The third half

Today we played a soccer competition with muslims, latino's, women, and gays, to give a positive signal on the international day against racism. Even though we lost (surprisingly! - and, do I need to explain of which team I was part) it was a beaufitul event. I hope it set an example for many other events to come. We said that we would train for the next competition, so that next time we can also prove gay people are not necessarily bad soccer players.

Of course this event draw a lot of media attention, most of them being positively interested. Only a Russian journalist tried to convince me that there were also quite some homophobic situations in the Netherlands lately, and that the situation for us is going backwards. Also he wanted me to say that playing 'against' each other is apparently another signal of radicalisation. Instead I told him that such positive signals should also be picked up in Rusland, and that the Major of Moscow could learn a lot from such examples. Somehow I believe that this interview will not be broadcasted... For the rest I haven't seen how the media covered the event yet, but today for all participants it was a beautiful day!

The third half ended very nice with music and drinks. According to another journalist the fourth half of the game should be a joined shower, and of course I had to agree that this could also improve integration.
On my way home I realised that my football qualities are still quite limited, and that quite some training is need for next year.

Human dignity

In the past days I have wondered what the true meaning is of words such as 'Human dignity' and 'Fundamental Human Rigths' is.

First our Dutch Minister for Integration and Immigration said in a letter to the Dutch Parliament in which she announce to lift the existing moratorium on the deportation of gay and lesbian asylum seekers to Iran:

"It appears that there are no cases of an execution on the basis of the sole fact that someone is homosexual … For homosexual men and women it is not totally impossible to function in society, although they should be wary of coming out of the closet too openly.”

A similar decission was made for Christian people coming from Iran. Mrs. Verdonk not only based her decission on wrong information and incorrect quotations of respected Human Rights organisations (such as Human Rights Watch), moreover she ignores information that has constantly been made available to her. She is well known for appearing is a 'tough lady', recently she sent back a young girl from Kosovo who wanted to finish her study in the Netherlands and then return to Pristina. According to laws and procedures she did right, according to the opinion in the Dutch society she made a big mistake, with not showing any dignity.

I do understand that the Netherlands is holding a constringent assylum policy, but I can not combine this with the international respected values of 'Fundamental Human Rights' in cases like this. Because it means that we can send homosexuals back if they don't have to fear immediate treat for their life, but only have to be careful 'with coming-out'? Mrs. Verdonk should know what this means for the human dignity of these people. And then I don't even mention the risk for life that people do face! Mrs. Verdonk says that her decission is based on meetings between the European Commission and the Iranian government. Apparently she grants this government more credibility than many respected human rights organisations, and also many Iranian assylum seekers whom are doing everything to make people aware of what is really going on in Iran.

Probably I am even more ashamed of our Minister of foreign affairs, Mr. Bot. It is well known that he has a respected carreer as diplomat. Unfortunately his diplomatic skills still reflect on his functioning as Minister: Mr. Bot does not react at all on human rights violations like this. He is sacrificing values of which the Dutch society is proud, for the sake of.... we can only guess. During the past municipality elections in the Netherlands it was said that the Dutch electorate lost its 'authority and respect'. I also think it lost its own dignity.

It is good that Members of our Parliament have raised questions and that the issue will be discussed later this week. It is already clear to me that both our Ministers will have to confess mistakes they made.

Another side of the story. A quote from BBC News, not even one hour after the news of the death of Mr. Milosevic was announced:

"European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana said he hoped the death would help Serbia finally to come to terms with its past and allow it to look to the future."

Not much human dignity neither. But this time I am confused myself. I don't have any respect for Mr. Milosevic and will certainly not let a single tear for his death. But should the concept of dignity be so tangible? I am afraid that it is harder to grant respect in the cases that we want to talk about human dignity if we are not consequently practising it. Maybe Mr. Solana could have waited another day with saying this?

Dancing snow flogs

I sit at home sipping my second coffee today and wonder myself whether putting my watch around my wrest has become a ritual which is frightening me. I decide that I don't know. Outside some lost snow flogs are dancing in the wind. I watch to the threes and to my happiness I see that they are showing the first signs of spring. Ten more days till it is officially spring, once again mother nature doesn't follow our calendar but does what it feels like.

Then I decide not to go to the gym, again. It doesn't matter, tomorrow I will loose my calories in the gym, today I shall focus on organising my life and work. I promiss myself that I have a good reason for it: first I have to finish my work. I realise that I don't know what work I am going to finish.

Listening to some music that makes me calm. I walk to my bedroom to organise my messy hair which is still in a waking-up condition. Unfortunately I pass my kitchen on the way to the bedroom, and all the dishes make me turn around immediately. In five minutes I'll return to the kitchen and finish the dishes. One hour passes and on the internet I discover that the old president of Serbia probably died. I need to know more about it. Via google I discover that some Dutch travel agency now organises travel packages to different destinations in Montenegro.

Then I start feeling quilty and wonder how I can give this day more sense. So I send three work related e-mails, for which I have to treat myself with another coffee. I try to ignore the mess in the kitchen.

I look at my watch and discover that half of this day has already passed. Now it is enough, I will clean the dishes, organise my hair, finish my work, go to the supermarket and after that I can read. Or shouldn't I confess to this ritual?

Must be heaven

Yesterday I visited this beautiful mosque in Ankara! Houses of prayer belong to the most beautiful architecture in the world, and I don't know whether I should be happy or said about that. It would be easy to say it is said... but the reality is that they exist and that people like to visit them.

That's why I draw a symbolic line for myself: if I have to pay to enter a church or mosque, or any other religious house, then I will not enter it. This was for me a reason for not visiting Vatican city.

Well, I am not going to write an epistel on religion, but will only say that we should look to the beautiful things of religions too! My campaign would be: open all religious houses that respect itself for dialogues on (all) diverse aspects of society!

Luggage fear

It is true: Europe was covered under snow this week! When I saw this thru my the airplane window I was almost sure that my luggage was not going to arrive: it took these poor man 10 minutes to figure out whether the suitcases should go with the airplane, or should stay behind at the airport. And this is how every travel becomes a bit exciting!