Whenever men or women are persecuted because of their race, religion or political views, that place must — at that moment — become the center of the universe.
—Elie Wiesel,
1986 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Human rights advocate and Nobel laureate Elie Wiesel knows something about persecution.
Born in 1928 in Sighet, Transylvania (now a part of Romania), he was 15 when Nazis deported him and his family to Auschwitz, where he lost his mother and younger sister. He then lost his father in Buchenwald shortly before the camp was liberated in April 1945.
The death camps, however, weren't consciously a center of the universe, as Weisel stressed the importance of in the above quote. But Wiesel's internationally acclaimed memoir, Night, helped bring the tragedies to light.
In an October 2001 interview in Parade Magazine, Wiesel said, Terrorists glorify hatred and seek to arouse fear. Only this time, they failed.
Wiesel reflects on and speaks about the tragic events of Sept. 11,at 8 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 21, in the McArthur Gymnasium at Eckerd College.
Wiesel and his wife have founded The Elie Wiesel Foundation for Humanity, whose mission — rooted in the memory of the Holocaust — is to advance the cause of human rights by creating forums for the discussion and resolution of urgent ethical issues.
Wiesel currently teaches philosophy, religion and literature at Boston University. The author of more than 40 books, he's received numerous awards for his literary and human rights activities, including more than 100 honorary degrees from institutions of higher learning.
Eckerd College is at 4200 54th Ave. S., St. Petersburg (727-864-8297).
This article appears in Feb 20-26, 2002.