A controversial Virginia school board member is taking heat for saying the Battle of Iwo Jima, a major US victory during World War II, “unfortunately happened” — and set a record for “human evil.”
Abrar Omeish made the stunning statements during a Thursday meeting of the Fairfax County School Board while discussing the US’s recent Japanese Day of Remembrance, which commemorates the 1942 internment of Japanese Americans by the US.
“Something for us to certainly reflect on as we learn our history and think about it,” she said of the annual event. “The days when, you know, Iwo Jima unfortunately happened and set a record for really, what I hate to say, human evil is capable of.”
Omeish also invoked Holocaust Remembrance Day, which will be observed in April to honor the memory of the 6 million Jews and other victims killed by the Nazis.
A video clip of her remarks was posted on Twitter by the Fairfax County Parents Association, which referred to them as a “(mis?)statement.”
“Not sure what Ms. Omeish was saying here, is she condemning the brave US Marines that invaded Iwo Jima? Perhaps she meant to say something else,” the group said.
