Religious couple sue neighbours over light !
A Jewish couple are suing their neighbours in a block of flats, saying an automatic security light is keeping them prisoner in their home because it forces them to break their Sabbath rules.
Dr Dena Coleman and husband Gordon claim they cannot leave their holiday flat on the Sabbath because when they do they automatically trigger the light in the communal hallway - contravening a religious ban on turning on electrical items from sunset on Friday to sunset on Saturday because it constitutes 'creating fire'.
They say their human rights are being breached and are now suing the flats' management company - their neighbours - for failing to accommodate their religion.
The other 35 owners of the seaside flats are liable to pay court costs if the claim is successful.
Dr Coleman, a 56-year-old headteacher at a Jewish orthodox school in London, has been visiting the £200,000 holiday flat in Bournemouth, Dorset, with her husband for six years.
The management company fitted the motion-sensing lights six months ago in a bid to save energy and money.
The Colemans have offered to pay for an override switch to disable the light sensors during the Sabbath.
But the Embassy Court Management Company - which represents all residents and whose three directors also live in the block - said this would set an 'unacceptable precedent'.
The argument has sparked controversy between the other residents.
'There has been a meeting about it and many of the residents aren't happy.
'There's a feeling that things shouldn't be changed just to suit people in one flat when everyone else is happy with it.
'I don't think the rest of us would think twice about the lights but they're going to great lengths to get it changed so they must feel very strongly about it.'
Source : Daily Mail
De nada
ok ok, I just wanted to bitch a bit, ok? I got lots of jewish friends and never ever mentioned a thing about the light (although there is no TV, no radio and not even driving a car, for example).
Got a bit overheated.
Cheers.
After living in Spain for over 30 years and with a Spanish Ex, I can Habla a little. Besos
So would people take more interest if the title had said "Jewish couple" ?
Of course the link says all but the title just says 'religious' couple. In a Muslim country, you expect religious people to be... well, what do you think? scientologist?
Indeed I don't understand English and I couldn't care less, do you understand any flipping spanish?
Does it make any difference whether they are Jewish ?
"A Jewish couple are suing their neighbours in a block of flats"............Quoted from first line of post.
Que pasa. no comprende INGLAIS
why didn't you mention the couple was jew at the forum topic? afraid of something?
Whilst religious tolerance and acceptance is a good thing, a line needs to be drawn between religious need and stupidity.
By the way, in London, there is an area near called the "eruv". Here Orthodox Jews can carry out tasks normally banned on the Sabbath. The logic is that the eruv sets out the boundaries of an area within which observant Jews can treat "public" spaces, shared by all the community, in the same way as "private" space at home.
This means that jews can carry out some normal tasks away from home during the Sabbath, such as the carrying of personal items like keys or even the pushing of a wheelchair or pushchairs.
where the UK has bent over backwards to accommodate other groups and they now want the country to bend so far that it will break.
Let them move somewhere where they don't impact on any other people.
if they dont like it, they can leave and live in Isreal.
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I think you have me confused with someone who gives a sh1t.
From my experience working with Local Authorities and Public Organisation back in the UK, I think they have a very good case.
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HE WHO DARES WINS
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I think you have me confused with someone who gives a sh1t.
I wonder who's gonna defend the Jews on this one?
What a load of old crap.
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I think you have me confused with someone who gives a sh1t.
Theoretically, if they don't switch the lights "on" they're ok.. So if they leave the lights ON in the home prior to the Sabbath, you sidestep the issue :)
By the way, I would go with MP on this..
BritExpat and Mr Paul. It is called complying with Race Relation Act and Human Rights Act.
I was working for Red Ken a few Years ago at TfL. I was assigned the London Borough of Hackney as my patch for maintaining and operating the Roads. I found out that London Borough Hackney especially Stamford Hill was the second largest community of Jewish people outside of Israel only behind New York.
One of my project, I was asked to change all Pedestrian crossings in the Area, from the push in types to the automatic sensor types, purely because on Sabbath the Jewish folks would not operate electrical devices.
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HE WHO DARES WINS
f***wits ?
Thats a selfish attitude to take.
I read the full article, and they arent actually turning on any lights.The lights come automatically for safety.
Heres the full article....
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1193357/Jewish-couple-sue-neighbours-imprisoning-automatic-hallway-light.html
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I think you have me confused with someone who gives a sh1t.
Scuse my ignorance but does that mean that they sit in the dark part of the day (it can be darkish before sunset) as they can't light a candle or suchlike?
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I would side with them.. If its their belief, then why not ?