Video Message of Elie Wiesel for the International Iran-Conference 2008

This is a video message of  Prof. Elie Wiesel to STOP THE BOMB and the Mideast Freedom Forum Berlin for the international Iran-Conference "Business as usual - The Iranian Regime, the "Holy War" against Israel and the West and the German reaction" in May 2008, and a parallel conference in Vienna, organized by STOP THE BOMB Austria. Elie Wiesel is an author, professor and survivor of the Shoah. In 1986 he was awarded the Nobel peace prize.

"Friends in Austria and Germany from New York where I live, I join you in your commendable efforts to unmask and denounce Iranian threats against the Jewish people and the people of Israel.

Remember when a leader of a nation violates all standards of morality and decency by announcing to the whole world his wish to see a nation member of the international community wiped off the map, our immediate response cannot be anything other than anger and outrage.

At least he’s frank in his goals and in his dreams. He really wants to see the end of the Jewish state and thus annihilating all its Jewish inhabitants. Their number they come close to a figure that will forever hound humankind’s memory: six million. Shame on President Ahmadinejad of Iran for being the number one Holocaust denier in the world. Shame on him for preaching the murder of multitudes of Jewish children and their parents including some who survived enough distress, anguish and pain to fill all the pages of the annals of Jewish history.

In his blind fanaticism which is an insult to all non-Islamic religions and ultimately
to Islam itself, he brings dishonor to his presidency and to those who elected him to that high office. He wants to be allowed to obtain nuclear weapons while openly boasting of how he will use them and against whom. Filled with hate and nothing else, motivated by dark forces of violence and death governing his life… Who were his teachers? What political figures has he admired and emulates? What books has he read? What mass murderers has he chosen as his guides?

The international community is duty bound to listen to his threats and respond with adequate measures. Due to his ugly public utterances and perilous projects, perilous to the whole world, he is to be declared persona non grata, unwanted by civilized society and rejected by its leaders. For he brings dishonor to his own nation and embarrassment to all nations. I hope there will be, that there must be in his country enough brave men and women of principle and honor who will employ all democratic methods to oust him from his place and his palace and his position and bring him to a proper call of justice. For in threatening an ancient people with annihilation, he is also endangering the promise of peace on the entire planet.

I am in total solidarity with all that you are doing.

Elie Wiesel."