ADC criticises AFL Hitler reference
The B’nai B’rith Anti-Defamation Commission has criticised gender adviser to the AFL Catharine Lumby for comparing legislation that would seek to regulate relationships between co-workers to Hitler’s regime.
Dvir Abramovich
Catharine Lumby said, “I think it’s Nazi Germany if we start legislating about who we can have sex with or what people do in their private lives.” The comments were made in an interview about a recent sex scandal that saw two high-ranking AFL executives resign.
Dr Dvir Abramovich, Chairman of the ADC said: “While I understand that there are strong emotions regarding this issue, Catharine Lumby’s cynical reference to Nazi Germany is insensitive and deeply hurtful to Holocaust survivors.
This tasteless comparison is a gross distortion of the historical record, cheapens and trivialises the memory of the six million Jews and millions of others who perished, and devalues the contribution of those diggers who fought valiantly to defeat the Nazis. While Ms. Lumby is entitled to speak about gender issues, it is simply unacceptable to draw any links between Hitler’s genocidal actions, and workplace protocols.
Such tasteless remarks only poison and debase what is a serious debate, and we urge Ms. Lumby to apologise and to refrain from employing such outrageous and inflammatory equations in the future.”
Mr Abromovic, you comments are totally ridiculous and over the top. Don’t be so precious and go and get a life. You give undue weight to innocently made comments.
John Wertheim
I tend to agree with Lumby’s sentiments, though I don’t know why a jewish website in interested in them. In our secular society people are at liberty to do things that are morally offensive.
But the Hitler comparison was just odious and I agree whole heartedly with the rebuke