This Week in Civil Rights

This is a great week in commemoration of Civil Rights! First of all, the week opened with the birthday of Rev. Martin Luther King, who was born January 15, 1929 in Atlanta, Georgia.

Mr. King became a Civil Rights activist early in his career, going on to be the youngest person to win the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964 for putting an end to racial discrimination and segregation through peaceful means.

Sadly, Mr. King was brutally assassinated 4 years later; but his work continued on around the world as he has paved the way to end hate crimes.

Today the week approaches the end with the commemoration of the inaugural address by US president, John F. Kennedy.

Exactly 50 years ago today, the president gave a 13-minute inaugural speech, in which he coined the phrase “Ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country.”

Kennedy himself called the speech “a celebration of freedom.”  Sadly, the president was also brutally assassinated; but his words ring true today.

Around the world, individuals and nations are still fighting for democracy and freedom—concepts that we often take for granted.

As this week draws to an end, may we not only celebrate the freedoms that we enjoy but also do something for those who are deprived of these unalienable rights.

What can I do?  What can you do?

Egyptian Musicians Promote Life Amidst Tragic Bombing

On December 31 as many of us around the world were celebrating the New Year, a bomb was detonated outside a Coptic Church in Alexandria, Egypt, killing 21 worshippers and injuring 80 others.

The terrorist attack was indeed a heinous crime against humanity, committed by a suicide bomber.  Demonstrations and clashes with the policed ensued on the day following the bombing.

Oftentimes such tragic events around the world reach our ears; but we do not hear much about those who stand up and speak out in the midst of their painful repercussions.

Last night in Alexandria, Egypt, musicians and filmmakers gathered to perform a full-blown concert in a tangible expression of solidarity between Christians and Muslims.  Proceeds were donated to the victims of the attack.

This is precisely the goal of Songs of Life—to extol life.  To sing about life.  To promote life in a world that, at times, seems to want to extinguish life.

We condemn the violence of hate crimes and commend those who raise their voices for those who have not voice.

Growing Up in South Africa

Several weeks ago, I asked if any of you had a story—a story of intolerance or justice that reigned in the end. 

Well, today I received a story from a young woman who recently moved from South Africa to the United States:

“The story of the rescue of the Bulgarian Jews under Nazi rule is truly inspiring.  I am so looking forward to the Songs of Life Concerts happening in the USA next year.

My family and I moved to the USA 9 months ago. We are South Africans and miss our country dearly. However, growing up in South Africa had its hard times.

In South Africa, almost everyone has been a victim of crime. Whether burglary, hijacking, or assault. The fear of my father being hijacked and someone breaking into my house while I was sleeping and, then, seeing them walk past my bedroom door are indescribable.

Racism and Apartheid have also had their toll, even though much has changed and South Africans are really trying to let go of the past and its hurts. We are aware of the intolerance and now seek the freedom to walk in our streets.

In the USA, I have come to understand and appreciate the “Land of the Free”. But if only my American friends would appreciate this Freedom they have. Moving to the States made us realize how people can take things and life for granted, being spoilt with quality of life, comfort, and convenience.

The Rescue of the Bulgarian Jews is so close to my heart. We need to fight for Justice, Freedom and Peace, especially for those who can’t fight for themselves. We need to restore hope and bring about a new dependency on God.

Thank You Songs of Life!!!!

S.C.

Proudly South African”

The Armenian Genocide

Last year I attended a cultural club outside of New York that was showing Italian films, one of which was La massaria delle allodole, or the Lark Farm, which was directed by the Taviani brothers (2007).

The film was based on an eponymous and best-selling novel by Antonia Arslan, who wrote about an Armenian family by the name of Avakian that lived in Anatolia, present-day Turkey.

At the onset of WWI, Turkish hostility began rising against the Armenian community, some of whom—like the Avakian family—did not heed the warning signs.

In 1915, the Turkish military attacked the Armenian community, massacring male members and forcing women and girls on a death march to Syria.

Previously I had read about the Armenian genocide, but I had never seen a film that so vividly depicted it.  Since then, I have not ceased to ponder the event.

The Armenians were a Christian minority, which had dwelt within the confines of the Ottoman Empire for centuries.  Nevertheless, Armenians also lived in Russia—enemies of the Turks—so the Armenians were accused of divided loyalty.

But what caused the Turkish government to launch such atrocities?  Was it the stress of war?  If you find some time, try to do some reading online and tell me what you think.

Food for thought:  barely two dozen countries recognize the Armenian massacre as genocide.  Why so few?

The 100 Days of Rwanda

When I lived in Brussels for a year, working for the European Commission, I met a young Rwandan with whom I became great friends.

That year, she and her friends opened a jazz bar and restaurant in the city center where I came face-to face with a wave of Rwandans who had escaped the mass murders of 1994.

It is still difficult for me to fathom how, sixteen years ago, nearly one million people could have been murdered within one hundred days.  What happened?

The majority of Rwandans belong to the Hutu people, while the second largest group consists of the Tutsi people (or Watussi).  With minor ethnic differences, the two groups had been divided mostly by social class.

For centuries, the Tutsi Monarchy ruled Rwanda, wherein the majority of subjects were the poor Hutus.  Conquered peoples were also labeled Hutus, creating further socioeconomic distinctions.

During colonial Belgian rule (1923-1959), the Tutsi Monarchy was supported by ethnic-conscious Europeans who accentuated the ethnic divisions in Rwanda.

With Rwandan independence came rule by the majority—the Hutus—who voted in representatives solely from their group.  Now, the tables were turned and the Tutsis were the scapegoats.

When the Hutu President was assassinated in 1994, Tutsis were rounded up and massacred.  By the end of the killing, 20% of the population had been decimated.

So, what happened?  Nothing.  The hatred and fear were never dealt with. 

Beset with deep scars, however, the country is on a slow course to healing.

Hate Crimes 101

In the aftermath of World War II, the world inherited many legacies, one of which was a new term:  hate crimes. 

Sure, these odious acts had always existed; but WWII brought them to a new light, so much that the term gained popular use.

So, just what are they? 

First of all, a hate crime entails some form of verbal or physical assault on an individual or group, including the defacement of their property.

Secondly, such assaults are motivated by some sort of bias toward the individual or group, including racism, prejudice, and a plethora of phobias.

Throughout history, hate crimes have taken on many vicious forms like crusades, lynching, genocide, killing fields, ethnic cleansing, terrorism, torture, exile, pogroms, and apartheid. 

Less obvious but equally heinous acts include bullying, graffiti, insults, and harassment.

Can you think of additional types of hate crimes and biases that I have not mentioned?

Remembering the Others

Most often, holocaust is the term that refers specifically to the systematic and state-sponsored destruction of the Jewish people during WWII—a culmination of anti-Semitism, the so-called “Final Solution” by a hate-filled regime.

As the Nazis carried out their Final Solution or Holocaust against the Jews, however, millions of non-Jews were persecuted and murdered, simply because of whom they were or what they believed.

Amongst the victims, there were thousands of Gypsies, Poles, handicapped, musicians, political opponents to the Nazi regime, and many more.

Combing the totals of the Jewish Holocaust with the Nazi’s Genocide of non-Jews, the death toll soars to anywhere between 11 and 17 million deaths.

As Songs of Life celebrates the heroic acts of individuals who risked their lives to rescue the Jews from the death camps, the Festival also remembers all those who have perished in history for any sort of hate crime against humanity.

Can you think of other groups that were targets of Hitler’s attack?