Obama honours Raoul Wallenberg's legacy
Published: 20 Apr 12 10:41 CET | Print version
Online: http://www.thelocal.se/40380/20120420/
US president Barack Obama praised the "selfless acts" of Swedish diplomat Raoul Wallenberg in a special video message released Thursday to coincide with Holocaust Remembrance Day.
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"All these years later we still remember Raoul Wallenberg as he was, a young man in his early 30s, who earned his place forever in the righteous among nations."
In his two minute video tribute to Wallenberg, who famously saved the lives of thousands of Jews in Nazi-occupied Hungary during World War II, Obama also praised the Swedish diplomat because he "reminded us of our obligations to our fellow human beings".
The video was played during a ceremony at Stockholm's Kulturhuset that was attended by Swedish democracy minister Birgitta Ohlsson, author Ingrid Carlberg, who recently published a book about Wallenberg, as well as US ambassador Mark Brzezinski.
"I feel both great hope and sorrow today when I think of this young man who gave his life for our fundamental values," Brzezinski told TT.
In addition to the ceremony in Stockholm, another ceremony took place in the rotunda of the US Capitol in Washington, DC in which Sweden's Princess Madeleine and Riksdag speaker Per Westerberg participated.
Earlier this week, the US House of Representatives voted unanimously to posthumously award Wallenberg the Congressional Gold Medal.
The medal, first awarded to first US president George Washington, is given to honour “the highest expression of national appreciation for distinguished achievements and contributions".
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Despite his heroic efforts on behalf of Hungary's Jews, the fate of Wallenberg, who would have celebrated his 100th birthday in August, remains shrouded in mystery.
He was detained by Soviet forces in 1945 and later disappeared. In 1957, the Soviet's issued a statement saying that Wallenberg died of a heart attack in 1947, but the exact circumstances of his death remain a mystery.
Thursday's ceremonies were some of several events planned by Sweden to mark the 100th anniversary of the birth of Wallenberg and honour him for being "a diplomat who chose not to be indifferent and to rise to a higher moral calling" in the words of US ambassador Brzezinski.
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I know of well what Raoul Wallenberg did in Budepest and Mr. President you are no Raoul Wallenberg!
Obama is loved by European politicians, because he is what they want in an American pressie.This includes his being "black", well at least 1/2 black. Personally I would liked to have sen Martin Luther King as the first real black President. sadly, it is not what thre USA nor the western world need at this moment. Insofar as the situation in the moideast and Iran is concerned, the gulf states and Saudi Arabia are really pissed off at him for continually buckling under pressure. Now the UK, France and Germany are very concerned about Iran (if not Syria) because, very soon those Iranian misslies (thanks to North Korea) will be in range of western Europe. Oh yes, including Sweden!
May the spirit of RW continue and never to be forgotten. Unlike barmy Obama
It is our duty the Jews of Israel and all over the world to find out what happened to him and to bring him to his last rest with an hounur of an hero .
70 years passed and we have not done enough to bring that episode to the right end.
In this day my heart and my family heart who lost all ts members in Auschwizim,belong also to Raul Wallenberg.
May God bless his memory!
Peace!
We could make a deal here.
What you say, we confer the Nobel Prize For Peace
posthumously
on your true hero
so that both our heroes
could be said to have one
Nobel Prize For Peace
each?
Bush praised leadership of Iraq and Afghanistan and still people criticize him. How come?
Obama can kiss Jewish lobby behind every day, however it is him who is striking deals with Iran and it is him who is OK with 1 million Israelis sitting in bomb shelters, while Israel "should restrict itself with retaliation". So obviously israelis are not all of a sudden his best buddies if he praises Raul Wallenberg.
BTW, Ahmadinejad actually donated money to Tehran Jewish community. What a grand figure! All criticism shall be removed immediately...
Peace back at you.
Not sure about your deal but would love to offer the Peace Prize posthumously to the man on the left!
Are you serious? Wallenberg was a great man, a hero, someone who put himself in danger to help others. Are you saying that the leaders of Iraq and Afghanistan are heroes and are great men? How can you compare the two situations with a straight face?