City Hall – Council Member Simcha Felder (D-Brooklyn) expressed his support of demonstrators today at NBC’s headquarters at Rockefeller Center, organized by American Jewish World Services, regarding the lack of coverage of China’s link to the Sudanese government and the ongoing violence in Darfur. A year ago this week, Felder joined Brian Steidle, a former marine and author of The Devil Came on Horseback, which details his experience as an African Union observer in Darfur, at Rockefeller Center to call on Olympic sponsors to take action regarding Darfur.
“This is a case of inaction being measured in lives,” Felder said. “We expect responsibility from our corporate citizens, at home and abroad.”
Only weeks before the Beijing Olympic Games, the demonstration comes two days ahead of the one-year anniversary of both Felder’s announcement of a City Council Resolution urging Olympic sponsors to compel the Chinese government to impact positive progress in ending the genocide in Darfur and the New York City premier of the documentary based on Steidel’s book.
“Protesters today demonstrated that these atrocities cannot continue to be ignored,” Felder added. “The Olympic spotlight will shine bright in Beijing and the whole world will be watching.”
(YWN Desk – NYC)
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10 Responses
Pandering at it’s finest!
Felder is a City Council member. His ideas and opinions about Darfur, the Chinese government and the rest of the world not called New York are largely irrelevant.
“MachZik BeUzNei KeLev, MisAber Al Riv Lo-Lo!”–Mishle (Proverbs)
Everybody forgets that the Agudas Yisroel announced that they would NOT be involved in any protests &/or boycotts against the Chinese government.
Cconcern about Drafur tragedy is important for several reasons – it’s a genocide and the world is standing still while Arabs – you know, those peace loving, grossly understood people are massacring others – the more attention brought to Darfur – the more attention brought to who and what the Arabs are.
#5
While not disputing your position on the importance of raising this issue- just realize the timing involved- Mr. Felder is involved in a political battle and raises this issue now when he has never before (to my knowledge)raised this or any comparable issue- let us at least be honest with ourselves!
For Jews to take on China is suicidal, especilly when his statement will not affect anything.
Public statements are a waste of time. They merely garner publicity.
If he wants to help, let him work behind the scenes.
the sudan govt is (supposedly) helping us (us = United States) in the GWOT (Global War on Terror). why is he opposing thiem?
on the other hand illini07 #5 is right.
its a big dilemna for us yidden.
Do you see any parallels between these Olympics and the 1936 Berlin Olympics?
MiMedinat HaYam,
It is exactly this issue–how to handle situations in which our allies (or supposed allies, or hopefully-will-be-soon allies) in the GWOT are otherwise behaving in reprehensible ways, and/or harming other allies in the GWOT–which is so complicating our relationship with India and Pakistan. Or, for that matter, our relationship with Saudi Arabia.