For the record, the edit I made has not shown up in the edit history, in case it matters, though I definitely did save it.   

 For the record, I consider that the people who see more into this death certificate question than what it's really about are talking nonsense. DrZen claims that "the death certificate at least shows that the French authorities chose to enshrine his claim and not the 'evidence' of his birth certificate.". The first question is – which French authorities? And the second – what does this mean, "chose to enshrine"? First of all, it's not even certain that the people that record the deaths in the city of Clamart were aware of any controversy. For some people in the Middle East, the birth place of Yasser Arafat may be a hot topic, but for the vast majority of the French population, it's a total nonissue. In that context, "chose to enshrine" is nonsense – they just accepted the official document put before them, that's it. 

 Even in the case that the local government of Clamart knew about a controversy, what were they supposed to do? Deny Arafat a death certificate? 

 My understanding is the following: Yasser Arafat had official foreign documents enabling him to request a livret de famille, which specified that he was born in Jerusalem. Of course, he or his wife chose to give those documents instead of a birth certificate saying that he was born in Cairo. But does that imply that the French authorities chose anything? No. The procedures call for legal foreign documents, Arafat had these, so was the French government supposed to deny Arafat's wife a livret de famille? 

 It is, as far as I know, possible to sue in court if one disagrees with some état civil registration. (Though I suspect one would have to show a legal motivation to act.) Has any person or organization challenged Arafat's death certificate in court? As far as I know, nobody has. (And the reason is probably that the French government didn't have any choice in the matter, and had to accept Arafat's documentation.)   

 : David, I don't read anything into the death certificate. All I have said is that the French authorities accepted his claim that he was born in Jerusalem. You say they did so because he produced documentation. Excellent. 

 : Personally, I don't think certificates of any kind prove anything. Were they sworn statements that a person was born in one place or another, then maybe. But they are not. Birth certificates are simple registrations of birth. They are not affidavits.  

 Rather than remove the POV description of Arafat as a "guerrilla" and "Fatah leader", I have added "statesman". We had a long discussion of this, where I cited various sources describing him as a statesman, including other heads of state. People didn't have views of him as a this, that or another  it's not even good English  so I have adapted the sentence. Of course, the POV gang will revert it without giving good cause but the justification for making the edit is no less sound for all that.  

 :"The POV gang"; are you saying you have a "gang", then?  |