Search the Community

CNN chief correspondent Christiane Amanpour in her recent interview with Iranian President Rouhani asked him about the 'holocaust' and whether he recognized that it took place. Iran's responded by saying he's not a historian and that such dimensions should be dealt with by historians. Instead of reporting what Rouhani actually said, CNN and Amanpour quoted Rouhani as referring to the "dimensions of the holocaust." CNN later again falsely translated Rouhani's words when citing him as saying "Any criminality against the Jews, we condemn." The translations were later copy and pasted on regime-licensed news sites such as The Telegraph and Reuters. Holocaust: Although Iran's official stated policy is not in denial of the suffering of Jewish people during World War II, Jewish suffering represents a fragment of the total casualties of World War II with a total death toll of 60 million. Therefore, Iranian presidents have consistently stated that they condemn all crimes which have been carried out in World War II and its aftermath. This 'Iranian narrative' includes the killing of gypsies, socialists and other innocent civilians, who had also been mass murdered by 'allied forces' such as the United States and Great Britain. The term holocaust is not officially in use, mainly because it was utilized in the creation of the State of Israel as part as a post-war propaganda effort. In addition and more generally, Iranians believe it delineates Jews as a special group and elevates their suffering over other civilians from other groups during the conflict.