Civilization against barbarism
Posted by Richard on September 26, 2009
An excerpt from the one honorable and courageous speech at the U.N. this week, by Benjamin Netanyahu:
Yesterday, the man who calls the Holocaust a lie spoke from this podium. To those who refused to come and to those who left in protest, I commend you. You stood up for moral clarity, and you brought honor to your countries. But to those who gave this holocaust denier a hearing, I say on behalf of my people, the Jewish people, and decent people everywhere, have you no shame? Have you no decency?
A mere six decades after the Holocaust, you give legitimacy to a man who denies the murder of 6 million Jews? While promising to wipe out the state of Israel, the state of the Jews? What a disgrace. What a mockery of the charter of the United Nations.
Now, perhaps – perhaps some of you think that this man and his odious regime, perhaps they threaten only the Jews. Well, if you think that, you're wrong – dead wrong. History has shown us time and time again that what starts with attacks on the Jews eventually ends up engulfing many, many others, for this Iranian regime is fueled by an extreme fundamentalism that burst on to the world scene three decades ago after lying dormant for centuries.
In the past 30 years, this fanaticism has swept across the globe with a murderous violence that knows no bounds and with a cold-blooded impartiality in the choice of its victims. It has callously slaughtered Muslims and Christians, Jews and Hindus, and many others. Though it is comprised of different offshoots, the adherents of this unforgiving creed seek to return humanity to medieval times. Wherever they can, they impose a backward, regimented society where women, minorities, gays, or anyone else deemed not to be a true believer, is brutally subjugated.
The struggle against this fanaticism does not pit faith against faith nor civilization against civilization. It pits civilization against barbarism, the 21st Century against the 9th Century, those who sanctify life against those who glorify death.
If only our Appeaser in Chief had spoken with such moral clarity.
David Bryant said
Earlier this week I listened to an interview with Ahmadinejad. Steve Inskeep of NPR asked him to explain why he denies the Holocaust. His answer went something like this.
”I have never denied the Holocaust. The Holocaust is an historical fact — one of many historical facts. Why do the Jews make such a big deal of it?”
”I was not alive during World War II, so I do not know what happened then, but I have been told that there was some kind of genocide. History says there have been many genocides. I myself have witnessed the genocide against the Palestinians. Why should one genocide be more important than another?”
At this point Inskeep began pressing for more information. You have denied the Holocaust, he said. I have these verbatim quotes from speeches you gave. He cited places and dates. Ahmadinejad responded like this.
”Were you present in the room when I made that speech? How do you know that I actually said that? Maybe the person who told you I said that is a liar.”
The interview ran on in this vein a while longer. How many Jews died in the Holocaust? ”I don’t know.” It was six million, roughly. ”I’ve heard some people say so. Others say it was fewer. I’m not sure.” You say that the Palestinians have suffered genocide. What proof can you offer? ”I have the proof of my own eyes. What I tell you is the truth.” And so forth.
In the wrap-up, an “analyst” offered this explanation. Ahmadinejad is getting his stories mixed up. He has one story he wants to tell the West, and another one for the Arabs, and when he’s on the radio he doesn’t know who all might be listening, so he gets confused.
Personally, I think that Ahmadinejad is a lying sack of shit. And I wish Inskeep had brought more moral clarity to the interview by saying so.