Voices on Antisemitism: Faiza Abdul-Wahab (Daughter of Khaled Abdul-Wahab, Tunisian rescuer of Jews during the Holocaust)
From: United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
Series: Voices on Antisemitism
Length: 05:31
In 1942, German troops arrived in Mahdia, Tunisia, and began to expel Jewish families from their homes. During the occupation, Khaled Abdul-Wahab, a Tunisian Arab, rescued two dozen Jews by hiding them at his olive oil factory for four months. Abdul-Wahab passed away in 1997, but he has been posthumously nominated for the designation of Righteous Among the Nations by Yad Vashem, Israel's Holocaust Memorial. If confirmed, Abdul-Wahab will be the first Arab person to receive this honor. Recently, Abdul-Wahab's daughter, Faiza, spoke about her father's life and legacy.
"I'm very against denial of any kind. I want people to look at the face of reality even if it's hard and to try to open your eyes. If you shut your eyes and say, "I don't want to have nothing in common with these people," you close the door to any dialogue, you know, and it's finished."
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Piece Description
In 1942, German troops arrived in Mahdia, Tunisia, and began to expel Jewish families from their homes. During the occupation, Khaled Abdul-Wahab, a Tunisian Arab, rescued two dozen Jews by hiding them at his olive oil factory for four months. Abdul-Wahab passed away in 1997, but he has been posthumously nominated for the designation of Righteous Among the Nations by Yad Vashem, Israel's Holocaust Memorial. If confirmed, Abdul-Wahab will be the first Arab person to receive this honor. Recently, Abdul-Wahab's daughter, Faiza, spoke about her father's life and legacy. "I'm very against denial of any kind. I want people to look at the face of reality even if it's hard and to try to open your eyes. If you shut your eyes and say, "I don't want to have nothing in common with these people," you close the door to any dialogue, you know, and it's finished."
Broadcast History
Broadcast on the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Website.
Transcript
FAIZA ABDUL-WAHAB:
I'm optimistic, at the same time I don't believe in miracles. And I think I believe in little drops of water creating an ocean of virtue. And I believe in dialogue; I believe in respect. But, I don't know, I think the dialogue must start from somewhere, and this is one place where it can start.
DANIEL GREENE:
In 1942, German troops arrived in Mahdia, Tunisia, and began to expel Jewish families from their homes. During the occupation, Khaled Abdul-Wahab, a Tunisian Arab, rescued two dozen Jews by hiding them at his olive oil factory for four months. Abdul-Wahab passed away in 1997, but he has been posthumously nominated for the designation of Righteous Among the Nations by Yad Vashem, Israel's Holocaust Memorial. If confirmed, Abdul-Wahab will be the first Arab person to receive this honor. Recently, Abdul-Wahab's daughter, Faiza, spoke about her father's life and...
Read the full transcript
Musical Works
| Title | Artist | Album | Label | Year | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sevani Tsorgnorsn | 35th Parallel | Crossing P. | 2006 | 00:00 |
Additional Files
- Abdul_Wahab (abdul_wahab.jpg)