Iranian Parliament Speaker Haddad-Adel: Even If the Jews Were Oppressed in Germany, Why Should the Islamic People Pay the Price?

Following are excerpts from an address by Iranian Parliament Speaker Gholam-Ali Haddad-Adel, which aired on Channel 1, Iranian TV, on December 11, 2005.

Gholam-Ali Haddad-Adel: What Mr. Ahmadinejad says is very important. He and all the free people of the world are asking Europe: Why are the researchers not permitted to express their views about the crematoria freely? Clearly, although for some people, certain issues are beyond doubt, they should not prohibit others from studying these issues.

What do the Europeans have to say when they imprison someone who, relying on legal documents, allows himself to cast doubt and to express his views? These Europeans accuse others of lacking freedom of thought. How come they have such a law, and how do they justify it?

The question is: If the Jews were indeed oppressed in Germany – even assuming this is true – why should the Islamic people pay the price for an injustice perpetrated on a different continent and by another country? Anyone can answer this question. We cannot say that the people of this world have no right to ask questions, just because the Europeans or the Americans don't like it. If there is freedom in the world, it should be for everyone. We too are free to ask questions.