[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 24 (Thursday, March 7, 2002)]
[House]
[Page H740]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        MOURNING ARI HALBERSTAM

  (Mr. WEINER asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. WEINER. Madam Speaker, today is the twenty-third of Adar, 5762 on 
the Jewish calendar, the Yahrzeit, or anniversary, of the passing of 
Ari Halberstam. It was 8 years ago today that he died as a result of 
wounds suffered in a terrorist attack on the Brooklyn Bridge March 1, 
1994.
  America awakened to terrorism on September 11, but for years there 
were Imams in mosques in the United States, who were inciting hatred 
and glorifying terrorism. For years, there were voices trying to bring 
this to our attention, one of the loudest of which was Devorah 
Halberstam, the mother of Ari. When she was told that her son's death 
was a result of simple road rage, she refused to let the authorities 
whitewash history. It was not just because of her son, it was because 
she realized back then what so many of us did not realize until 
September 11, that terrorism can happen in the United States and that, 
unless we are willing to confront terrorism, we are doomed to see it 
happen again.
  On December 5, 2000, the FBI finally classified Ari's death as a 
terrorist incident. While it was heartening to see that they had 
abandoned their dogmatic view, this was a hollow victory. For 6 years, 
the FBI did not admit what it truly was. So today, as the candles burn 
in honor of Ari Halberstam, let us pause to remember the boy who was 
taken from us and let us stop to think of the lessons we should learn 
and let us pray that we have the wisdom to prevent attacks such as 
these from happening again.

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