HHiddush, an Israeli NGO that monitors religious freedom, claimed Sunday that Israel is ranked in the bottom 23 percent of world nations in terms of the restrictions it imposes on marriage — on a par with countries such as Saudi Arabia, North Korea and Iran. The NGO posted a map of the world that groups countries based on a scale of three “freedom levels,” from worst to best — “severe restrictions” (0); “partial restrictions” (1); and “freedom of marriage” (2). Israel was described as having “severe restrictions”: A list on the Hiddush website described — next to Israel’s entry — the restrictions imposed by the country’s Orthodox rabbinic establishment on people who wish to marry. “Only recognized religious marriage ceremonies are allowed,” the text read. “For Jews, only weddings that are held according to strict Orthodox standards are accepted. There is no option for civil marriage or interfaith marriage. Weddings conducted outside of the country are recognized. 300,000 citizens are defined as ‘without religion’ and they are unable to get married in the country.” “The main objective of the map was to illustrate Israel’s dire position alongside the most backward of Muslim countries, far from acceptable practice in the democratic world,” said Hiddush president, Rabbi Uri Regev. “We’re hoping the harsh picture arising from the map will help advance a policy change in Israel that will lead to complete freedom of marriage.” Regev argued that freedom to marry without discrimination was not only a universal human right, but in line with the vision set forth in Israel’s Declaration of Independence. Of the 194 countries marked on the map, 93 countries (48%), including most Western democracies, have total freedom; 56 governments (29%), including those of India and Turkey, impose “partial restrictions”; and 45 countries (23%) impose “severe restrictions.” Israel is the only democracy in the latter, alongside most Muslim countries and North Korea.
Posted on: Wed, 04 Jun 2014 19:42:09 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015