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Live Blog

Richard Bowen | 18:04 UK time, Wednesday, 17 May 2006

Well there's 2 minutes before we go on air and I'll be live blogging the show tonight. Jasmin Avissar is on the show, she's Jewish. Her husband, Osama, is Palestinian. They got married two years ago, but Israel won't give him permission to live in Jerusalem.... Meanwhile, her permit to live in the West Bank will soon run out. We had a quick chat with her before going to our first main item, The Da Vinci Code.

The Da Vinci Code premieres at the Cannes Film festival tonight. The book is a worldwide bestseller with more than 60 million copies in print translated into 44 languages. The film is getting mixed reviews. We spoke to a number of callers from across the spectrum all with, their own idea about the content of the book. Austin Ivory - the spokesperson for the Catholic Archbishop Bishop of Westminster doesn't believe the conspiracy theories but does think certain elements of the Catholic Church are over reacting about the Da Vinci Code. And

Here's what some people had to say to him.

KAYE in New York City

It is nice to live in the west where this is just another "block buster" to be enjoyed by everyone.

ERIK serving with the US Army in Iraq

Frankly, any slick propaganda flick that undermines the essential doctrine or dogma of any religion is blasphemous. The intent of this flick is to simply undermine the Christian faith.

KOJO texed us to say

Jesus Christ himself stood for tolerance. Christianity has nothing to hide. Why can’t you allow everybody to see the movie and judge it by themselves?

SIMON, Florence Italy

What's all the fuss about does it really matter?

ALAN in Germany

Is there any proof that EITHER the Bible or The Da Vinci Code are fact or fiction...? To me both are stories which cannot be proven either way!

KELECHI in Nigeria

This isn't the first of such books & it won't b the last. It's just sensationalism. I pity those who're gullible enough to believe the sacrilegious.
AUSTIN in Nigeria
If Jesus got married there is no big deal, but this bunch of lies should not been given attention

Now on to a topic we spoke about yesterday on the show. Ayaan Hirsi Ali, the Dutch MP who lied about her real name and age on her asylum application. The lies were known about already... but then, the Dutch immigration minister, revoked Ms. Hirsi Ali's citizenship, despite her tireless campaign to speak out for reform within Islam. Here's what people had to say.

HEEAN in Amsterdam said

When Ayaan Hirsi Ali became a Dutch MP, her own party (VVD) knew she had lied to get into the country. She had told all and sundry and everything was fine. Now the Immigration Minister with the same party colours as Ayaan's wants her out. How hypocritical can you be? Remember, this Immigration Minister is now campaigning for her party leadership and ultimately the Prime Minister's Office of the Netherlands.

LUCAS a Dutchman in Belgium

It's a lie to give a different name and age when you are on the run? Are you not a refugee anymore if you come through another country? Hirsi Ali came to the Netherlands, finished university, scarified her time and energy to represent Dutch people in parliament and as such contributed substantially to our democracy and that under the most difficult and even life-threatening circumstances. I feel ashamed how my country treats a brilliant personality as she is.

CHARLEY from Netherlands

She did right to resign Ayaan Hirshi Ali did lie on her citizenship application. Only one year ago a Judge decided if you lie on your application you loose your citizenship. In Holland we are fortunate to have a strong MP on foreign and cultural matters. Mrs Rita Verdonk the MP did a fantastic job to revoke Ayaan's citizenship.

KYRILL from Den Haag, in Holland

Rita Verdonk made a mistake here. Ayaan should stay. I won't vote for her anymore. If public administrators ignore original intentions behind rules, they become machines, mindless operators of law and order and so add their individual but powerful contribution in making the system more inhumane. Ayaan's "lies" are light and do not basically alter her history as a refugee. I am proud of her and her little human faults.

MISTY from Alphen, Netherlands

As an American living in the Netherlands, I'm glad to see her go. She was NOT a voice for Muslim women. She's not even Muslim anymore. She was a hate-monger and all she's accomplished was widening the divide between Muslims and non-Muslims. At a time when this country needs people that bring the population together, all she could do was point fingers and stir up fear and anger.

Now back to Jasmine, waiting patiently in our Ramallah studio. She received a number of messages from listeners.

GRAHAM, Netherlands

This love story shines like a ray of hope for both sides in the Palestine-Israel conflict. If couples like Osama and Jasmin can fall in love and stick together, in spite of the conflict waging, then there is hope for this part of the world. Both sides should hold them up as role models to emulate, not ostracise.

Paul spoke to us as well he's in a similar situation to Jasmine. He's been dating a Muslim girl in secret for the last two years and has faced a number of threats. Too add to the pressure they are under if her family found out about their relationship she'd be sent back to Pakistan.

Here are some more comments

PAUL, from United States

I would think that if Israel was really concerned with having a peaceful relationship with Palestine, they would be celebrating this marriage rather than outlawing it.

JEREMY in the USA

If Israel does this, then we should do it too. That would stop SOME of the illegal (or twisted legal) immigration and the leftists would have to criticise Israel to attack this policy, which of course would be politically incorrect. Kill two birds with one stone. Actually kill three: force some of our crazy women to take an interest in the man next door of their own ethnicity.

DAVID from Andenne, Belgium

I have a lot of admiration for the moderates in the state of Israel & understand its concern over security - BUT this law is totally crazy.

CARLOS from Farnborough, United Kingdom

Racism - pure and simple. This sort of apartheid has no place in the 21st century.

ANTHONY from Bantry, Ireland

No love is not a basic human right it is an emotion. Yes it is a basic human right to live with whomsoever you want. I wonder how many of those who would support this couple would do so if they were the same sex.

GUY from Key West/Tampa Bay, United States

A Palestinian man has married a Jewish woman? Wow! This certainly is the ultimate Romeo and Juliet. It also proves once again that love trumps politics and even tribe-all-ego.

And this text came in from VIVIANE in Spain

The new Israeli law splitting families is what the Nazis did and what Jews condemn and now intend to practice the law against the Arabs.

And we'll leave the final word to one of our regular bloggers.

ABDELILAH BOUKILI from Marrakech, Morocco

Israel by standing between genuine lovers from the Palestinians and Israelis sides is building another wall between them. Outlawing such relations is another form of its attempt of disengagement from Palestinian affairs. But people have the right to the pursuit of happiness. Love will make people peaceful. Standing in their relations makes them violent. So the law is groundlessly motivated. It is based on xenophobia and it can have the adverse effect in the long run.

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