RICARDO ANGOSO, 2006.
Ver álbum de fotos
El cementerio judío de Varsovia, llamado también de Odrowaza por la calle en la que se ubicaba, es uno de los monumentos más importantes del arte judío europeo y una de las pocas muestras que quedan en Polonia de la rica presencia hebrea. Polonia fue, sin duda, el principal centro judío de Europa central y del Este, donde vivieron algo más de tres millones de hebreos organizados en cientos de comunidades con sus cementerios, sinagogas, escuelas talmúdicas, restaurantes, teatros, liceos, colegios y un sinfín de instituciones culturales y sociales. Lamentablemente, al igual que ocurrió en otras partes de Europa, el Holocausto “barrió” para siempre la vida judía de Polonia, donde ya apenas quedan judíos e instituciones hebreas. Se calcula que más de tres millones de judíos polacos, muchas veces con la complacencia y casi siempre el silencio de sus vecinos, fueron enviados a los campos de concentración nazis. Hoy apenas hay algo menos de cinco mil judíos en toda Polonia.
Fue creado este cementerio en la villa de Targowék, en los alrededores de Varsovia, en agosto de 1780, por el comerciante judío Szmul Zbytkower, aunque seguramente los primeros entierros en este lugar se produjeron en los años cincuenta y sesenta de esa misma centuria. El cementerio inicialmente comprendía 18,5 hectáreas y servía como recinto sagrado para las comunidades judías de Praska y Varsovia, donde también había otro cementerio, el de Okopowa, que servía para enterrar a los judíos más pobres de la comunidad de la capital polaca.
Los fundadores de este cementerio, como Szmul Jakubowicz Zbytkower y Abraham Stern, miembro prominente de la Sociedad de Amigos de la Ciencias de Polonia, serían enterrados en el mismo junto a otras figuras destacadas de la vida judía, como el poeta Antoni Stonimski, en el siglo XIX, la época dorada de la vida judía centroeuropea tanto en la capital polaca como en otros lugares, tal como relataría Stefan Zweig en La vida de ayer. Luego llegó el súbito desvanecimiento, como todos conocemos, por las causas también conocidas.
Durante la Segunda Guerra Mundial, nada más producirse la ocupación alemana de Polonia, los nazis destruyeron una buena parte del recinto, usando un número indeterminado de las tumbas en la construcción de carreteras, e imposibilitando el acceso al recinto de la comunidad. Luego el cementerio, tras el dramático final de la comunidad polaca, enviada a los campos de la muerte, quedo en el abandono. No hay tumbas a partir del año 1939, cuando comienzan las primeras medidas antihebreas y se crea el tristemente conocido Ghetto de Varsovia.
Muy cerca del cementerio se encontraba el Ghetto y en sus alrededores se desarrollaron los tristes sucesos del levantamiento de 1943, cuando los judíos, organizados en varias redes clandestinas, como la conocida Zegota, se alzaron en armas contra los nazis, con los resultados de sobra conocidos: los supervivientes y resistentes detenidos fueron ejecutados o enviados a los campos de concentración. Al menos, tuvieron la suerte de morir con dignidad y honor, ya que un año antes, en 1942, la población judía del Ghetto de Varsovia fue concentrada en la estación de Umschlagplatz y enviada a Treblinka, muy cerca de la capital polaca por tren, y otros campos de exterminio. Apenas hubo supervivientes para contar la tragedia tanta veces profetizada.
Pero no sólo se destruyeron las vidas humanas, sino que los nazis, empeñados en la “destrucción total” de la judería europea, también se esforzaron en la eliminación física de todo vestigio o resto de la vida hebrea. En 1944, y una vez que el Ghetto había sido completamente “limpiado”, la maquinaría alemana alisó la zona y no dejó ni un solo edificio en pie. Ya se sabe, de aquello de lo que no queda ni un solo vestigio o fósil es tan sólo pasto de la manipulación, la mentira y la falsificación histórica; en el ideario nazi, pensaban, destruyendo todos los restos materiales se podía cambiar la historia y hacer desaparecer para siempre a aquellos que, en su nefando pensamiento, consideraban como “infrahumanos”.
Ver álbum de fotos
7 Agosto 2007
Parliament sworn in with calls for peace and dialogue
Monday, August 6, 2007
print this page mail to a friend
Pro-Kurdish Democratic Society Party's Türk shakes hand with Devlet Bahçeli, of the Nationalist Movement Party, raising hopes among the populace that fighting in Parliament will end. Officials of both parties congratulate each other
GÖKSEL BOZKURT
ANKARA TDN Parliament Bureau
A picture of two men shaking hands… Could it possibly be that important to revive the hopes of a nation for a better future? For a stable country where problems are overcome through dialogue? Today, Turkey enjoys this picture. The actors in the picture published on the front pages of almost all Turkish newspapers are, Devlet Bahçeli of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) and Ahmet Türk of the Democratic Society Party (DTP).
Almost all political parties accuse the DTP of not unequivocally condemning the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) terrorism. But the MHP's Bahçeli has the sharpest rhetoric on the issue, criticizing the government for not hanging Abdullah Öcalan the imprisoned terrorist leader, and throwing a piece rope to the crowds during his election campaign.
This picture of reconciliation between these two men will always bring to mind the opening ceremony of the 549-seat Parliament if they do not forget their responsibilities toward the Turkish people, which they pledged in their oath. “We are civilized people, we will have relations,” said Türk, speaking to reporters after his gesture to Bahçeli.
The Turkish Parliament was sworn in Saturday during a 10-hour long swearing in ceremony of the newly elected 549 lawmakers amid calls for peace and dialogue between Turkish nationalist and pro-Kurdish politicians.
DTP MPs pay respect to Atatürk:
The swearing in ceremony started with Åžükrü ElekdaÄŸ, the oldest member of the Parliament who presided over the session pending the election of a new speaker, laying a wreath at Atatürk's monument. ElekdaÄŸ and the members of the speaker's office held a minute of silence in respect to Atatürk with the participation of ministers, lawmakers and 20 deputies of the DTP.
ElekdaÄŸ, in his opening remarks, referred to Prime Minister Recep Tayyip ErdoÄŸan's statement on the night of general elections on July 22 saying, “The messages he gave are crucially important and are seen as pre-conditions for the continuation of stability and comfort in our country.” Then ElekdaÄŸ invited lawmakers to take oath after the singing of the national anthem. Some of the DTP deputies did not join the other deputies singing the national anthem.
President and top general absent
The new Parliament consists of four political parties' groups, namely the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), the Republican People's Party (CHP), the MHP and the DTP. Besides, 13 deputies of the Democratic Left Part (DSP), one deputy of the Great Union Party (BBP), another one from the Freedom and Solidarity Party (ÖDP) were also present in Parliament alongside with independent deputies.
President Ahmet Necdet Sezer, Chief of General Staff Gen. YaÅŸar Büyükanıt and top commanders were absent during the opening ceremony of Parliament. The generals were holding the Supreme Military Council (YAÅž) meeting with Prime Minister ErdoÄŸan. The diplomatic community, members of the top judicial institutions were in Parliament too.
A historic moment
All eyes were on the MHP and DTP deputies who were sitting next to each other. Before the elections, Prime Minister ErdoÄŸan warned of a possible fight between those two groups in Parliament. But on the first day, things did not go the way ErdoÄŸan predicted. All the DTP deputies took their oath in Turkish without adding a single word in their mother tongue Kurdish.
Furthermore the DTP deputies Ahmet Türk, Aysel TuÄŸluk, Sırrı Sakık, Osman Özçelik and Hasip Kaplan went to the MHP ranks and shook the hand of Devlet Bahçeli and other MHP officials. Bahçeli stood up as a show of respect to Ahmet Türk while the two wished each other success in Parliament.
Bahçeli, during his election campaign, described the DTP as affiliated to the PKK. Ahmet Türk, speaking to reporters Saturday, said, “We are deputies. We may have different opinions but we will work under the same building. We are civilized persons we'll have relations.” He also told CNN-Türk television, “We want to help in working out a peaceful and democratic process …. in a spirit of conciliation and dialogue: It is with these sentiments that we intend to accomplish our mission in Parliament.”
Sırrı Sakık said almost everybody was expecting such a move in Parliament adding, “We shook hands in a civilized manner. I think that the prime minister had to do the same. He should have shaken the hands of party leaders. If the prime minister would do so, it would be a better beginning for all.”
Kurdish crisis in 1991
The Pro-Kurdish Democratic Society Party (DPT) deputies acting in coordination was an eye-catching development. The deputies were seated in Parliament together. The DTP MuÅŸ deputy Sırrı Sakık said they had the same seats in 1991. “We have a lot of memories here. We were dismissed and now thought that we should enter Parliament from here.”
DTP deputies were elected in 1991 from the now-defunct People's Labor Party (HEP) and spoke in Kurdish during the swearing in ceremony. Leyla Zana and her colleagues also wore the traditional Kurdish colors of red, yellow and green on their headbands, which led to crisis in the General Assembly. Hatip Dicle took the floor in Parliament with a scarf composed of the same colors. The HEP deputies were later dismissed from office and in order to protest the decision and not be detained, they avoided leaving Parliament. During their demonstration, the deputies were sitting in the same seats the current DTP deputies are seated.
The DTP's Istanbul deputy Sebahat Tuncel is an eye-catching figure among other deputies. She was elected deputy while in prison. Being one of the youngest deputies in Parliament, she served at the speaker's council and declined to answer questions by the press.
Bahçeli applauds DTP deputies
The DTP deputies caused no problem during the swearing in ceremony and read the constitutional text of the oath. Everyone in Parliament was on alert in case a crisis erupted and all eyes turned to DTP Batman deputy Ayla Akat Ata when she took the floor to take her oath. But what had been expected did not take place and Ata read the text in Turkish, a development that was applauded by her party colleagues and Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahçeli. In a reciprocal gesture, DTP deputies applauded Bahçeli after he took his oath.
ErdoÄŸan uses key word ‘democracy'
Commenting on the friendly encounter between DTP deputies and MHP leader Bahçeli in Parliament, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip ErdoÄŸan said, “We hope Turkey experiences a more advanced democracy under the roof of Parliament.” He emphasized that all political parties in Parliament should show common sensitivity especially about the separatist terrorist organization.
Baykal: DTP must say PKK is terrorist group
The Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal avoided shaking hands with both Bahçeli and Ahmet Türk. In a brief conversation with reporters after the ceremony, he said: “DTP deputies did not attempt to take their oath in Kurdish and shook hands with the MHP leader. These are nice things. The main criterion for me is that DTP deputies should be able to say, “PKK is a terrorist organization.” During the entire ceremony, Baykal did not meet with the DTP deputies and preferred to remain far from them. Prime Minister ErdoÄŸan applauded Baykal when he took his oath but Bahçeli did not do the same. Baykal similarly applauded ErdoÄŸan who took the oath. But Bahçeli did not.
Yılmaz seated in independents' row
Accompanied by former minister Cavit Kavak and businessman Abdurrahman Albayrak, former Prime Minister Mesut Yılmaz, who was elected independent deputy from the Black Sea province of Rize, entered Parliament just before the opening of the General Assembly and held a brief conversation with reporters.
When asked whether he was excited, Yılmaz replied, “very much.” Yılmaz tried to figure out which seat belongs to him with the help of reporters. Together with the other independent deputies, Yılmaz was seated in the back row. He shook hands with Bahçeli, a partner in his former coalition government.
Fashionable deputies
Most of the deputies preferred to wear black suits for the ceremony, while female deputies competed to be better dressed. Both female and male deputies seemed good-looking. The CHP's Adana deputy Nevin Gaye Erbatur drew attention with her white linen dress that was adorned with the six arrows of the CHP representing the six principles of the Republic. The DTP's deputy Ayla Akat Ata, the AKP's Özlem Türköne and the CHP's Güldal Mumcu were among the fashionable deputies. Türköne, who wore a light colored suit, had to change her dress when warned that she had to work at the speaker's council since she is one of the youngest deputies. The CHP's Istanbul deputy Necla Arat was similarly warned when she wore a short-sleeved dress.
Swearing in, four times
Some of the deputies preferred to read the text of the oath one by one to avoid any mistake, while some got excited. The speaker of Parliament had the deputies who forgot the text repeat their oath. The temporary speaker of Parliament, Åžükrü ElekdaÄŸ, had memorized his oath. Deputies including ErdoÄŸan burst into laughter when the AKP's Bingöl deputy used the term “instinct,” instead of “ideal.” The AKP's visually impaired deputy from Istanbul, Lokman Ayva, took the floor with the help of the staff. Ayva swore in by reading a special text. The AKP's Ankara deputy Burhan Kayatürk misread the text three times. After a warning from ElekdaÄŸ, Kayatürk read it without an error on his fourth attempt. The AKP's Bolu deputy Yüksel CoÅŸkunyürek had to repeat his oath after he missed a few words.
YaÄŸmurdereli puts on a show
Producer Osman YaÄŸmurdereli, elected Istanbul deputy of the AKP, kissed his hand and put it onto his forehead after he completing his oath, a move that prompted applause from the deputies. “I will take notes during my tenure in Parliament and then shoot a film of Parliament,” he said.
Delay in taking oath
The AKP's Istanbul deputy Hayati Yazıcı, whose daughter got married yesterday, was the sole deputy who did not participate in the swearing in ceremony. He participated in the initial ceremony in Parliament and then departed for Istanbul together with Erdoğan. Yazıcı will take the floor to take his oath in the first upcoming session of Parliament.
7 Agosto 2007
Rival Lebanese leaders claim by-elections as 'victory'
Daily Star staff
Tuesday, August 07, 2007
Aoun declares results of voting a 'national win'
BEIRUT: Free Patriotic Movement leader General Michel Aoun declared his victory in the Met by-election as a "national" victory and accused his contender in the Phalange party of pumping "political money" into the elections. "They called me Michel Nasrallahian. How much more national can you get?" The FPM leader asked in a news conference on Monday.
Aoun was responding to the news conference held earlier by his party's contender for the Metn seat, Former President Amin Gemayel, who said the elections had proven that Aoun had lost Christian support.
"Those who win a parliamentary seat, they have won nationally, and that includes the Christians," said Aoun.
Aoun slammed Gemayel for using numbers of "lost votes" to show that the FPM leader lost popularity among Christians.
"Using Gemayel's logic, since I received 70 percent of the Christian vote in Baabda in 2005, it seems I won in Baabda, even though I lost the actual seat," said Aoun. "They are arrogant when they win and when they lose."
Aoun also accused the ruling majority of using "political money" in the by-elections, asking: "If you accuse me of using money from Syria … where does [MP Saad] Hariri get his money from?"
Regarding his chances for the presidency since he lost support among the Christians, Aoun said "the road to Baabda has been closed off for me by militiamen-controlled checkpoints."
At the same time, Aoun extended his hand to all the Christian sides, saying: "Sign the document in Bkriki and let's settle this division once and for all, paving the way to national unity in the country."
"We need to form a government of national unity to stabilize the country," he said.
Aoun said there are two elements to stabilizing Lebanon, namely the Lebanese Army and political alliances.
"They want to weaken the army … and to break apart alliances," said Aoun.
The Lebanese Army has been fighting militants of Fatah al-Islam in the Northern refugee camp of Nahr al-Bared for almost three months.
Aoun admitted that he knew the stakes in running in these elections, but he took on the challenge anyway.
"I knew what was at stake, and I accepted the challenge, and won in the end," he said.
Aoun also slammed some of the media, particularly the Lebanese Broadcasting Corporation for "lying" and taking sides in the Metn election.
The FPM also released a statement in which it denied reports of Aoun's past remarks about the Tashnag. The FPM leader said: "I know the Armenians, we studied together. and they were heroes in the army."
Gemayel says polling revealed where Maronites stand
BEIRUT: Former President Amin Gemayel declared on Monday that there should be no more "debate" on who represents the Christians, calling on the people to judge on the numbers from the Metn by-election, while at the same time congratulating the Free Patriotic Movement's candidate for winning.
"These elections were effectively a test. They have shown that General [Michel] Aoun's support is in broad decline in Christian regions because of the policies he has followed," he said in a news conference Monday.
Regarding the results, Gemayel said although Aoun emerged as the winner in the weekend poll, the party had nonetheless been weakened politically as it only clinched a narrow victory.
"A majority of Maronites voted for us, 75 percent, and only 34 percent for Aoun," he said. "So now let us talk about the true Christian representative."
Gemayel said in just two years, Aoun had lost 20,000 Christian votes and that the Phalange had gained 10,000 votes.
Gemayel, who contested a seat that fell vacant when his son Pierre was assassinated in November, said his strong showing gave him a mandate to continue his anti-Syrian path.
"Let us all open a new page from now," he said, adding that the "battle for sovereignty and independence is not over yet."
"These polls have shown the solution to the Lebanese crisis is found in respect for institutions. This is why I am calling for reconciliation between Christians … so that presidential commitments can be respected."
Gemayel called on various Christian leaders to agree on a candidate for the presidency.
"There should be an understanding on the presidential polls as soon as possible," he said, calling on Christians to unite.
At the same time, Gemayel accused the Armenian Tashnag party of using "unacceptable" election practices, and questioned their alliance with Aoun.
"Aoun called the group a mafia … and undemocratic," he said, citing a statement he claimed Aoun made on May 29, 2002, in An-Nahar newspaper.
Gemayel also said he was preparing a file on the "forgeries" committed by the Tashnag party in Bourj Hammoud, and that it will be investigated soon. "We have close ties with Armenians, but what the Tashnag Party did was unacceptable."
Gemayel also accused Aoun of "provocation" by sending his supporters into the streets on Sunday, prior to the official results. "It could have turned into a deadly conflict," he said.
Hariri insists March 14 camp triumphed in both districts
BEIRUT: Head of the Future Movement MP Saad Hariri saluted the by-elections in both Metn and Beirut as a "victory" for the March 14 camp.
"The fifth of August is a victory for March 14, a victory in Beirut and a victory in Metn," the head of the parliamentary majority said in a televised address to the nation.
In what appeared to be the March 14 stance, Hariri embraced both by-elections as a victory, despite the fact that the Metn seat was lost to the opposition coalition's candidate Free Patriotic Movement member Camille Khoury.
http://www.dailystar.com.lb
Hariri said repeatedly in his speech that the by-elections were a victory for the country, legitimacy and the government of Prime Minister Fouad Siniora against its enemy.
"In Beirut it is an absolute victory, a victory against criminal acts that assassinated the martyr Walid Eido. It is a victory for the sake of the Lebanese martyrs and Beirut deputies martyrs: former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, MP Bassel Fuleihan, MP Gebran Tueni and MP Walid Eido," said Hariri.
Hariri assured that the March 14 forces will remain united and will not succumb to the threats directed by the Syrian regime.
Hariri added that the victory was a "blow" to the assassins and criminals.
"Beirut sent a clear message that its citizens will not surrender to the pro-Syrians," the Future Movement leader said.
Metn, as Beirut, witnessed a 100 percent Lebanese victory for Christians, he said, adding that in Metn the Maronites gave their votes to Amin Gemayel.
As for the offences and accusations launched against the Hariri family and the Future Movement, Hariri said that these are "all lies" and have no other aim except to provoke the Lebanese people against each other.
"We promised all our martyrs to continue our fight for independence and to protect the national unity," said Hariri.
"Last but not least we salute the security and military institutions that assured secure and democratic elections and succeeded widely despite the challenges that they are facing in Nahr al-Bared and on all Lebanese territories," he said.
"We bow in front of the sacrifices of our martyrs who are dying for the sake of Lebanon and its democracy," the head of the Future Movement said.
Jumblatt urges review of naturalization laws
BEIRUT: Head of the Democratic Gathering Parliamentary bloc MP Walid Jumblatt declared the Metn by-election a "big victory" for the March 14 camp, and a national win for the ruling majority.
"The 14 March camp has had a great win, especially by the national orientation revealed in the ballot boxes," said Jumblatt in his weekly statement for Al-Anba, a magazine owned by his Progressive Socialist Party.
Jumblatt said the vote was not a matter of a seat in Parliament but rather about Lebanon's "national orientation."
"The Lebanese people have proven once again that they are committed to the democratic regime and to their plans to pursue and maintain this country's sovereignty," he said.
"They seek independence and will not return to the tutelage of political crimes," he said.
Jumblatt called for the revision of "the naturalization decree" and demanded that the Lebanese nationality not be given to those who do not deserve it, adding: "We need to review who carries the nationality … and only allow those who deserve it to keep it."
Jumblatt also criticized Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah and the leader of the Free Patriotic Movement (FPM) MP Michel Aoun for "continuing" the outlook of the Civil War.
He said the opposition's actions have caused a "political bankruptcy" in the country since the Hizbullah-led alliance has rejected any solution regarding the internal political crisis.
"I wish that the Tashnag party took into consideration the right of the Lebanese people for self-determination to face the Syrian fascist regime and not forgotten the Armenian genocides," said Jumblatt.
In Sunday's Metn by-election, more than 7,000 out of 9,000 Armenians voted for FPM candidate Camile Khoury.
At the same time, Jumblatt saluted the neutral Armenians and those who never took part in the Lebanese Civil War.
"As for those who are using war language, they don't have any prospect for the future therefore they are holding on to the indecents of the past during the Lebanese Civil War," Jumlatt said.
He added that the opposition and any other forces "don't have the right to give anyone political lessons."
"The recognition of the Taif Accord is what helps stabilize the very foundation and existence of Lebanon," Jumblatt said, adding: "And [Lebanon] belongs to Arab nations and that was before the eruption of religious beliefs that divided this country regionally." - Rym Ghazal
Interior minister announces official results
BEIRUT: Interior Minister Hassan Sabaa declared that in the Metn by-election MP Michel Aoun's ally Camille Khoury won by a margin of 418 votes, with 39,534 votes against former President Amin Gemayel's 39,116. The third candidate, Joseph Mansour Asmar, received only 10 votes. At the 348 polling stations in Metn, voter turnout reached 46.5 percent as 79,642 out of 169,340 registered voters cast their ballots yesterday. A total of 978 votes were eliminated from the count.
The higher registration committee received an objection from Mr. Samir Khalaf, representative of Gemayel, disputing the results in several polling stations. Sabaa responded to the objection, saying "to be honest with ourselves and the citizens, we have read the objection received by President Gemayel's representative."
As for the Beirut by-election, Mohammad al-Amin Itani won as predicted, beating six other candidates with 22,988 out of 27,100 votes, while the second-place candidate, Ibrahim Mahmoud al-Halabi received 3,556 votes.
Zuhair Ibrahim Khateeb received 75 votes, Mohammad Rashid Fardouhi received 12 votes, Saleh Faroukh received 3 votes, whereas Maher Abou Khdoud received no votes. Turnout was much lower in Beirut than in Metn, with just 18.9 percent participation and 27,100 out of 141025 registered voters casting ballots in 250 polling stations. - The Daily Star
7 Agosto 2007
