Interesting Facts

Israel registers its citizens according to both their religion and their ethnicity, although it does not include an "Israeli" ethnicity, labelling its Jewish citizens as of "Jewish" ethnicity. (But now Israeli law allows citizens to be officially registered as having no religion. This came to light when the interior ministry refused to alter an an Israeli writer's official religious status from Jewish to "without religion." Yoram Kaniuk turned to the courts and a Tel Aviv court sided with his demand, ruling that Israeli law allows citizens to be officially registered as having no religion. Kaniuk said, "The court granted legitimacy to every person to live by their conscience in this land, in ruling that human dignity and freedom means a person can determine their own identity and definition."  And so say all of us.)

According to the UN around 12 million people do not have citizenship of any country. (So, how do you end up stateless? It can happen when nations such as the Soviet Union and Yugoslavia break up, or new countries come into being after colonial powers leave, such as in parts of Africa and Asia, and without a nationality people can find it difficult to acquire any kind of legal status, including issues like property rights, getting married legally, registering the birth of a child or simple things like opening a bank account. It makes me value my passport a bit more.)

Gracie Fields lost her British citizenship. (British born, Dame Gracie Fields, DBE, was a singer and comedian who became one of the greatest stars of both cinema and music hall. She entertained the troops during World War II and was known as the forces sweetheart. Despite this her citizenship was revoked. Her crime? She married an Italian.)