Lest We Forget

In the first week after the attacks on New York and Washington on September 11th 2001, one hundred and four Hindu temples were burned to the ground by racists who place all the blame for the attacks on the World Trade Centre and the Pentagon on all of Islam. Thousands of Muslims were arrested and interrogated for months about possible connections to Al Qaida. Even when no relationship was determined, the men were often deported, without their relatives being notified. Director Jason DaSilva sees history repeating itself. After the bombing of Pearl Harbor (with a similar number of deaths), all Japanese were held responsible and 120,000 Japanese were questioned, detained and deported. Illustrated by dramatised historical reconstruction in black-and-white, a woman explains how her sick father was taken from the house by the FBI and removed to a camp. In a press conference, then president Roosevelt used the word ‘concentration camp’. Sixty years later, the US government applies similar tactics: consider all people of the same race and religion suspect and quilty until proven innocent, until contrary evidence is provided. The judicial authorities have obscured the apprehension of at least 1500 men, whose names have been crossed out in documents. It is not known where the covert deportations have taken them. (International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam)