Reaction to the Iranian Holocaust Denial Conference
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Naomi Greenspan is a Program Associate for the Commission on Interreligious Affairs. She holds a degree from St. Louis' Washington University. |
Last week, on December 11-12, 67 researchers from 30 countries convened in Tehran for a conference entitled “Review of the Holocaust: Global Vision.” The Iranian regime’s Holocaust denial conference drew racists such as former leader of the Ku Klux Klan David Duke, an array of European Holocaust deniers, as well as several members of the Neturei Karta, a group of ultra-Orthodox, anti-Zionist Jews. As these notorious anti-Semitic and anti-Zionist individuals met under the auspices of the Iranian Foreign ministry, a country whose president has called the Holocaust a “myth” and for the destruction of the State of Israel, the American Christian and Muslim community looked on with shock and horror.
Immediately following the conference, on December 13, the Council on American- Islamic Relations, America 's largest Islamic civil liberties group, released a statement condemning the conference and calling the Holocaust “the systematic destruction of the Jewish community in Europe by the Nazis during World War II.” It goes on to say that “cynical attempts to use Holocaust denial as a political tool in the Middle East conflict will only serve to deepen the level of mistrust and hostility already present in that troubled region.” The statement also notes the example of the Prophet Muhammad which calls on Muslims to reject racism.
The Unites States Conference of Catholic Bishops followed soon after with a statement from Cardinal William H. Keeler, Archbishop of Baltimore and Episcopal Moderator for Catholic-Jewish Relations, condemning the “'revisionist history’ that seeks to minimize the horror of the Holocaust.” Cardinal Keeler speaks of the Holocaust as a “heinous crime against humanity by the Nazis who attempted to exterminate the Jewish people.” He also sites a similar statement made by the Holy See and reiterates the Church’s commitment to teaching about the Holocaust.
Finally, on December 15, the National Council of Churches - USA, encompassing a wide spectrum of Protestant, Anglican, Orthodox, and other churches, issued a statement calling the conference “regrettable, unfortunate and repugnant.” The statement also notes that the conference “does not help the peace process at all. In fact, it would seem that such a stance undercuts the potential role Iran could play as a possible diplomatic partner in resolving tensions in the region."
The reaction of the American religious community is reassuring to the Jewish community. It is noteworthy that such statements did not only come from our usual “allies” but also from those that we do not always work with as closely. Even with the tensions that sometimes exist between us, we must remember that on issues of importance we must come together to condemn those who espouse hatred and bigotry, no matter who such attacks are being directed against.