In article <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, [EMAIL PROTECTED] says...
> UHH, isn't the RED CROO from the Swiss flag and not from christianity? I
> thought the Swiss created the "red croos" organization - nothing to do
> with religion.
The Red Cross was formed at the original Geneva Convention, succeeding
the International Committee for the Relief of the Wounded. It was
never specifically Swiss, though its founder Dunant was. One could say
that it went hand in hand with Swiss neutrality and internationalism. The
Red Cross symbol (enshrined in the text of the Geneva Convention) was
chosen as a symbol of neutrality; it was only much later that they ran
into the problem of Islamic nations.
Interestingly, the ICRC *still* will not certify an organization in
Israel, because Israel rejects both the cross *and* the crescent, and
would prefer to use a Star of David emblem. Also, Kazakhstan would like
to be certified as "Red Cross and Red Crescent" in a combined emblem. The
ICRC has been looking at revising the symbol to a red diamond instead
that could be used worldwide; the American Red Cross, among others,
oppose this.
--
Dan Hartung * dan [at] dhartung [dot] com
Lake Effect weblog: http://www.lakefx.nu/
CHICAGOSTORIES: post yours @ chicagostories.org
