Zarif Summoned Again to Parliament Regarding the 'Holocaust'

The issue of the Holocaust brought Zarif to Parliament on May 5, 2014, and this has happened once again, with the difference that this time he was summoned to explain why he opposed the annual Holocaust exhibition in an interview with The New Yorker. This objection to Zarif comes while he has not expressed any opposition to the exhibition. What Zarif stated is that the exhibition is organized by a non-governmental organization (NGO) and that the government does not play a role in its organization. He added that neither he nor Hassan Rouhani would participate in the exhibition. Zarif's stance in the interview with The New Yorker prompted Kermani Qodosi, a representative from Mashhad, to ask Zarif: 'What necessity is there for Mr. Zarif to comment on grassroots activities in the Islamic Republic regarding the Holocaust exhibition?' and that 'these actions benefit the Zionist regime' and, as Kermani Qodosi described, 'not in favor of holding the exhibition of the Holocaust myth.' The newspaper Javan (close to the Revolutionary Guards) deemed this stance of Zarif as 'undignified.' Therefore, Kermani Qodosi used Zarif's statement as the basis for a question to him in the open session of Parliament. Interestingly, Zarif considers the issue of Holocaust denial (which even Ayatollah Khamenei insists on) as a security project. He stated in Parliament addressing Kermani Qodosi: 'As long as I am the Minister of Foreign Affairs, I will not allow the Zionist project of securitizing Iran, including through the destruction of the national image and dignity under the guise of Holocaust denial, to be realized.' The Holocaust cartoon exhibition is held every year on May 14, coinciding with the founding day of Israel. The holding of this exhibition has been condemned by UNESCO, Germany, and Austria. Zarif insisted with his stance to convey that the issue of Holocaust denial benefits Israel the most. As can be inferred from Zarif's statements to The New Yorker, he is trying to draw a clearer line between the position of the Iranian government and independent individuals involved in the Holocaust exhibition. However, this is not the only trouble Zarif faces regarding the Holocaust. This issue has previously caused trouble for Zarif and brought him to Parliament in the first six months of his ministry. It is clear that Zarif is deliberately trying to distance himself from Holocaust denial at all costs. One of the first instances was when Zarif congratulated Jews around the world on the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah, on his Twitter page in September 2013. However, when Kristi Pelosi (daughter of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi) sarcastically thanked Zarif, saying, 'Thank you! The New Year will be sweeter with the end of Holocaust denial by Iran,' Zarif responded by stating: 'Iran has 'never' denied the Holocaust. The man [Ahmadinejad] who was thought to have denied the Holocaust is gone.' In the second instance, Zarif's situation became more difficult. Fareed Zakaria, a CNN journalist, told Zarif in an interview that 'the myth of the Holocaust' has been expressed not only by Ahmadinejad but also by the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic on his website. However, Zarif considered this interpretation of Khamenei's words as a 'translation error' and described the Holocaust as a horrific crime and genocide. The text of what Khamenei said on February 6, 2006, is: 'Freedom of expression - which they talk about - does not allow them to doubt the myth of the killing of Jews - known as the Holocaust.' The translation error that Zarif claimed was never corrected on the Supreme Leader's website; on the contrary, it fueled a second wave of attacks against him domestically. The third instance, however, was a clear stance. In an interview with the German television channel ZDF, he emphasized that the killing of Jews cannot be denied and added that such a crime must be prevented from being repeated. What can be inferred from Zarif's statements is that he is strongly trying to rid the Islamic Republic of the myth of the Holocaust. But why? The answer lies in the fact that he well remembers that Ahmadinejad's denial of the Holocaust led to the United Nations General Assembly passing a resolution in November 2005 that condemned Holocaust denial and, in commemoration of it, designated January 27 of each year as 'International Holocaust Remembrance Day.' Zarif, as Iran's ambassador to the UN at the time of the resolution's adoption, recalls the absolute isolation of the Islamic Republic as the only country that voted against the resolution. He remembers that Moscow was one of the sponsors of that resolution, and even Damascus (a strategic ally of the Islamic Republic) voted in favor of the resolution proposed by Israel, the US, Canada, and Russia, so that the resolution was passed by 'consensus' without any opposition from any country, including Muslim and Arab countries. Zarif is well aware that the issue of considering the Holocaust a myth is not limited to Ahmadinejad. Khamenei also agrees with him. The incorrectness of the translation of Khamenei's position was an unjustifiable excuse that Zarif invented. The Supreme Leader's position in Bahman 2006 (who, like Ahmadinejad, called the Holocaust a myth) provided a justification for the Political and International Studies Office of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to host an 'International Conference on the Holocaust.' This conference was condemned by the US and its European allies, as well as the Secretary-General of the UN and the Vatican. The result of holding that conference was that European countries included the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' Political Studies Office in their sanctions list for refraining from any research cooperation. This sanction was lifted in August 2013 after Hassan Rouhani's government was formed. As described, Zarif has so far denied the myth of the Holocaust in three instances, all during encounters with foreign audiences. In the fourth instance, he shifted the responsibility for holding the Holocaust exhibition to non-governmental individuals to avoid any responsibility for the government. However, the problem is that Khamenei himself denies the Holocaust. All the intelligence that Zarif shows to avoid falling into the trap of Holocaust denial is wasted when his opponents in Parliament consider Holocaust denial to be based on the statements of the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic. This is where Zarif can no longer resort to a translation error. Zarif is a smart diplomat who knows he should not fall into the 'trap of Holocaust denial' abroad. However, his ultimate desperation lies in the fact that domestically he falls into the 'trap of insisting on Holocaust denial' by Khamenei.