A Peoples' Shame
What the world needs now - a Holocaust conference. A conference advertised world-wide as the first of its kind, a conference to bring to light truth and justice. Truth, as it is seen by an Islamist theocratic state; justice following upon the stark truth revealed which would, in their opinion, justify their stand that a member-state of the region has no place there, and should vacate its geography in favour of another community.Sounds simple, if not simply simple-minded. There, the gathering of dissemblers, historical revisionists, racists and anti-Semites can give comfort to one another, since much of the rest of the world views their single-minded pursuits in the interests of shifting the historical record and redeeming their hatred of Jews as wildly distasteful at best, criminal lunacy to be certain.
That they have been joined by one of the world's best-recognized racists is a boon to them. That they have been joined by an ultra-right-wing religious Jewish group whose rigidly pedantic view that until the Messiah, the true Messiah, the saviour of the Israelites, appears on earth to guide them back to the Holy Land, the current presence of Jews within a state of their own, is theologically illegal, not to be countenanced, to be denounced and where better than in this luminous company of Jew-haters?
To give credit where it is due, one must believe that the vast majority of Iranians are justifiably uncomfortable at this very public showcase of the ultra-bigotry and religious intolerance being displayed by their leaders. Not all Iranians are of the ilk of their Ayatollahs and their political masters. As an educated, cultured society it is nothing short of amazing that the population has allowed itself to be led by these puny-minded, vision-stunted, distorted mentalities.
These things can happen in the wake of religious, military, political revolutions. People exult at the changes that become so immediate, that appear at first glance to reflect their history, culture, traditions and desire for an improved civil infrastructure. It is only later, once the die has been cast and the new regime takes solid form that they begin to look back with longing at the relative freedoms once taken for granted.
A small group of Iranian student activists have courageously spoken aloud for all to hear what many feel. They have assembled to protest against the "shameful" Holocaust conference; that the conference "has brought to our country Nazis and racists from around the world". They name their president Ahmadinejad for what he is, a "Fascist".
The conference has attracted academics, researchers and conspiracy theorists from around the world for the singular purpose of debunking the "myths" of the Holocaust. Ahmadinejad boasts that the very presence of the conference within Iran speaks to its openness and freedom of expression. While many Iranians themselves point out they are granted no freedom to debate pressing internal issues such as Iran's nuclear programme.
This current regime, building upon the blocks the previous regime has put in place, has squeezed out liberal and secular university professors, threatening a total purge of universities. A cleric has been placed at the head of Tehran University, while dozens of liberal-minded professors have been "retired" in the past year alone.
Although Ahmadinejad declares openly that it is his personal intention to do his utmost to see that Israel is "wiped off the map", one doubts he has the support of the majority of the people in the country. Those living in repressed conditions, brought to heel by the threats and demands of the ruling theocratic state seldom dare to express themselves too openly; the reputation of the penal system in the country has a disquieting effect on dissent.
Yet this is a people whose resistance to mass protest, to denial of the behaviours and direction of their government marks them as silently acquiescent to the vile statements of their president, to the quiet acceptance of their country's intention to become nuclear-offensive, posing a threat to the region and the world at large.
The truth must be spoken and it must be embraced and it must be honoured. Whether it is the truth relating to the historical record confirming that millions of innocent people were targeted by a mad dictator because of his wish to rid the world of a Jewish presence; whether it is the truth that reflects the mindset of a mad dog happy to thumb his nose at world opinion, upsetting the apple cart of nuclear proliferation to volatile states.
Shame is not enough. At some point, tolerance of the intolerant must result in complete disavowal and action.
posted by Pieface @ Tuesday, December 12, 2006
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