Posted on 10/14/2004 10:51:30 AM PDT by Former Military Chick
WASHINGTON
The US House and Senate have approved a bill requiring the State Department to create a special office to monitor anti-Semitism worldwide, and to report on it in special sections of two reports submitted annually to Congress.
The House approved the Global Anti-Semitism Review Act on Friday. The Senate approved it on Sunday, both by unanimous consent. US President George W. Bush has 10 days to sign the bill into law and is expected to do so even though the State Department originally opposed it.
"It is unlikely the White House would come out against anti-Semitism legislation this close to the election," one congressional aide said.
In July, a State Department official wrote to Rep. Tom Lantos (D-California), who proposed the main components of the new bill, saying a separate reporting requirement on anti-Semitism "could erode our credibility by being interpreted as favoritism in human rights reporting" and that it would be "inappropriate to create a stand-alone section for one group when so many others involving serious abuses are treated in this established manner, which demonstrates equal respects for all groups."
An outraged Lantos, the only Holocaust survivor elected to Congress, sent a letter to Secretary of State Colin Powell urging him to disavow the comments of his employee.
Earlier this year, the Senate approved a lighter version of the anti-Semitism legislation, put forth by Sen. George Voinovich of Ohio, which would have required a one-time report. The new version was approved after the House voted unanimously in favor of the more stringent requirements.
"If the president signs it, we'll implement it," State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said Tuesday. "That's all I can tell you." "Our position is that we have been dealing consistently and thoroughly with the issue of anti-Semitism," Boucher added.
Jewish groups welcomed the bill's passage. "Enactment of this law will provide an additional tool for the United States to continue its leadership efforts to hold governments accountable for failures, but also to encourage and note progress. As more governments take responsibility, strong US reporting on anti-Semitism as a human rights and religious freedom issue is vitally important," the Anti-Defamation League said in a statement.
NCSJ, an advocacy group on behalf of Jews in Russia, Ukraine, the Baltic states, and Eurasia, also welcomed the bill's passage, as did the David S. Wyman Institute for Holocaust Studies, which in September initiated a letter to Powell, signed by 100 former US officials, writers, artists, and academics, protesting the State Department's opposition to the special reporting requirement and the office.
Lantos said, "Passing a robust measure to reverse the growth of global anti-Semitism has been an uphill battle this year in Congress. Despite that, I am pleased that we have managed to produce a very good bill before the gavel falls on this year's session. Now it is up to President Bush to follow through on this bipartisan effort to combat hatred of Jews around the world."
"...even though the State Department originally opposed it."
Those rat-bastards at Foggy Bottom have ALWAYS been the enemies of the US and her allies. Maybe we can get Bush to send the troops into the State Department to root out the traitors, racists, and Al Qaeda sympathizers.
what about an anti-Christian bill...hmmmmmmmmmmmmm
Would there be anyone left?
Supporting it, for the most part.
Opinions wanted please: The Separation of Church and State issue is the most misquoted statute in the history of this country. The ACLU uses it for anything Christian, and that makes me sick. Having said that, our legistlators are passing a bill that singles out a religion for goverment protection. Anti-semitism should not be considered a human rights violation unless anti-Christian practices are considered this as well. I think this is dangerous ground to pass a bill like this. WWII was horrible for the Jews, but this is not 1938 Germany, and we are not Nazi's here. The abuses that occur agains Jews worldwide that are violent usually occur in other countries, not the United States. I ask for your opinion or help with more information if you have it.
..........Noahide Laws........
Don't hold your breath waiting for the anti-Catholic laws to materialize.
It's all about politics, and everyone wants the Jewish vote. But if want you more information on a much larger victim of religious oppression, then just look to the Sudan, where it's well known by our State Department that genocide is being perpetrated against Christians. We also know that Catholics and other Christians are being killed in Indonesia. We know that Orthodox Christian churches are being attacked by the Kosovites. And of course there were all those Christian Churches in Iraq that were recently blown up and burned. Where is the State Department outrage and anti-Christian bill to fight this much larger problem?
Exactly my point. If it is a religious/race oppression issue, there are all kinds, and there should not be one group singled out for protection.
But, I am a sefl-proclaimed hypocrite on this one issue:
Most of the oppressors (that I have seen in most of the cases you mentioned) are muslim. and firmly believe that tolerance towards muslims is stupidity becaue they are avowed from birth to kill anyone who isn't muslim. I don't care what "peace" they talk about. It is a pagan religion with a homicidal existence.
Will I get in trouble for saying this. I don't advocated any violence towards anyone, but we need real protection from muslim people. The ones in this country talk about being peaceful, and the others are "radicals" and stuff like
that, but look at the overtones in this country today.
They equate Mohommad with Jesus Christ. I have seen and read that muslims tell Christians to turn against Jews because of the murder of Jesus. It makes me sick because they don't believe in Jesus. They use references to Jesus Christ to further their own agenda against the Jews. Sick!
I tell people that if I have one peeve in this world, it is muslims. Not because of their belief, but because they use their faith to murder on a wide scale in God's name and the so-called non-radical, peaceful followers barely say anything except automated answer #1: "Islam is a peaceful religion and these actions are contrary to Islamic teachings, etc...blah, blah, blah." Yeah right...the Saudi's say the same thing, and then they have home-grown terrorists and Taliban wannabees in the madrasas (spelling?).
I don't know much about it, but I know enough to say that if the State Department doesn't want it, it has to be good.
I think that it is less for votes and more out of fear: A congressman who votes against this bill may be accused of being "anti-semitic" and also that AIPAC and other Jewish groups will send money to his opponent in the next election.
But if want you more information on a much larger victim of religious oppression, then just look to the Sudan, where it's well known by our State Department that genocide is being perpetrated against Christians. We also know that Catholics and other Christians are being killed in Indonesia. We know that Orthodox Christian churches are being attacked by the Kosovites. And of course there were all those Christian Churches in Iraq that were recently blown up and burned. Where is the State Department outrage and anti-Christian bill to fight this much larger problem?
Yes, we're not organized, nor are we not accredited victims, unlike the Jews.
I couldn't agree more with you. Those who don't agree with you that Islam is a homocidal cult are ignorant of the teachings, writings, practices and doctrines of Islam. They practice their conquests and murders under the guise of "religion", and thus are protected by the laws of the people they seek to overthrow. If Islam didn't call itslef a religion the free world would never let them into their lands to set up shop and spread their hatred and oppression. What a perverse, insane world we live in today.
Squealer!!!! You were great in Animal Farm!!!
I guess the hope is that if you pander to them enough, they'll eventually shut up and just become Americans.
Hasn't worked yet, bet we've only been trying for 50 years or so.
My feeling is that we should be prosecuting people for crimes against human beings, regardless of the victim's race, religion, sexual orientation, etc...to add extra penalties for being a racist demeans the victim who was killed simply for being in the wrong place at the wrong time and is basically "thoughtcrime"...do anti-semites who spray swastikas on their victims doors deserve a heavier punishment than, say, the creeps who sprayed a swastika (with weed killer) in the yard of a family with a Bush/Cheney sign up? Isn't vandalism vandalism?
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