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Bruce Fein Compares Sinhalese Buddhists
to Hitler
By Stephen Long, Los Angeles
October 31, 2008
Bruce Fein has gone a wee bit too far this time. Just when we thought
the former US Deputy Attorney General and Washington DC lobbyist/public
relations mercenary was happily on to greener pastures representing
the Turkish Government against its Kurdish rebels, he resurfaces today
in defense of the LTTE with his most audacious accusations - using his
most arrogant and insulting tone - ever.
In an incendiary, challenging letter to Dr. Subramanian Swamy, the
President of the Janatha Party in Tamil Nadu, he writes: "Evidence
is conclusive that Sinhalese Buddhists practice and celebrate a culture
of genocide against any and all persons who differ in either ethnicity
or religion…followed by a curtailment of food, medicine, education,
shelter, and other humanitarian aid…schemes fueled by a Sinhalese-Buddhist
supremacist philosophy constructed largely from the Mahavamsa and the
creed of Dharmapala that deifies a racially pure Sinhalese Buddhist
race just as Hitler saluted Aryan racial purity. Today, the culture
of genocide found grisly expression in the club and knife attack launched
by Sinhalese Buddhists against a Tamil family in the south while chanting,
'All Tamils in Sri Lanka will be eliminated.'"
First of all, Bruce Fein is outright lying when he speaks in his letter
of this club and knife attack, and tries to make it sound like it happened
yesterday. If any such incident ever occurred it was undoubtedly back
in 1983 when tensions and emotions unfortunately got the better of people
and deadly riots broke out. The same thing happened here in Los Angeles
with the riots in 1992. Hear this: there have been no recent documented
attacks of this nature in Sri Lanka whatsoever.
Secondly, to challenge Dr. Swamy in such a way follows completely
in line with the recent strategy of the LTTE as it crashes and burns.
It has been implementing a last-ditch effort to try to stir up racial
solidarity in Tamil Nadu as a way to get the Government of India to
step in to stop the Sri Lankan war. Bruce Fein surely knows, of course,
that Dr. Swamy was once a supporter of the LTTE and now he vehemently
opposes it. This letter is a way to get back at Dr. Swamy for coming
to his senses, changing his position, and strongly urging the Indian
Government not to interfere at this time. Bruce Fein, your letter only
proves that you are the LTTE puppet that you are. You had better watch
yourself or you'll have the Government of India chasing your Tiger's
tail for trying to incite racial hatred and foment a separatist revolution
on its sovereign soil.
This is the same Bruce Fein, an attorney who represented three LTTE
front organizations in the US and Canada this year. I guessed incorrectly
when I thought he had stopped fighting for the LTTE when he moved on
to the Turkish issue. I figured it was simply because they had offered
him more money than donors from the Tamil Diaspora who had been paying
his monthly $30,000 retainer fees. I also figured that by now the wealthy
overseas Tamils had finally wised up to the fact that they had been
duped and dumped by this creature of unmitigated greed.
Please note that before he joined any of the three Tamil organizations
Bruce Fein once received $5,000 per month from a group of Sri Lankan
patriots in Washington DC, and wrote articles for the Washington Times
and other publications against the LTTE and in support of the Government
of Sri Lanka. He told this group directly that if the Government would
be willing to pay him a retainer of $5,000 per month he would continue
to write and campaign in support of the Government. When the Government
declined his offer he went over to the other side and became an advocate
for the LTTE. Hence my endearing term for him: a Beltway prostitute,
one of Washington's finest.
By the way, for his new Turkish client he flipped back over in terms
of his point of view. Now he advocates the exact opposite position he's
taken against the Government of Sri Lanka: he supports the Turkish Government's
right to defend itself against rebellious terrorists - while he outspokenly
condemns the Sri Lankan Government's right to defend itself against
its terrorists - the LTTE. Can you believe it? He's supporting both
sides of the same issue working for two different clients: one a sovereign
government, and one a terrorist group. What the hay? Morals, schmorals.
Who cares as long as the money's good? Besides, Mrs. Fein may want a
new thoroughbred horse.
His latest PR gig (at least in terms of LTTE front organizations is
concerned) is representing "Tamils Against Genocide," whose
mission is to convince the world that it is the intention and practice
of the Sinhalese Buddhists majority in Sri Lanka to eradicate Tamils
from the face of the earth. It seeks to haul the Defense Secretary,
the President's Senior Advisor, and the Military Commander in front
of the world courts to stand trial for genocide.
Coming back to his comments in his letter to Dr. Swamy, he speaks
so falsely of the Anagarika Dharmapala, and in such an insulting way,
that Sri Lankans and Indians alike should cry "outrage!" The
"creed of Dharmapala," as you arrogantly refer to it, Mr.
Bruce Fein, eventually led to both the Indian and the Sri Lankan independence
movements. It was a creed based on the universal brotherhood of all
humans - regardless of race, creed, caste, religion, or culture. Mahatma
Gandhi was a close friend of Anagarika Dharmapala, and they worked together
promoting their mutual creed of freedom and tolerance for all. Gandhi
even declared himself a Buddhist through his relationship with Dharmapala
- recognizing the fact that Hinduism and Buddhism were so closely related
in history, culture, and spirit, and the fact that Buddhism was a philosophy
of peace. Gandhi called the Buddha "a Hindu of Hindus."
Anagarika Dharmapala was also the founder of the Maha Bodhi Society,
which still has its headquarters in India. Dharmapala was mentored by
an American, Col. Henry S. Olcott, who was co-founder of the Theosophical
Society. Shortly after its inception Col. Olcott moved the TS headquarters
from New York City to Adyar, near Madras, in Tamil Nadu. Dharmapala
began his long ties with Tamils and Tamil Nadu at the age of twenty
when he went with Olcott to live in Adyar, and worked tirelessly for
the Society for many years. Anagarika Dharmapala maintained his ties
with India for the rest of his life, and in his last will and testament
he said that he wished to reborn an Indian in India in his next rebirth.
In addition to Mahatma Gandhi, the Maha Bodhi Society was guided by
many of India's political and spiritual luminaries, including Nehru,
Tagore, Radhakrishnan, Indira Gandhi, Rao, Shastri, Giri, and others.
For you, Mr. Fein, Esq., to refer to the, "creed of Dharmapala
that deifies a racially pure Sinhalese Buddhist race just as Hitler
saluted Aryan racial purity" is to desecrate the teaching and memory
of one of the greatest peacemakers that ever lived. It has often been
proposed that an "Anagarika Dharmapala Peace Prize" be established
much along the same lines as the Nobel Peace Prize. How dare you! And
besides, have you ever even read the Mahavamsa? I didn't think so…
Tamils and Sinhalese have been living together in Sri Lanka in peace
and harmony for a thousand years. They are still living together in
peace and harmony in the South of Sri Lanka, and hopefully very soon
will live that way in the North. Bruce Fein, you are making trouble
in a land far away from your own home simply to line your own pockets.
This is a grave offence, Bruce Fein, and according to the Buddhist philosophy
you so disdain your karma is likely to suffer for eons. You bring pain
suffering to many people, Bruce Fein, by promulgating your deceptions
and lies. Indirectly or directly you are supporting the suicide bombers
that have plagued Sri Lanka for twenty-five years.
To quote from the Buddha: "According to the seed that is sown,
so is the fruit you reap. The doer of good will gather good result,
the doer of evil reaps evil result. If you plant a good seed well, then
you will enjoy the good fruits."
Plant some good seeds for a change, Bruce Fein, and tell your wife
she'll have to do without a new horse - or at least wait until the Turks
pay their bill.
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