Cardinal Rigali has joined other interfaith leaders in the Philadelphia area as a signatory on a statement in light of a conference in Iran that questioned the existence of the Holocaust.

One of the lessons the civilized world must draw from the Holocaust and other genocides is that to stand by idly in the face of evil is to be morally complicit. It is out of that belief that we, the undersigned representatives of Philadelphia's faith communities, must speak out in strong condemnation and abhorrence of the attempt by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to cast doubt upon the factuality of the destruction of over six million Jewish men, women and children as well as millions
of people of other nationalities by the Nazis and their allies in the last century.

Any claim of objectivity or alleged attempts at understanding historical truth is belied by President Ahmadinejad's warm welcome to well known racists, anti-Semites and Holocaust deniers. His repeated calls for the destruction of Israel and his well-documented contempt for the Jewish people are more than ample evidence of the motivation underlying this conference.

It is incumbent upon all people of decency to always recall where hatred of our fellow human beings has led and to vow that their memory will be an inspiration to approach all with love and compassion.


Signed by:

Reverend James S. Allen, Moderator, Eastern Pennsylvania Baptist Association

Reverend Luis Cortes, President Nueva Esperanza and Hispanic Clergy of Philadelphia

Reverend Ed Gehres, Executive Presbyter of the Philadelphia Presbytery

Rabbi David Gutterman, Director VAAD: Board of Rabbis of Greater Philadelelphia

Imam Muhammad Abdur-Razzaq Miller, Mosque of Shaikh M.R. Bawa Muhaiyaddeen

Reverend F. Russel Mitman, Conference Minister, Pennsylvania Southeast Conference of the United Church of Christ

His Eminence Cardinal Justin Rigali, Archdiocese of Philadelphia

Burt Siegel, Director, Jewish Community Relations Council of the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia

Archbishop Stefan Soroka , Metropolitan for Ukrainian Catholics in the USA

Reverend James Moore, President of the Black Clergy of Philadelphia and Vicinity

Contact
Matthew Gambino
Associate Director
215-587-3747