The Lantos Archives on Antisemitism and Holocaust Denial

Thanks only to the tireless efforts of the invaluable Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI), we know the true extent to which Holocaust denial has grown in the media of the Middle East and among Islamist as well as in other Muslim circles. With the rise of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the number one Holocaust denier in the world today, a year ago, Holocaust denial has reached new appalling levels. MEMRI is the only organization in the world translating and documenting this horrific phenomenon. Legislators, teachers, and media will be able to greatly enrich their knowledge with its documentary.

The Tom Lantos Anti-Semitism and Holocaust Denial Archives will help future generations understand why we confront injustice, why we defend human rights, and why we honor all that Tom Lantos stood for.

It’s astounding to think that someone could deny the Holocaust... When you hear the kind of rhetoric coming from places like Iran, it just shows us that the mission [of MEMRI’s Tom Lantos Archives on Anti-Semitism and Holocaust Denial] is that much more important, that Tom’s legacy, which was a bipartisan legacy, is one that needs to be amplified even more... Let’s make sure that this mission is fulfilled so that hopefully we don’t repeat these mistakes [that lead tot he Holocaust].

In April of 1945, after inspecting the newly liberated Ohrdruf concentration camp near Weimar, Germany, General Dwight D. ‘Ike’ Eisenhower ordered all available American troops to go and witness the horrors he’d just seen. He also forced German citizens and officials from nearby towns to do the same… He understood that there must be a record, first-hand evidence, and incontrovertible answers to those who would deny the Holocaust. Ike’s example is reflected in the work of the Middle East Media Research Institute. The institute’s Anti-Semitism & Documentation Project provides clear, analytical monitoring of modern anti-Semitism so that today’s injustices may be confronted in the clear light of truth…

With his example, brilliance, eloquence, commitment, and dedication, Tom Lantos left us a legacy and a responsibility, and that is why his cause is now our cause, and that is why his work –the work of the Lantos Anti-Semitism and Holocaust Denial Archives – is so important to all of us.

[MEMRI’s annual commemoration of the Tom Lantos Archives on Anti-Semitism and Holocaust Denial [is a] vividly important institution [that] stands as a fitting memorial to a great patriot who knew the dangers and cruelty of despotism and dedicated his life to fighting tyranny and promoting the enduring values that we hold dear... Education is the first step. And this is where the Tom Lantos Archives on Anti-Semitism and Holocaust Denial play such an invaluable role in disseminating vital and accurate information to create an informed public.

These are the largest archives in the world of translated material on anti-Semitism from the past decade and have become the preeminent source of information on the global upsurge in anti-Semitism and on the promotion of anti-Semitic incitement by radical forces worldwide. The outstanding scope of MEMRI’s research and translations has made these archives a primary resource for policymakers and researchers... In 2002, you may remember… MEMRI’s translation of a 41-part television series that was based on all of the worst stereotypes of the Jewish people… It is a marvelous initiative [the Archives]…MEMRI is to be commended for its continued efforts.

These archives are an ongoing source of documentation of the high levels of anti-Semitism and Holocaust denial that persist in writing, broadcasting, teaching, and preaching in various parts of the world. Through the work of the Lantos Archives, policy makers, the media, academics, opinion leaders, and civil society can become aware of these human rights violations…I am grateful that the work of my friend and colleague Congressman Lantos continues. The Lantos Archives plays a crucial role in exposing the age-old evils of anti-Semitism and thereby helping us to combat it in all its forms.

MEMRI’s invaluable research and translations on Arab and Iranian anti-Semitism, as well as its reports on the opposition to Jew-hatred by anti-radical Muslims, have become the preeminent source of knowledge on this issue by historians and academics generally, legislatures, and journalists. If it weren’t for the tireless efforts of MEMRI, the full extent of incitement against Jews by Iran and the Arab world would not be known in the West.

Today, all of us, everyone here in this room, is on the front lines in what I call the battle for truth, as we witness these constant assaults against truth. And that’s what MEMRI is fighting for every day, to protect the truth and to expose the truth.

MEMRI, which I value so highly, makes the world aware of both faces of Islam today – the one that incites violence and hatred toward others, and the other that advocateds reform, peace, and fraternity among all religions.

I couldn’t do my job at the State Department without the great work of MEMRI in tracking this phenomenon in the Middle East. MEMRI watches and listens to the voices (good and bad) in the region, and shines a light on what is being said, who is saying outrageous things, who is denying that the Holocaust happened, and, worse, who is glorifying the Holocaust – and calling for another Holocaust to finish the job.

These remarkable archives document anti-Semitism and Holocaust denial in every form of media throughout the Middle East, and in all of its manifestations in political, educational, cultural and religious spheres. These are the largest archives in the world of translated Arabic and Farsi material on anti-Semitism from the past decade, and have become an important source of information on the global upsurge in anti-Semitism and on the promotion of antisemitic incitement by radical Islamic forces worldwide. The Lantos Archives have become an effective tool in fighting anti-Semitism, and is one way that the Lantos Foundation fights anti-Semitism and holocaust denial wherever it is found.

I want to start by thanking MEMRI. The MEMRI material that we get on an ongoing basis and every year is vital to our work and is reflected in a lot of the reports you’ll see, the two most important government reports I think come out every year, the Human Rights Report... and the International Religious Freedom Report.

Your organization has helped thousands of people to overcome the challenges associated with ethnic and religious bias. Through the efforts of organizations like MEMRI, people will be empowered to benefit themselves, their family, community, and our state. I applaud MEMRI’s work to serve the needs of the Jewish population through its diverse range of services and initiatives. Through outreach programs to project research and press conferences and other public events. You are working to improve the quality of life for members of our community. It is my hope that your efforts serve as an example of the positive contributions an individual can make to his or her profession, community and country.

Tom Lantos had as his mission in life a) that we not forget and b) that we show tolerance, love, and understanding. How appropriate it is to honor the archives and Tom Lantos by joining them together. The archives are about remembrance, but more importantly they are about ensuring that in remembering we do not repeat the violence of the past.

I cannot think of a more fitting occasion on which to unveil the effort of the Lantos Foundation and the archives in connection with the work –the tremendous work that MEMRI does on behalf of peace, on behalf of justice and on behalf of human rights.