April 1, 2008.

 

 

Ms Catherine J. Mathis,

Vice President Corporate Communications

The New York Times

229 West 23rd Street,

New York , NY 10036.

 

 

Dear Madam,

 

Documentary movie on suicide bombers "My daughter the terrorist”

 

 

I write to express my serious concern about a documentary film on LTTE suicide bombers titled "My daughter the terrorist," produced by Norwegian film maker, Beate Arnestad, to be featured in the Full Frame Documentary Film Festival to be held in Durham, North Carolina, on April 4, 2008. This movie, while recording the lives and faiths of two female Black Tigers, brainwashed and trained as suicide bombers, glorifies suicide bombing, which you would agree, is a universal scourge. I find it disturbing that suicide terrorism would be promoted in this manner in the U.S., which has suffered so much at the hands of suicide bombers, and which continues to suffer uncountable horrors and carnage at the hands of terrorists in Iraq and Afghanistan.

 

The LTTE is proscribed in the U.S. as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO). The FBI, in an article on its website, has classified the LTTE as being “among the most dangerous and deadly extremists in the world.” http://www.fbi.gov/page2/jan08/tamil_tigers011008.html

 

You may also be aware that is LTTE is known as the inventor of the suicide vest and popularized the use of females as suicide bombers. Allowing terrorists to promote their views and strategies could be a mistake, as it will also provide opportunities to other terrorist organizations to benefit from LTTE tactics.

 

From time to time, views have been expressed by various quarters on the need to look into the root causes of terrorism. While we acknowledge the need to look for root causes in order to find solutions, there can be no cause or ideology that can justify the use of terrorism targeting innocent, unarmed civilians.

 

 

As one of the main sponsors of the Full Frame Documentary Film Festival, I appeal to you and to your organization, to please do your utmost to prevail upon the organizers of the film festival to reconsider their decision to screen the movie.

 

With Best regards

 

Sincerely,

 

 

Bernard Goonetilleke

Ambassador.