Does Iran Deny the Holocaust?

Ahmadinejad Meeting "Jews Against Zionism" in New York

Ahmadinejad Meeting “Jews Against Zionism” in New York

This history has always been a field of interest for not only scholars, but also humankind. Through stories of history people see a reflection of their future and their aims; sometimes they find their hopes in the darkness of their present by reviewing how bitter ages past have been replaced by light.

But by cracking the pages of written history, points emerge in your mind; fears, hopes and doubts. Yes, studying brings questions and questions demand answers…

Have you heard Napoleon Bonaparte once said: “History is the version of past events that people have decided to agree upon?” Now there is a part of history that is being questioned, and a group of people around the globe have raised doubts, saying they don’t agree upon what is claimed to be “The Holocaust”.

You have heard of (as Schindler’s List demonstrates) all the pains Jews have gone through; all the hatred they are facing even now, as in many American TV series and movies show. You have definitely heard of Iran’s outrage towards this part of history; but is that true?


Forbidding holocaust denial is justified by attributing it to an anti-Semitic act which cannot be an accurate argument.

There are too many controversies around Iran’s stance towards Israel. Saying ‘Iran wants to wipe Israel off the map’, ‘Iran is to kill the Jews’ etc.

But to understand Iran’s real stance toward this issue, it is worth reviewing President Mahmoud Ahmadienjad’s remarks about the Holocaust.

In an interview with NBC NEWS’s Brian Williams on Sept 19, 2006, Ahmadinejad raised three questions about the Holocaust:

1-      In the Second World War, over 60 million people (at least 50 million civilians) lost their lives. They were all human beings. Why is it that only a select group of those who were killed have become so prominent and important?


3-      If this happened, where did it happen? Did the Palestinian people have anything to do with it? Why should the Palestinians pay for it now? Five million displaced Palestinian people is what I’m talking about. Over 60 years of living under threat. Losing the lives of thousands of dear ones. And homes that are destroyed on a daily basis over people’s heads. You might argue that the Jews have the right to have a government. We’re not against that. But where? At a place where their people were — several people will vote for them, and where they can govern. Not at the cost of displacing a whole nation. And occupying the whole territory.


The Israeli – Palestinian confrontation is one of the longest lasting world crises in recent times and many believe an end to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict would also be the key to solving the other issues and conflicts in the region.

As Iran’s President has frequently asserted, if the Holocaust happened in Europe, what is the fault of the Palestinian people? The Palestinian people’s lives are being destroyed today in the pretext of the Holocaust. Lands have been occupied, usurped. But what is their fault? What role did they play in the Holocaust?

“Well, assuming that the Holocaust happened, then, what does it have to do with the Palestinian people?”


So, What Iran doubts

Let’s review some major points Iran has raised about the Holocaust:

1. The evidence of the honoured history of each nation is always open to study; you have never heard of a ban on studying war crimes; for instance Iran has always presented evidence and proof to the world of what Iraq did to Iran’s people, as most countries do; but the Holocaust is the only part of history, which is kept out of questioning!

2. Let’s consider that the Holocaust is true, and as they say, “six million Jews during World War II, were murdered by Nazi Germany, led by Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party, throughout German-occupied territory.” Still we need to ask: Why Palestinians should pay the price?

Though the solution to this dispute is not very complicated! (Churchill once said: “Study history, study history. In history lies all the secrets of statecraft.”) Iran suggests that the Holocaust events should be further investigated by independent and impartial parties;

Iran is against using the Holocaust to justify the behaviour of Israel in the region, and this is a merely a political and humanitarian argument, nothing to do with Jews and cannot be interpreted as anti – Semitic.

Jews, like other minorities are living peacefully in Iran. Jews are protected in the Iranian constitution and a seat is reserved for a Jew in the Majlis (Iran’s Parliament). Iran hosts the largest Jewish population of any Muslim-majority country.And it is home to the second-largest Jewish population in the Middle East.

Your comments are welcome.

*Zahra Tohidian is an Iranian Journalist who mostly writes political articles and analysis.



10 Responses to “Does Iran Deny the Holocaust?”

  1. Chris

    Apr 29. 2013

    First off, you have no idea how many told him to get stuffed. Second, if he tried that in my neoohbirhogd he would get stuffed in the trunk of a black caddie. Third, there will be a culling of the herd, the first assault wave as usual will be our own dumb people. They will be the first bodies we will need to step over before we meet the main bolshevik forces (be they chinese, or combo of minorities). Therefore you best offer the knowledge to as many as you can (many have never heard it and they do deserve the opportunity to hear it) not only to build your numbers but define the line of us and them. We all grew up playing army not wanting to be the BIG BAD NOTSEE, but now after knowing what we now know if put back in time millions would probably have joined the Waffen-SS or Wehrmacht. FDR would have been shot instead of serving FOUR terms.

    Reply to this comment
  2. Airah

    Apr 29. 2013

    It was an interesting wookshrp! I wish I could be there.About the Films; I am not sure whether they were supposed to be ABOUT war or War-Adventure films. Because Bashoo- Little Stranger- and Turtles Can Fly are about war but they are not war adventure films unlike many of Hatamikia’s films which are in War- Adaventure theme. (I can’t remember ever seeing Namzad)

    Reply to this comment
  3. Rabbitnexus

    Apr 17. 2013

    What sort of history, what sort of truth, needs laws to protect it from query?

    This is a rhetorical question.

    Allah blesses Iran, may Iran always be worthy of this. May Allah always protect Iran from the forces of evil.

    Reply to this comment
  4. chandler williams

    Apr 16. 2013

    Has anyone seen the red cross documents listing total deaths across all “camps” in nazi germany. The numbers indicate under 300k, most from disease. Is the document a fake? How convenient to villainize the nazi party. So where did Hitler go? Who provided him refuge? The truth would unsettle the world. But, Why?

    Reply to this comment
    • Ben

      Apr 30. 2013

      This book is just plain awful. Not only does it repeat alsmot every anti-Israeli conspiracy theory, that Israel had a technological advantage in the 1956 War (both they and the Egyptians were using WWII Shermans, a model that wasn’t even the best tank of the war), that Israel deliberately displaced the Arabs living in Palestine in 1948, that the Israeli Army outnumbered the combined Arab armies of Jordan, Syria, Egypt and Lebanon during the War of Independence (!!!), that the first World Trade Center attack was an Israeli operation, etc. etc. but is also notably silent on the anti-Jewish riots in 1930s Palestine which very nearly reached pogram level, of the terrorist attacks in which Jewish women and children are target (in an effort to force the Zionists to negotiate) of Arafat and his routine lies while holding himself up as a statesman. The author doesn’t just try to use moral relativism he does entire backflips in order to justify the idea that everything is Israel’s fault.One notable line, in trying to justify terrorists Ron David says on page 162 More Americans die in their bathtubs than are killed by terrorists in a year. This book came out in 2001, I’m guessing before September. I hope that those 3,000 deaths makes Mr. David feel better. At last the terrorists are catching up!

      Reply to this comment
  5. Seduxen

    Apr 16. 2013

    Truth needs no law to protect. That is self evident. Germans been prosecuted, sentenced and executed for less involvement in crimes those committed by the state of Israel since 1948 against Palestines, Arabs and the World including the USA. Looking into the wrong direction, ignoring the 800pound gorilla in the room and believing in stories instead of examining facts. Laws needed to protect lies, protect them from objective examinations – this is effective gag order against speaking out. It must change, and it will. And Israel will be wiped off from the book of History, page by page…

    Reply to this comment
  6. William Chandler

    Apr 16. 2013

    If you apply for a disability claim from an insurance company or, especially, the government, you have to PROVE you have been injured, REPEATEDLY. The insurance companies and government do not just “take your word for it” and never question you again. When Israel SOLD the Holocaust for Political Leverage and Monetary Reparations, Israel itself opened the Holocaust up to questioning.
    your comment here…

    Reply to this comment


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