Thursday, April 16th 2015

Iran's Holocaust Denial: No Problem for Austria's President Heinz Fischer?

STOP THE BOMB demands cancellation of state visit to Iran

Just today, on Holocaust Remembrance Day in Israel and while the "March of the Living" with Austrian participants is held at the former Auschwitz extermination camp, Austria’s President Heinz Fischer reiterated his plans to soon visit Iran in the second half of 2015.

"Austria’s head of state obviously does not see any problem in rewarding a regime, whose 'Supreme Leader' Ali Khamenei continuously questions the reality of the Holocaust, with a state visit. Right now the Iranian regime is yet again sponsoring a Holocaust cartoon contest in Tehran. Holocaust denial is a criminal act by Austrian law. Which kind of a signal would that be for Holocaust survivors and anti-Fascist activists in Austria, if the President legitimized international Holocaust deniers by paying a state visit? So where is the criticism of self-declared anti-Fascist parties in Austria? Where is the outcry of the anti-Fascist civil society? When Austrian politicians swear 'Never again!' at Holocaust memorial ceremonies these days, but remain silent on the anti-Semitism and Holocaust denial of the Iranian regime, it becomes clear that these are empty words," said Stefan Schaden, the spokesperson for STOP THE BOMB in Austria.