I'm Only Asking For An Hour

The worldwide launch of the latest Harry Potter is provoking religious controversy in Israel.

Bookstores will be opening on the Sabbath, the Jewish holy day, to sell the final instalment to eager fans.

Most shops are normally closed for trade on the Sabbath, which runs from sunset Friday to sunset Saturday.

Religious politicians are accusing the bookstores of putting profits ahead of religious sensitivities for agreeing to open their shops.

The Israeli Industry and Trade Minister, Eli Yishai, has threatened to fine any store that opens on Saturday.

Israeli law forbids businesses to force their employees to work on the Sabbath.

Forget the main topic, it is irrelevant. See the part where it says about fines and politics.

It is quite sad to see how Israel works very hard to put its religion into order. Sabbath is a day in which all shops must close, due to the day's religious meanings of "the day of rest". They take religious matters like these seriously. Punishments are put for those who force workers to work on Sabbath.

"The Sabbath (or Sabbat) is a weekly day of rest and/or worship that is observed in the Judeo-Christian faiths. The term derives from the Hebrew shavat, "(to) rest". It originates from the biblical account of the last day of creation, and was repeated as part of the Ten Commandments. A number of other religions have a similar practice, and the term has also been imported into secular usage."

Switch to the Arab view. The only time in the whole week that you are not allowed to trade is the hour of prayer on Friday. This is a law in Islam, not a law by the country of Jordan. Nothing puts this law into place even though Jordan is an Islamic country. And even if this law was taken into force, you would see policemen bribed, shops "half-open", people "not-really-working"...

Its only a hour!