Israeli relief workers will get 'crystal' symbol

The News & Observer ^ | January 13 2007 | Alexander G. Higgins/AP

[knighthawk]

GENEVA - The "Red Crystal" debuts Sunday as an emblem that can be used to protect its relief workers, part of an agreement for Israel's admission to the Red Cross movement after more than half a century of exclusion. During decades of stalemate, stemming from the Jewish state's reluctance to display a cross or crescent, some countries had feared that adding a red Star of David to the list of protective emblems would open the door to proliferation of other such symbols and undermine the recognition that any emblem had to protect humanitarian workers.

But it was unlikely that the red crystal, a red square frame standing on one corner, would be widely displayed in the near future.

A spokeswoman for the International Committee of the Red Cross conceded Friday that it will take time before the crystal will be widely enough known that medics on the battlefield will be able to work under it without fear of being targeted.

The red cross on a white background -- the reversal of colors of the Swiss flag -- was adopted as the emblem of the movement when it was founded in 1863 by Swiss humanitarians trying to care for battlefield casualties who otherwise would have been left to suffer.

But the symbol unintentionally reminded Muslims of the Christian crusaders, and they began using a red crescent in the 19th century.

The red crystal was approved over Muslim objections in a hard-fought diplomatic conference in December 2005. The treaty authorizing the new symbol is entering into force six months after Switzerland and Norway became the first two countries to ratify it.

[knighthawk]

The famous islamic tolerance....

[knighthawk]

Ping

[peyton randolph]

How about the red bar of soap to represent BOHICA.

[yankeedame]

The "Red Crystal" debuts Sunday as an emblem that can be used to protect its relief workers...The red crystal was approved over Muslim objections in a hard-fought...

You know, if I was a bettin' woman...

[goldstategop]

Its an insult to the Jewish People - another form of the yellow badge Jews where forced to wear throughout history. If this is the price of admission to their club, where I an Israeli, I would have said thanks but no thanks and walked away. I would never give up the Magen David in this world or in any other. Shanda on the Magen David Adom for joining this cabal of vicious anti-Semites called the International Red Cross!

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus

[zarf]

It's an insult to the Jewish people, however if the Jews continue to whistle in willful ignorance on their way to the ovens, who am I to feel bad for them?

[SJackson]

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