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Catholics, Jews, Hindus condemn Susan Sarandon's pope Nazi quip

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Wed, 19 Oct 2011 3:26p.m.

Susan Sarandon (AAP)

Susan Sarandon (AAP)

Catholic, Jewish and Hindu groups are condemning actress Susan Sarandon for referring to Pope Benedict XVI as a Nazi.

Sarandon, who won an Academy Award for her role in the 1995 anti-death penalty film, Dead Man Walking, made the comment during an interview Saturday at the Hamptons Film Festival on Long Island.

As first reported by Newsday, Sarandon said she gave a copy of the book on which the film is based to the German-born pope, referring to him as a Nazi.

Campaigners from the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) are piling the pressure on Sarandon to apologise for her off-hand remark.

A statement from ADL National Director Abraham H Foxman reads, "We hope that Susan Sarandon will have the good sense to apologise to the Catholic community and all those she may have offended with this disturbing, deeply offensive and completely uncalled for attack on the good name of Pope Benedict XVI.

"Ms Sarandon may have her differences with the Catholic Church, but that is no excuse for throwing around Nazi analogies. Such words are hateful, vindictive and only serve to diminish the true history and meaning of the Holocaust."

The head of the Catholic League says her comment was "obscene". And now Hindus have joined the chorus of disapproval - suggesting the outspoken actress should apologise for defaming a religious leader.

US Hindu statesman Rajan Zed tells WENN, "The comment was unnecessary, unacceptable and uncalled for.

"As a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, Sarandon should be spreading love and not making hateful comments about the biggest religious leader of the world.

"The Pope is reportedly organising a religious peace summit in Assisi on October 27, inviting leaders of other Christian denominations, various world religions and some figures from the world of culture and science to walk along the path of dialogue and fraternity. Sarandon should be commending the Pope for this peace summit."

AP / WENN.com

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Comments

20 Oct 2011 05:43a.m.

Jack wrote:

God Bless You and Shut Up!

19 Oct 2011 08:07p.m.

rob pharazyn wrote:

Am so sick of this bunch of PC wankers floating around the world trying to sanitise us out of existence..good on you Susan..you were only telling the truth...damn precious holocaust- huggers...bloody causists!

19 Oct 2011 06:18p.m.

Duke Brady wrote:

There was no "analogy". It's a well known fact that as a boy Ratzinger was a member of Hitler Youth. He admits as much himself. That makes him a nazi.

19 Oct 2011 04:16p.m.

Ruz wrote:

Sarandon may be partly right. The current Pope was a member of the Hitler Youth, when he was about 14. He left to enter the church, so whether he held "Nazi" views at any stage of his life is a moot point. Clearly though the Catholic Church's role in WWII has always been controversial with mixed stories of both betrayal and courage.

19 Oct 2011 03:59p.m.

Phill wrote:

From wikipedia "Following his 14th birthday in 1941, Ratzinger was conscripted into the Hitler Youth—as membership was required by law for all 14-year-old German boys after December 1939". Turns out the Pope was a Nazi soldier. Maybe the media could put Saranden's full quote up to give it some context?

19 Oct 2011 03:45p.m.

Nathaniel Wenger wrote:

We cannot allow the leader of a country to cover up genocide going on.

Civilocity is the one and only solution to make sure the leader of a country cannot cover up genocide going on. Civilocity is a form of government where the people watch the ruler entirely amongst their reign. Every single other way they fought genocide doesn’t work, including charity and the International Criminal Court, because genocide is still going on today. If you want to call genocide democide go ahead, it still resulted in over a million lives in the 20th century alone. Every other way to make sure the leader of a country is not covering up genocide going on doesn’t work and is wrong. Killing is wrong. Preaching peace is wrong. Civilocity is better than peace it works.

I give you civilocity and would love a public conversation with holocaust survivors on the topic of civilocity while that generation is still here. I want to ask a holocaust survivor how they could have kept civilocity quiet for over four years if the holocaust was as bad as they say it was. How to make sure the holocaust doesn't happen ever again might be right under your nose.

We cannot allow the leader of a country to cover up genocide going on or unlawful behavior going on.

It is what you teach that matters the most. You can teach about the holocaust or you can teach how to prevent the holocaust so it doesn't happen in Sudan and Cambodia after it happened in Germany.

It's what others teach that I don’t tolerate because they teach what happened and not how to make sure what happened, doesn't happen again. Thus, it keeps on happening.

Please, stop teaching us what leaders of countries did and start teaching us how to make sure a leader of a country cannot cover up genocide going on.

We cannot allow the leader of a country to cover up genocide going on. If you can you're a Nazi? The pope has kept civilocity quiet for over four years, what do you think he is?