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Geneva Convention relative to the Treatment of Prisoners of War (1949):
Article 3
In the case of armed conflict not of an international character occurring in the territory of one of the High Contracting Parties, each party to the conflict shall be bound to apply, as a minimum, the following provisions:
1. Persons taking no active part in the hostilities, including members of armed forces who have laid down their arms and those placed hors de combat by sickness, wounds, detention, or any other cause, shall in all circumstances be treated humanely, without any adverse distinction founded on race, colour, religion or faith, sex, birth or wealth, or any other similar criteria.
To this end the following acts are and shall remain prohibited at any time and in any place whatsoever with respect to the above-mentioned persons:
(a) Violence to life and person, in particular murder of all kinds, mutilation, cruel treatment and torture;
(b) Taking of hostages;
(c) Outrages upon personal dignity, in particular, humiliating and degrading treatment;
(d) The passing of sentences and the carrying out of executions without previous judgment pronounced by a regularly constituted court affording all the judicial guarantees which are recognized as indispensable by civilized peoples.
Reuters, July 22, 2007:
The Taliban kidnappers of 23 Korean hostages on Sunday extended the deadline for the South Korean government to agree to withdraw its troops from Afghanistan by 24 hours to 3:30 p.m. British time on Monday.
In Berlin, Chancellor Angela Merkel said Germany would not give in to the demands of the kidnappers — who also seized two German engineers and killed at least one of them – to withdraw its troops from Afghanistan…
…The 23 hostages belong to the “Saemmul Church” in Bundang, a city outside South Korea’s capital, Seoul. Most of them are in their 20s and 30s, and include nurses and English teachers…
Sorry, did someone mention Guantanamo as somehow being a “violation” of the “laws of war”? Well, as we know, not being a signatory to that Geneva Convention, the al Qaeda/ Taliban are naturally absolved from any international humanitarian responsibility whatsoever. For them, it is a conveniently rules-free world in which they may strike as a predator whenever it suits them and using whatever means they choose, no holds barred.
Oh, and what are we, you ask? The gazelles, of course.
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As if to reinforce that point, from the Associated Press:
Police on Saturday arrested three Moroccans and accused them of running a “terror school” at a small mosque in central Italy, where they allegedly trained for combat, learned about bombs and stashed away chemicals.
Italian anti-terror police said they found barrels of chemicals and instructions on how to pilot a Boeing 747 in the Ponte Felcino mosque on the outskirts of Perugia. A fourth suspect was being sought…
Before one jumps to conclusions, think about it. Clearly this is about terrorists and criminals, for chemical barrels and jumbo jet flying instructions are normally found at any place of worship. Indeed, as we well-know, bomb-making lessons are already routine.
. . . and you’ll never guess which country that is!
Given the subject, this is perfect for a Sunday. The BBC’s Matt Wells is hosting a World Service “documentary” on, of course, “religion” — BBC code for “Christianity” — in American politics. That seems like a huge subject; as we know, large parts of academic careers have been consumed by the study of that issue.
No matter. Mr Wells isn’t fearful of the challenge that awaits him in summarizing for a global audience in a “two-part” BBC report . . .
…In the US, where freedom to practise religion - or to have no religion at all - is enshrined in the constitution, the consequences of being an atheist are electorally dire for anybody seeking public office…
. . . just how most Americans are coercive, “In God We Trust”, “Under God” Pledge of Allegiance, Christian fundamentalist maniacs who demand presidents act like medieval crusaders . . . while the modern, enlightened atheist micro-minority are desperately trying to turn the focus away from “evolution” to real issues like “health care”.
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