Zarif: The Holocaust Cartoon Contest is Not Related to the Iranian Government

Iran's Foreign Minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, stated in an interview with The New Yorker that the Iranian government has no control over or support for Holocaust cartoon contests. He compared these contests to the presence of the Ku Klux Klan in the United States. In response to a question about the upcoming 'International Biennial Cartoon Exhibition' focusing on the Holocaust, Zarif mentioned that it is organized by a non-governmental group. He noted that the NGO does not require a permit to hold the exhibition, and the Foreign Ministry can only issue visas, emphasizing the importance of not inviting 'propagators of hate and violence.' Although the Iranian Foreign Ministry does not issue permits for exhibitions, such events in Iran require approval from the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance, which includes conditions such as not insulting beliefs and views through 'audio, visual, painting, or cartoons.' Zarif compared the Holocaust cartoon exhibition to the Ku Klux Klan's activities in the U.S., where the First Amendment prohibits any law restricting freedom of speech and peaceful assembly. While extremist groups like the Ku Klux Klan, radical Christian groups, and Islamist organizations advocating for the destruction of Western imperialism are allowed to operate, their illegal activities are prosecuted. In Iran, creating critical cartoons can lead to imprisonment, as seen in the cases of Atena Daemi and Hadi Haidari, despite human rights advocates' criticisms. The interviewer asked Zarif why Iran allows a Holocaust cartoon exhibition. Zarif responded, 'Why does the United States have the Ku Klux Klan?' He emphasized that the Iranian government neither supports nor organizes any cartoon exhibitions of that nature. The government of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad had previously organized a conference titled 'Holocaust: A Global Perspective' and expressed doubts about the Nazi genocide of Jews, which garnered support from some Western racist groups. In 2006, a year after Ahmadinejad came to power, Manouchehr Mottaki, Iran's Foreign Minister, personally inaugurated a Holocaust-related conference. A few months prior, the newspaper Hamshahri (controlled by the Tehran municipality) held a Holocaust exhibition, which one of its organizers, Masoud Shojaei, described as 'retaliation' against the West. Zarif told The New Yorker, 'We (members of Hassan Rouhani's government) will not attend the opening of the (Holocaust cartoon) exhibition.' The biennial Holocaust cartoon exhibition and conferences expressing doubts about the genocide of millions of Jews, Roma, homosexuals, and political opponents in Nazi Germany have faced criticism from various officials, figures, and countries worldwide since the Ahmadinejad administration. The latest round of 'cartoon contests' is set to take place in June.