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INTERNATIONAL ALLIANCE AGAINST FUNDAMENTALISM Phone: 91-11-91539526
91-11-8539526
Fax: 91-11-2256042
Email: sakth-@giasdla.vsnl.net.in
------------------------------------------------------------------------ ALLIANCE BULLETIN-3 18 December 1998 All articles and reports given in the ALLIANCE BULLETIN can be reproduced. Please acknowledge the source: (International Alliance Against Fundamentalism) PEACE; NOT WAR!
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Alliance Against Fundamentalism
deplores US violence against Iraq
The International Alliance Against Fundamentalism strongly condemns the unilateral action taken by the USA and the UK against Iraq which is facing the worst economic situation in decades, including food shortage and malnourishment of children, as result of the harsh sanctions imposed against it by the supposedly civilized nations of the world. The impunity with which the attack took place demonstrates the power that the USA has acquired in the "uni-polar" world not just to police the sovereign nations which it dubs as rogue states but also to take violent action when its views and suggestions are twarted. All fora available has to be utilised to force the US to give up violence for the peace initiative. The International Alliance Against Fundamentalism appreciates Mr Kofi Annan, Secretary General of the United Nations, for making it clear that he is not for the war option. Mr Annan has been doing everything in his power to avert the use of force. Despite this, we note with regret, the United Nations is unable to influence powerful nations like the USA to listen to reason and desist from the path of violence. The missile attack on Iraq is even more tragic and deplorable as doubts are raised whether it was dictated by the domestic crisis of the US president. We are deeply concerned that the USA and the UK sideline the United Nations and use force at the very time when the UN Security Council was in session to discuss developments arising from the report of the UNSCOM We call upon the USA and the UK for immediate halt of the military action against Iraq and resumption of diplomatic efforts. We call upon all peace loving people around the globe to take open stand against the use of force and violence by the USA and the UK and exert pressure on their own governments for a collective peace initiative. -Sanal Edamaruku
"TO ERR IS HUMAN...."
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The beatification of Alojzije Stepinac
It was in late 1997 that the Pope proclaimed a new area in the
politics The beatification of Alojzije Stepinac hardly one year later, exposes the hypocricy of these statements. Once more the Vatican justifies the fascist-catholic Ustasha regime of Ante Pavelic in Yugoslavia during the Second World War and its holocaust in the name of religion against orthodox Serbs and Jews. Dr Alojzije Stepinac, arch bishop of Zagreb, was a powerful collaborator of the Ustasha regime. Appointed its "spiritual advisor" by Pope Pius XII, he became the key figure in the short history of the so-called "Kingdom of God". Together with ten other clerics, Stepinac was a permanent member of the Ustasha parliament. He served as military vicar (and was awarded the highest military decoration) of the Ustasha army, which massacred hundreds of thousands of humans who happened to be not catholic. It was Pavelic's declared programme to wipe out Serbian population, expelling one third and converting one third forcefully to Catholicism. In May 1943, Stepinac reported in the memorandum to the Pope that already 240,000 "conversions" had taken place. He could report back to the Ustasha that "the Pope was following with the greatest love and sympathy the developments in Croatia and sent his cordial blessings." Pope Pius XII was well aware of the true nature of the "conversions" and the ongoing genocide. He received hundreds of first hand reports from his special legate Ramiro Marcone and many others. Photographs show that he did not hesitate to receive Ustasha ministers and even a delegation of "special unit" Ustasha police officers in uniform in Vatican. He was gifted a collection of 800 photographs, depicting mutilated and slain victims in the concentration camp Jasenovac, where under the command of Catholic priests about 750,000 people have been brutally killed. Stepinac's loyalty and the Pope's love and sympathy for the Ustasha lasted
till the very end of their reign and far beyond. When dictator Pavelic and his
men (amongst them many clerics) had to flee the country in 1945, they
trustfully overhanded the archives of the foreign ministry and Pavelic's gold
(including the looted booty and the gold teeth of the victims) to Stepinac.
Stepinac remained in Zagreb and his palace became the centre of the operations
of the Ustasha in underground. He remained a vocal advocate of Pavelic's regime.
In the end of 1946, after calling upon the allies to bomb Belgrade, he was
arrested and trialed. The Vatican launched a world wide campaign, presenting him
as a martyr. they could not rescue him from being convicted, but under the
mounting pressure, he was pardoned after two years of imprisonment. In 1986, when the government of the USA released documents of their Pavelic has never been brought to justice. He died peacefully in December 1959 in the German hospital in Madrid, in his hands the rosary, gifted to him by Pope Johannes XXIII in 1941. Before his death he received special blessings from Pope Pius XII. (All mentioned documents are available in Vladmir Dedijer, "The Yugoslav Auschwitz and the Vatican", Prometheus Books,USA) -Ursula Charlotte Dunckern ANTI-SUPERSTITION DAY CELEBRATED BY
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AMERICAN HUMANIST ASSOCIATION
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Many people in U.S.A consider 13th Friday as a very unlucky day. Similarly number of superstitions are prevalent in USA even among the educated public. They vary from religion to religion and various ethnic groups have their own blind beliefs. The American Humanists are trying to educate the public by exposing the myth of these superstitions. On 13th Friday The American Humanist Association (AHA) arranged a demonstration meeting in Washington DC to reveal that there is no basis for these blind beliefs and they have no impact on human life. The Executive Director of AHA Mr Fred Edwords surprised everyone when he entered in magician dress. In his brief exposition he explained the purpose of the celebration. Ms Margaret, board member of AHA entered the hall in angel's dress and told the members there are no gods, angels, ghosts, witches in reality except make belief. Mr Ed Doerr the president of AHA commenced the limbo ladder game where the participants have to bend backwards and crawl under the ladder. Of course he fell down and amused himself! As a guest from India I participated in the celebration and the president introduced me to the members. Mr Florien J Wineriter from Salt Lake City, board member of AHA conducted the puzzle question answer session of the superstitions in which all the members in the meetings participated. It was a lively session which covered several reasons for different superstitions in USA. Roy Tarcaso, a veteran humanist and several others were in the meetings. It went on for three hours. Many members participated in the games conducted by the Board members and won prizes. American Humanist Association is now planning to shift its head quarters from
Amherst, New York to Washington DC so that it will have greater impact both on
public and media. They have started fund collection for this purpose. All the
participants introduced themselves and briefly explained their interests and
activities. Ms Betty Chambers from Washington state conducted the proceedings. One explanation for the belief about 13th Friday is that Christ was crucified on Friday and 13 men were present at the last supper. In memory of the crucifixion, Friday is a day of fasting in the Roman Catholic, Anglican and the Greek Orthodox churches, unless it falls on a feast day, such as Christmas. Another explanation is that Friday was once the day that was traditionally used to execute prisoners. People once called hangman’s day because of that practice. - N Innaiah ------------------------------------------------------------------------ The ALLIANCE BULLETIN reaches more than thousand addresses, of concerned individuals, groups and journals. Reports about religious extremism and the ongoing fight against them may be sent for publication. Reports of activities of freethought, rationalist, atheist, humanist and human right organisations are invited. Comments, letters and small articles are also invited. Address: sakth-@giasdla.vsnl.net.in |