World-renowned writer and human rights activist Marcos Aguinis spoke of his experiences of Jewish persecution and violence in Argentina, relating many of them to the terrorist attacks in New York, to more than 50 Boston University community members Thursday evening at the Hillel House.
Aguinis has published many books and articles dealing with the topic, many of which had even been banned in Argentina under the dictatorial government.
Because of his Jewish background, in addition to the fact that he has been present for many of the attacks against his people in Argentina, Aguinis has become an esteemed human rights activist for the Jewish population within the country.
It was toward the end of the 19th century that the city of Buenos Aires saw a surge in its immigration population, Aguinas said, second only to New York.
Aguinis said several hundred thousand Jews entered the country, but the combination of terrorist attacks on Israeli embassies in Buenos Aires and an uprising of anti-Semitic feelings toward the Jewish community resulted in only 180,000 still living in the country today.
About 10 years before the attacks that occurred in the United States Sept. 11, 2001, the Israeli embassies in Argentina were attacked first in 1992 and then again in 1994.
Aguinis said the Argentinean attacks should have been a warning to America to expect attacks like the ones that occurred in 2001.
“It was the first time the American continent was attacked-desecrated, by a terrorist attack, with a new weapon, homicide-suicide,” he said. “It was a like a rehearsal, with the new technique. These two attacks in Buenos Aires encouraged the terrorists to come here to the United States. It was a rehearsal for 9/11.”
During the attacks in 1994, Aguinis was writing one of his novels at home in Buenos Aires.
“The attacks in 1994 that killed 90 and wounded close to 300 were the bloodiest attacks against a Jewish Center since World War I,” he said.
Aguinis said the blasts were so powerful that they shook his house 30 blocks away. He said being present for such horrific attacks on the Jewish community in Argentina has obligated him to continue to make the world cognizant of such attacks on the Jewish community that are occurring.
World literature professor Alicia Borinsky said Aguinis was invited to the Hillel House to make students aware of the attacks in Buenos Aires and the discrimination the Jewish population faces in Argentina.
“It is very important to all of us to be alert to attacks on world communities,” she said. “There is a great interest in terrorism, and the attacks on the Jewish communities occurred about 10 years before the attacks of 9/11. That is really very important to keep in mind because it paints a picture for what kind of targets are chosen and why.”
College of Arts and Sciences sophomore Natalia Sieira-Millan said she attended Aguinis’ lecture to gain more insight into the Jewish-Argentinean community.
“I learned a lot about the Argentinean-Jewish community in general,” she said. “I had no idea the scandal that went on, preventing the terrorists responsible for the attacks from being prosecuted.”
