'Holocaust denial is an anti-Semitic conspiracy theory.' Foxman
Photo: Gabi Menashe
ADL urges EU to denounce Iran Shoah seminar
Anti-Defamation League send letters to European leaders, including Blair and Prodi, asking that they publicly condemn Tehran conference questioning Holocaust; Director Abe Foxman: It is essential for European and world leaders to denounce this conference and everything it stands for at its core, which is anti-Semitism
The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) urged European leaders Saturday to condemn an upcoming conference in Iran titled, "Review of the Holocaust: Global Vision," in which the Iranian government will feature dozens of speakers questioning the historical fact of the Holocaust.
ADL National Director and a Holocaust survivor Abraham H. Foxman issued a statement saying, "We believe this type of Holocaust denial has no place in the family of nations, and that it is essential for European and world leaders to condemn this conference and everything it stands for at its core, which is anti-Semitism."
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"Holocaust denial is an anti-Semitic conspiracy theory that posits that Jews, for their own selfish purposes, created a monstrous tale of their own destruction and deliberately inflicted the hoax on the entire world," he added.
"It presumes that Jews control the international media and all other forms of information, for how else could such a 'fantasy' flourish the way it has."
The ADL said that while Tehran has refused to release a list of participants, Bradley Smith, a US-based Holocaust denier, has boasted to supporters that at least 10 notorious Holocaust deniers from around the world will present papers, including Robert Faurisson of France, Jurgen Graf of Switzerland, Michele Renouf of the UK and Ahmed Rami of Sweden.
'Unique and undeniable horror'
The ADL said it has distributed a letter urging European governments and the European Union to publicly denounce the conference.
"This conference seeks to question the record of the Holocaust and is a disgrace to the memories of the six million Jews and others who died at the hands of the Nazis," said the League's letter, whose recipients include Prime Minister Tony Blair of the United Kingdom, Prime Minister Romano Prodi of Italy, Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany, President Jacques Chirac of France and Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen of Finland, who also serves as President of the European Union.
The ADL praised UN Secretary General Kofi Annan for his strong statement, issued Saturday, condemning the Iranian Holocaust conference and "any effort to question or deny the Holocaust."
“Any attempt to cast doubt on the reality of this unique and undeniable horror must be firmly resisted by all people of goodwill and of whatever faith," Annan added.
