Hamas terrorism against Israel

The Kootenai County Task Force on Human Relations board issued the following statement Thursday:

We join the many human rights organizations, individuals and nation-states in condemning in the strongest terms the vile, horrific, abhorrent and pure evil acts by the Hamas terrorists against the state of Israel and its people. There are no adequate words to express the depth of these evil acts causing the slaughtering of young babies, their parents, raping women and the deaths of hundreds of innocent Israeli citizens. The Hamas terrorists have beheaded Israeli soldiers during these unprovoked criminal acts.

We must never forget Adolph Hitler’s Nazi regime’s use of the Holocaust resulting in the deaths of millions of Jews as well as other innocent individuals. These horrible acts are rooted in deep-seated historical ideological views of bigotry, prejudices and hatred of the Jewish community as well as other groups viewed as open to being victims of crimes.

Let us not forget the long history of antisemitic forces that have been active in our own country and especially during the Aryan Nations time in North Idaho. Richard Butler constantly used antisemitic language encouraging his followers to demonize the Jewish race.

During these difficult times, silence is not an option for we who believe in the dignity and rights of all human beings.

Washington Post journalist Kathleen Parker said it best in her column April 18, 2010, as she wrote: “When we choose to remain silent, consider yourself complicit in whatever transpires.”

Our organization has always realized that the teaching of hatred leads to these horrific crimes. Let us be clear that when individuals or groups publicly promote hatred through words laced with bigotry, prejudice, stereotyping and demeaning of individuals or classes of people, the results have tragic outcomes.

We are reminded of the wise words of the late Catholic priest Bill Wassmuth, former KCTHFR president, when he warned us about those leaders or organizers who preach words of hatred or demeaning some among us as undeserving of equal rights. Wassmuth believed the spokespersons peddling hate are equally guilty when their followers commit crimes based on those hateful words.

We praise and support the U.S. and our allies who are coming to the aid of Israel.

As we move forward in our efforts of embracing and advancing human and civil rights, social justice, inclusion, diversity, fairness and respect and dignity for all peoples, please join us in the support of these basic democratic principles. We must never accept the theories or actions of those who describe and label these founding democratic principles as socialism or some kind of communist doctrine. Nothing could be further from the truth.

We witness over and over the tragic results of the acceptance of such bigotry and prejudice. The tragedy in Israel is the latest example of such hatred.

CHRISTIE WOOD, KCTFHR president

TONY STEWART, KCTFHR secretary