Our Pride celebrations across the globe have seen us shed tears of joy as well as sadness. We march because we can, we need, to, we have to. Let our thoughts be with those in Jerusalem that faced great adversity today.
Less than 30 minutes after Jerusalem’s annual Gay Pride Parade commenced on Thursday evening, an orthodox man stabbed six participants, seriously wounding two.
The procession of thousands – which started at Independence Park in downtown Jerusalem shortly after 6:30 p.m. – was heading down Keren HaYesod Street when the suspect lunged into the crowd, wildly stabbing the victims before being tackled by police.
“I saw an ultra-Orthodox youth stabbing everyone in his way,” said Shai Aviyor, a witness interviewed on Channel 2 television. “We heard people screaming, everyone ran for cover, and there were bloodied people on the ground.”
The parade was immediately canceled following the attack.
Oded Fried, the head of a leading gay rights group, said the march would go on despite the attack. "Our struggle for equality only intensifies in the face of such events," he said. – jpost.com
We know many of our adversaries, by name, by group, and can usually prepare for such hatred, but to have someone hurt us again, in the same fashion he did before, is a type of insanity we all should be shaking our heads at.
Police arrested Yishai Shlissel in connection with the attack, Samri said.
Israeli police say Shlissel, an Orthodox Jew, was released from prison three weeks ago after serving a 10-year prison sentence for stabbing and wounding three marchers at a Jerusalem gay pride parade in 2005. – cnn.com
For more pictures of the incident, go over to dailymail.co.uk
Shlissel was not alone in his hatred. Several vans had been egged before and were used as barricades while dealing with the aftermath of the stabbing. Did Shlissel act alone? Was he a pawn, a catalyst for a larger group to protest the Jerusalem Pride parade?
Anti-gay activists from the far-right Jewish group Lehava were protesting at the parade.
Lehava released a statement ahead of the pride parade, stating that it would not allow the event "to pass quietly."
The group announced that its members would show up at the parade holding rainbow colored banners reading: "Mum, where is Dad?" and "Dad, where is Mum?"
Lehava representative Meir David Koperschmidt told The Jerusalem Post prior to the parade that the group was protesting the parade because homosexuality "is a big prohibition in the Torah." – jpost.com
Politicians from across the spectrum condemned the attack. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed that the attacker would be brought to justice.
In a statement Thursday to CNN, Netanyahu said
the government would "pursue justice for those responsible" for the latest attack.
"In the state of Israel, the freedom of choice of an individual is one of the most basic values," Netanyahu said. "We must ensure that in Israel every man and woman lives confidently in any way they (choose).
"This is how we operate and this is how we will continue to operate. I wish a speedy recovery to the injured." – cnn.com
Once again, our thoughts are with you. As for what should be done to Shlissel, please do the correct thing Prime Minister.
*to the guy who attacked
*to the guy who attacked those innocent people.
“The devil is waiting for you in hell.”
Many people use the name of
Many people use the name of God to Hate.
I met many good Japanese people when i was in Japan. They are like Iran when their leader said “there are no gays in japan.
In responsebto James, most people in japan dont practice buddhism. They just go to their ancestors graves once a year and offer food to the spirits of the dead and on new years go to the temple, clap a few times and make
A wish. I lived in Japan for five years. There is so much evil and darkness there but also many good people suffering. God is not about religion. The country is controlled by the Yakusa and old nationalist men from WWIi. I dont hate japan but is not all hello kiddy and animation. When you live there is different. My prayers to the people that were attacked in the parade. The devil is waiting for you in hell.
Atheists are just as evil as
Atheists are just as evil as crazy
Religious fanatics. China is atheist
And persecutes gays. Japan is atheist
And evil– only about 3 percent
Practice religion there. Life for gays there is hell. Is not all or nothing. There are evil people everywhere,
Not all atheists are good.
By that same token, not all
By that same token, not all atheists/Chinese/Japanese are evil. Perhaps word your broad reaching statements better. It is nicer to not over generalise things, especially when using the word evil.
Good People will always be
Good People will always be good.
Evil People will always be evil.
But for Good People to do Evil they need religion.
Your statement about religion
Your statement about religion in Japan is an absolute lie. Japan’s religious beliefs are as follows.
Folk Shinto, or “not religious” (51.8%)
Buddhism (34.9%)
Shinto organisations and others (4%)
Christianity (2.3%)
No answer (7%
Too bad the moyel didn’t slip
Too bad the moyel didn't slip when Shlissel was young and hit the jugular. I think that Jewish law that allows for capital punishment for crimes against humanity, and this should be classified as such, should be imposed here. Shlissel is clearly a POS who should not be allowed among civilized 21st century mankind and as such should not continue to live!~
I thank God for my many Jewish friends who tend to be so accepting and forward thinking when it comes to social and LGBT issues. Mazel tov to those friends. I am so sorry for those 6 families that lost or had their loved ones injured.
I hope that the judge takes
I hope that the judge takes into affect that this was the second time that he did this. Screw three strikes and you are out. This man deserves life in prison this time
When things like this are
When things like this are happening in a birthplace of "major" religions, people can exactly see how evil those religions are
Absolutely right! Only
Absolutely right! Only religious countries and societies have persecuted the LGBT community. Look at the open and loving acceptance we received in such secular societies as Castro's Cuba, Stalin's USSR, Mao's China, or Xhosa's Albania. We were never hunted, beaten, tortured, nor executed there. Those atheistic regimes went out of their way to make sure we were affirmed and loved.
Or we could just stop judging
Or we could just stop judging religion based on the radical parts of them… It makes you seem as ignorant as the religious radicals.
And maybe do your research on some of the places/governments you listed as being accepting.
I’m thinking maybe you missed
I'm thinking maybe you missed Observer's sarcasm in that list.
So true. If we as LGBT do not
So true. If we as LGBT do not want to be judged by the highly visible stereotypical minority we must act the same.
I cannot believe this creepy
I cannot believe this creepy guy did that. My prayers to all those who were hurt in the attack.