Monday, April 7th 2014

Public reading against Holocaust denial and human rights violations on occasion of the Vienna nuclear talks

STOP THE BOMB demands cancellation of Iran trips by Austrian FM Kurz and President Fischer

The coalition STOP THE BOMB will be holding a public reading against the silcence over the Iranian regime's Holocaust denial and human rights abuses on Tuesday, 8 April, 11AM at Vienna’s Theodor-Herzl-Square next to Palais Coburg, the venue of the nuclear talks with the Iranian regime. The reading will include texts of the authors Robert Schindel, Nahid Bagheri-Goldschmied, Amir Goodarzi and Andreas Peham, an expert on right-wing extremism. The event is supported by the Jewish Community Vienna, Initiative Against Anti-Semitism in Austria, Homosexual Initiative Vienna and others.

The coalition further demands the cancellation of the announced Iran trips by Austrian Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz and Austrian President Heinz Fischer. These trips would be nothing but another act of cosying up to the homophobic, antisemitic and misogynist regime. Fischer would be the first Western head of state since 2005 to visit the Iranian regime. Said Stefan Schaden, spokesperson for STOP THE BOMB in Austria: "It is a scandal that the West continues its soft line towards the regime even after the UN deplored the worsening human rights situation in Iran and Ali Khamenei again denied the Shoah. Holocaust deniers cannot be a partner for dialogue. Western business helps this regime to finance the brutal oppression of the Iranian population, the executions, the nuclear program and the denial of the National Socialist genocide."

Appalled by the silence of Austria’s government over Khamenei’s Holocaust denial is Rudi Gelbard, one of the few survivors of the Theresienstadt concentration camp who lost 19 family members in the Shoah: "When will it finally be understood in this country that annihilation threats against Israel and Holocaust denial must not remain unchallenged - no matter who denies it and where in this world?" Stephan Grigat, Scientific Director of STOP THE BOMB, criticized the talks with Iranian Foreign Minister Zarif: "The massive concerns voiced by Israel, which is the primary target of the Iranian nuclear program, are being shrugged off in the negotiations. We take a stand against this attitude by the international community with our rally at Vienna’s Theodor-Herzl-Square, named after one of the pioneers of Zionism."