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Why Iran's Khamenei Resorts to Holocaust Denial

(Middle East Eye) Meir Javedanfar - Last Wednesday, as the world marked International Holocaust Remembrance Day, a video was uploaded to Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei's website in which he questions the Holocaust. Why now? Because Iran's supreme leader is worried that, having reached a nuclear deal with the U.S., the "Great Satan" will now want to use its improved relations with some Iranian politicians to "infiltrate" Iranian decision-making bodies. These days you cannot open an Iranian newspaper or internet news website without some Iranian hardliner, including the supreme leader, warning about "nufuz," or infiltration, by the West. The best way to halt an improvement in relations with the West is to bring up the Holocaust, to deny and question it. This also explains why a third "Holocaust Cartoon and Caricature" competition will be held in Iran in June. Another reason for the continuation in Iran of Holocaust denial is that the public use of racist, anti-Semitic language and slogans by hardliners is becoming more acceptable. At the recent anti-Saudi demonstrations, pro-regime demonstrators were photographed holding signs which stated that the Saudi family name - Al Saud - is "Al Yahud" (Jews). The writer is an Iranian-Israeli lecturer, researcher and author.
2016-02-02 00:00:00
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