Journalist Souad Mekhennet receives International Leadership Award
Souad Mekhennet received last week the Simon Wisenthal Center's International Leadership Award for "for her integrity and courageous commitment to shining light on forgotten victims of man’s inhuman"
By DEBORAH DAHANSouad Mekhennet, Frankfurt Book Fair 2017(photo credit: Wikimedia Commons)
Journalist Souad Mekhennet received last week the International Leadership Award before a group of 200 Community leaders and diplomats at the Museum of Tolerance in Los Angeles.Throughout her career, Mekhennet has been honored for her reporting on issues of extremism, radicalization and terrorism. She was most particularly recognized by the Simon Wiesenthal Center for her commitment and courage as a journalist who has put her own life and safety at-risk for her work.She not only interviewed leaders of al-Qaeda, the Taliban, and ISIS, she also helped to solve the case of one of the most wanted Nazi war criminals, Dr. Aribert Heim.Upon receiving the award, Mekhennet declared: "The work of Simon Wiesenthal and his contemporaries motivate me to investigate crimes against humanity. In order to prevent these atrocities, we must understand root causes: how it came to be that people aligned with and acted on dehumanizing ideologies in the past and today."“Souad Mekhennet can serve as role model for millions of people, whatever their faith, creed, or nationality, said Rabbi Abraham Cooper Associate Dean and Director of Global Social Action Agenda for the leading Jewish human rights Agenda.“Souad wasn’t honored because she is a Muslim of Moroccan and Turkish descent, but the fact that she is being honored by a Jewish NGO for her integrity and courageous commitment to shining light on forgotten victims of man’s inhumanity to man, would have made our namesake proud of this recognition and serve to inspire people around the world”, Cooper noted.
