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Media Watch
ADL Letter to the USA Today
Note: This letter was published in USA Today on July 25, 2003
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Letter to the Editor
USA Today
To the Editor:
In his defense of Mel Gibson and his film, "The Passion," Michael Medved got it wrong about the Anti-Defamation League (" 'Passion' elicits unfair conflict," July 22).
Mr. Medved cynically says "ADL might have advised the producers more 'constructively' with a private phone call, memo or meeting, rather than with a thermonuclear press release." We did just that. On March 24 I sent a letter to Mr. Gibson about his upcoming film, raising our concerns about the portrayal of the death of Jesus, by citing the fact that passion plays have an infamous history of leading to hatred, violence and even death of Jews. In the letter I said we, "would like to be assured that it [the film] will not give rise to the old canard charging Jews with deicide and to anti-Semitism." A spokesman for Mr. Gibson contacted me, saying Mr. Gibson was aware of our concerns and would be in touch. Since then, we have only "heard" from him via the media. It was not until June 24 that we issued a public statement with our concerns.
The questions we posed to Mr. Gibson are the same we pose to anyone preparing to portray the passion, be it in Oberammergau, Germany or at Madison Square Garden. Over the years ADL has worked closely and productively with the Catholic Church on this issue. If Mr. Gibson is to be taken at his word that his intention for his film is to "unify people rather than divide them," why has he resisted talking directly to us and screening his film for us?
Mr. Medved has selective memory when he speaks of ADL and the Christian right. Yes, we are critical on some issues, but we have also stood together with Ralph Reed and others on issues of mutual concern, most notably support for Israel.
Finally, Mr. Medved can be rest assured that ADL is paying very close attention to the anti-Semitism emanating from the Arab/Muslim world, and indeed from wherever it comes. Nevertheless, we will continue to express our concerns with Mr. Gibson's film, until we see it for ourselves. We hope Mr. Gibson will make that possible sooner rather than later.
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Sincerely,
Abraham H. Foxman
National Director
Anti-Defamation League
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Media Watch
ADL monitors electronic and print media reports about the Middle East |
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