Who said “Throughout history, it has been the inaction of those who could have acted, the…”?

Verified

Haile Selassie. A published source records them saying or writing it.

SourceSpeech to the UN Security Council in Africa Hall, Addis Ababa, 28 January 1972, Security Council official records, S/PV,1627. Multiple sources misattribute the quote to a separate speech Selassie made to the UN on 4 October 1963.

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Authors A–Z
“Throughout history, it has been the inaction of those who could have acted, the indifference of those who should have known better, the silence of the voice of justice when it mattered most, that has made it possible for evil to triumph.”
— Haile Selassie
VerifiedSpeech to the UN Security Council in Africa Hall, Addis Ababa, 28 January 1972, Security Council official records, S/PV,1627. Multiple sources misattribute the quote to a separate speech Selassie made to the UN on 4 October 1963. · evidenceProcrastination
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Cite this quote

For academic work, cite the original where you can: Speech to the UN Security Council in Africa Hall, Addis Ababa, 28 January 1972, Security Council official records, S/PV,1627. Multiple sources misattribute the quote to a separate speech Selassie made to the UN on 4 October 1963..

APA

Selassie, H. (n.d.). Throughout history, it has been the inaction of those who could have acted, the indifference of those who should have known better, the silence of the voice of justice when it mattered most, that has made it possible for evil to triumph. [Quotation]. Famous Quotations Network. Retrieved October 24, 2026, from https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/34514-throughout-history-it-has-been-the-inaction-of/

MLA

Selassie, Haile. “Throughout history, it has been the inaction of those who could have acted, the indifference of those who should have known better, the silence of the voice of justice when it mattered most, that has made it possible for evil to triumph.” Famous Quotations Network, https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/34514-throughout-history-it-has-been-the-inaction-of/. Accessed 24 Oct. 2026.

Chicago

Selassie, Haile. “Throughout history, it has been the inaction of those who could have acted, the indifference of those who should have known better, the silence of the voice of justice when it mattered most, that has made it possible for evil to triumph.” Famous Quotations Network. Accessed October 24, 2026. https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/34514-throughout-history-it-has-been-the-inaction-of/.

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