Mr. President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
My name is Lucy Deutsch and I’m a child Holocaust survivor. I wrote this letter to you after I heard your speech you gave in Columbia University on Sept. 24. 2007. But now three years later when I saw you talk to Larry King, again I was exposed to your one of a kind way of thinking. You are always looking to put the blame on some body else, using the same old ploy. Larry King gave you the opportunity to show some human kindness about the innocent two young boys you are keeping in prison, instead you turned to your rhetoric speech about law and punishment. And now, you are talking about “A NEW WORLD ORDER”? You mean, your world order? Forget it!
Here is what I have to say to you. Although you claim to be a learned academic, and so much more, in that case you definitely would have more than one thought.
To believe in God, which I do, the way I see it, my God is your God, yet they are so differently distinctive. My God created humans to have the capacity to reason, to make the right choices, but God didn’t make us into fanatical creatures which are capable but to follow only one thought. A thought with no compromise, or reasoning, a thought which claims only the rule of self. To be this kind of purity of thoughts can exist only in heaven. God gave us this mental image of himself and this one fundamental capacity of thought which should be used as a measuring stick, a guideline for us humans to live by, and not taking it to the bank like you do.
I say, if you think, Mr.Ahmadinejan, that you can exist just with this one thought, and that there is no room for anything else, you should climb the ladder and stay up there where you can sit next to God, and tell him; You see God, I am so loyal to you, I don’t compromise, I don’t reason. Every word I speak in your name is holy to me.
I am sure God would have an answer for you. He would probably say, Mahmoud, I am glad that you love me so much, but whatever you do, don’t use my name so often for your own one way of thinking. You place the burden on my shoulders, with your loyalty to me. I gave you a brain, why don’t you use it by yourself for yourself. You don’t have to involve me in everything you do. The way you cling to me is recommendable, but don’t abuse my good will for your own purposes. Up here the one thought is all right, but not down there. There you have to call on me when I am needed. There you must compromise. There you live in a time that is constantly changing, you must adapt. Up here you don’t have to. Here time stands still.
And why are you bothered about this small sliver of land I gave to my children? It belonged to them many thousands of years ago. They had to fight many occupiers, including those from your tribe.
You are harping about 60 years ago when most of my children finally came home. It’s just a drop in the bucket where time is concerned about their beloved Judea. Wherever my children were, in every prayer they praised me and in the same breath, they called upon Jerusalem their homeland. It gave them inspiration, pride of being a Jew, no matter where they lived. And now you want to take that away? You want to start a fight with me? I don’t think so. And what about the Holocaust? Don’t you even go there. Your careless declarations about the Holocaust disturbs me very much. The pain my children suffered innocently lays heavy on my heart, it was out of my hands. Sometimes I can’t control what humans do down there. This child called Lucy Deutsch, she became an orphan at the age of 14. Her mother and father, her two sisters and her little brother they were all killed in the Holocaust. They are here with me. If you don’t believe, while you are here, I’ll introduce you to them.
And this is what I, Lucy say to you, Mahmoud Ahmadinejan. Leave us Jews be. Remember your last words in your speech you gave in Columbia University: “To establish peace and future filled with friendship and justice and brotherhood.” Live up to what you preach, make peace with yourself, and with all of us.
I would be so grateful
Lucy Deutsch