Iran opens Holocaust conference

[Killer]

TEHRAN, Iran -Iran on Monday opened a Holocaust conference that it said would examine whether the genocide took place, claiming the meeting was an opportunity for discussion in an atmosphere free of Western taboos.
The conference, "Review of the Holocaust: Global Vision," was initiated by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who has described the Holocaust as a "myth" and called for Israel to be wiped off the map. Even before it opened, the gathering was condemned by Germany, the United States and Israel.

The organizers, the Foreign Ministry's Institute for Political and International Studies, say the two-day conference has drawn 67 foreign researchers from 30 countries.

In his opening speech, the institute's chief, Rasoul Mousavi, said the conference provided an opportunity to discuss "questions" about the Holocaust away from Western taboos and the restrictions imposed on scholars in Europe.

In Germany, Austria and France, it is illegal to deny the Holocaust.

"This conference seeks neither to deny nor prove the Holocaust," Mousavi said. "It is just to provide an appropriate scientific atmosphere for scholars to offer their opinions in freedom about a historical issue."

Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki dismissed the foreign criticism as "predictable," telling conference delegates in a speech that there was "no logical reason for opposing this conference."

"The objective for organizing this conference is to create an atmosphere to raise various opinions about a historical issue. We are not seeking to deny or prove the Holocaust," Mottaki said.

"If the official version of the Holocaust is thrown into doubt, then the identity and nature of Israel will be thrown into doubt. And if, during this review, it is proved that the Holocaust was a historical reality, then what is the reason for the Muslim people of the region and the Palestinians having to pay the cost of the Nazis' crimes?" Mottaki said.

In Israel, the official Holocaust memorial, Yad Vashem, issued a statement condemning the Tehran conference as an attempt to "paint (an) extremist agenda with a scholarly brush ... an effort to mainstream Holocaust denial."

The conference was expected to receive a message from Ahmadinejad, who has said that the killing of six million Jews by the Nazi German regime during World War II was a "myth" and "exaggerated."

More:http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061211/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iran_holocaust_conference

Unbelievable.:uhh:

[Adam_Schwartz]

But if the West held a conference denying the existence of Muhammed or criticized Islam, for instance, Muslims around the world would lambast its organizers and call for the death of all those involved. Of course no such event would take place, so it's kind of a moot point.

I especially love this quote: "It is just to provide an appropriate scientific atmosphere for scholars to offer their opinions in freedom about a historical issue."

Scientific? Are they going to do some archaeological digs and perform some carbon dating? And people wonder why Islam has such a poor image right now.

[YOTH]

But if the West held a conference denying the existence of Muhammed or criticized Islam, for instance, Muslims around the world would lambast its organizers and call for the death of all those involved. Of course no such event would take place, so it's kind of a moot point.

I especially love this quote: "It is just to provide an appropriate scientific atmosphere for scholars to offer their opinions in freedom about a historical issue."

Scientific? Are they going to do some archaeological digs and perform some carbon dating? And people wonder why Islam has such a poor image right now.

:snicker: its so insane I can only laugh at what's going on. Pope cannot quote a simple verse without Muslim outrage...yet these cavemen are preaching about openness.

[Killer]

Any way you look at it..laughable at best.

[Adam_Schwartz]

:snicker: its so insane I can only laugh at what's going on. Pope cannot quote a simple verse without Muslim outrage...yet these cavemen are preaching about openness.

Ahmadinejad had the balls to say that "he loves people of all faiths" during his visit to the UN in NYC a few months ago. He, as well as his cronie followers, as massive hypocrites. Most people know what's going on right now, at least that is what my gut tells me. More media folks are criticizing Islam and its radical practitioners more and more, which needs to be done.

But anytime someone questions Islam and what the intentions of its followers are, groups like CAIR label them as "hate mongorers" and "racists". But those phrases are getting played out.

Overall, people like Ahmadjihad and his cronies know that the US and the West won't do jack shit - we have been effectively de-balled by all the appeasers of the world.

[Killer]

He needs to be offed by a SEAL TEAM.

[Adam_Schwartz]

He is not even the one with the TRUE power in Iran, so offing him would not do a whole lot. But I agree with your sentiment.

[mambo#5]

He is not even the one with the TRUE power in Iran, so offing him would not do a whole lot. But I agree with your sentiment.

:werd:

http://www.khamenei.ir/Data/Media/Photo/84/07/21A/B/006.jpg

[RLG]

That guy's right hand is totally creepy

[Adam_Schwartz]

That's what happens when you smack infidels around for 70 years.

[Sarlacc]

The majority of iranians are in no way even extremeists in any sense of the word.

Its all the ayatollah, who again, most iranians dont like.

And I agree with everything else said.

[Adam_Schwartz]

Although not published much (and for good reason), younger Iranians are not in favor of the ultra-conservative Islamist regime. But the problem is that when people speak out too loudly, they get hanged for being "immoral".

John Mclaughlin had a piece from one of his visits to Iran and voiced the same sentiment, i.e. it's more modern and has fewer extremists than we are led to believe. Too bad it's the extremists that hold power there, as well as in other Middle Eastern nations.