-Caveat Lector- <A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/"> </A> -Cui Bono?- from: http://www.aci.net/kalliste/ Click Here: <A HREF="http://www.aci.net/kalliste/">The Home Page of J. Orlin Grabbe</A> ----- Kill the Heretics 400th Anniversary of Martyrdom of Giordano Bruno Here come the holy folks. Flee for your life. Today, 17th February 2000, is the 400th anniversary of the martyrdom of Giordano Bruno who was burnt alive at the stake in Campo de' Fiori square in Rome. Bruno was one of the most famous victims of the Inquisition, which was responsible for the death of thousands of heretics. He was killed by an order of the Holy Office, in the Holy Year of Jubilee under the reign of Clement VIII, pontiff of the Holy Roman church. Late in the 19th century, a statue to the cause of freethought was erected on the site of his martyrdom, where his death is commemorated every year with a public demonstration, which was forbidden only during the period of fascism. Bruno, Italian renaissance philosopher, scientist and poet, was born in 1548 at Nola, near Naples. Originally named Filippo, he took the name Giordano when he joined the Dominicans, who trained him in Aristotelian philosophy and Thomistic theology. An independent thinker, he fled the order in 1576 to avoid a trial on doctrinal charges, and began the wandering that characterised his life. Bruno visited Geneva, Toulouse, Paris, and London, where he spent two years, from 1583 to 1585, under the protection of the French ambassador and in the circle of the English poet Sir Philip Sidney, during which he composed "Ash Wednesday Supper" (1584) and "On the Infinite Universe and Worlds" (1584), as well as the dialogue "On the Cause, Principle, and Unity" (1584). A major part of his work, however, seems to be lost. Some believe that it is kept hidden in the Vatican archives. In 1585 Bruno returned to Paris, then went on to Marburg, Wittenberg, Prague, Helmstedt, and Frankfurt, where he arranged the printing of his many works. It was on the invitation of a Venetian nobleman, Giovanni Moncenigo, that Bruno returned to Italy. The same Moncenigo denounced Bruno to the Inquisition in 1592, which tried him for heresy. Turned over to the Roman authorities, he was imprisoned for some eight years while questioning proceeded on charges of heresy. Refusing to recant, Bruno was burned at the stake in Campo de' Fiori, undressed with a nail piercing his tongue, on February 17, 1600. Bruno is considered a forerunner of modern philosophy because of his influence on the Dutch philosopher Baruch Spinoza and his anticipation of the theories of 17th-century monism. The Associazione Nazionale del Libero Pensiero 'Giordano Bruno' is organising this year, together with like-minded organisations united in the Secular and Libertarian Committee, a three day programme with speeches, music and theatrical presentations from today till 19th of February culminating in a great demonstration at the Campo de' Fiori square. Rationalist International Bulletin #31, February 17, 2000 Middle East Iranian Moderates Smell Victory In Today's Election Where is Zarathustra when you need him? IRANIAN reformers believed last night that they were poised for victory in today's election which they hailed as the most significant vote since the overthrow of the Shah 21 years ago. Expectations are that the reformers, led by the Islamic Iran Participation Front, will overcome the Islamic conservatives who previously held a majority in parliament. But the Front's prospects are clouded by internal divisions, raising fears that even if they do win liberalisation might still only inch forward as before. On the eve of the vote the reformist President Mohammad Khatami urged Iranians to strengthen his position by voting in large numbers. Mr Khatami won a landslide victory in presidential elections in May 1997. Voters were drawn by his promise of reforms. In a radio and television speech on the last day of the present campaign, he said the people can once again show their will with these elections. Mr Khatami's top liberal candidates predicted that they would win a majority of the 290 seats in the majlis (parliament), which is now dominated by conservatives who are backed by the hard-line clergy. The majlis elections are the sixth since the revolutionary Islamic Republic was founded in 1979. The electorate of 38 million will chose 290 members from nearly 5,200 candidates, including more than 500 women, for a four-year term. There are no opinion polls in Iran. But reformists are banking on ordinary Iranians' frustration with the strict Islamic rules imposed by the clergy. The main cloud on the Front's horizon is the ambition of Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, a former president, who is seeking election to the majlis and hopes to become its Speaker. The Front fears that Mr Rafsanjani's centrist grouping, Kargozaran, or Servants of Construction, will split the reformist vote by its argument that it is best to proceed cautiously with change for fear of provoking a conservative backlash. It is thought that Mr Rafsanjani was persuaded to stand by the supreme leader Ayatollah Khamenei, who succeeded Ayatollah Khomeini in 1989, and is the canniest of the conservatives. Reformist apprehension about Mr Rafsanjani's role is understandable. It was lack of progress during his second term as president which led to Mr Khatami's sweeping victory in 1997. Mr Khatami is part of the clerical establishment and prefers to pursue a non-confrontational policy. But under his presidency the atmosphere has eased. A conservative interior minister was forced to resign after it was disclosed that intelligence agents had assassinated six leading secular intellectuals in 1998. And last year Mr Khatami defied an attempt to remove his reform-minded minister of culture and Islamic guidance, Ataollah Mohajerani. In other areas, Mr Khatami has been checked by the conservatives, notably in the sacking in 1998 of his interior minister, Abdollah Nouri. The president's greatest strength has been his popularity with the electorate. He gained nearly 70 per cent of the vote against the conservatives' preferred candidate in 1997 and his supporters won a clear majority in municipal elections last year. Today, the reformers hope to consolidate those achievements by overturning the conservatives' majority. They will thus be able to argue that they represent the will of the people at every level. Unfortunately for them, success at the ballot box does not mean ultimate power. The revolutionary institution called velayat e-faqih, or guardianship of the jurisprudence, set up a number of parallel bodies. At the top is the faqih, Ayatollah Khamenei, who is head of state and supreme commander of the armed forces. He appoints the head of the judiciary and controls the broadcasting media. The Council of Guardians, part appointed by the faqih, part elected by the majlis, vets candidates - and banned several notable reformers from running - and examines the law passed by it. If there is a stand-off between the majlis and the Guardians, the Expediency Council, under Mr Rafsanjani, has the final say. So, even if the reformers win a sweeping victory today, their success in lightening the heavy clerical hand is by no means assured. The conservatives can call on various security organisations to defend their interests if frustration at the slow pace of reform leads to unrest. They include the Revolutionary Guards, the basji militia, formed during the war with Iraq, the Hizbollahis, who were out on the streets during student disturbances last July, and the intelligence services. The conservatives realise that demography is against them - 60 per cent of the 70 million population is under 25, and the minimum voting age is 16 - and the pressure for more freedom from state interference can only grow. The London Telegraph, February 18, 2000 ----- Aloha, He'Ping, Om, Shalom, Salaam. Em Hotep, Peace Be, All My Relations. Omnia Bona Bonis, Adieu, Adios, Aloha. Amen. Roads End <A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/">www.ctrl.org</A> DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion & informational exchange list. Proselytizing propagandic screeds are not allowed. Substance—not soap-boxing! 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