Ludford condemns Iran Holocaust conference

6.01.19pm UTC (GMT +0000) Tue 12th Dec 2006

London Liberal Democrat MEP Baroness Sarah Ludford has condemned the conference on the Holocaust taking place in Tehran.

Baroness Ludford, European justice spokeswoman for the Liberal Democrats and active on equality and anti-discrimination matters, commented:

"I am appalled by the convening of this conference, the main goal of which appears to be providing a platform for anti-Semitic propaganda."

"When the list of invitees includes former leader of the Ku Klux Klan David Duke and well-known international Holocaust deniers such as Georges Thiel, the claim that this conference is about 'objectively examining historical fact' rings utterly hollow."

"On one level Holocaust denial is farcical and absurd since the genocide perpetrated by the Nazis against 6 million Jews is so well-documented that no sane person could deny it. But on another level, it is very dangerous when a member state of the United Nations wraps anti-Semitism in a spurious cloak of anti-Zionism in order to stir up mischief and hate."