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AchtungBono

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Tel-Aviv, Israel
Every year, the Israeli gay and lesbian community have the annual gay pride parade in Tel-Aviv. It is attended by thousands of the gay community and supporters.

This year, the organizers have decided to hold the parade in Jerusalem which ,as everyone knows, is Judaism's holiest city, as well as being the holy city for Christians and Muslims too.

While Israel is truly a democratic country, the decision to hold the parade in Jerusalem (which has a predominate ultra-religious community) has been met with controversy and violence from the religious communities (as you can see in the article below).

Personally, I have no problem with gay pride parades anywhere, however I think the decision to hold it in such a unique city as Jerusalem was in poor taste, to say the least. I think the organizers should have taken the feelings of the religious communities into account and move the parade elsewhere, in the interest of public safety.

In addition, the scheduled date of the parade (Nov.10) marks the anniversary of "Kristallnacht" - the night the Nazis went on a rampage and burned dozens of Jewish synagogues before WWII. Therefore, this is a very sensitive date.

As you can see, this issue is very controversial and we don't yet know how it will end. I'm hoping the organizers will use common sense and decide to move the parade elsewhere in order to avoid unnecessary violence.

What do you think?

+++++++

This is from the CNN website.

JERUSALEM (AP) -- Israel's attorney general refused to ban a gay pride parade in Jerusalem despite threats of violence from ultra-Orthodox Jews, instructing police and gay activists to try to work out a compromise, the police commander said Sunday.
A Justice Ministry statement said Attorney General Meni Mazuz ordered police to meet with gay activists "to work out a reasonable alternative proposal" for the march, set for Friday on a route through the middle of the city.
The meeting is to take place Monday, gay activists said, and a compromise was likely.
Ultra-Orthodox Jews have rioted in Jerusalem nearly every night over the past week, burning garbage cans, blocking roads and assaulting police officers in an attempt to get the authorities to call off the march, approved months ago by the Supreme Court. Many religious Jews, Muslims and Christians see homosexuality as a sin and the march as an affront to the sanctity of the holy city.
Police said Sunday that the danger of violence was too great to allow the march to proceed, but left the final decision to Mazuz.
"We understand that the potential danger to life and bloodshed is greater than that to free speech," said police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld.
Ella Canetti, one of the organizers of the gay pride march, said they would meet police on Monday and were willing to be flexible.
"We are prepared to alter the route of our march to meet police concerns," she told The Associated Press. "According to what we understand, a modest gay pride march will take place in Jerusalem."
After meeting Mazuz, Jerusalem police commander Ilan Franco said, "It may be that there will be a march and a closing event at place which both sides decide is reasonable and minimizes potential damage and danger."
But it was unclear whether such a compromise would satisfy the ultra-Orthodox Jewish opponents.
At last year's march, an ultra-Orthodox man stabbed and wounded three participants.
There was some dissent Sunday among gay activists. Saar Nathaniel, a gay member of Jerusalem's City Council and one of the march's planners, suggested Sunday that gay activists cancel the march in return for ultra-Orthodox members of parliament supporting gay rights legislation.
A gay columnist in the liberal Haaretz daily called on organizers to show sensitivity for Jerusalem's special status as a city holy to three faiths and move the march to the more permissive Tel Aviv.
Jerusalem police said six policemen have been hurt in the clashes over the past week and 60 rioters have been arrested. Over the weekend, the disturbances spread outside Jerusalem to the ultra-Orthodox city of Bnei Brak, near Tel Aviv, where rioters blocked one of Israel's main highways with burning tires.
 
The ultra-religious rioters should be arrested and prosecuted to the fullest extent.

And if the rioters go on a rampage on the anniversary of "Kristallnacht," it would certainly be quite ironic of the current state of affairs against gay rights.
 
BonoVoxSupastar said:
The title should have been the dark side of the ultra-religious...

Would you say that if they through a Gay Parade near Mecca? Jerusalim is like what was said before a Very Holy Site for Jews, Muslims and Christians.
 
Justin24 said:


Would you say that if they through a Gay Parade near Mecca? Jerusalim is like what was said before a Very Holy Site for Jews, Muslims and Christians.

So? They should be able to throw it anywhere they want to.
 
If something is Holy and Sacred it should be respected correct? So don't you think it would be insulting to muslims, Jews and Christians to throw a party (Gay Parade, Nazi Rally or what ever)
 
Justin24 said:
If something is Holy and Sacred it should be respected correct? So don't you think it would be insulting to muslims, Jews and Christians to throw a party (Gay Parade, Nazi Rally or what ever)

I'm not much for sacred grounds. If god made this planet then all ground is the same. And well Martha showed the ridiculousness of the rest of your comment.
 
When I say Sacred Ground, it means an important even happened. Would you want a wounded knee re-enactment or celebration band?? yes or no and explain.

Since you say it's only ground.
 
Justin24 said:
When I say Sacred Ground, it means an important even happened. Would you want a wounded knee re-enactment or celebration band?? yes or no and explain.

Since you say it's only ground.

Not sure what you are saying? Wounded knee re-enactment or celebration band where?
 
You know the Story of wounded knee correct. Your saying that the ground Jerusalem is laying on is just ground, what about where 9/11 once stood, or Indian Burial grounds
 
Varitek said:


:ohmy:

I have no words. No words. This is probably the most offensive thing I've ever seen.

errrm example. Your saying that there is nothing wrong with having a gay parade in Jerusalem, when it's considered to be very holy, like Mecca is to muslims. So if there is nothing wrong as you say with throwing a parade in Jerusalim which would offended many people, then why would you have a problem with having other event. Why not re-enactments of the crusades while were at it.
 
Justin24 said:
You know the Story of wounded knee correct. Your saying that the ground Jerusalem is laying on is just ground, what about where 9/11 once stood, or Indian Burial grounds

Yeah I know the story, but what's your point? Are you asking me what I'd feel like if someone did a wounded knee re-enactment in Jeruselum?

The ground where the towers once stood is getting rebuilt on.

And normally parades can't be held in cemetaries, unless it's a day for the dead...
 
Justin24 said:


errrm example. Your saying that there is nothing wrong with having a gay parade in Jerusalem, when it's considered to be very holy, like Mecca is to muslims. So if there is nothing wrong as you say with throwing a parade in Jerusalim which would offended many people, then why would you have a problem with having other event. Why not re-enactments of the crusades while were at it.

Does the homosexual community have a history of killing and trying to wipe out a whole race? Come on, Justin.
 
No not having Wounded knee in Jerusalem but on the grounds where the last free Lakotas were slaughtered.

Would the city council of Jerusalem be considered biggots for not allowing the parade to happen, since the people in the city consider it to be sacred?
 
BonoVoxSupastar said:


Does the homosexual community have a history of killing and trying to wipe out a whole race? Come on, Justin.

No, but I am saying if something is sacred and Religious to people, do you really want to stir the bee's nest?
 
Justin24 said:

Would the city council of Jerusalem be considered biggots for not allowing the parade to happen, since the people in the city consider it to be sacred?

So it's too sacred for certain people? What does that mean?
 
BonoVoxSupastar said:


So it's too sacred for certain people? What does that mean?

I did not say that. I just don't think people would find it appropriate. I am sure all three religions would find some offence to it.
 
Justin24 said:


I did not say that. I just don't think people would find it appropriate. I am sure all three religions would find some offence to it.

People pracitice religion on non-sacred ground all over the world, should I be offended and riot?
 
The gay community shouldn't be surprised if there's an outcry against staging a gay pride parade through a city that three of the dominant world religions -- which aren't exactly quiet on the subject of homosexuality -- claim as their own.

Which strikes one as being just a wee bit of a publicity stunt. Not that there's anything wrong with staging such a stunt, it's just that then turning around and crying foul seems a little dubious.
 
nathan1977 said:


Which strikes one as being just a wee bit of a publicity stunt. Not that there's anything wrong with staging such a stunt, it's just that then turning around and crying foul seems a little dubious.

Aren't all parades a publicity stunt of sorts. I'd say threats of violence are a litttle more than crying foul and being dubious...:|
 
I absolutely agree, and they deserve the right to march without violence, but they couldn't have been expecting a red carpet.
 
I just can't even respond to Justin. Your arguments are so nonsensical, and when I can make sense of what you're saying, so irrational, that I am still speechless. There is a huge difference between throwing a parade for a "cause" or whatever that people might disagree with and holding rallies to celebrate killing millions of people and indoctrinate more followers (which I assure you is not the intention of the gay community, though I wouldn't be surprised if you thought it was). Further, gay people were one of the many groups the Nazis sought to kill (hmm, does that make your view of the Nazis more popular?)

As for picking a fight by holding the parade in Jerusalem, sometimes that's what has to be done to advance civil rights. Not giving up a seat on a bus was also picking a fight.
 
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