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April 17, 2007
In Memory of Daniel Pearl?
This past Sunday, on Yom HaShoah, Holocaust Rememberance Day, a new name was added to the 30,000 names on the Memorial Wall at the Holocaust Memorial in Miami Beach, Florida. Slain journalist Daniel Pearl's name was etched on the Memorial Wall of Victims of the Holocaust.
The picture to the left is from the Wall on the Miami Beach Holocaust Memorial. It clearly states the purpose of the Memorial, and what its founders, and creators conceived of in building it. It states the intent of the people who donated money to have it built.
Daniel Pearl did not perish at the hands of the Nazis. Daniel Pearl was killed in 2002, a victim of islam, he was not a victim of Nazi Germany. The Holocaust ended 60 years ago, long before Daniel Pearl was born. Daniel Pearl is not a victim of the Holocaust and including his name on a Memorial dedicated to the memory of the victims of the Holocaust is an insult to their memory.
Thousands of Jews have been murdered in modern times, post-Holocaust, by islam. Daniel Pearl is not the first one, nor is he the only one. Putting his name on the Holocaust Memorial is also an insult to all Jews who have been murdered by islam. Why single out Daniel Pearl, over all the rest?
Yes, Daniel Pearl was a victim and he was a Jew, but, he was not killed because he was a Jew, his murderers kidnapped him because he was American, and he was handy, in the right place at the right time. They didn't know he was a Jew when they picked him up and he was not killed only because he was a Jew, that was just viewed as an extra bonus by his murderers.
Daniel Pearl was a victim of islam, and if the world is ready to acknowledge what his death means, and what the meaning is behind the thousands of innocents murdered in the name of islam, then its time to build a memorial to them, one which could, and should, include the names of all people murdered by the hand of islam.
I cannot imagine that Daniel Pearl's name would be included on a Memorial to those who died on September 11, 2001, but putting his name on a memorial for the victims of 9/11 would surely be more appropriate than putting his name on a memorial for the victims of the Holocaust.
And why the Miami Memorial? Daniel Pearl did not live here, and he had no connection to South Florida.
I wrote the Memorial's Committee to ask, and you can too (info@holocaustmmb.org), but they haven't bothered to answer me, and they probably won't answer you. They refuse to explain to me why they have betrayed the trust placed in them to maintain the Memorial and its purpose, to honor the memory of those who perished by the hands of Nazi Germany. I suppose they can't find a way to rationalize and justify their betrayal.
The end result, well, I have always been a strong supporter of the Miami Beach Holocaust Memorial, in thought, and deed, and financially as well. As I now consider the Memorial to be tainted with politics and money, I will now withdraw all my support until this wrong is made right, which likely means forever.
Cross-posted at My Vast Right Wing Conspiracy (thank you Beth!)
Posted by LindaSoG at April 17, 2007 07:03 AM
Comments
I posted a snip at 762justice.com, but could not do a trackback.
This sucks on so many levels.
You know, as I think on it...in a screwy way, it ALMOST feels antisemitic, if that is possible.
Posted by: seejanemom at April 17, 2007 09:41 AM
Great Post, Linda! I'll trackback to it ASAP.
Posted by: ProphetJoe at April 17, 2007 11:55 AM
You are so right about this Linda, by seejanemom, I don't know why you would you call this antisemetic, that's nuts. Its just stupidity.
Posted by: Rene at April 17, 2007 09:11 PM