Iran’s Foreign Minister Zarif Condemns Holocaust as Tragedy

[bemildred]

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif called Nazi Germany’s mass killing of Jews in World War II a “horrifying tragedy” in a German interview, underlining his government’s changed tone on the Holocaust.

Such mass murder should never be repeated, Zarif told broadcaster Phoenix in an interview at Berlin’s Adlon hotel, located next to the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe. The interview, conducted in English, was dubbed into German by Phoenix with part of the original audible. The broadcaster didn’t provide an English transcript.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has distanced his government from the Holocaust denial of his predecessor, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. In a CNN interview last September in New York, Rouhani condemned the Nazis’ wartime crimes against European Jews as “reprehensible and condemnable.”

Zarif said Islamic scripture forbids killing an individual, let alone many, according to Phoenix. He linked the issue to Israel’s treatment of Palestinians, saying the subject should not be made a distraction to what he called human rights abuses against Palestinians in occupied territory.

http://www.businessweek.com/news/2014-02-03/iran-s-foreign-minister-zarif-condemns-holocaust-as-tragedy

[Deep13]

1. Glad they acknowledge that, but at this point ...

... it is like announcing the discovery of gravity.

[Scootaloo]

3. They've always recognized it, actually

It's just that through some freak of chance, Iran was saddled with a president who was a holocaust denier for a while. Ahmedenijad was roundly criticized within Iran, most prominently by former Prime Minister Mir-Hossein Mousavi, and Rouhani was quick to slam his predecessor's ahistorical views after being elected, making it clear that Ahmedenijad's bullshit position is not Iran's position

Of course since none of that plays well to "MAD MULLAHS WITH A NUKE WHO HATE THE WEST FOR ITS JEWS AND FREEDOMS AND IS PART OF THE AXIS OF EVIL BOMB BOMB IRAN!" that dominates discourse about Iran...

[King_David]

5. Where's the mistranslation crowd now?

Last edited Tue Feb 4, 2014, 11:51 AM - Edit history (1)

Why aren't the "Israel is Apartheid picnic" and "I am in this because I am an AntiZionist " and "the Cafe Latte American supporters of Palestine" or " my summer vacation in Gaza" crowds claiming this is not a mistranslation ?

LOL

This is too funny ...

[Scootaloo]

7. Well, because the Lyin' For Zion set hasn't tried to change what's being said here.

Seems simple enough.

[sabbat hunter]

2. Glad to hear

that a senior minister in Iran has stated this about the holocaust(hopefully it won't be retracted as a mistranslation or anything like that).

[bemildred]

4. Well, I thought it was nice.

And perhaps if it results in fewer stories about Iranian denial on the subject, it will do some good.

[King_David]

6. I hope it's not a mistranslation !