When 'never again' becomes again and again (2)

When six million Jews died in the Shoah, the Jewish civilization indeed vowed, "Never again."

When the Rwandan genocide occurred, in 1994, the world was wrong to ignore the victims' plight and choose not to intervene. Black Africans, like Jews before them, were not worth the effort to save. It was a familiar lesson.

Dr. Abdul-Raheem is right to point to a similar situation developing today in Darfur, in western Sudan, where black Africans are again being massacred, this time by Arabs, with the support of Sudan's government, and with the tacit support of the Arab world. The world should take heed and do something now, before it is too late.

Unfortunately, Dr. Abdul-Raheem's otherwise perceptive piece is spoiled by his own anti-Semitism, when he drags into his article a typical demonization of Israel, and compares its self defence against terrorists to a "holocaust." The only thing that prevents the Palestinians from doing to the Israelis what is being done to the black Africans in Darfur is Israel's ability to defend themselves. As they vowed, "Never again."

Editor's comment: It helps no one to dismiss anyone who criticise Israel's policies, including acts of gross violations of human rights, as being anti-semitic. It's an old trick that uses abuse in place of debate - and has no place in the pages of Pambazuka News.