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Last update - 10:58 17/11/2006
Founder of Holocaust museum in Nazareth invited to Tehran
By Yoav Stern and Amiram Barkat, Haaretz Correspondents

The founder of a private Holocaust museum in Nazareth has been invited to address a Holocaust study conference to take place next month in Iran.

Nazareth resident Khaled Ksab Mahamid is waiting for permission from the Foreign Ministry and final authorization from Tehran to attend the conference.

Mahamid told Haaretz he intends to tell the conference that the Holocaust did happen and that Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's position of Holocaust denial is wrong.
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"Everything that happened must be internalized and the facts must not be denied," Mahamid says, adding, "It is the obligation of all Arabs and all Muslims to understand the significance of the Holocaust. If their goal is to understand their adversary, they must understand the Holocaust."

Mahamid, who is an attorney, has been dealing with the Holocaust for some years. The museum, which is located on the first floor of his modest home, displays photographs he received from Yad Vashem, whose captions he translated into Arabic.

The spokeswoman of the Yad Vashem Holocaust Martyrs and Heroes' Remembrance Authority said the institution believes Mahamid's intentions are good but that "more work should be done on the exhibit to make it more coherent. We have offered Mr. Mahamid assistance and advice as well as study material, books and maps that Yad Vashem has published in Arabic, but he has not approached us so far."

Mahamid has also written a book about the Holocaust in Arabic, entitled, "The Palestinians and the State of the Holocaust," which deals with the Holocaust from the perspective of Palestinians who, in 1948, became internal refugees in Israel.

According to Mahamid, the Palestinian people paid the price for the Holocaust in 1948, when the European countries gave the Palestinian homeland to the Jews out of guilt.

"The naqba [disaster] the Palestinians experienced in 1948 is small compared to the Holocaust, but the political implications of the Holocaust have made its terrors a burden on the Palestinian people alone," he wrote.

Mahamid's arguments are not widely supported in the Arab community, where many see dealing with the Holocaust as granting legitimacy to the establishment of Israel.

However, Mahamid says he feels strongly that understanding the Holocaust can bring about an end to bloodshed in the region.

"The Holocaust has all the reasons for the creation of the Arab-Israeli conflict, but also has potential to bring peace," he says.

When Ahmadinejad began to issue his Holocaust-denial statements, Mahamid sent articles he had written to various Iranians to correct the matter, and sent his book to the Iranian Foreign Ministry's Institute for Strategic Studies.

He received a response, and then submitted an abstract of the lecture he wants to give in Tehran at the upcoming conference.

The conference, which is to take place on December 11 and 12, is entitled "Review of the Holocaust: Global Vision."

Professor Dina Porat, head of Tel Aviv University's Stephen Roth Institute for the Study of Contemporary Anti-Semitism and Racism, said she knows of no well-known Holocaust scholar who will be attending the Tehran conference.

None of the prominent Holocaust deniers will be there either, she added, "either for the simple reason that they are in jail, or they are too old."

The conference Web site says its purpose is to "clarify the hidden and open corners of this issue" and to pay "full respect for the Jewish religion."
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  1.   What is it that the Iranian president is obsessed with dealing 06:38  |  Nadav 17/11/06
  2.   kol hakavod to mr.mahamid.... 07:27  |  yonatan 17/11/06
  3.   #1, Nadav, he is in no way different 08:15  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 17/11/06
  4.   "full respect for the Jewish religion." 08:32  |  Akiva Patysh 17/11/06
  5.   Hi Nadav 08:34  |  David King 17/11/06
  6.   Iran`s interest in Holocaust 09:10  |  Nora 17/11/06
  7.   holocaust 09:43  |  Abu Zack 17/11/06
  8.   Oh Puleeze, you are pathetic! 10:12  |  Dan N 17/11/06
  9.   "adversary" 10:23  |  Marcelo 17/11/06
  10.   The "Myth" Part of the Holocaust 10:49  |  Stefan E 17/11/06
  11.   He should go and tell them the truth....... 11:15  |  Swiss (Dino) 17/11/06
  12.   Israel , Israel-Arab conflict , Israel-Arab-pal conflict and Iran 11:15  |  Joseph E . Post 1 17/11/06
  13.   Israel , Israel-Arab conflict , Israel-Arab-pal conflict and Iran 11:18  |  Joseph E . Post 2 17/11/06
  14.   Israel , Israel-Arab conflict , Israel-Arab-pal conflict and Iran 11:20  |  Joseph E . Post 3 17/11/06
  15.   A ray of hope. 11:26  |  Elinjo 17/11/06
  16.   I suspect Ahmadinejad is playing with you 11:26  |  Michael 17/11/06
  17.   Talking is always better than not talking 11:27  |  sh 17/11/06
  18.   haShoah 11:34  |  Akiva Patysh 17/11/06
  19.   I`ve read a couple articles on this Khalid 11:46  |  Gina 17/11/06
  20.   David King, how, would you please tell me, does Israel demonize 11:57  |  Nadav 17/11/06
  21.   Do Jews really know what happened during WWII ? 11:57  |  Yankelowitz 17/11/06
  22.   Wish Iran in itis own Holoucast 11:59  |  Ben 17/11/06
  23.   Hello Cipora, 11:59  |  Nadav 17/11/06
  24.   for Marcelo #9, "adversary" 12:14  |  Andrea D. 17/11/06
  25.   # 3 Cipora Julianna Kohn Still waiting for your answer.... 12:59  |  Swiss (Dino) 17/11/06
  26.   Founder of Holocaust museum 13:00  |  k.herzallah 17/11/06
  27.   they want really to discuss? 13:05  |  * TALKBACK OBSERVER* 17/11/06
  28.   they want really to discuss? 13:05  |  * TALKBACK OBSERVER* 17/11/06
  29.   to swiss Dino 13:10  |  * TALKBACK OBSERVER* 17/11/06
  30.   Window of opportunity 13:31  |  Fairplay 17/11/06
  31.   this guy is a mensch 14:14  |  Reuben Jacobs 17/11/06
  32.   Can it be? 14:31  |  Dav 17/11/06
  33.   To Stefan 14:51  |  Jessica 17/11/06
  34.   Thanks, Ahmedinedjad 15:10  |  From the Moon 17/11/06
  35.   He can be the best ambassador Israel can ever have in the muslim 15:45  |  Rami 17/11/06
  36.   Would Israel have existed w/o the Holocaust? 15:49  |  Pilly 17/11/06
  37.   Clarification and maybe a correction... 15:52  |  Rami 17/11/06
  38.   #29. Anonymous observer... 16:13  |  Polybios 17/11/06
  39.   #29. Anonymous observer 16:20  |  Polybios 17/11/06
  40.   Reuben Jacobs, Amen v` amen 16:30  |  Akiva Patysh 17/11/06
  41.   This must be a trick 16:38  |  KUTW 17/11/06
  42.   11. Swiss (Dino): Telling the truth 16:44  |  KUTW 17/11/06
  43.   best of luck and wishes Mahamid 16:45  |  anti-racist 17/11/06
  44.   #36. Rami. Very nice 16:57  |  Polybios 17/11/06
  45.   #26. Herzallah? See post #38 17:41  |  Polybios 17/11/06
  46.   To Rami 17:55  |  Nicole 17/11/06
  47.   might be a good sign, might not 17:57  |  Harry 17/11/06
  48.   # 42 KUTW 17:59  |  Swiss (Dino) 17/11/06
  49.   TO Rami # 37 - Sugran! 17:59  |  Alicia 17/11/06
  50.   TO k.herzallah 18:05  |  Nicole 17/11/06
  51.   #44: I could not have said it better 18:22  |  Rami 17/11/06
  52.   And now, an appropriate Jewish response 19:03  |  Tosefta 17/11/06
  53.   Israel`s existence without the Holocaust? (Pilly 36) 19:03  |  Tosefta 17/11/06
  54.   Thank you Rami, from Polybios 19:24  |  Polybios 17/11/06
  55.   #23, Nadav 19:48  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 17/11/06
  56.   Yankelowitz - some of us know 19:53  |  Honi 17/11/06
  57.   To Rami, from Polybios 20:00  |  Polybios 17/11/06
  58.   Oh please, Akiva 20:05  |  hollingsworth 17/11/06
  59.   Michael, Ahmedinejad said the "Holocaust is a myth" 20:32  |  Jake 17/11/06
  60.   Thanks Rami, from Polybios 20:41  |  Polybios 17/11/06
  61.   42. Swiss (Dino) 21:25  |  KUTW 17/11/06
  62.   to polybios 21:28  |  * TALKBACK OBSERVER* 17/11/06
  63.   to polybios 21:28  |  * TALKBACK OBSERVER* 17/11/06
  64.   Palestinians should be very understanding of the first Holocaust 21:34  |  Bimmer 17/11/06
  65.   Nadav - always good to read your posts 21:49  |  Howard 17/11/06
  66.   #52 to the naive or wilfully misleading Tosefta 22:00  |  Howard 17/11/06
  67.   #26 - k. herzallah 22:14  |  Michael F 17/11/06
  68.   #62 and 63 Talkback observer 22:15  |  Polybios 17/11/06
  69.   Good luck to Mr. Mahamid 22:17  |  Michael F 17/11/06
  70.   Bimmer, don`t compare Hadrian with the Holocaust 22:47  |  Jake 17/11/06
  71.   Howard 66; causes, effects, and evolution 22:52  |  Tosefta 17/11/06
  72.   #52, Tosefta 23:46  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 17/11/06
  73.   K.Herzallah 23:50  |  Jane 17/11/06
  74.   To Nicole 00:09  |  Rami 18/11/06
  75.   Aliacia .. 00:11  |  Rami 18/11/06
  76.   Oh please. Howllingsworth 02:41  |  Akiva Patysh 18/11/06
  77.   To # 56 Honi - Thank you and also to Ha`aretz 02:52  |  Yankelowitz 18/11/06
  78.   shoah 02:58  |  vladimir 18/11/06
  79.   To # 59 Ahmedinejad is absolutely right ! 03:27  |  Yankelowitz 18/11/06
  80.   The time has come to tell the truth, no tales (part 3) 08:11  |  Yankelowitz 18/11/06
  81.   #79 Yankelowitz- Ahmedinajad is absolutely right 08:31  |  tbora 18/11/06
  82.   TO Rami # 75 12:52  |  Alicia 18/11/06
  83.   an iranians view about the zionist-arab conflict 13:56  |  Mo 18/11/06
  84.   How to pay full respect to the Jewish religion 14:49  |  Tulip 18/11/06
  85.   stern back to school for history LESSONS !!!! 15:03  |  paul harris 18/11/06
  86.   to 68 15:29  |  * TALKBACK OBSERVER* 18/11/06
  87.   Tbora from Pakistan and the evidence of the Holocaust 16:29  |  Tulip 18/11/06
  88.   Mo from Tehran 16:32  |  Tulip 18/11/06
  89.   Rami from Nazareth 16:34  |  Tulip 18/11/06
  90.   Rami from Nazareth...again 16:37  |  Tulip 18/11/06
  91.   Comprehension (Cipora 72) 16:47  |  Tosefta 18/11/06
  92.   Khaled Ksab Mahamid is wrong on a major point 17:18  |  Jonathan 18/11/06
  93.   Comprehension (Cipora 72) 17:52  |  Tosefta 18/11/06
  94.   #5 david I CANT FIND PALESTINE ON THE MAP 18:03  |  paul harris 18/11/06
  95.   Buying land, Jonathan 18:26  |  Tulip 18/11/06
  96.   To # 92 Change the virtual map to the real one ! LOL 18:27  |  Yankelowitz 18/11/06
  97.   Tosefta 19:00  |  danite 18/11/06
  98.   Reply to Tulip 93 19:06  |  Jonathan 18/11/06
  99.   Jonathan 19:31  |  Tulip 18/11/06
  100.   The cartoons were about Mohamed why not Jesus cartoons? 21:43  |  PETER SM 18/11/06
  101.   Holidays Abroad 00:51  |  Hannah 19/11/06
  102.   Nadav 01:41  |  David King 19/11/06
  103.   #36 modern Israel predates Holocost! 05:13  |  Vlad 19/11/06
  104.   Good luck Mr. Mahamid 07:32  |  Puregoldj 19/11/06
  105.   League of Nations in 1922 recognized 06:51  |  jgarbuz 07/10/08
  106.   holingsworth 14:13  |  sweis 09/10/08
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