Speech #990103798

Dr. de Sousa Mendez was never given the rightful. honorable place in history he deserves. In a speech given before the national assembly. in 1945. de Sousa Mendez. in de. fending his actions. argued that to have obeyed the orders of his Foreign Secretary would have been contrary to several articles of the Portuguese Constitution. Refusing to grant visas to people already persecuted by the Nazis in the countries from which they fled constituted "* * odious religious presecution." To Dr. de Sousa Mendez. the granting of visas to the Jewish refugees was a matter of the right to asylum which "* * * any civilized country has always recognized and respected in occasion of war or public calamity." It is most appropriate that we honor Dr. Aristides de Sousa Mendez as we commen. orate the lolocaust. We need to remember and reverse those who took courageous steps to protect the Jews fleeing such unparalleled horror as that which occurred during World War !1 to Insure that such horrors will never be repeated by any regime. "lsm." or government.