Although we all believe that when we shop for a 300 Euro Northface jacket or new ski trousers for another 200 Euros we are not buying only environmental friendly produced clothes but also clothes that have been produced in a "healthy" way in third world countries. However, as the NGO Christian Initiative Romero (CIR) found out this is not the case. Many companies do not pay their employees accordingly. As such, it so happens that the employment cost make up less than 0,5%.

http://www.spiegel.de/wirtschaft/service/0,1518,705681,00.html

17.06.2010, 11:56

120.000 ultra-orthodoxe Juden gehen in Israel auf die Straße. Der Grund: Ein Urteil des Obersten Gerichtshofs.

Aus Protest gegen ein Urteil des Obersten Gerichtshofs sind am Donnerstag nach Angaben der Polizei etwa 120.000 ultra-orthodoxe Juden in Israel auf die Straße gegangen. Es waren die größten religiösen Proteste seit mehr als zehn Jahren, die liberale Zeitung Haaretz bezeichnete sie als den bisher "dramatischsten Zusammenstoß zwischen Staat und Religion".
Bild vergrößern

Proteste in Irsael: Alleine in West-Jerusalem nahmen 100.000 Menschen an der Kundgebung teil, weitere 20.000 gingen bei Tel Aviv auf die Straße.

Tausende Polizisten waren in erhöhter Alarmbereitschaft. Hintergrund der Proteste war ein Entschluss des Obersten Gerichts, wonach eine Mädchenschule für aschkenasische Juden in der ultra-orthodoxen Siedlung Immanuel im Westjordanland auch Kinder sephardischer Juden aufnehmen muss.

Aus Protest gegen die Entscheidung schickten mehrere Eltern ihre Kinder nicht mehr auf die Schule. Daraufhin verurteilte Israels höchstes Gericht die 86 Väter und Mütter wegen der Verletzung der allgemeinen Schulpflicht zu zwei Jahren Haft. Die Richter urteilten, die Trennung der Schüler sei rassistisch. Dagegen argumentieren die Eltern, die aus Europa stammenden aschkenasischen Juden und die aus arabischen Ländern stammenden sephardischen Juden verfolgten verschiedene religiöse Bräuche.

Paradoxerweise gingen Vertreter beider ultra-orthodoxer Gemeinschaften am Donnerstag gemeinsam auf die Straße. Nach Angaben der Polizei beteiligten sich mindestens 100.000 Menschen an der Kundgebung in West-Jerusalem, 20.000 demonstrierten demnach in dem mehrheitlich ultra-orthodoxen Ort Bnei Brak bei Tel Aviv.

Beide Gemeinschaften erkennen die Autorität des Obersten Gerichts nicht an. Auf Spruchbändern stand "Die Thora regiert", Redner bekräftigten immer wieder: "Die Thora steht über den bürgerlichen Gesetzen." 1999 hatte eine halbe Million ultra-religiöser Juden in Jerusalem gegen die "Diktatur" der Obersten Richter demonstriert.

Die verurteilten Eltern fanden sich unterdessen in der Justizvollzugsanstalt von Jerusalem ein. Von dort aus sollten sie am Abend auf die verschiedenen Gefängnisse im Land verteilt werden.

(AFP)

Found this illuminating comment from Michael Bloss on TAZ website, 11.3.2010 responding on the article "Hundreds of deaths in Nigeria - Religious motivated violence" by DOMINIC JOHNSON

A big newspaper from Lagos told: 500 Christian killed in Jos from Sunday to Monday night (7-8.3.2010). But what is the real truth? In the newspapers here instead they told of 150 deaths founded by the police. A different truth which regards the background of the conflicts is difficult to be find in German media. Unfortunately very often is stressed the difference between religions and the "clash of civilizations" a la Huntington. The conflict has nothing to do with religion and little with culture. Very normal facts are the pushers of these conflicts, above all power and the dominion on running short ressources such as earth.

Sunni Islam's top cleric dead
11.3.2010, TAZ, KARIM EL-GAWHARY

Mohammed Al-Tantawi, Rector of Al-Azhar University, is dead. The Egyptian has been known as a constant voice of moderate Islam - but also as loyal servant of the state of Egypt.

In Islam doesn't exist an institution such as a Pope or Patriarch. But the Sheikh of Al-Azhar University, Mohammed Al-Tantawi, has been someone, which stood in the religious establishment on top. For some is this Islamic University, which he leaded in Cairo, the most important law authority in Sunny Islam.

On Wednesday he has broken down during a visit in Saudi Arabia and died little later. Now he will be buried in Medina, where the grave of Prophet Mohammed is.

The 82 year old Egyptian was known as one of the most constant voices of moderate Islam. The last time he had provoqued the revolt of Radical Muslims against himself, when he forbid Muslim women to wear a face veil in educational institutions of Al-Azhar. Before, during the debate on veil in France he had declared that Muslims in France should follow the laws there. He opposed Female Mutilation and gave his blessing that women could exercise the position of judge.

My sincerest condolences, it has been someone sorely needed!

He wrote 1999 the song "Aller Herren Länder" and he adapted it 2003 during his summertour. I just listened to it and thought, it's perfectly expressing my views...here the text:

Winde werden rauher
Wellen schäumen Wut
nur ums nackte Leben
nicht um Hab und Gut
bleiche Ausgesetzte
klammern sich ans Boot
draußen treiben Hände
ab in höchster Not

Bringen wir das fertig
ist die Arche voll
weiß hier keiner was man
tun und lassen soll

Du wirst nie zuhause sein
wenn du keinen Gast
keine Freunde hast
dir fällt nie der Zauber ein
wenn du nicht verstehst
daß du untergehst wie alle Menschenschänder
aller Herren Länder

Draußen vor der Festung
bis zum Horizont
lagern sie und warten
näher rückt die Front
grollende Kanonen
Angst in ihrem Blick
Hunger reckt die Arme
nirgends gehts zurück

Aufmerksam die Wachen
kalt und konsequent
selbst schuld wer den Schädel
gegen Mauern rennt

Du wirst nie zuhause sein
wenn du keinen Gast
keine Freunde hast
dir fällt nie der Zauber ein
wenn du dich verschließt
nur dich selber siehst
Du wirst nie zuhause sein
wenn du keinen Gast
keine Freunde hast

Wir sind nichts Besondres
hatten nur viel Glück
Auserwählte kriegen halt das
größte Kuchenstück
Überall auf Erden
sind auch wir geborn
können wir gewinnen
haben wir verlorn

Keine Zeit für Grenzen
für Unterschied kein Raum
klein wird der Planet nur
ohne blauen Traum

Du wirst nie zuhause sein
wenn du keinen Gast
keine Freunde hast
dir fällt nie der Zauber ein
wenn du dich verschließt
nur dich selber siehst

Du wirst nie zuhause sein
wenn du keinen Gast
keine Freunde hast
dir fällt nie der Zauber ein
wenn du nicht verstehst
daß du untergehst wie alle Menschenschänder
aller Herren Länder

aller Herren Länder
aller Herren Länder

Adaption (Während der Rückenwind-Tour 2003 wurden die letzten zwei Strophen den aktuellen, politischen Ereignissen angepaßt):

Du wirst nie zuhause sein
wo du als ungebetener Gast
nichts zu suchen hast
du wirst nie willkommen sein
wenn du um dich schießt
nur dich selber siehst

Du wirst nie zuhause sein
wo der Orient
deine Bomben kennt
du wirst kein Befreier sein
wenn du nicht verstehst
daß du dich vergehst wie alle Menschenschänder
aller Herren Länder

Yesterday was the day were women around the world were actively campaigning for the rigth of women to live a healthy life - Zero Tolerance to Female Genital Mutilation. However, there is much to be done. As early as in 1948, FGM was declared as a human rights violation in the Universal Declaration on Human Rights. Sixty years onwards and there is still not an end to FGM. Here are some facts:

1. Research has shown that between 100 to 140 Million women have been exzised - this is almost the size of Germany and Britain combined.
2. Currently, more than 3 Million girls are at risk of being mutilated in Africa this year.
3. There are more than 20.000 women in Germany who have been exzised

So, now one should ask the question - what can we do? Germany and other Western countries should support projects in third world countries and educate the people about this ritual. Countries in Africa need to be more strict with the persecution of parents and exzisers who are still supporting this practice.

But also in Germany we can do something. The politicians should agree to accept FGM as a fact and hence, take it on in the "Diagnoseschlüssel". The Diagnoseschlüssel is a medical term from the German health service which then states that FGM is actually an illness. This way we can track how many people need to be treated and are affected in Germany. Furthermore, the health service should also provided sufficient fundings for women to undergo treatment and have their vagina recreated. This way, the suffering of not being able to go to the toilet and so on may have an end.

We MUST act now and stop the spread of FGM!

Iranian revolutionary Guards and the elite around Ahmadinejad is not easy to cope with...nobody knows the end of this story, but I guess it will turn out this year.

Internally, they are heavily persecuting any critics or past supporters of moderate leaders. Mundtotmachen, we say in Germany.

Internationally, they had the support of the Russians until a year ago, but now they are quite alone. Israel is heavy lobbying for sanctions and proposed even that the EU is putting Iranian Revolutionary Guards on its blacklist, when Silvio Berlusconi was in Israel yesterday... For deciding on this the UN Security Council needs approval from all five permanent members: US, Russia, China, GB, F. Only problem which occurs is the heavy angriness of China with the US over the Spy plane affair, US arms sale to Taiwan, visit of Dalai Lama etc, which could risk to end cooperation in the Security Council. The relationship between the US and China is dramatically worsening.

This is not very good for solving problems like this, which need utmost international cooperation. I am quite worried!

It feels like a never ending story. Last year Iran had its biggest clashes for more than 40 years against the current government due to alleged corruption and undemocratic behaviour from the government.

In addition to this, some of the most influential countries in this world are discussing sanctions against Iran due to its nuclear programme.

What is more - there is still an undisolved dispute with the islamic government and the Bahai religion. One of the main minority religions in Iran. In 2008 seven people were put into prison who were accused of being spies. These people belong to the Bahai religion and today the Iranian government finally agreed to give them at least a trial. However, there are more than 25 other Iranian people who are still in prison due to their religious believes

http://www.faz.net/IN/INtemplates/faznet/default.asp?tpl=common/zwischenseite.asp&dx1={7A49614B-2763-AB7E-BA35-397F6D4A558A}&rub={E9236266-3C6E-4937-AB14-A07CB297CA09}

Interestingly I read an article about stopping FGM in muslim countries. A suggested way was to create a fatwa in order to stop FGM and to then push foward the debate through religious leaders.

But what is a Fatwa? Here are three interpretations from some friends who are also suscribed to the blog:

1. Yes, Fatwa is in the Islamic Law a "parere" , an opinion, given by a religious law expert. Wikipedia has described it quite well. I think that could be imagined that he serves a similar position such as a Bishop, province "jugde" or in Germany "Richter", so a position with authority, but which depends mainly on its civil position in the big variety of Muslim countries: you need to know what are the sources of law in the particular country you are looking at.

There are three main sources of law in the Western world. They are
1. legislation (it includes constitution and statutes which are prepared by Parliament)
2. case law or decisions of the higher court
3. customary law or custom (that can be and is in many cases religious)

You need to know if in the country you are looking at Sharia is the only law source, part of law source or no law source at all.
In Turkey it has been eliminated as law source as well in Tunisia. But Tunisia for example has civil law courts and use only for personal status the Islamic law as basis and they apply it not through Muftis but through special sections of civil courts (therefore by under state control). Saudi-Arabia and Mauretania follow instead only Sharia.

Muslim countries who adopt
*Sharia (Islamic law), have also the
*Coran [word of God] and the
*Hadith [words of Mohammad]
as primary law sources, so they come before Sharia, which is their interpretation through the times. Like Wikipedia says there are then different law schools, divided into sunnites (mainstream Arab world, Indonesia?, Malaysia?) and shiites (Iran, a little bit in Iraq, Yemen, spread in minorities), which follow different interpretation patterns...it's getting much complicated..

In Western countries however: France has eliminated every religious law source, the famous "laicite' francaise". In Italy for example you can still marry in Church and it has civil value. The religious law component is regulated by the Concordat subscribed by Mussolini, mainly regards some civil rights and loads of money, as well similar in Germany, Austria, Poland, ... who have single contracts with the Vatican, for example concerning religious teaching in public schools, it is organized through teachers instructed by Vaticans own institutes.

So meanwhile the emission of a Fatwa can be quite easy, it is difficult to know its legal, political and customary incidence, it differs from country to country.

2. Fatwa as i understand,....

It is an edict, normally released by islamic religious mufti (plain language - those with sound knowledge of the religion)
When an issue can be solved by referring to quran and hadith, then all is well, but occasionally certain issues go beyond these religious parameters....then the qualified personal will have certain religious "prayer like" ijithad to find a solution.The solution will be fatwa.
Recently in malaysia, the religious council has declared fatwa on Yoga practices. It is said that it is not islamic for a muslim to practice Yoga.

But then, fatwa in not etched on stone, so differing view always arise and it is up to the individual to follow it or not. Some feel that fatwa is not more than legal opinion.
Not all fatwa is based on protecting the sanity of the religion,but on personal capacity of individual such as the fatwa on Salman Rushdie

It is still a good method to instill reverence to the religion.

3. Fatwa is the term for religious edict/opinion based on derivation from 3 main sources as follows:
1. the primary source which is the QUR'AN (in english KORAN)
2. secondary source which is the HADEETH and SUNNAH (essentially teachings of Prophet Muhammad) and finally;
3. consensus of Scholars.

For example take the issue of Cloning or Stem Cell. Muslims when confronted with moral issues of Cloning will first look at the primary source i.e KORAN, if cloning is not treated in the KORAN , they will then check the secondary source which is the HADEETH. Hadeeth is the sayings and practices of the Prophet while he was alive. If the secondary source i.e Hadeeth did not offer an answer to the problem. Scholars will then refer to the third source which is the CONSENSUS of past Scholars. Here Past scholars refers to the period after the death of Prophet Muhammad when society face challenges which were not encountered during the lifetime of the Prophet.

If the third source did not treat the issue of cloning as well then the present day scholars will come out with a position using all the three sources as a guide. Whatever position they come out with is then referred to as a FATWA. Hence Fatwa is a derived position based on the three main sources i.e. KORAN, HADEETH AND CONSENSUS.

I must add here that the secondary source HADEETH is composed of two parts referred to as HADEETH & SUNNAH. Hadeeth is the sayings of Prophet Muhammad while Sunna is actions of the Prophet (i.e. what the Prophet did or didn't do) while he was alive.


What do you guys think?

'Welcome', by French film maker Philippe Loiret, on a would-be Kurdish immigrant to Britain, won the annual
LUX film prize of the European Parliament. The director told the Chamber that 'Europe cannot be separated from the issue of migration.' I can really recommend this film to you which works for a Europe of solidarity, integration and respect of human rights.

Die Handlung, beschrieben von Jürgen Kiontke:
Der Regisseur Philippe Loiret lässt einen geschiedenen Schwimmlehrer während einer tiefen Lebenskrise in der französischen Kanalstadt Calais auf einen minderjährigen Flüchtling aus dem Irak treffen. Der Junge will nach London - zu dem Mädchen, das er liebt. "Ich bin nicht mal über die Straße gegangen, um dich zurückzukriegen", sagt der Lehrer zu seiner Ex-Frau. Der Pädagoge mit olympischer ­Vergangenheit bildet den Jungen zum Schwimmstar aus -, der muss es schließlich über den Ärmelkanal schaffen. Wie kommt man angesichts freier Warenströme - der Lastwagen kommt auf die Fähre, der Flüchtling nicht - und geschlossener Grenzen auf würdige Art und Weise ans Ziel eigener Wünsche? Härten sind dem Publikum zuzumuten, dieses Kino ist nicht kuschelig.

Hi,

I am Inga and at the moment I live in Frankfurt, Germany. I have studied in England for several years. I have also completed my PhD in Business Management and now I work for a bank as a project manager. If my time allows it, I like to travel and experience new cultures. I also enjoy working as a volunteer for Amnesty International (www.amnestyinternational.de) and Forward Germany (www.forward-germany.de ).




Ciao a tutti,

I am Ingrid and I am living in Bologna, Italy. I have studied International Relations at the Faculty of Political Science here and now I work for a Foundation as international relations officer. To get to know and to discuss with people from different cultures is one of my preferred activities. I am interested in human rights issues and gender differences so I am volunteering in many different local initiatives, engaging in prison, for cultural issues, for the integration of immigrants and for the environment.




In order to give a better idea of ourselves, we took some time and thought of some philosophic answers...

*What makes heroic?

People who stand up for each other no matter what the consequences will be. - Constant word and action for changing the things that can be changed.

*What do you believe in?

Although it sounds very idealistic, I believe in equality and that all people should be treated with respect. - Human dignity oughts to be respected.

*What does your conscious tell you?

That I have to learn a lot more to be able to understand.- That our amount of knowlegde is enormous and at the same moment relative and limited.

*Where are the biggest dangers hidden?

That people seem to forget.

*What do you love about others?

The diversity you find in human beings.

*Who do you call bad?

People who lie. - People who do not care.

*How would you express the „most human“?

If you do a mistake.

Dear all,

I wish You a HAPPY and SERENE NEW YEAR, that it will be safer, less troubled and more fruitful than the one that has passed by and that we all can BE THE CHANGE we want to see in the world!

Best and warmest wishes,
Ingrid

In one of the November editions of the Economist one can find a very interesting article about Monsanto. This compnay is famous for giving farmers the opportunity to produce gene-manipulated foods. This company is growing day by day due to acquisitions of other companies. At the moment it is working on drought tolerant products. This means that a plant can survive without water for a much longer period of time.

I personally find these recent developments very scary. Especially due to the fact that consumers don't know how their health may be affected in later years.

For the full article see:

http://www.economist.com/displaystory.cfm?story_id=14904184

I find the strength of some women incredible. There are women in this world who don't have any opportunities, who are beaten up by their own husbands but don't have any right in front of the courts. However, some of them write about their daily lives and what is of interest to them but no one knows about them except us!

For the full article please see:

http://english.aljazeera.net/focus/2009/12/200912675616888150.html

For their blogg see:

http://awwproject.wordpress.com/

Last year, more than 15000 girls and boys were accused to be witches. If their parents don't pay the sekts hefty fees to get the witchcraft out of their system, these children will be "thrown out" of their families or even killed. Hence, more than 1000 children were killed in Africa alone last year.

http://www.spiegel.de/panorama/gesellschaft/0,1518,656308,00.html

Recently Finmeccanica, through its company Selex sistemi integrati, has won an immense public contract in Italy for circa 300 milion Euro! They will build an efficient
security and protection system, including a wall with electronic sensors at the borders of Libya with Niger, Ciad and Sudan. Forseen by the italo-libyan friendship treaty, these measures want to prevent immigrants to enter Italy and then Europe.

For now I have asked them directly more information on that project via their Press Office: pressoffice@selex-si.com