Remarks On the Occasion of the Presentation of the Simon Wiesenthal Center Tolerance Award to His Majesty King Abdullah II, Delivered by Rabbi Marvin Hier, Founder and Dean of the Simon Wiesenthal Center and the Museum of Tolerance

Your Majesty,

Our visit here today marks the third time in ten years that a delegation from the Simon Wiesenthal Center has been welcomed here at the Royal Palace.

We remember with special fondness our previous visits with your father, the late King Hussein, whose memory we shall always cherish and with whom we enjoyed a very personal relationship. He yearned for a Middle East free of bloodshed where the sons of Abraham would live out their lives, growing the land and converting the desert into an oasis of peace and prosperity.

Today we are pleased to again return for the purpose of conferring upon you, Your Majesty, the Simon Wiesenthal Center’s 2005 Tolerance Award. It is presented in recognition of your courage and leadership in standing on the side of human dignity and mutual respect between people of all faiths and creeds and in opposition to the forces of evil, the disciples of terrorism and suicide attacks, fanaticism and anti-Semitism who are the enemies of mankind and who wish to return human civilization to the dark ages.

In acting as a force for moderation at such a critical time in human history, you have taken to heart the painful legacy that the 20th century with her wars, her genocides, and the holocaust have imparted to us:

• That nothing enduring was ever created by hate.
• No future made brighter by tyranny.
• No faith ever strengthened by fanaticism.

The great challenge before us is to take the 21st century in a different direction. To make it that century of hope that the prophets of old spoke of – a time when nations shall choose cooperation over confrontation, when religions shall teach a greater reverence for life than for death. As our sages in the Ethics of the Fathers have reminded us, “It is not for us to complete the task, but neither are we free to desist from it.” And as Albert Einstein cautioned, “The world is a dangerous place to live. Not because of the people who are evil, but because of those people who do not do anything about it.”

For trying to do something about it and for helping to make the world a safer place for our children and grandchildren, the Simon Wiesenthal Center is honored to present to you its 2005 Tolerance Award, the citation reads:

Simon Wiesenthal Center Museum of Tolerance Peace Laureate conferred upon King Abdullah II of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan in recognition of His Majesty’s leadership in promoting peace and tolerance. Presented in Amman, June 21

Rabbi Marvin Hier, Founder and Dean            Larry Mizel, Chairman of the Board of Trustees

As a token of this historic occasion, I would like to present to you this silver shofar designed by the renowned artist Sam Phillipe which symbolizes the hope for universal peace and brotherhood.

On behalf of the Board of Trustees of the Simon Wiesenthal Center and the Museum of Tolerance, it is my honor to invite your Majesty and his family to visit the Museum of Tolerance in Los Angeles and to deliver an address to the leadership of our community at a time of your choosing.