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KurdistanObserver.com
Crimes against Humanity
Remembering Holocaust and Denouncing Hatred
at Museum of Tolerance, Los Angeles, CA on January 30th, 2005
Sixty years ago, this week, on January 27, the
Allied Forces liberated Auschwitz and freed what was remained of
millions of people who were condemned to be annihilated for being of a different
ethnic background. The simple goodness of mankind, which creates the true and
miraculous spirit of liberty and freedom in humanity, delivered the gift of
liberation on the day of January 27, 1945 to the survivors of the
Holocaust.
But throughout the recent history, our humanity
has witnessed other acts of crimes that parallel Auschwitz in
intention but only differing in scale. Bombing of various refugee camps,
Genocide of Armenians, Pol Pot's crimes in Cambodia, ethnic cleansing in Rwanda,
Sudan, and Bosnia, Killing of Kurds in Iraq, Iran, Turkey, and Syria in general
and chemical bombing of Halabja in particular, killing of civilians in the world
trade center, beheadings in Iraq, suicide/homicide bombing in the world and
particularly in Israel and Iraq, and torture and abuse of political prisoners
around the world are just few examples. These acts are to be remembered as acts
of crimes against humanity, so the power of goodness in humanity prevents their
recurrences.
Since 1945 the Jewish community has much
recovered but remained the victim of hatred and anti-Semitism in various places
of the world. More tragic is that this community has remained in a chronic
conflict with its Semitic cousins over the rights of Palestinians. A major
obstacle has been terrorizing Jewish civilians by suicide/homicide bombing in
Israel and preventing Palestinians from fulfilling their dreams of
independence with peaceful means. Fortunately through the efforts of peace
activists, finally Palestinians elected a new leader democratically to negotiate
resolving the conflict via democratic and peaceful means.
While Palestinians are making progress, Iraqis
are becoming the victims of criminal behaviors such as suicide/homicide
bombings. Many of us did not want the war in Iraq, but wished for
the removal of Saddam in a nonviolent way. Just because we couldn't stop the
war, it does not mean we should stop working for peace and freedom to return to
that country. We hope this upcoming election would bring peace and justice to
that country and to the rest of the Middle East. We hope that the
Kurds like other ethnicities in the Middle East gain their right of
self determinations.
There are many difficulties and despairs to overcome, but as liberation of
Auschwitz has proven, we must not give up rejecting crimes against humanity in
all its violent forms including suicide/homicide bombing of civilians in this
remembrance day, so we could create otherwise, what could be a better, more
peaceful and a secure world for the fellowship of mankind.
Board of Directors
Kurdish-American Education Society
Southern California
January 27, 2005
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