Friday, September 22, 2006
It's Not Actually "Holocaust Denial"
Calling it Holocaust denial makes it sound almost benign to me.
Take Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, for instance. When people call him simply a Holocaust denier, it sounds to me as if he is inadvertantly being misdiagnosed as being merely in psychological denial, unable to believe something so horrible could actually have occurred -- heck, I think a lot of us would prefer that kind of Holocaust denial for ourselves too. But Ahmadinejad's Holocaust denial is not just a compassionate inability to comprehend the truth of certain historical facts; he is not simply asking for a review of the footnotes in our kids' history books.
At least for Ahmadinejad, it's not "Holocaust denial." It's Holocaust envy.
In case anyone doubts it, let's look at what Israeli Foreign Minister,Tzipi Livni, had to say about this Holocaust envier recently at the U.N (follow the links to see that her words clearly include Ahmadinejad specifically):
No, his Holocaust envy is a tactic designed to divide those who otherwise would be reminding themselves never to forget. He speaks to Germany, selling himself as one who would absolve that nation's historical record, and free it to ignore if not actually support with a newly clear conscience his efforts to destroy Jews once more. He speaks to nations that still, if only tentatively, shy away from their hidden hatreds that scant decades ago led them to complicitly load their Jews onto trains and transports, further emboldening diplomats who find it once more fashionable to disparage the Jews' sh***y little country at their sophisticated soirees. He speaks at anti-Semitic rallies throughout the Islamic world where he is greeted like a rock star, leading chants of "Death to the Jews," offering himself as the annointed harbinger of those hateful hopes. In short, while there are those who claim Muslims are the new Jews, Ahmadinejad begs to differ: he'd prefer the Jews to be the new Jews.
The irony in the Iranian President's competing positions is almost too much to bear. He simultaneously claims there wasn't a Holocaust -- not that there's anything wrong with Jewish Holocausts, mind you -- and that he'd also like the chance at pulling off one of those Holocaust things himself, if the world would kindly just stand back and give him the chance.
In a world already slowly sinking beneath a sea of ridiculous irony, the Iranian President arrives on the scene like a rhetorical Hurricane Mahmoud. (Are we even allowed to use Arab or Islamic names for hurricanes anymore? In a list of hurricane name assignments from 2002 to 2007, there has been only one -- Omar -- and that one all the way back in 2002. Although, in fairness, they didn't use George or Dick either.)
The only arguably good news I see in the recent U.N. gathering, and Ahmadinejad's speech among the many worrisome words uttered there, is that at least this time he made no claim of possessing a golden aura that religiously and prophetically transfixed his infidel audience while he spoke. Perhaps he is finally beginning to realize God is not backing the side that wants to kill masses of Jews yet again. But then again, and no less likely, maybe he believes his plans are now far enough along that he no longer feels he needs God's help.
But I know the rest of us could use a little heavenly help. As Rosh HaShannah approaches, let's pray God guards us all against the approching threat of a world with Iranian nukes in the hands of Holocaust enviers.
If you really, really liked this -- or even really, really hated it -- there's lots more:
Take Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, for instance. When people call him simply a Holocaust denier, it sounds to me as if he is inadvertantly being misdiagnosed as being merely in psychological denial, unable to believe something so horrible could actually have occurred -- heck, I think a lot of us would prefer that kind of Holocaust denial for ourselves too. But Ahmadinejad's Holocaust denial is not just a compassionate inability to comprehend the truth of certain historical facts; he is not simply asking for a review of the footnotes in our kids' history books.
At least for Ahmadinejad, it's not "Holocaust denial." It's Holocaust envy.
In case anyone doubts it, let's look at what Israeli Foreign Minister,Tzipi Livni, had to say about this Holocaust envier recently at the U.N (follow the links to see that her words clearly include Ahmadinejad specifically):
Why does Ahmadinejad deny there was a Holocaust? Does he feel that the attempt to systematically wipe out an entire people is so wrong that he wishes it had never occured? It seems kind of doubtful, since he openly and proudly speaks of his own desire to accomplish the very thing he denies having happened, the very Holocaust he envies.
Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni warned the UN General Assembly on Wednesday that Iranian leaders pose the biggest threat to international values as they 'speak proudly' of their wish to destroy Israel and pursue weapons to achieve that objective.
Speaking at the annual General Assembly session, Livni said that the international community must stand up against Iran, which she claimed is pursuing the weapons to destroy Israel, a reference to its nuclear program.
'There is no greater challenge to our values than that posed by the leaders of Iran,' Livni said. 'They deny and mock the Holocaust. They speak proudly and openly of their desire to wipe Israel off the map. And now, by their actions, they pursue the weapons to achieve this objective, to imperil the region and to threaten the world.'
No, his Holocaust envy is a tactic designed to divide those who otherwise would be reminding themselves never to forget. He speaks to Germany, selling himself as one who would absolve that nation's historical record, and free it to ignore if not actually support with a newly clear conscience his efforts to destroy Jews once more. He speaks to nations that still, if only tentatively, shy away from their hidden hatreds that scant decades ago led them to complicitly load their Jews onto trains and transports, further emboldening diplomats who find it once more fashionable to disparage the Jews' sh***y little country at their sophisticated soirees. He speaks at anti-Semitic rallies throughout the Islamic world where he is greeted like a rock star, leading chants of "Death to the Jews," offering himself as the annointed harbinger of those hateful hopes. In short, while there are those who claim Muslims are the new Jews, Ahmadinejad begs to differ: he'd prefer the Jews to be the new Jews.
The irony in the Iranian President's competing positions is almost too much to bear. He simultaneously claims there wasn't a Holocaust -- not that there's anything wrong with Jewish Holocausts, mind you -- and that he'd also like the chance at pulling off one of those Holocaust things himself, if the world would kindly just stand back and give him the chance.
In a world already slowly sinking beneath a sea of ridiculous irony, the Iranian President arrives on the scene like a rhetorical Hurricane Mahmoud. (Are we even allowed to use Arab or Islamic names for hurricanes anymore? In a list of hurricane name assignments from 2002 to 2007, there has been only one -- Omar -- and that one all the way back in 2002. Although, in fairness, they didn't use George or Dick either.)
The only arguably good news I see in the recent U.N. gathering, and Ahmadinejad's speech among the many worrisome words uttered there, is that at least this time he made no claim of possessing a golden aura that religiously and prophetically transfixed his infidel audience while he spoke. Perhaps he is finally beginning to realize God is not backing the side that wants to kill masses of Jews yet again. But then again, and no less likely, maybe he believes his plans are now far enough along that he no longer feels he needs God's help.
But I know the rest of us could use a little heavenly help. As Rosh HaShannah approaches, let's pray God guards us all against the approching threat of a world with Iranian nukes in the hands of Holocaust enviers.
