This mass annihilation did not just abruptly begin as war broke out in Europe in 1939. It had its beginnings years earlier. Concentration camp construction began as early as 1933. Laws were passed in the mid-1930s that restricted the civil rights of Jewish people to function in society. The foundation for the persecution that was to come came about gradually. Step by step the Jews were deprived of rights as they were portrayed as evil or even less than human. After World War II as the United States came to understand these horrors that had been inflicted on six million Jews and millions more of the “undesirables,” the excuse was offered that “We never knew.” The Jewish answer to the phrase, “We never knew,” and the horrors that had been inflicted is “Never again.”
However, what do we see happening in the world today?
“In the wake of January’s mass killings at the Charlie Hebdo satirical newspaper and a kosher supermarket in Paris, many French Jews fear for their safety.” (*)
“A video released Sunday night by the Islamic State appeared to show the mass beheading of at least a dozen Egyptian Christians by fighters in a recently formed Libyan arm of the militant group.” (**)
“Some 120,000 (Christians) were killed last year and no one says anything.” (***)
“Christians falling under Islamic State control face death if they do not accept Islam.” (****)
More recently there was a mixture of Islamic and Christian refugees crossing the Mediterranean Sea and when some of the Christians decided to pray, they were thrown overboard to drown. “Never again” seems to be reappearing, but this time it appears to include both Christians and Jews.
The American people could say with clear conscience that “we never knew” until after the war had ended, but the government of the United States could not. As early as 1939, the United States government knew that German Jews were in trouble and yet did very little to try and stop the genocide. What is our government’s position today? The Obama administration decides to negotiate even as the leaders of the anti-Christian and anti-Israel cry “Death to America and Death to Israel.” Terrorist organizations kill Christians and Jews by the thousands and we do little to stop them.
Inside the United States, the persecution is more subtle. Our schools can teach about the Quran and the Hadith but not the Bible. Our schools teach religious practices of Eastern religions, but a high school valedictorian may be restricted from mentioning God or Jesus Christ.
However, some persecution is open and blatant.
“There are children being prohibited from writing Merry Christmas to the soldiers, senior citizens being banned from praying over their meals in the Senior Center, the VA banning the mention of God in military funerals, numerous attempts to have veterans memorials torn down if they have any religious symbols such as a cross…” (*****)
Even a well known liberal finally speaks out about Jewish and Christian persecution. “Obama only mentions Christians to lecture them, rather than defend them from persecution.” (******)
There is a new genocide developing. It is blatant in the Middle East and developing in Europe. It is not intended to dishonor the Holocaust of World War II to call this the New Holocaust, but there is a widespread movement to rid the world of Jewish and Christian peoples. Will what is blatant in other parts of the world be allowed to creep into the United States? What is our protection? The second clause of the first amendment to the U. S. Constitution is important, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof…”
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(*) http://www.usatoday.com/story/ne ws/world/2015/03/22/paris-jewishfrance denmark-europe/24620259/
(**) http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/1 6/world/middleeast/islamic-statevideo beheadings-of-21-egyptianchristians. html?_ r=0
(***) http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/ insideisrael/2014/October/Ch ristians-Jews-Team-Up-to-Fight- Islamic-Persecution/
(****) http://www.freep.com/story/news/ world/2015/04/19/islamic-stateshoots beheads-ethiopian-christians libya/26042471/
(*****) http://www.wnd.com/2012/09/persecution of-christians-on-rise-in-u-s/
(******) http://www.usatoday.com/story/op inion/2015/04/21/christians-religious persecution-migrant-shipitaly column/26083829
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Another View, a Maine Press Association award-winning column, is written on a rotating basis by a member of a group of Midcoast citizens that meet to discuss issues they think are of public interest.
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