Turkey: Conscientious objector’s day - Security or freedom?
(14.05.2012) Conscientious objection, which started 200 years ago in other parts of the world, has only now become visible in Turkey. But the history of the Ottoman empire, with its myth of "the prophets army", and the history of the Republic of Turkey, with it’s myth that "every Turk is born a soldier", is actually full of stories of individual and collective evasion of military service, as if making fun of these very myths. My family history is also full of these stories. My grandfather Ali lived 7 years escaping the draft. He escaped from the military many times. In my grandfathers time there was no conscientious objector movement but he knew to act according to his conscience. I took a different path. Like other conscientious objectors, I declared my refusal to kill and be killed openly as a conscientious objector.
Israel: Military Police mounts operation to catch deserters, draft dodgers as their rate significantly increases
(10.05.2012) The Military Police launched a large scale operation to apprehend deserters and draft dodgers, whose number has significantly increased in the past year. The operation will last for 10 days and expected to see hundreds arrested and indicted.
(21.04.2012) Just before the tour “Egyptian Spring – Between Revolution and Military Power” in Germany in May 2012 we interviewed Maikel Nabil Sanad, one of the speakers.
