death.

 

"My mom saw the whole thing and fainted. Then my baby brother fell, and the collaborator approached him and killed him. Mom woke up, started to scream and he shot her, then they grabbed them all by the legs and threw them into the pit."

Michael Sidko, and his older brother Grisha, miraculously survived after the Nazis eventually decided to send them for experimentation or forced labor. "When we witnessed the murder, I screamed and my brother covered me, so I wouldn't see anything, and that's how we stood until nightfall," he says.

Babi Yar's Historical Record

After that, Sidko and his brother were moved to a basement, in which they were held for more than two weeks. "After being in that basement, they took us up to the second floor, and there we saw a German officer with his dog and a translator in the corner of the room. That translator was our neighbor Ivan Ivanovic, and he told the officer he knows us, so they threw us out of there and we managed to live."

 

The two brothers escaped death several times, mostly thanks to their Ukrainian neighbor Sofia Kondratieva. "We lived in a shared apartment, and in one of the rooms Sofia lived with her daughter, so every time someone came and asked who we were, she would say we were her sons, and that's how we survived until the war was over," Sidko adds.

Sofia was later recognized as Righteous Among the Nations, which is an honorific used by Israel to describe non-Jews who risked their lives during the Holocaust to save Jews from the Nazis.

Michael Sidko with his wife, Knesset Speaker Mickey Levy and Natan Sharansky - chair of the Center Organizations of Holocaust Survivors in Israel

Twenty years ago, Sidko, who currently lives in Beit Shemesh, finally found the courage to make aliyah to Israel following the rise of anti-Semitic incidents in Ukraine - which were also among the factors that led him finally breaking his silence.

 

Last month Sidko was visited by Knesset Speaker Mickey Levy and Natan Sharansky - chair of the Center Organizations of Holocaust Survivors in Israel, who awarded him The Knesset State Medal in honor of the 80th anniversary of the horrific massacre.

 

 

Islamistisk massaker på BB i Kabul

Terrorister från Kalifatet ISIS genomförde en blodig
massaker på en födelseklinik i Kabul, Afghanistan.
Minst ett tjugotal nyfödda, mödrar och barnmorskor dödades och ett okänt antal skadades enligt nyhetsbyråerna.
Det är inte första gången sjukhus angrips av islamister då all västerländsk sjukvård betraktas som
"haram" (synd).
Lyckligtvis kunde afghanska polisen rädda nitton nyfödda, som fördes i säkerhet.
Läs mera i BBC:s reportage om tisdagens terrordåd i Afghanistan:



Two babies and 12 mothers and nurses were killed in a militant attack on a hospital in the Afghan capital Kabul on Tuesday morning.
Another 15 people, including a number of children, were injured in the attack by several gunmen, officials said.

Meanwhile, in the east, a bombing at a funeral killed at least 24 people.
In the wake of the attacks, President Ashraf Ghani said he was ordering the resumption of offensive operations against the Taliban and other groups.
He accused the militants of ignoring repeated calls for a reduction in violence.
The Islamic State (IS) group said it was behind the attack on a police commander's funeral in Nangarhar, in the east of the country. It is still not clear who carried out the attack on the hospital, and the Taliban have denied any involvement.

A maternity ward in the hospital is run by the international medical charity Médecins sans Frontières (MSF) and some of those working there are foreigners.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo called the attack on the hospital "sheer evil" and an "unconscionable assault". In a statement he urged the Afghan government and the Taliban to co-operate to "bring the perpetrators to justice".

What happened at the hospital?

The attack began at about 10:00 (05:30 GMT), and locals described hearing two blasts then gunfire. One doctor who fled during the assault told the BBC about 140 people were in the hospital when the gunmen attacked.

Another doctor told AFP news agency that "total panic" took hold as the assault unfolded.
Ramazan Ali, a vendor who saw the attack begin, told Reuters news agency: "The attackers were shooting at anyone in this hospital without any reason... It's a government hospital, and a lot of people bring in their women and children for treatment."

 Afghan special forces rescued 100 women and children, including three foreigners, an official told the BBC. The attackers, who reportedly had gained access dressed as police officers, were all killed by security personnel after a battle lasting hours.

 

Images from the scene showed soldiers carrying one newborn baby to safety, swaddled in a blood-stained blanket.

Many foreign staff live in a guesthouse behind the Dasht-e-Barchi Hospital and a doctor who fled the building told the BBC he saw an explosion there too.

The clinic has 100 beds and a number of foreign staff

In the past, similar attacks in this mostly Shia area of the capital have been attributed to IS. The group's leader in South Asia and the Far East was arrested in Kabul on Tuesday, with two other high profile members, Afghan intelligence said. 
In 2017, IS gunmen disguised as medical staff attacked Kabul's main military hospital, prompting widespread shock and anger and raising questions about security. The authorities later confirmed about 50 people had been killed.
But the Taliban also attack hospitals. Last September, 20 people died after a truck packed with explosives was detonated by militants from the group outside a hospital in southern Zabul province.
On TV, Mr Ghani said: "In order to provide security for public places and to thwart attacks and threats from the Taliban and other terrorist groups, I'm ordering Afghan security forces to switch from an active defence mode to an offensive one and to resume their operations against the enemies."

Fragile hope shaken

Analysis box by Lyse Doucet, chief international correspondent

Even in a country which has seen the worst of the worst, this savage attack on newborn babies and their mothers has shocked, and shaken fragile hope this would be the year Afghanistan would finally start to turn towards peace.
Images of special forces in bulky body armour, carrying infants to safety, will remain long in the memory of those who have repeatedly called for a ceasefire - especially when Afghans are battling another deadly enemy in Covid-19.
Despite Taliban denials that this ghastly attack was their work, President Ghani's denunciation reflects the anger and frustration of many. Some worry that groups like Islamic State, trying to drive an even greater wedge between Taliban and the government, have also killed for now what were slow uncertain steps toward peace talks.
And for those who have never trusted the Taliban's commitment, this latest attack solidifies their resolve to keep fighting.

What happened at the funeral?

According to survivors, thousands of people had gathered for the local police commander's funeral, and the bomb detonated about half-way through. Ataullah Khogyani, a spokesman for the governor, said 68 people were injured.
A member of the provincial council was among the at least 24 killed.
Tuesday's attacks were widely condemned by countries around the world and human rights groups, with Amnesty International saying: "The unconscionable war crimes in Afghanistan today... must awaken the world to the horrors civilians continue to face."
On Twitter, UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said: "I'm horrified by the appalling terrorist attacks in Afghanistan today - including on a maternity hospital. Targeting mothers, their newborns and medical staff is despicable."



 

40 kristna studenter mördade av islamister

 

I Nigeria har islamistiska terrorister dödat över

40 studenter på en lantbruksskola. Studenterna

attackerades mitt i natten, när de låg och sov.

Bårhuset i Damaturu i nordöstra Nigeria är

överfyllt. Hit har offren förts för attacken i natt

som krävde minst 40 unga människors liv. Mitt i

natten, när studenterna sov, tog sig beväpnade

extremister in i sovsalarna, många studenter

sköts i sina sängar.

Islamisterna, som enligt nigeriansk militär

tillhör islamistgruppen Boko Haram, sköt

studenterna och satte sedan eld på

klassrum och föreläsningssalar.

Terrorgruppen Boko Haram kallas

ofta "Nigerias talibaner".

**

 

Många skolor i området är stängda efter en

liknande attack i juli då 30 människor dödades,

sedan dess har landets politiker lovat att beskydda

skolor med hjälp av militär och polis men rektorn

för det nu attackerade lantbruksskolan säger att

det varken fanns polis eller militär i närheten vid

tillfället för nattens attack.

Det råder undantagstillstånd i nordöstra Nigeria

på grund av Boko Harams terrorattacker.

Sedan 2010 har Boko Haram dödat minst 1700

människor, huvudsakligen kristna, i sin strävan

efter att utrota "västerländsk omoral " och

inrföra en shariastat. 30 000 kristna har flytt

till grannländerna.

Gruppen rättfärdigar sina attacker mot

skolor med att all icke-islamistisk utbildning

är förbjuden.

Boko Haram betyder på hausa 

"utbildning är synd".
***
Ekot
BBC
 

Hur många kopter mördades i Kairo 9 oktober ?

Uppgifterna om hur många kopter som

mördades vid upploppen 9 oktober varierar:

25, 35 eller ännu fler ?

Liksom, vilka som var gärningmännen ?

Salafisterna, som ursprungligen angrep den

koptiska demonstrationen med stenar,brand-

bomber och senare skottlossning; polisen

som försökte skingra demonstranterna med

skottsalvor eller militären som körde in i folk-

massorna med pansarfordon.....

**

Redan dagen efter massakern jordfäste den

koptiske påven Shenouda III de första fem

offren i St Markus katedral inför över 10.000

kopter. De övriga obducerades fortfarande

bevittnat av koptiska läkare. En erfaren

obducent vittnade om att kropparna var

mycket illa åtgångna:

"Bodies were mashed and bones were crushed;

many had fractures and laceration of the intestines;

while in others, death was caused by gun shots."

Först dagen efter hölls begravningsgudstjänst

för ytterligare sjutton mordoffer.

Kyrkan konstaterade också att man hade

vittnen på att minst nio lik kastades i Nilen

av militären.

Det skulle betyda att minst 31 kopter

mördades. På Påve Shenoudas initiativ 

har alla offren begravts i en gemensam

grav och kommer att betraktas som

martyrer för kyrkan.

Juntan försöker blidka kopterna: Hänger islamist

I söndags mördades ett stort antal

kopter när en fredlig demonstration

i Kairo överfölls av salafister.

Polisen tappade snabbt kontrollen över

situationen. De körde in med pansarfordon

i människomassorna och dödade  många

av de angripna...

Just nu strider militärjuntan och polisen

om vems pansar det egentligen var som

krossade kopterna.

Som något slag försoningsgest mot

kopterna lät juntan igår hänga en islamist

som tidigare dömts för att ha mördat sex

kopter i staden Nag Hammadi 2010.

Den koptiska kyrkans påve Shenouda III

fördömde starkt massakern och utlyste

en sorgedag med fasta och böner.

Han meddelade också att han tänker

officiera vid offrens begravning idag.

**

Den centerpartistiska riksdagsledamoten

Abir al-Sahlani hamnade mitt i kravallerna.

Hon är i Kairo med en EU-delgation för att

förhandla med det kommande valets sannolika

segrare Muslimska Brödraskapet. För den som

ställer sig frågan varför rekomenderas den briljanta

Bat Ye'ors bok Eurabia som förklarar mycket i

EU:s märkliga politik gentemot islamismen...

En intressant intervju med Bat Ye´or.

Massaker på judar upptäckt i England

17 personer i engelska Norwich, flera ur

samma judiska familj, kastades i brunnen

för att dö. 

En massaker som förmodligen kan knytas

till de första medeltida ritualmords-

anklagelserna mot judar som utspelades 

i Norwich på 1140-talet.

Mordet på den den 12-årige pojken William

ledde till en pogrom mot den lilla judiska

församlingen. Kyrkan helgonförklarade

honom som St William, en kult som pågick

fram till Reformationen.

**

I tv-dokumentären "Kropparna i brunnen",

visad av BBC på torsdagen, berättas historien

om skeletten som hittades under en utgrävning

2004 inför bygget av ett köpcentrum i centrala

Norwich. Resterna av sex vuxna och elva barn,

i åldrarna 2 till 15 år, tros härröra från 1100-

eller 1200-talet.

DNA-tester har visat att åtminstone fem av

dem sannolikt var från en och samma judiska

familj.

**

– Jag tror inte det här har gjorts förut – att vi

har lyckats knyta dem så specifikt till den

etniska grupp de verkar tillhöra, säger DNA-

experten Ian Barnes i dokumentären.

**

Utredningen har letts av antropologen Sue Black,

med erfarenhet från identifiering av offer för

mer sentida övergrepp, i Kosovo 1998–99.

– Vi talar sannolikt om etnisk rensning och

allt det här påminner om vad vi hade att handskas

med under krigsbrotten på Balkan, säger Black.

Kropparna i Norwich kastades ned med huvudet

först. Barnen bär inga spår av brutna ben, vilket

tyder på att de kastats ned sist.

Polischef: Massakern handlar om misslyckad integration

Massakern på ett varuhus i Esbo utanför

Helsingfors har naturligtvis upprört många.

Den kriminelle kosovaalbanen Ibrahim

Shkupolli kom som asylsökare till Finland

1990 och har dömts för bl a misshandel och

knarkhandel. De senaste åren har han trakasserat,

hotat och plågat sin finska tidigare sambo.

Hon blev ett av offren för massakern.

Shkupolli var muslim, men det finns ännu

inga uppgifter som tyder på någon islamistisk

bakgrund till dådet. Det var väl sannolikt helt

"kulturrelaterat" och inte politiskt....

**

Nu startar givetvis diskussionen om Finlands

erkänt liberala vapenlagar på nytt. Denna gången

tycks regeringen ryckas med av förbudsvågen.

Här bör påpekas att Shkupollis pistol var olovlig.

En man med hans bakgrund och straffregister

kan inte få licens i Finland (heller).

**

Det kan då vara nyttigt att lyssna på vad den

ansvarige polischefen Mikko Paatero säger om

dramat:

- Frågan är inte om vapen skall vara tillåtna

eller inte. Det handlar istället om integration av

invandrare och om hur folk anpassar sig till

(det finländska) samhället.....

- Vi måste vara mera noggranna när vi avgör

vilka asylsökare, som ska få slå sig ned i Finland.

Han kommenterar Esbo, men det kunde lika gärna gälla

Rosengård, Hjällbo eller Rinkeby......

****

Läs och fundera:

"Det jäser lite grann....."

Nya kravaller i Sveriges Gaza

Islamisternas intifada mot Europa -

inga "spontana proteter"

Intifadan skadar 14 poliser/dag - i Frankrike

Snart nytt JIHAD i Rosengård...?

Takfir gör come back i Holland

Återigen JIHAD i Frankrike

Jihadister i krig mot Frankrike

Islamister löper amok i centrala Oslo

Nu styr shariagängen Köpenhamns gator

Kriget i Köpenhamn

Nej, det är en hopplös uppgift, säger närpolischefen

När problemet är JIHAD, kan lösningen vara SHARIA ??

****

PS! Gott Nytt ÅR !!!

****

svd, dag, gp, sds, sds, pol, pol, pol, db, hd