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| Simon Wiesenthal Center
Receives Flurry of Phone Calls and Hate Mail Accusing Jews of Killing
Jesus August 18, 2003 |
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| Rabbi Marvin Hier, dean and founder of the Simon Wiesenthal Center, said that the controversy over Mel Gibson's yet-to-be released film, The Passion, has generated an unprecedented wave of hate mail and calls | |||||||
| over the Center's endorsement of changes to the film proposed by Christian and Jewish scholars. The Passion vividly depicts the final 12 hours of Jesus' life and was produced, co-written, directed, and financed by actor and director Mel Gibson. |  |
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| In
a letter to Mr. Gibson, Rabbi Hier wrote, "My
purpose in writing today is to try to find a way to resolve the
controversy surrounding "The Passion." For twenty centuries, the false charges of deicide and collective guilt have been the core reasons for antisemitism, causing the death and persecution of millions of Jews. After learning that Mary of Agreda and Catherine Emmerich whose works contain many antisemitic and blood-libel references were important sources to your film, I decided to express my concerns publicly. Since then, the controversy has generated many calls and letters, again accusing us of being 'Christ killers'. While we fully understand that the crucifixion is central to the belief of more than a billion Christians and in no way want to censor or impede anyone's right to make a film about the Passion, it is clear that there is a problem. I feel that the only way to resolve it is for you to seek input and dialogue with Jewish leaders." |
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One of the
hate letters received by the Wiesenthal Center soon after the film was
screened in Colorado Springs, Colorado, said in part, "...What
this tells me is that you do not want the real truth to be shown on a
public setting that will remind millions of Americans that the jews were
in fact totally responsible for the death of Jesus Christ. I don't endorse
terrorism of any kind but the odds are that some of these enlightened
folks will go for the throat of you jews and some of your offices of hate
such as the ADL main office in New York, or maybe even the Simon
Wiesenthal Center. Every time I hear of a suicide bomber killing jews in
Israel I think to myself YES!" The Center is also seeking a dialogue with Christian leaders to discuss the matter further. See related articles: Aren’t
Christians and The
New Testament
Anti-Semitic? |
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