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Ahmadinejad calls holocaust “a myth” |
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Wednesday, 14 December 2005 |
 Hard-line President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has courted further
controversy by explicitly calling the Nazi Holocaust of European Jewry
a "myth".
"They have created a myth today that they call the massacre of Jews and
they consider it a principle above God, religions and the prophets," he
said.
On live TV, he called for Europe or North America - even Alaska - to host a Jewish state, not the Middle East.
Mr Ahmadinejad's latest declaration echoes comments he made last week
in which he said territory should be "provided" in Germany or Austria
to establish Israel "if European countries claim that they have killed
Jews in World War II".
The president sparked international outrage in October when he said Israel should be "wiped off the map".
Speaking to thousands of people in south-eastern city of Zahedan,
Ahmadinejad brushed aside criticism of his views, saying it was
orchestrated by supporters of Israel.
"If someone were to deny the existence of God... or prophets and
religion, they would not bother him. However, if someone were to deny
the myth of the Jews' massacre, all the Zionist mouthpieces and the
governments subservient to the Zionists tear their larynxes and scream
against the person as much as they can," he said.
He returned to his earlier theme that Europe should shoulder the responsibility for a Jewish state.
"If you [Europeans] committed this big crime, then why should the oppressed Palestinian nation pay the price?
"This is our proposal: give a part of your own land in Europe, the US,
Canada or Alaska to them so that the Jews can establish their country,"
he said.
The European Union renewed its condemnation of Ahmadinejad's position, saying it had no place in civilised political debate.
"The comments are wholly unacceptable and we condemn them
unreservedly," said UK Minister for Europe Douglas Alexander, whose
country currently holds the EU presidency.
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