Scientists Say The Sun Rises in the East
posted by Dave Hoffman
This story (via Andrew Sullivan) on Iran President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s view of Israel and the holocaust, contains the following paragraphs:
“Some European countries insist on saying that Hitler killed millions of innocent Jews in furnaces and they insist on it to the extent that if anyone proves something contrary to that they condemn that person and throw them in jail,” [a news organization] quoted Ahmadinejad as saying.
“Although we don’t accept this claim, if we suppose it is true, our question for the Europeans is: is the killing of innocent Jewish people by Hitler the reason for their support to the occupiers of Jerusalem?” he said.
“If the Europeans are honest they should give some of their provinces in Europe — like in Germany, Austria or other countries — to the Zionists and the Zionists can establish their state in Europe. You offer part of Europe and we will support it.”
Historians say six million Jews were killed in the Nazi Holocaust.
Those crazy historians and the things they “say.”
It isn’t as though Reuters doesn’t believe that it can state things as facts. Other examples of facts, shorn of attribution, from the article include:
Ahmadinejad’s earlier “call in October for Israel to be ‘wiped off the map’” “sparked widespread international condemnation.”
“Close allies when Iran was ruled by the U.S.-backed Shah, Iran and Israel have become implacable foes since Iran’s 1979 Islamic revolution.”Jews trace their roots in Israel back to Biblical times.
December 8, 2005 at 3:33 pm
Posted in: Politics
Print This Post
Responses (3)
Jason - December 9, 2005 at 10:31 am
In all fairness, I would read that sentence (“Historians say…”) as attributing the given number (6 million) to historians’ assessments, and not the fact of the killings themselves.
In other words, I don’t think the sentence intends to cast doubt on the historicity of the Holocaust — rather, it offers authoritative support for the numerical claim.
ray - December 9, 2005 at 11:23 pm
Jason is incorrect that Iranian Ahmadinejad’s
“historians say” phrase agrees with the historical figure. Its just the opposite. It is sarcasm.
ray - December 9, 2005 at 11:27 pm
Jason is incorrect. Iran’s Ahmadinejad
“historians say” is pure sarcasm.
Leave a Reply