Thundering Silence
Today saw the opening of a new Holocaust Museum in Jerusalem.
The event was was attended by high level representatives from over 40 countries, including 15 Presidents and Prime Ministers, were in attendance. Kofi Annan, Secretary-General of the United Nations, was a keynote speaker.
A Google News Search for 'Holocaust Museum' yields hundreds of stories. The event was covered by news organizations from around the world.
Yet, despite the geographic proximity, not one single major Arab news organization could be bothered to even acknowledge the day's events.
Dar al Hayat, Islam Online, Arab News, and Al Jazeera all neglected to mention the days events. Remember, there were 15 Heads of State and over 40 countries represented. Not even the much vaunted 'western' Lebanon Daily Star could be bothered to mention the event.
Only the Turkish Press commemorated the event.
Surprised? You shouldn't be, really. In an earlier post, we wrote,
There are far greater differences than politics that divide the Western and Arab worlds.
That may not be PC, but it is true.
The event was was attended by high level representatives from over 40 countries, including 15 Presidents and Prime Ministers, were in attendance. Kofi Annan, Secretary-General of the United Nations, was a keynote speaker.
A Google News Search for 'Holocaust Museum' yields hundreds of stories. The event was covered by news organizations from around the world.
Yet, despite the geographic proximity, not one single major Arab news organization could be bothered to even acknowledge the day's events.
Dar al Hayat, Islam Online, Arab News, and Al Jazeera all neglected to mention the days events. Remember, there were 15 Heads of State and over 40 countries represented. Not even the much vaunted 'western' Lebanon Daily Star could be bothered to mention the event.
Only the Turkish Press commemorated the event.
Surprised? You shouldn't be, really. In an earlier post, we wrote,
"In the Middle East, whole cultures and societies that had nothing to do with the Holocaust, embrace the evil-doers and celebrate their crimes. They, who should have moral superiority to chastise the Christian world for our inaction and self imposed distance, choose to identify with evil- so much so, that they teach it in schools and and echo the hatred in political and religious milieus. We see the celebration of of murder and evil on a scale heretofore unprecedented. We hear it daily and say nothing. We have this need to 'negotiate,' it seems, with evil. We cannot seem to take a stand. History repeats itself.Mein Kampf is a best seller is the Arab world. Holocaust denial is an industry that has a higher priority than teaching children the skills they need to secure a future.
Regardless of the politics, can we really say that societies and cultures that willingly and and publicly embrace that evil are moral equivalents? They are not. We must address that reality. We cannot allow that to enter the geo-political debate. Left unchecked, that evil will eventually manifest itself.
There are far greater differences than politics that divide the Western and Arab worlds.
That may not be PC, but it is true.
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