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Last update - 01:46 30/01/2008 UN envoy: Women in Gaza feel coerced to cover heads By Barak Ravid 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. Advertisement "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 roadblocks not only impeded 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: "In my talks with members of religious minorities in Israel, my interlocutors have by and large acknowledged there is no religious persecution by the state. Within the Israeli democracy, I would like to emphasize the important role the Supreme Court has played in the past and can play to safeguard freedom of religion or belief." Bookmark to del.icio.us   Painful lessons The IDF has already learnt lessons of the Second Lebanon War. Brothers in guilt 'We are all guilty; is an effective summary of the final Winograd report.

Today Online Ahmadinejad tells West: Accept Israel's 'imminent collapse' Responses: 239 Winograd: Final ground op 'did not achieve military goals' Responses: 65 Amira Hass: Finally, there's a popular uprising in Gaza Responses: 71 UN envoy: Gaza women feel coerced into covering heads Responses: 90 High Court okays cutting fuel and power to Gaza Responses: 93 More Headlines 22:10 Kadima rallies around Olmert, urges Barak to stay in gov't 22:01 Winograd: Final ground op 'did not achieve military goals', but approving it was essential step 18:59 ANALYSIS: IDF has already learnt lessons of Second Lebanon War 20:50 Hezbollah: War report will corner Olmert, make him lose credibility 22:59 ANALYSIS: Winograd Committee report says 'we are all guilty' 22:03 German cabinet will visit Israel to mark Jewish state's 60th year 19:28 Egyptian police kill two Africans during bid to cross into Israel 02:17 Municipality officials commend Jerusalemites' response snowstorm 17:13 High Court okays reducing fuel and power supply to Gaza Strip 20:36 John Edwards drops out of Democratic presidential race 20:07 Israel to send thousands of vaccines to Gaza after border breach 15:32 Schools closed, rescue personnel on alert in snowy Jerusalem 12:41 Ahmadinejad tells West: Accept Israel's 'imminent collapse' Previous Editions Select Day 30 jan 29 jan 28 jan 27 jan 25 jan 24 jan 23 jan 22 jan 21 jan 20 jan 18 jan 17 jan

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