dimecres, de gener 21, 2009

Self-defence is no defence

By Michael Paulin

Under Article 51 of the UN Charter, a state can take military action without the prior authorisation of the Security Council if it is acting in self-defence. Yet, as CNN has reported, it was Israel – and not Hamas fighters – that broke the ceasefire. On the November 4 2008, Israel shelled the villages of Wadi al-Salqa and al-Qarara, killing six Hamas activists.

It is true that Israel has suffered from Hamas rocket attacks. Insofar as these attacks indiscriminately target civilian areas, Hamas would be guilty of war crimes under the Geneva Conventions of 1949. Yet, in the past eight years, Palestinian rockets fired from Gaza have killed around 20 people in southern Israel. Israel's response is neither necessary nor proportionate.

At the time of writing, after 23 days of bombardment, more than 1,300 Palestinians have been killed by Israel, including 410 children and 104 women, while 5,300 are seriously injured, of whom 1,855 are children and 795 women. Israel has shelled three clearly marked UN schools, the existence and GPS coordinates of which Israel had been repeatedly notified. Israel has shelled the headquarters of UNRWA, the UN's relief agency (which is responsible with providing aid to 750,000 Palestinians), and it has shelled and bombed hospitals, ambulances, and medical personnel. In typical Israeli fashion, it has bulldozed homes without warning in an attempt to bury the inhabitants alive. Recent UN human rights reports expose that the Israeli army has deliberately used white phosphorus on civilians, which is prohibited "in all circumstances" under Protocol III of the Convention on Conventional Weapons, and evidence has emerged that Israeli snipers have deliberately targeted civilians.

On January 4, Israeli soldiers evacuated approximately 110 Palestinians into a single-residence house in Zeitoun and warned them to stay indoors. Half of the evacuees were children. Twenty-four hours later, Israeli forces shelled the home repeatedly, killing 30 of the inhabitants, although more bodies are likely to be recovered from the ruins.

After several days of requesting safe passage to the area, on January 7, during a three-hour lull in hostilities, an ICRC medical team was finally allowed in on foot (without ambulances) into the closed military area to evacuate any remaining survivors. According to testimonies gathered by the UN, Palestinian children were left unable to walk or speak, in shock and weeping by the bodies of their dead mothers. When the IDF finally let through the International Committee of the Red Cross, the children were led from the building past dogs eating the corpses of the victims.

Navi Pillay, the UN high commissioner for human rights and a former international criminal court judge from South Africa, has stated that the incident in Zeitoun "appears to have all the elements of war crimes". Israel has not ratified the 1998 Rome Statute, so its leaders cannot be brought before the International Criminal Court in the Hague, unless the UN security council itself refers Israel's actions to the ICC. The US abstained from the recent UN security council resolution calling for a ceasefire, and it would almost certainly wield its powers as a permanent member of the security council to veto any attempt to refer Israeli leaders to the ICC.

In UK law, the Geneva Conventions Act 1957 and the Geneva Conventions (Amendment) Act 1995 attempt to afford the domestic courts universal jurisdiction for "grave breaches" of humanitarian law. This includes wilful killing, torture or inhuman treatment, wilfully causing great suffering or serious injury to body or health, extensive destruction and appropriation of property, which was not justified by military necessity and was carried out unlawfully and wantonly. Attacks on the wounded, the sick, or against medical units and personnel also constitute grave breaches, as does making the civilian population the object of attack practices of apartheid and other inhuman and degrading practices involving outrages upon personal dignity, based on racial discrimination.

On September 10 2005, the chief London magistrate Timothy Workman issued a warrant for the arrest of the retired Israeli Major General Doron Almog, in relation to the wanton destruction of 59 houses in Rafah refugee camp on January 10 2002. After Almog had landed at Heathrow, he was tipped off and he flew back to Israel. Perversely, the attempt to bring Almog to justice for war crimes caused the then foreign secretary, Jack Straw, to apologise to his Israeli counterpart for the attempted arrest. As Arthur Neslen has observed, it would seem that war crimes are fine, so long as someone says sorry afterwards.

Palestinians are living under occupation, and are therefore "protected persons" under the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949. Protected persons may not be punished for crimes that they themselves have not committed, and their collective punishment constitutes a war crime.

Israel's attempt to claim self-defence as a justification for the separation wall, which annexes swathes of Palestinian land, has already been rejected by the International Court of Justice. On July 9 2004, the International Court of Justice provided its advisory opinion that the construction of the wall is contrary to international law and that Israel was obliged to dismantle the wall forthwith. The court rejected Israel's defence that the separation wall is justified under the doctrine of self-defence under Article 51 of the UN Charter.

When the Middle East envoy for the Quartet, former UK prime minister Tony Blair, was interviewed by Gavin Esler on BBC Newsnight on January 9, he opined that a ceasefire had not been possible because: "I think that there are still real issues about what can be done to stop the smuggling of the arms going into Gaza and then the opening of the crossings so that there can be proper humanitarian help." Blair effectively makes the Palestinians' right to humanitarian aid dependent upon whether their democratically elected leadership can be prevented from bringing arms into Gaza.

Yet, as Article 55 of the Fourth Geneva Convention states: "To the fullest extent of the means available to it, the Occupying Power has the duty of ensuring the food and medical supplies of the population; it should, in particular, bring in the necessary foodstuffs, medical stores and other articles if the resources of the occupied territory are inadequate." It would appear that Blair regards international law as either irrelevant or a hindrance.

Despite the Israeli supreme court's recent ruling in favour of the petitioner, the Foreign Press Association, that foreign journalists must be allowed into Gaza, the Israeli state prevented proper access throughout its attack. As the FPA's lawyer, Gilead Sher, observed: "There are several countries in this world, such as North Korea, Zimbabwe and Burma, that ban press coverage in conflict zones." Israel must ask itself whether this is really the company it wants to keep.

dimarts, de gener 20, 2009

Si pugués traduir cançons...

L'altre dia fantasejava com sonarien les meves cançons favorites en castellà traduïdes al català. M'agradaria molt que algú les enregistrés en dita llengua. Imagineu-vos-ho, la clàssica "De música ligera", dels Soda Stereo, desconeguda a la península, podria anomenar-se "De música lleugera" ... Algú podria cantar: "....D'aquell amor, de música lleugera, res ens en lliura, res ens en queda, res ens en queda" Sona bé, fins i tot la mètrica queda exacta. Un altre exemple d'una peça desconeguda a ESP/CAT seria "Estrechez de corazón" dels Prisioneros. Sempre m'ha agradat molt, però malauradament la veu del vocalista és més aviat insoportable, crec que aquesta és la raó per la qual mai va ser famosa fora de Xile. Aleshores es podria enregistrar com "Estretor del cor", que sona tan estrany en català com en castellà, en fi: "Llàstima que sigui així, és el joc de l'amor.. Estàs plorant i no en fas res, per perdonar ningú, només a tu, estretor d'amor: egoisme! estretor de raó: no em mires! Escolta, no vull aguantar, estretor del cor!!!" La lletra és més aviat complicada, ans no queda gens malament en català. I finalment, també seria interessant sentir alguna peça dels Aterciopelados de Colòmbia, tot i que el seu so és com molt autòcton i té moltes influències que fan la seva música molt particular de dit país. Malgrat això, crec que estaria força bé sentir "El estuche" en català, ja que té un missatge molt bo, sense caure en els tòpics. Doncs bé, "L'estoig" pregonaria: "Mira l'essència, no pas les apariències... el cos és només un estoig de la nostra ànima, apresonada..."

I finalment, també estaria molt bé que algú versionés el ex YU pop, no? Per exemple, quin d'èxit no tindria aquella deliciosa cançò eurovisiva de 1990, "Hajde da ludujemo.." Una proposta per cantar-la seria: "Vinga, tornem-nos bojos ara, vinga, enamora't dels meus ulls encara..." No sé, aquesta necessitaria més treball, però de qualsevol manera quedaria mona. I què dir de la megaclàssica discotequera "Pusti, pusti modu"! Home, ja sé que potser seria massa tractar de versionar en castellà un tema disco de l'any de Matusalèn, malgrat això, per què no somniar, a veure, com podria quedar? "On aniríem? doncs només al teatre, que ets ja una queixaire, esclava de la moda" O quelcom així. Aix, no em critiqueu les meves fantasies! hahaha

dilluns, de gener 19, 2009

I'm 32

I'm 32 years old now. Great. Not. The year has started not too interestingly for me. I've gained weight, I'm feeling dizzy and work looks uncertain. I missed a deadline for a paper and had to humiliate myself to have it accepted. The most eventful thing on my birthday was the congratulation lines on my facebook account. My dog isn't interested in me anymore. I'm a bit pathetic. I'm immensely enjoying chatting with a couple of teens on msn. It is all surreal. I also crave for this not particularly attractive technocrat who sits in front of me at this Starbucks I go to. A few weeks ago I went to this nightclub, something rather unusual for me, and met a friend's friend. Not like we were supposed to hook up or anything, but it managed to destabilize me, of course. I could hear that little voice inside, in fact, I could hear a few of my fellow Order Members saying, "...guard your mental states." And I so knew it, one of the reasons why I don't go clubbing, is because I don't know what to do with my tumultous mental states afterwards. "... Always someone marches in, deep in my skin" I think I actually need like, reaching out, talking to someone, dig in the dirt, acknowledge a couple of neurosis. Professional help. But then, I won't. I don't have the time, I don't have the money, and as with all important things in my life, I'll leave it to a side.

The year also starts with me thinking, considering, wishing, to move to another country. Because of my experience of last year, and because of many other things, Montreal is on my mind. And here comes my neurosis again. I had left behind fantasizing about life in other countries, but I'm back at it again. And I feel a mixture of determination and helplessness about it. I feel terribly insecure about it, and then again I crave about it. I get all excited, and fantasize about how great life would be there, but then I remember how uncertain the road there will be, and especially I think of my volitional short-comings, how bad they are when it comes to doing what I should do and not otherwise. And then I get so anxious and start to get all insecure, and fearful, and I get all stressed out on how to get there, and how much I'm hating what I'm currently doing, and how unmotivated I am, but still I have to do it because there's so much at stake. And there's so few people I can really talk about it. I'm the one rock a few rely on. Yet, there isn't quite a lot of people I see as clear enough, or even strong enough to really be there for me.

Now that I teach at this psychology school, I should allow someone to check my head. I'm really good at giving people all sorts of reality checks. I can identify what they can't see about their reality. The awful, brutal truth. I can make them uncomfortable, but still clarify their experience. I can clarify mine just as well, but lack the will to do the proper course of action. Most of the time I think I wish I could move in to Britney Spears video. Live in those deliciously pop fantasies. I wonder where I'd be without my, erm, dare I say it, Dharma practice...

dimecres, de gener 07, 2009

The Sevenfold Puja in Serbian

Translated by S. Savkic. However, whatever errors there are, are all mine.

Puja od sedam etapa/Sedmostruka puja

1. Obožavanje

Sa mandarava, glavim lotosima i jasminima,

Sa svim lepim mirisnim cvećem

I sa ogrblicama vešto sačnjemim

Odajem počast mudrim prinčevima

Tako/otoliko vredni/dostojni naše hvale.

Uvijam ih u oblake od mirisa

Slatke i suptilne,

Prinosim im jednostavna i ukusna jela

Sa izvrsnim pićima

Prinomsim im lampe prekriveme draguljima,

I ukrašene lepim zlatnim lotosima,

Na pločniku poprskanom parfemom,

Postovljam pregršt predivnog creća,

2. Pozdrav

Koliko god da postoji atoma

U hiljadama miliona svetova,

Toliko puta smerno pozdravljam

Sve Bude svih vremene,

Saddharmu

I izvanrednu zajednicu

Iskazujem odanost svim hramovima

I mestime u kojima je bio Bodisatvas.

Duboko se poklanjam pred učiteljima

I onima koljima doliči pozdrav s poštovanjem

3. Odlazak u sklonište

Upravo danas,

Odlazim u sklonište

Močinim zaštitnicima,

Čija svrka je da čuvaju univerzum,

Silni osvajači koji podeđu svu patnju.

Sa svim srcem takođe odlazim u sklonište

U Dharmi koje su pronašli,

Koje je sigurno boravište protiv ciklusa ponovog rođenja;

Istovremeno u pribežište Bodisatvasa.

Namo Tassa Bhagavato Arahato Sammasambuddhassa

Namo Tassa Bhagavato Arahato Sammasambuddhassa

Namo Tassa Bhagavato Arahato Sammasambuddhassa

Buddham Saranam Gacchami

Dhammam Saranam Gacchami

Sangham Saranam Gacchami

Dutiyampi Buddham Saranam Gacchami

Dutiyampi Dhammam Saranam Gacchami

Dutiyampi Sangham Saranam Gacchami

Tatiyampi Buddham Saranam Gacchami

Tatiyampi Dhammam Saranam Gacchami

Tatiyampi Sangham Saranam Gacchami

Prevod

Odanost Njemu, Blagoslovenom, Dostojnom,

Savršeno, Prosvećenim!

Odlazim Budi u sklonište.

Odlazim Darmi u sklonište.

Odlazim Sangi u sklonište.

Po drugi put odlazim Budi u sklonište.

Po drugi put odlazim Darmi u sklonište.

Po drugi put odlazim Sangi u sklonište.

Po treći put odlazim Budi u sklonište.

Po treći put odlazim Darmi u sklonište.

Po treći put odlazim Sangi u sklonište.

Pet uputstava:

Panatipata Veramani Sikkhapadam Samadiyami

Adinnadana Veramani Sikkhapadam Samadiyami

Kamesu Micchacara Veramani Sikkhapadam Samadiyami

Musavada Veramani Sikkhapadam Samadiyami

Surameraya Majja Pamadatthana Veramani Sikkhapadam Samadiyami

Sadhu, sadhu, sadhu

Prevod

Uzdržavam se od oduzimanja života.

Uzdržavam se od uzimanja onog što nije dato.

Uzdržavam se od lošeg seksualnog ponašanja.

Uzdržavam se lažnog govora.

Uzdržavam se uzimanja loših supstanci.

Pozitivna uputstava:

Dobronamernim delima, pročišćujem svoje telo.

Bezgraničnom velikodušnošću, pročišćujem svoje telo.

Smireno, jednostavno i zadovoljno, pročišćujem svoje telo.

Iskrenim govorom, pročišćujem svoj jezik.

Sa jasnom i blistavom svešću, pročišćujem svoj um.

Deset uputstava:

Panatipata Veramani Sikkhapadam Samadiyami

Adinnadana Veramani Sikkhapadam Samadiyami

Kamesu Micchacara Veramani Sikkhapadam Samadiyami

Musavada Veramani Sikkhapadam Samadiyami

Pharusavaca Veramani Sikkhapadam Samadiyami

Samphappalapavaca Veramani Sikkhapadam Samadiyami

Pisunavaca Veramani Sikkhapadam Samadiyami

Abhijjha Veramani Sikkhapadam Samadiyami

Byapada Veramani Sikkhapadam Samadiyami

Micchadassana Veramani Sikkhapadam Samadiyami

Sadhu, sadhu, sadhu

Prevod

Uzdržavam se od oduzimanja života.

Uzdržavam se od uzimanja onog što nije dato.

Uzdržavam se od lošeg seksualnog ponašanja.

Uzdržavam se od neistinitog govora.

Uzdržavam se od grubog govora.

Uzdržavam se od beskoristnog govora.

Uzdržavam se od klevetničkog govora.

Uzdržavam se od pohotljivosti.

Uzdržavam se od mržnje.

Uzdržavam se od lažnih gledišta.

Deset pozitivnih uputstava:

Dobronamernim delima pročišćujem svoje telo.

Bezgraničnom velikodušnošću, pročišćujem svoje telo.

Smireno, jednostavno i zadovoljno, pročišćujem svoje telo.

Iskrenim govorom, pročišćujem svoj jezik.

S blagim i milostnim rečima, pročišćujem svoj jezik.

S korisnim i harmoničnim izražavanjem, pročišćujem svoj jezik.

Napuštanjem pohotljivost zbog mira, pročišćujem svoj um.

Menjajući mržnju u saosećanje, pročišćujem svoj um.

Menjajući neukost u modrost, pročišćujem svoj um.

4. Ispovest zla

Zlo koje sam nagomilao,

Putem svoje neukost i budalastosti,

Zlo u svetu svakodnevnog iskustva

Kao i zlo u razumevanju i bistrini uma,

Sve to priznajem Zaštitnicima.

Stojeći pred njima

S rukama podignutim u znak poštovanja,

I užasnut patnjom,

Pozdravljam iznova.

Neka vođe ovo ljubazno prime.

Baš tako kako jeste, sa mnogo grešaka!

Ono što nije dobro, o Zaštitnici,

Neću ponovo uraditi.

5. Radovanje vrlini

Radujem se sa zadovljstvom

Zbog dobrih dela učinjenih od strane svih bića,

Putem kojih postižu mir

Sa prestankom patnje.

Neka oni koji su patili budu srećni!

Radujem se oslobađanju bića

Od patnji stečenih u toku cikličnog postojanja,

Radujem se prirodi Bodisatve i Bude,

Koji su Zaštitnici.

Radujem se pojavi volje za postizanjem prosvetljenja

I učenja

Ti okeani koji donose radost svim bićima,

I koji su boravište blagostanja svih bića.

6. Ursdna molba

Pozdravljajući ih smerno

Molini Bude sa svih krajena:

Da ucine da zasija svetika Dharme

Za one koji zalutali u patnji obmane.

S rukama sklopljenim u znak naklonosti

Preklinjem osvajače koji žele uđu u Nirvanu:

Neka ostanu ovde beskonačno dugo

Da život u ovom svetu ne postane mračan.

Sutra Srca

Bodisatva samilosti

Kada je duboko meditirao,

Video je praznime svih pet skandasa

I raskimo je spone koje su mu prouzrokovale patnju.

Dakle,

Forma nije ništa drugo nego praznina

Praznina ne drugačija od forme,

Forma je samo praznina,

Praznina je samo forma,

Osedanje, misao i izbor,

Sama svesnost,

Su išto što i ovo.

Sve stvari su po prirodi prazne (bez sadržaja)

Ne rađaju se miti uništavaju,

Niti su ukaljkane ni čiste,

Niti se uvećavaju ni smanuju.

Dakle, u praznini ne postoj forma

Ni osećanje ni misao, ni volja,

Niti svest.

Nema čula vida, sluha, mirisa, ukusa,

Tela, uma.

Nema boje, zvuka, miriša, dodira,

Ničega na šta se um može osloniti,

Čak mi osećati.

Ne postoji neznanje, ni prestanak neznanja

I ništa što potiče iz neznanja

Ne postoji oronulost, ni smrt, niti njihov prestonak

Ne postoji patnja, ni uzrok patnji,

Niti prestanak patnje, ni plemeniti put

Koji potiče od patnje;

Čak ni mudrost koju treba postići!

Postizanje je takođe praznina.

Stoga znaj da Bodisatva

Ne oslanjajući se ni na šta,

Već samo boraveći u mudrosti Prajne,

Slobodan je od varljivih prepreka,

I od straha njima prouzrokovanim,

Postižući najčistiju Nirvanu.

Sve Bude iz prošlosti i iz sadašnjosti,

Bude iz budućeg vremena,

koristeći ovu mudrost Prajnja,

dostižu potpunu i savršenu Viziju.

Slušaj tako velikog daranija,

Svetlucavu i savršenu mantru,

Prajnjaparamita,

Čije reči olakšavaju svu patnju.

Slušaj i veruj u njegovu istinu!

Gate Gate Paragate Parasamgate Bodhi Svaha

Gate Gate Paragate Parasamgate Bodhi Svaha

Gate Gate Paragate Parasamgate Bodhi Svaha

7. Prenos zasluge i samoodricanje

Neka postignuta zasluga

Mojim delovanjem

Bude olakšanje od patnje svim bićima.

Moja ličnost u svim mojim postojanjima,

Moj imetak,

I moja zasluga na sva tri puta,

Odričem se ne brinući za sebe

U korist svih bića.

Upravo kao što zemlja i ostali elementi

Služe na mnogo načina

Beskonačnom broju bića,

Koja naseljavaju bezgraničan prostor,

Tako da postanem

Ono što održava sva bića

Naseljena u beskrajnom prostoru,

Dok svi oni ne postignu

Mir.

Mantras

Om ah hum vajra guru padma siddhi hum!

(Padmasambhava)

Om mani padme hum (Avalokitesvara)

Om a ra pa ca na dhih (Manjusri)

Om vajrapani hum (Vajrapani)

Om tare tuttare ture svaha (Tara)

Om amideva hrih (Amitabha)

Om muni muni maha muni sakyamuni svaha (Sakyamuni Buddha)

Om ah hum vajra guru padma siddhi hum (Padmasambhava)

Gate gate paragate parasamgate bodhi svaha (Prajnaparamita/blue sky)

Om santi santi santi

dimarts, de gener 06, 2009

Atheist bus campaign spreads the word of no God nationwide

Atheist bus campaign spreads the word of no God nationwide

Donations totalling more than £140,000 to fund adverts on 600 buses across UK as well as in London tube stations

Anyone who has spent a chilly half-hour waiting for a double-decker may already have doubted the existence of a deity. But for those who need further proof, a nationwide advertising campaign aimed at persuading more people to "come out" as atheists was launched today with the backing of some of Britain's most famous non-believers.

The principal slogan – "There's probably no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life" – can already be seen on four London bus routes, and now 200 bendy buses in London and 600 across the country are to carry the advert after a fundraising drive raised more than £140,000, exceeding the original target of £5,500.

The money will also pay for 1,000 advertisements on London Underground from next Monday and on a pair of giant LCD screens opposite Bond Street tube station, in Oxford Street. Organisers unveiled a set of quotes from public figures – including Albert Einstein, Douglas Adams and Katharine Hepburn – who have endorsed atheism, or at least expressed scepticism about a Creator. The words "That it will never come again is what makes life so sweet" are quoted from the poet Emily Dickinson.

At the launch in a heated marquee next to the Albert Memorial, the television comedy writer Ariane Sherine, creator of the campaign, said: "You wait ages for an atheist bus and then 800 come along at once. I hope they'll brighten people's days and make them smile on their way to work."

She suggested the campaign in a Guardian Comment is free blogpost last June, saying it would be a reassuring alternative to religious slogans threatening non-Christians with hell and damnation. At today's launch she said the sheer number of donations, which were still coming in, demonstrated the strength of feeling. "This is a great day for freedom of speech in Britain. I am very glad that we live in a country where people have the freedom to believe in whatever they want."

Joining Sherine were Richard Dawkins, author of The God Delusion, Hanne Stinson, from the British Humanist Association (BHA), the philosopher AC Grayling and Graham Linehan, who wrote Father Ted, Black Books and The IT Crowd. There were messages of support from the actor Stephen Fry and the writer Charlie Brooker.

According to the BHA, "huge numbers" of people in Britain have non-religious beliefs – between 30 and 40% of the population, with a higher figure, between 60 and 65%, in young people.

Hanne Stinson said: "We all, whether we have religious or non-religious beliefs, have a right to be heard, and no one particular set of beliefs has any more right to influence the public debate than any other. The message isn't aimed at people with religious beliefs – it's aimed at atheists and agnostics."

Most commentators recognised the slogan as a simple statement of non-religious belief and appreciated that it was designed to reassure people there was no reason to worry about being non-religious, she said. "People can lead a happy, enjoyable and rewarding life without religion."

Prior to the launch, Sherine was concerned that the posters would be banned from buses operated by Stagecoach, the second largest public transport company in the UK. Its co-founder Brian Souter is a member of the Church of Nazarene, an international evangelical Christian denomination.

A Stagecoach spokesman said all adverts on its buses were vetted before being published. "This particular advert is being carried on a number of bus operators' vehicles across the UK. We took advice from the Advertising Standards Authority in advance of publication and we have been advised the advert complies with the relevant guidelines and legislation."

The theology thinktank Theos welcomed the campaign, saying it was a "great way" to get people thinking about God. "The posters will encourage people to consider the most important question we will ever face in our lives. The slogan itself is a great discussion starter. Telling someone 'there's probably no God' is a bit like telling them they've probably remembered to lock their door. It creates the doubt that they might not have."

A statement from the Methodist Church thanked Dawkins for encouraging a "continued interest in God".

The success of the British initiative has inspired atheists around the world. The American Humanist Association launched a bus advertising campaign last November with the slogan, "Why believe in a god? Just be good for goodness' sake", appearing on the sides, rear and insides of Washington DC's 230 buses.

The subsequent news coverage generated mostly negative phone calls and emails, with the largest number going directly to the organisers. Hundreds of complaints were sent to Metro, the government body responsible for the city's buses and subways. The poster provoked two counter-campaigns by devout Christians.

From Monday, buses in Barcelona bearing a Spanish translation of the British slogan will hit the streets, to the consternation of the city's Catholic hierarchy, while Italy's Union of Atheist, Agnostics and Rationalists plans to roll out atheist buses.

Atheists in Australia have fared badly with their campaign. Attempts to place slogans such as "Atheism – sleep in on Sunday mornings" on buses were rejected by Australia's biggest outdoor advertising company, APN Outdoor.