KurdistanObserver.com
Jan 30 2004

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