Iran's president doubts Holocaust

2005-12-13 19:33

Tehran - Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has again cast doubt on the Holocaust and called on Muslim nations to take a proactive stand on the Palestinian issue.

The president's comments, published on Tuesday on Iranian state television's website, were the second time in a week that he had doubted the Nazi destruction of European Jewry during the World War 2.

Ahmadinejad provoked an international outcry in October after he called Israel a "disgraceful blot" that should be "wiped off the map".

The website quoted Ahmadinejad as saying: "If the killing of Jews in Europe is true and the Zionists are being supported because of this excuse, why should the Palestinian nation pay the price?"

The television didn't broadcast Ahmadinejad's comments, and the website gave no reason.

Palestinian issue

The president was speaking on Monday at an Islamic conference in Tehran that was attended by Khaled Mashaal, the political leader of the Palestinian militant group, Hamas.

The reports said that later on Monday, Ahmadinejad discussed the Palestinian issue with Mashaal.

Ahmadinejad said: "The Islamic world should give up its policy of passivity and deal with the Palestinian issue more actively."

He said the West couldn't play a neutral role in the Palestinian-Israeli issue.

Ahmadinejad said: "The West's policy has always been in favour of the Zionist regime and to the detriment of the Islamic world. It can't be a judge or mediator now."

Moderate face of Islam

Ahmadinejad provoked an angry reaction from Europe, the United States and even Russia, an ally of Iran, on Thursday after he said Israel should be moved to Europe if the West wanted to make up for the Holocaust.

The comment also infuriated the Saudis as it was made on the sidelines of a meeting of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference that was dedicated to showing the moderate face of Islam.

Ahmadinejad's remarks had also provoked a reaction from his conservative allies who feared that he was hurting the country's image.

Moderate Iranians had called on the ruling Islamic establishment to rein in the president.

The controversy came at a sensitive time for Iran, which was under heavy international pressure about its nuclear programme.

But Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who had ultimate say in all issues, had backed Ahmadinejad's calls for Israel's elimination.

- AP