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My Take: Dutch ban is bigotry
By Rabbi Shmuel Herzfeld, Special to CNN The lower house of the Dutch parliament recently passed legislation that would ban ritual slaughter in accordance with both Jewish law, known as shechita, and Muslim law, known as halal. The legislation would require the stunning of animals before their slaughter, an act that is forbidden by Jewish law. For Jews, this is a very emotional issue that cuts at the core of who we are. In our history, we have seen unfriendly governments attack our sacred rituals as a way of sending a message to their citizens that our religion is alien and barbaric. We know that it often masquerades as a concern for a more humane treatment of animals, but in reality, it is just a smokescreen for old-fashioned bigotry. Dutch right-winger Wilders cleared of anti-Muslim charges(CNN) - Controversial Dutch politician Geert Wilders was cleared Thursday of inciting hatred against Muslims, the Dutch justice ministry said. Wilders was tried for inciting discrimination and hatred over a controversial film he made about Islam. The court in Amsterdam said comments by the leader of of the Party for Freedom were "denigrating," but not illegal, the ministry said. Wilders' film "Fitna," which he released online in March 2008 to international outcry, features disturbing images of terrorist acts superimposed over verses from the Quran in an apparent attempt to paint Islam as a threat to Western society. It drew complaints from the European Union and the Organization of the Islamic Conference, as well as concern from the United States. Comments Wilders made in a variety of media between 2006 and 2008 formed part of the case against him. Far-right Dutch politician tried over anti-Muslim film
Wilders' film "Fitna," which he released online in March 2008 to international outcry, features disturbing images of terrorist acts superimposed over verses from the Quran in an apparent attempt to paint Islam as a threat to Western society. Comments Wilders made in a variety of media between 2006 and 2008 form part of the case against him. |
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The CNN Belief Blog covers the faith angles of the day's biggest stories, from breaking news to politics to entertainment, fostering a global conversation about the role of religion and belief in readers' lives. It's edited by CNN's Daniel Burke with contributions from Eric Marrapodi and CNN's worldwide news gathering team. ![]() ![]() |
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