DATE=05/06/2002

TYPE=EDITORIAL

NUMBER=0-09866

TITLE=EDITORIAL: BUSH CONDEMNS BIGOTRY

INTERNET=YES

CONTENT=THIS EDITORIAL IS BEING RELEASED FOR USE BY ALL SERVICES.

Anncr: Next, an editorial reflecting the views of the United States Government:

Voice: Since the September 11th attacks, the United States has been at war against terrorism. And this war will not end, as President George W. Bush has said, until all terrorist groups with a global reach have been eliminated.

In time of war, President Bush said on April 30th, Americans "reassert the essential values and beliefs of our country." One of those values is religious freedom. Religious freedom is crucial at a time when incitements to religious and ethnic hatred have led to violence in the Middle East, Europe, and other places.

It has been reported that some three-hundred anti-Jewish attacks have been perpetrated in Europe in recent weeks. A month ago in France, a Marseilles synagogue was burned down, and synagogues in Strasbourg and Lyon were attacked. Last week, a synagogue in London was vandalized. There have also been anti-Semitic incidents in Germany and Belgium.

Anti-Semitism has long been a serious problem in the Middle East. Incitements to hatred of Jews are common in newspapers and on radio and television in Palestinian areas as well as in such countries as Saudi Arabia and Egypt.

On April 19th, a prominent Saudi imam said in a sermon at the Grand Mosque in Mecca that Jews are "the scum of humanity. . .the rats of the world." The imam, Sheikh Abdulrahman Al-Sudais [shake ahb-d'l-RAHKH-mahn ah-soo-DAYSS], prayed to God to "terminate" the Jews. These vile words, broadcast over radio and television, incite further hatred in a part of the world already torn by conflict between Israelis and Arabs.

As President Bush said, "America rejects bigotry. We reject every act of hatred against people of Arab background or Muslim faith. We reject the ancient evil of anti-Semitism, whether it is practiced by the killers of [American journalist] Daniel Pearl, or by those who burn synagogues in France."

America, as President Bush made clear, "values and welcomes peaceful people of all faiths -- Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Sikh, Hindu, and many others." And the U.S. will continue to urge people everywhere to reject bigotry and promote religious freedom. Only then, can there be any hope for peace in the Middle East and throughout the world.

Anncr: That was an editorial reflecting the views of the United States Government. If you have a comment, please write to Editorials, V-O-A, Washington, D-C, 20237, U-S-A. You may also comment at www-dot-ibb-dot-gov-slash-editorials, or fax us at (202) 619-1043.