Wednesday, October 10, 2007

European Day against Death Penalty

ILGA-Europe reminds us on this day that there are still seven countries (six and a half, in fact) that keep death penalty as punishment for same-sex activities, namely Saudi Arabia, Iran, Mauritania, Sudan, the United Arab Emirates, Yemen, and the 12 northern Nigerian states under shari'a.

It's the first event of its kind in Europe, sponsored by the Council of Europe, after last month Poland tried to veto the celebration on grounds that it should also condemn abortion and eutanasia. We have already reported Poland's government attitudes and policies in regards to LGBT issues and rights, which are dominated by a deep ultracatholicism. Poland's conservative, populist government has made something of a speciality of going against EU opinion on issues ranging from homosexuality to environmental protection.

Precisely in Poland, Police had to evict a group of nuns from a convent in Kazimierz Dolny. Previously, 10 nuns of the Congregation of the Sisters of Bethany had been expelled from their order by the Vatican. Church spokesman has likened the Congregation to a sect, and it seems that their mother superior has claimed to have been having visions of the Holy Spirit. Sixty five nuns and a Franciscan monk were found inside the convent.

It's curious that on nuns convents there's always a monk. Or a garden keeper. Busy men.

Technorati tags: , ,

No comments: