On December 11-12, 2006 an International Conference on the Holocaust is being held in Teheran. The event has been organized by the Iranian Foreign Ministry’s Institute for Political and International Studies.

In the light of statements on the Holocaust made by prominent Iranians before the conference, it is not unfounded to fear that the event will be used to question the truth about the Shoah. Any attempt at contesting this truth arouses serious concern in Poland, where 6 million people were victims of the Nazi genocide.

In order to guarantee respect for the historic truth, Poland, as well as other countries, must firmly respond to such attempts. We owe the truth about the genocide not only to our citizens but also to the memory of those killed by the Nazis in concentration camps and to their descendants.

Polish authorities have consigned to the Iranian partners a set of information materials from the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum in Oświęcim. We hoped that would contribute to deepen their knowledge about the tragic historical events  in the occupied Poland during the WWII and above all about the greatest genocide and barbarism in human history. Victims of the Nazi regime were mainly Jews from all over Europe, but also Poles and citizens of other countries.

Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs expresses its strong disapproval of the conference, which contradicts the idea of the International Day of Commemoration in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust established by the UN General Assembly,  and   celebrated on 27 January.

Poland highly values its long-term tradition of good relations with Iran and intends to develop them. We wish to help Iran overcome problems that may arouse serious international controversies. We hope that a thorough study of the information materials will allow Iranian scholars to better understand the historic truth, the sensitivity of other nations and their desire that this truth be respected. Such an approach is in line with the Dialogue of Civilizations initiative promoted by Teheran. One of its main guidelines should be the study of the history of different civilizations.