Iraq: Don't touch the secular family law!

The US-controlled Governing Council of Iraq has decided to turn the secular family affairs code into an Islamic one and formed a committee to implement this plan. But "decision 137" is sparking vehement protest. Iraqi women demonstrated at Ferdus Square in central Baghdad to let the Governing Council and the US-led coalition know that they are not ready to give up their equal rights and to surrender their family affairs to religious jurisdiction. They carried banners reading: "Don't touch secular family law!" and "No to discrimination between men and women in a new Iraq!"

"I am outraged how the decision has been taken!" said public works minister Nesrine al-Barwari, one of the speakers of the protest movement. She reminded that Iraq is a multi ethnic and multi confessional state. Iraq's Civil Code of 1959 governing family affairs was considered the most progressive in the Middle East. Some changes, made by the then government of Iraq in 1991 to bring it in line with Muslim law did not alter its basic character.

In Iraq, women enjoyed more freedom and equality than in most Arab countries. They were free to move around without head cover and dress code, drive a car, talk as equals to men, go to restaurants alone or with male or female friends. They were able to avail education and work in all fields: as teachers, professors, physicians, factory workers, bus drivers or government officials. They could serve in non-combat positions in the army and even join the national women's soccer team. The first Iraqi woman doctor started practicing as early as in 1922. In 2002, 54 per cent of the students of Basra University were female.

Slovakia: Vatican treaty brings god to schools!

The Parliament of Slovakia approved with great majority, but against strong opposition, a treaty with the Vatican. The Concordat grants the Roman Catholic church considerable influence in the education system, thereby eroding the secular Constitution. Slovakia has started transforming itself from a civil state to a church state.

The treaty makes the participation in religious or ethical education classes mandatory for students of elementary and secondary schools between 6 and 18 years. Religious education will now also be offered in the kindergarten, if there are enough participants. The religious education classes, starting with the new school year in September, will cost the state 2.46 million Euro. According to the Concordat, a special status is granted to church schools. Though partially run with state funds, they are not bound by state approved education principles. They are especially free to censor the official syllabus and cut anything in any subject that does not suit church teachings.

Apart from the Roman Catholic church, there are 11 other registered churches in Slovakia enjoying the same rights. Together with the Concordat, the parliament has approved special treaties with them, too. The majority of parliament members representing Christian parties have voted in favor of these treaties. There is, however, strong opposition against them on the other side. The liberal New Civilian's Alliance, the opposition parties Smer and the Communist Party have expressed protest. The opposition parties have announced to go to the Constitutional Court in the matter.

Vatican: The saint of WMDs

Record saint maker Pope John Paul II has now put Austria's Kaiser Karl I (1887 - 1922) on the track to sainthood. The Vatican office in charge has already approved the two miracles necessary for the procedure. According to canonization law, any future saint must have performed one miracle during his lifetime and one after his death.

Kaiser Karl's posthumous miracle looks quite similar to the one attributed to Mother Teresa. In his case, a dangerously ill nun in Brasilia claimed in the 70's that she had prayed one fine night for the late Austrian emperor's beatification and was - believe it or not - miraculously cured from her illnesses.

Far better known than this passive act of faith healing and far less fitting to the common idea of a god inspired "good deed" is Kaiser Karl's lifetime miracle. In Austrian history books, it is called the "Miracle of Kobarid", and it killed forty thousand Italian soldiers.

It happened during the first World War, on 24 October 1917: The 1st corps of the 14^th army of the Austrian-German troops under Kaiser Karl's command managed to break through the barricades raised by the Italian army near Kobarid in Slovenia. Nobody had expected that this would have been possible. The sensational military success, however, was not due to saintly powers, but to poison gas. The Kaiser had ordered 100, 000 gas grenades to be fired at the enemy in a massive four-hour bombardment.

The use of poison gas was forbidden according to the Convention of The Hague, and the "miracle" could therefore more correctly be classified as a war crime. The Austrian Kaiser may soon be worshipped as the St. Karl, Saint of the Weapons of Mass Destruction.