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Last update - 10:33 30/01/2008
UN envoy: Women in Gaza feel coerced into covering their heads
By Barak Ravid
Tags: UN, Judaism, Islam, Israel

The United Nations Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief
says women in the Gaza Strip have recently felt coerced into covering their heads, while Christians there have faced rising intolerance.

The UN envoy, Asma Jahangir, visited Israel and the Palestinian Authority last week and published a report on her eight-day trip.
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"Women seem to be in a particularly vulnerable situation and bear the brunt of religious zeal. I was informed about cases of honor killings carried out with impunity in the name of religion," she added.

Jahangir met with Chief Rabbi Shlomo Amar and Minister of Religious Affairs Yitzhak Cohen, as well as many others involved in religious affairs.

The UN representative expressed surprise to Amar that women were not allowed to serve as religious court judges. Amar answered that the study of religious law is a burden that women are exempt from, but this did not satisfy Jahangir, who said human rights were advancing and religions were remaining behind.

She also criticized the Orthodox religious establishment in Israel.

"There are concerns that the state gives preferential treatment to the
Orthodox Jewish majority in Israel to the detriment not only of other
religious or belief communities but also of other strands of Judaism," she said. "For example, conversion to Judaism within Israel is only recognised if performed by the Orthodox Rabbinate."

Jahangir added: "I find it difficult to understand that under domestic law persons can be deemed to be 'unmarriageable'," referring to the 200,000 Israeli citizens and residents who have problems marrying since they have no official religion. She and Minister Cohen disagreed on the matter.

She said that "freedom of religion or belief also includes the right not to believe."

Foreign Ministry officials who accompanied Jahangir were surprised when she said Israeli roadblocks not only impede Christians and Muslims from accessing their holy places. They also prevent Jewish Israelis from praying at their holy places such as the Temple Mount.

She faintly praised Israel, saying: "During my talks with members of religious minorities in Israel, my interlocutors have by and large acknowledged that there is no religious persecution by the State. Within the Israeli democracy, I would like to emphasize the important role that the Supreme Court has played in the past and can play for safeguarding freedom of religion or belief."

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      1.   As a Muslim Asma Jahangir cannot resist a cheap shot at Israel 01:28  |  Genuine Tosefta 30/01/08
      2.   My, my. What have we here? Intolerance? Nah....Must be the Jews. 01:36  |  bat yam 30/01/08
      3.   sick UN 01:38  |  Judith 30/01/08
      4.   Today Gaza, Tomorrow Europe 01:44  |  Efox 30/01/08
      5.   Coersion? They got what they`ve asked for! 01:55  |  Fish 30/01/08
      6.   Civil Rights in Israel 02:10  |  Samuel 30/01/08
      7.   genuine tosefta 1 02:12  |  realism 30/01/08
      8.   Yeah, realism unreal, but this Lady is supposed to be impartial 02:37  |  Genuine Toseftat 30/01/08
      9.   So when was she promoted from reporter? 03:57  |  MaryRose 30/01/08
      10.   realism, as a woman, I`d rather be denied... 04:04  |  MaryRose 30/01/08
      11.   wait for the stonings of the women 04:17  |  jewish doctor 30/01/08
      12.   what coerced ? silly Ravid, it rains hard in Gaza ! 04:44  |  um kul tum 30/01/08
      13.   Rising intolerance? 04:46  |  Lynn 30/01/08
      14.   Muslim Brotherhood agenda being realized in Hamastan 04:49  |  Polybios 30/01/08
      15.   Turkey decided to allow the hijab in university today. 04:50  |  MaryRose 30/01/08
      16.   POOR Mussie women, was force to wear "Hijab" 05:11  |  Cristo 30/01/08
      17.   Gaza women must wear head covering-as in Mea Shearim 06:33  |  Eli 30/01/08
      18.   message to Christian Palestinians 07:18  |  massi 30/01/08
      19.   Rabbis=Imams 07:44  |  Didi 30/01/08
      20.   Religion, poison for mankind! 10:47  |  Jacob 30/01/08
      21.   this is specially for don camillo and doris the fake dutch 10:59  |  v hardman 30/01/08
      22.   Sunday people first, than .. 11:24  |  Jacob 30/01/08
      23.   Equality in Israel 11:35  |  Joel 30/01/08
      24.   O.K, OCCUPATION CAN CONTINUE 11:37  |  indrajaya 30/01/08
      25.   Religion and the Dark Ages. 11:54  |  Stephen. 30/01/08
      26.   I agree with her, she seems balanced 12:16  |  nina 30/01/08
      27.   agree with massi 12:26  |  The Judge 30/01/08
      28.   Hijab in Gaza isnot the issue Haaretz 12:30  |  Issa 30/01/08
      29.   Don`t let`s start on religious silliness 12:31  |  Natallie Durson 30/01/08
      30.   Cohersion 12:37  |  Noura 30/01/08
      31.   the veil 12:43  |  Muslim woman 30/01/08
      32.   Orthodoxy in any religion treats women badly 12:55  |  Benjamina 30/01/08
      33.   For every honour killing and every killing for "indecent" 13:07  |  Karl 30/01/08
      34.   Our sisters in Gaza, our sorrow for you 13:17  |  kiwi girl 30/01/08
      35.   Iraqi women too, by the millions! 13:35  |  Navy Vet 30/01/08
      36.   re: Stephen 13:43  |  Efox 30/01/08
      37.   Natalie Durson, a question: 13:45  |  Fred the sausage 30/01/08
      38.   kiwi girl 13:49  |  Fred the sausage 30/01/08
      39.   Religion 14:04  |  Nana 30/01/08
      40.   Kiwi girl 34 14:12  |  jackie 30/01/08
      41.   Bias against Jews 14:49  |  Hilda 30/01/08
      42.   # 29 Durson....it is a matter of personal choice 15:25  |  Lynn 30/01/08
      43.   # 34 kiwi girl...how do you explain 15:32  |  Lynn 30/01/08
      44.   mary rose 10 15:38  |  realism 30/01/08
      45.   To Lynn, #43 15:48  |  Challenger 30/01/08
      46.   Nazillie Durson 15:53  |  Nik Miller 30/01/08
      47.   To MaryRose on realism, No 10 15:55  |  AmericanCitizizenToo 30/01/08
      48.   AmericanCitizizenToo 16:14  |  Boris S. 30/01/08
      49.   NOTHING WRONG WITH HIJAB !!! 16:23  |  Rubiconski 30/01/08
      50.   DO JEWS EVER STOP SPREADING LIES? 16:28  |  Rubiconski 30/01/08
      51.   kiwi girl?? 17:10  |  Ralph 30/01/08
      52.   # 45 challenger 17:15  |  Lynn 30/01/08
      53.   To Boris S. 17:20  |  AmericanCitizizenToo 30/01/08
      54.   In Islam it is the norm,women are forced 17:20  |  TOMY 30/01/08
      55.   Rubiconski we all know that it`s the latest fashion 17:27  |  Iz Ray Leigh 30/01/08
      56.   This is What You Get When Religious Fanatics Attain Power! 17:35  |  MIKE 30/01/08
      57.   # 49 rubiconski nothing wrong at all 17:38  |  Lynn 30/01/08
      58.   Re 1: READ PROFILE OF THIS BRAVE PAKISTANI WOMEN BEFORE YOU BARK 17:40  |  JACKAL 30/01/08
      59.   # 47 Americancitizentoo...the difference is 17:40  |  Lynn 30/01/08
      60.   INDRAJAYA, Muslims are much too quick to ignore it. 17:41  |  Virginia 30/01/08
      61.   Eli and Mea Shearim 17:45  |  ChanahS 30/01/08
      62.   I feel no need to cover my head:God is my Glory, I am not ashamed 17:46  |  Virginia 30/01/08
      63.   let`s talk religion part 2 18:00  |  Abeer 30/01/08
      64.   let`s talk religion part 3 18:02  |  Abeer 30/01/08
      65.   # 47 American Too? NOT!!! 18:06  |  Petra 30/01/08
      66.   #49 Rubiconski - you are missing the point 18:13  |  * BEN JABO 30/01/08
      67.   #34 Kiwi Girl - stop your crying 18:18  |  * BEN JABO 30/01/08
      68.   AmericanCitizizenToo 18:30  |  Boris S. 30/01/08
      69.   kiwi girl 19:31  |  David Israel 30/01/08
      70.   lynn 59 19:36  |  realism 30/01/08
      71.   petra 65 19:39  |  realism 30/01/08
      72.   boria s 69 19:42  |  realism