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".
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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!

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}

This weekend German people punished severly the Socialdemocrats (SPD), who had governed for 4 years in a Great Coalition with the Christian democrats (CDU), and gave thus rise to a powerful neoliberal coalition between the rightwing of the Christian democrats and the Liberals (FDP), who besides gained about 5% additional votes. Also, the Left (LINKE) counted 3% more votes, some more than the Greens.

Voters did judge very negatively a perspective of a coalition government composed of Socialdemocrats and Greens, which existed under Chancellor Gerhard Schröder with the foreign minister Joschka Fischer until 2005. More than 1 Million traditional SPD voters didn't trust the socialdemocratic agenda anymore, mainly remembering a reform regarding disoccupation called Hartz IV and the social political and labour market reform under the name Agenda 2010, and as nearly 900.000 others gave now their vote to the Left, SPD lost this election very clearly with a decline of 10% in regard to 2005. As well, as Socialdemocrats declared before election that they wouldn't accept to govern in a coalition with the Left, who has partial links to the old East German regime, no national consensus for a Socialdemocratic-Green-Left coalition could be established. Klaus Wowereit, current major of Berlin and governing in a SPD-Left coalition, declared that the Socialdemocrats dared to open themselves to this perspective.

Personnally, looking at the election results, I cannot but agree with Klaus Wowereit, the SPD needs to return to its very social roots and besides needs to solidarize clearly workers with migrants in an evergrowing flow of people. I am very worried about the rise of no's to a major solidarity in our society. Already we have to cope with everhardening capitalism generating severe disoccupation, a rise of poverty, an education as well as income gap...in these conditions I cannot but imagine further accelerations put forward by a neoliberal coalition in Parliament.

In the whole 16th Legislature the Committee for Foreign Affairs has decided only once on refugee matters, in regard to Iraq and through initiative of the Greens:
antrag der gruenen im bundestag (pdf, 77 KB)

In this it is acknowledged that every month 60.000 Iraqis leave their country! Around one quarter of the Iraqi people is fleeing: 4.4 milion people! But nobody reports this crisis in the mainstream media...

As well the initiative to offer more help to Iraqi refugees has been cruelly refused by the CDU and SPD with the help of the recommendations of other committees which they control through their majority, even if Germany and all other European countries would be in the position to help!
ablehnung des antrags seitens cdu und spd (pdf, 73 KB)

I have asked today on Abgeordnetenwatch.de to the candidate Andreas Steppuhn about this decision of his party and his personal opinion! We need to inform ourselves much more widespread...our everyday media is extremely politically biased!

For further reading of the Green Human Rights Policy, have a look at the following reader, which is outlining the various initiatives undertaken in order to better the human rights involvement of Germany.
green politics of human rights (pdf, 408 KB)

The German associationFRAUENRAT, linking around 30 organisations concerned with the Equality among the Sexes, has invested a huge amount of time elaborating a serious comparison of the programmes of the German political parties running for the 17th Parliamentary Elections on 27th September 2009.

We may choose!
equality among the sexes - 17th german parliamentary elections (pdf, 119 KB)

As we have the direct vote for one specific candidate of our region, we should try to choose the one which fits best to our opinions and worldviews. In order to give us a broad comparison Abgeordnetenwatch.de has organized an online Candidatecheck!

Following the link
http://www.abgeordnetenwatch.de/projects/kandidatencheck/popup.html

and inserting your Postal code, you will answer around 40 questions around work, health, economy, foreign policy, family, security, etc, which will be compared with the preferences of the direct candidates of our regions. The result can give you a first overview of the candidates most affine to you.

Have a go!!

Abgeordnetenwatch.de fühlt nicht nur den Kandidierenden auf ein Bundestagsmandat auf den Zahn, sondern auch denen die es vor vier Jahren geschafft hatten. Man erhält daher gründliche Informationen über Abstimmungsverhalten und Ausschussmitgliedschaften. Einfach super!

Für den Landkreis Harz treten wieder an:
Andres Steppuhn (SPD - 49 von 51 Fragen beantwortet)
und
Undine Kurth (Grüne - 12 von 17 Fragen beantwortet).

Wer diese Webseite noch nicht kennt, dem sei sie hiermit mit Auszeichnung empfohlen!!!

http://www.abgeordnetenwatch.de

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Allgemeine Info zur Wahl aus dem Bundeswahlgesetz:
Jeder deutsche Wähler hat zwei Stimmen, eine Erststimme für die Wahl eines Wahlkreisabgeordneten,
eine Zweitstimme für die Wahl einer Landesliste.

Wahl in den Wahlkreisen:
In jedem Wahlkreis wird ein Abgeordneter gewählt. Gewählt ist der Bewerber, der die meisten Stimmen auf sich vereinigt. Bei Stimmengleichheit entscheidet das vom Kreiswahlleiter zu ziehende Los.

Wahl nach Landeslisten:
Für die Verteilung der nach Landeslisten zu besetzenden Sitze werden die für jede Landesliste abgegebenen Zweitstimmen zusammengezählt. Nicht berücksichtigt werden dabei die Zweitstimmen derjenigen Wähler, die ihre Erststimme für einen im Wahlkreis erfolgreichen Bewerber abgegeben haben. Für weitere Einschränkungen siehe http://www.bundeswahlleiter.de/de/bundestagswahlen/downloads/rechtsgrundlagen/bundeswahlgesetz.pdf