A Nobel Peace Prize for Encouraging Violence?
Friends of the Earth (FOE), which proclaims itself, "The U.S. voice of the world's largest network of environmental groups," recently published a Press Release on the front page of their website congratulating Dr. Wangari Maathai for being "awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her social and environmental work." A Director of FOE went on to state that the Prize was "a great testimony to the resolute struggles of a great woman."

What FOE did not mention in their Press Release was Dr. Maathai's bizarre, unscientific, and downright dangerous view that the AIDS virus was created by "evil-minded scientists" to control blacks. The Melbourne Herald Sun newspaper went on to quote Dr. Maathai as stating that, "In fact it (the HIV virus) is created by a scientist for biological warfare."

The newspaper also noted that, prior to being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, "Kenya's daily Standard newspaper quoted Ms Maathai saying HIV/AIDS was created by scientists for the purpose of mass extermination."

Winston thinks that Dr. Maathai's views on AIDS should completely disqualify her from winning any sort of "peace" prize. Just the opposite. Her views have the potential to not simply promote divisiveness but also bloodshed and war. Any ethnic, national or other group that is rumored or otherwise falsely charged with responsibility for unleashing AIDS could well become the subject of mass murder. Hasn't their been enough causeless hatred and violence without yet another person, a Nobel Peace Laureate no less, further fueling such flames?

In all fairness to FOE, NRDC and other groups that have congratulated Dr. Maathai, these organizations may well have been completely unaware of her scandalous views on AIDS when they applauded her winning the award. However, now that Dr. Maathai's views on the cause of AIDS are now part of the public record, it is incumbent on these groups to denounce such beliefs. Anything less than an unequivocal denunciation of Dr. Maathai's views on origins of AIDS by these watchdog organizations would, in Winston's view, constitute consent and complicity. Not only with regard to the content of Dr. Maathai's views, but also with regard to any potential consequences.