Press releases


18.06.2008

EURO 2008 - Business Ranking Iran

STOP THE BOMB presents an online ranking of the Euro 2008 countries in terms of their trade volume with Iran

The campaign STOP THE BOMB – Coalition against the Iranian extermination program that stands up against trade with Iran together with international supporters presents an online ranking of the Euro 2008 countries in terms of their trade volume with Iran.

The most important commercial partner of Iran in Europe is Italy, followed by Turkey, that will keep its position due to a 2.25 Billion Euro deal signed last year. Germany ranks third, it might, however, be the secret European champion while conducting more and more of its commerce via third party countries. France, the Netherlands, Spain, Russia and Greece hold further top positions. STOP THE BOMB’s website also provides a ranking in relation to the per capita figures with Greece as European champion of trade with Iran.

Political scientist Stephan Grigat, who is a political advisor of STOP THE BOMB, points out that the hosts of the Euro 2008 do everything in their power to ascend to top positions: “OMV – with the Austrian state holding more than 30 % of its shares - plans to enter into a Billion Euro Agreement with Iran as is generally known. Switzerland is not just ahead of its Euro 2008 hostpartner as to football skills: The Swiss power company Laufenburg signed a deal with the Iranian Gas Export Company in April 2008 with a an estimated total volume of 18 Billion Euros.”

Every deal with the Iranian regime is an economic, political and propagandistic success for the dictatorship of the Ayatollahs, says Simone Dinah Hartmann, spokesperson of STOP THE BOMB: “Those who trade with Iran finance the repression of the Iranian population, the propaganda for the extermination of Israel and the armament of the mullahs.” Hiwa Bahrami, who is the Austrian representative of the Democratic Party of Kurdistan Iran, states: “Those who conduct negotiations and a ‘dialogue’ with this regime, stab that Iranian opposition in the back, that has been fighting for a democratic, constitutional and secular Iran for decades.”

The campaign STOP THE BOMB therefore stands up for broad economic sanctions against the Iranian regime and for a dialogue with the Iranian opposition instead of the mullahs.

Find the EURO 2008 Ranking here: euro.stopthebomb.net

27.05.2008

Protest against deals with Iran continues

STOP THE BOMB requests Austrian politics to abandon support for deals with Iran and starts a divestment campaign against OMV

The campaign STOP THE BOMB – Coalition against the Iranian extermination programme has been mobilizing against a contract with Iran which the Austrian Mineral Oil Company (OMV) is planning to conclude. The campaign started an international online petition, which has been undersigned – amongst other prominent personages – by Elfriede Jelinek, Elie Wiesel and Imre Kertész, Albert Steinnhauser and Maria Vassilakou of the Austrian Green Party, and more than 4.300 other people from more than 60 countries. Now STOP THE BOMB requests in an open letter to the Federal Government and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs the Austrian Republic to quit political support for deals with the Iranian regime. Considering statements given by Iranian opposition groups that at present a high-ranking delegation of OMV is staying in Iran to negotiate the concern’s planned 22 billion Euro deal with the Regime, STOP THE BOMB answers with an open letter referring to a writing by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to our campaign. In this letter Thomas Mayr-Harting, political director of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, describes the Austrian posoition regarding Iran and tries implicitly to legitimise deals of Austrian companies with Iran.

In the open letter STOP THE BOMB writes: “It is precisely Austria with her track record – having already once participated in antisemitic mass murder – which cannot make excuses by referring to and hiding behind the ‘international community’, the United Nations or EU decisions. On the contrary, she should take the lead and cooperate with those who forcefully and consistently embark on a course of action against Tehran, and not lend herself to the role of a pathfinder for such people who, while condemning the terror propagated by the Iranian ayatollahs, at the same time ensure that a flow of multi-billion sums is being pumped into the treasury of a regime which for nearly 30 years has been bullying and harassing its own population and has forced millions of Iranians into exile, a regime which strives for the annihilation of Israel.“ Political scientist Stephan Grigat, who is scientific advisor of STOP THE BOMB, stresses: “The Federal Government can’t escape responsibility by suggesting, that OMV were a private company: firstly because the Republic of Austria holds a share of more than 30% of OMV-stocks and secondly because every single state enforces the business environment in which external trade has to take place.”

Simultaneously with the open letter STOP THE BOMB is to start a divestment campaign against the planned deal between OMV and Iran. Several national and international investment houses are called upon selling their stock options of OMV as well as appealing to the company management to the effect of quitting negotiations with the Mullah’s regime in Tehran. Campaign speaker Simone Dinah Hartmann, who, as a smallholder, confronted the executive board with the common practice of the leadership of the Iranian Regime and was forced to stop her questions at OMV’s shareholders’ meeting on May 14, emphasizes: “The planned billion Euro deal is not just condemnable, but also connected to economic risks, that hardly can be estimated, taking into consideration the looming aggravation of the situiation regarding Iran.”. Hiwa Bahrami, who is the Austrian representative of the Democratic Party of Kurdistan Iran, states: “Even by now the planned deal has led to an enormous loss of image, due to the critics of Iranian opposition members, human rights organisations, Jewish organisations and Holocaust survivors, as well as the critics of the US-American and the Israeli Government.”

The open letter by STOP THE BOMB can be found here.

08.05.2008

OMV - Murder and More?

STOP THE BOMB announces protest on the occasion of OMV shareholders’ meeting and considers an international divestment campaign

On Wednesday the 14th of May the OMV shareholders’ meeting is taking place in Vienna. In this meeting the topic of the planned billion Euro deal with Iran will be covered. The campaign STOP THE BOMB – Coalition Against The Iranian Extermination Programme, which has been mobilizing against doing business with the Iranian regime with an international petition since the end of last year and lately with the conference “The Iranian threat”, has been preparing for this shareholders’ meeting for months. Members of the coalition are going to take part at the meeting to give utterance to their criticism. They are going to ask specific questions regarding the deal with Iran and insist on their right as smallholders to get answers. There are also protest actions planned to be held around this meeting.

Furthermore STOP THE BOMB obtains international and prominent support. Nobel Peace Price Prize Elie Wiesel points to the anti-Semitic character of the Iranian regime, which “announces to the whole world its wish to see a nation member of the international community wiped off the map.” Winner of Nobel Prize for Literature Elfriede Jelinek advocates “support for the Iranian opposition, which represents a real alternative to the actual regime and fights for a secular and democratic Iran” instead of collaboration with the Iranian mullahs.

The OMV has to envisage criticism and public protest during its shareholders’ meeting on the part of different organisations. Especially exiled Iranian organisations as the Democratic Party of Kurdistan Iran are incensed by the support for the murderous Mullah-regime. Hiwa Bahrami who is the Austrian representative of the DPKI: “The money made by the OMV-deal enables the regime to arm and to further terrorize the population.” Kayan Kaboli of the Green Party of Iran demands “termination of the negotiations between OMV and the Iranian regime, the abandonment of national support of doing business with Iran, and the imposition of effective and wholesale sanctions for the purpose of isolating the Iranian regime politically and economically.” Simone Dinah Hartmann, who is speaker of STOP THE BOMB, annotates: “With its enterprise OMV has already accomplished to infuriate variable organisations and individuals all over the world. Already in the beginning of May exiled Iranians, Israelis and US-Americans gathered together with activists from Europe, and put aside their differences to pursue their common goal which is the prevention of the Iranian bomb.”

For quite some time STOP THE BOMB has been in contact with brokers and investment bankers in the USA, in Germany and Israel to take adequate measures concerning the shareholders’ meeting. In the United States it has been common practice for a long time to exert public pressure so that state owned-pension funds as well as investment banks sell their stocks of companies which are doing business with Iran. The coalition assumes, that a big part of OMV-smallholders shares the concerns regarding the planned deal with Iran. Should OMV adhere to its undertaking, STOP THE BOMB is going to exhaust all possibilities, to act internationally to that effect, that OMV stocks are going to be discharged to a greater extent. This implies an appeal to smallholders to sell off their stocks in protest.

In regard to the intended billion euro deal, political scientist Stephan Grigat annotates: “The planned conclusion of the contract would promote the Iranian regime to one of the main business associates of Austria and to a relevant strategic partner of Europe. As it is internationally attempted to avert the Iranian threat by the means of impairing the regime, an Austrian enterprise, in which the Republic of Austria has a share of 30%, falls on the back of these efforts.” According to reports issued from inside Iran by the Iranian opposition and recently made public by social-democratic member of European Parliament Paulo Casaca, high-ranking representatives of OMV are to travel to Iran in the second half of May to finalize an agreement on oil extraction in Khuzestan. Therefore the conclusion of a new contract could be imminent. Casaca suggests that OMV stockholders take into consideration that this is not “business as usual”: In fact the deal would "provide the Iranian regime with the means to continue its internal war against its people and its avowed promises of obliterating Israel.”

Queries:

Austria:
Simone Dinah Hartmann (STOP THE bOMB)
Email: info@stopthebomb.net
Phone: +43 650 3448858

Hiwa Bahrami (Democratic Party of Kurdistan Iran)
Email: hiwa.bahrami@pdki.org
Phone: +43 699 18883573


Contact persons abroad (Contact via Ms. Hartmann):

Germany:
Ulrike Becker (Mideast Freedom Forum, Berlin)
Matthias Küntzel (Scholars for Peace in the Middle East, Hamburg)

European Union:
Paulo Casaca (MEP, Lisbon/Brussels)

Israel:
Yossi Klein Halevi (Shalem Center, Jerusalem)
Yacov Stiassny (Club of the Austrian Pensioneers in Israel, Tel Aviv)

USA:
Jeffrey Herf (Professor for history at the University Maryland)
Kayvan Kaboli (Green Party of Iran, Los Angeles)
Andrei Markovits (Professor for political science at the University Michigan)
Charles A. Small (The Yale Initiative for the Interdisciplinary Study of Anti-Semitism)

30.04.2008

Internationale Iran-Konferenz an der Universität Wien

Scientists, oppositionists and Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Elie Wiesel broach the issue of the “Iranian threat”

On May 3rd and 4th, the international conference “The Iranian threat. The Islamic Republic, Israel’s struggle for existence and European reactions” takes place at the University of Vienna. The conference is hosted by STOP THE BOMB – Coalition against the Iranian Extermination Program in cooperation with Vienna's Jewish Community (IKG Wien), Scholars for Peace in the Middle East and the magazine Illustrierte Neue Welt.

The conference will be opened with a screened video message by Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Elie Wiesel who is also a supporter of the STOP THE BOMB online petition against the commercial transaction of the Austrian OMV with Iran. Among the conference speakers are scientists, politicians and activists from the USA, Iran, Austria, Germany, Portugal and Israel, such as the journalist Bruno Schirra, the political scientist Matthias Küntzel, Socialdemocratic Member of the European Parliament Paulo Casaca, the writer Robert Schindel, Michael Oren from the Shalem Centre in Jerusalem, Benny Morris (Ben Gurion University) and Jeffrey Herf (University of Maryland). Furthermore, Patrick Clawson (Washington Institute), as well as a number of Iranian dissidents like Menashe Amir, longtime head of the Farsi program of Kol Israel, Hiwa Bahrami, the Austrian Representative of the Democratic Party of Kurdistan Iran and Kayvon Kaboli, speaker of the Green Party of Iran.

Stephan Grigat, lecturer for political science at the University of Vienna and co-organiser of the conference sees the conference “as a protest against the indifference, vast parts of the Austrian and European public display, when confronted with the terror against the Iranian population and the threat of elimination towards Israel on the part of the Mullahs in Tehran.”
Simone Dinah Hartmann, spokesperson of STOP THE BOMB, states the goal of the campaign: “On the one hand a depiction, analysis and critique of the Islamic dictatorship shall be rendered. On the other hand, it is necessary to examine Europe's rapport – in particular the relations of Germany and Austria – with the Iranian regime. The conference will broach the issue of the Iranian nuclear arms program as well as the planned multi-billion Euro deal of the Austrian OMV with Iran."
The conference gains specific actuality through the current state of the negotiations of the OMV and Iran. According to oppositional Iranian groups, a high-ranking delegation of the OMV will travel to Tehran for further negotiations in late May.

11.03.2008

Kritik an "Heuchelei des Gedenkens"

Utl.: Holocaust-Überlebende, Klarsfeld, Jelinek und STOP THE BOMB kritisieren Folgenlosigkeit des "Anschluss"-Gedenkens angesichts des OMV-Deals mit dem iranischen Regime

Wien (OTS) - Die überparteiliche Plattform "STOP THE BOMB - Bündnis gegen das iranische Vernichtungsprogramm", die sich mit prominenter Unterstützung gegen Geschäfte mit dem iranischen Regime richtet, kritisiert die Heuchelei der gegenwärtigen Gedenkveranstaltungen zum so genannten "Anschluss". Man könne sich nicht auf ein folgenloses Warnen und Mahnen angesichts der Vergangenheit beschränken, sondern müsse sich dem aktuellen Antisemitismus, wie er insbesondere in den Vernichtungsdrohungen des iranischen Regimes gegenüber Israel zum Ausdruck komme, mit Taten entgegenstellen. Simone Dinah Hartmann, die Sprecherin der Plattform stellt dazu fest: "Sollen die Reden gegen Gewaltherrschaft und Antisemitismus nicht reine Heuchelei bleiben, muss das geplante Milliardengeschäft der OMV mit dem iranischen Regime gestoppt werden, um den iranischen Vernichtungsdrohungen nicht nur verbal, sondern durch Aufkündigung jeglicher Zusammenarbeit entgegen zu treten."

Unterstützung für diese Forderung kommt von in Israel lebenden Vertriebenen aus Österreich. Gideon Eckhaus, Vorstandsvorsitzender des "Zentralkomitees der Juden aus Österreich in Israel" stellt hinsichtlich des mit Unterstützung der österreichischen Regierung geplanten Milliarden-Geschäfts der OMV klar: "Wir wünschen, dass jede Unterstützung - wo immer sie auch herkommt - für die Entwicklung von Vernichtungswaffen im Iran, die sich gegen Israel oder andere Staaten richten, sofort eingestellt wird." Auch Ari Rath, der langjährige Chefredakteur der Jerusalem Post, der nach dem "Anschluss" als 13-Jähriger aus Wien vertrieben wurde, unterstützt die Kampagne von STOP THE BOMB gegen Geschäfte mit dem iranischen Regime.

Die in Wien lebende Autorin Ceija Stojka, Überlebende der Konzentrationslager Auschwitz, Ravensbrück und Bergen-Belsen und Unterstützerin von STOP THE BOMB, verweist auf ihre traumatischen Erfahrungen im Nationalsozialismus und spannt den Bogen zu den aktuellen Gefahren: "Nach der Befreiung blieb die Angst mein ständiger Begleiter. Die Vernichtungsdrohungen aus dem Iran lassen diese Angst wieder wachsen. Fast unerträglich wird sie, wenn Österreich auch noch Geschäfte macht mit diesem Regime." Beate Klarsfeld von den "Söhnen und Töchtern der jüdischen Deportierten Frankreichs", die zu den Erstunterzeichnern der im Dezember letzten Jahres gestarteten Unterschriftenaktion von STOP THE BOMB gehört und bereits bei den Protesten gegen Kurt Waldheim in Österreich aktiv war, fragt: "Will Österreich sich, nachdem es in den letzten Jahren zaghaft begonnen hat, seine Vergangenheit aufzuarbeiten, schon wieder schuldig machen, indem es die Judenmörder von heute und morgen unterstützt?"

Die Literaturnobelpreisträgerin Elfriede Jelinek, die ebenfalls zu den Erstunterstützern von STOP THE BOMB zählt, pflichtet dem bei: "Mit dem Iran unter seiner derzeitigen Führung kann man keine Geschäfte machen. Ein Staat, der sich die Vernichtung eines anderen Staates zum Programm gemacht hat, ist nicht gesellschaftsfähig, weil er auch gegen seine eigene Gesellschaft agiert. Die brutale Unterdrückung der Opposition, der Frau, und die mit offensichtlichem Nationalstolz vorangetriebene atomare Bewaffnung unter dem Deckmantel der zivilen Nutzung von Kernenergie schließen den Iran derzeit aus der Runde der zivilisierten Länder aus."

Die Plattform STOP THE BOMB hat angekündigt, mit weiteren Aktionen an die Öffentlichkeit zu treten. In der kommenden Woche erscheint im Studienverlag der von Simone Dinah Hartmann und dem Politikwissenschaftler Stephan Grigat herausgegebene Sammelband "Der Iran - Analyse einer islamischen Diktatur und ihrer europäischen Förderer", der in mehreren österreichischen und deutschen Städten präsentiert werden soll. Für den 3. und 4. Mai ist an der Wiener Universität eine Konferenz unter dem Titel "Die iranische Bedrohung - Die Islamische Republik, Israels Existenzkampf und die europäischen Reaktionen" geplant, an der Experten aus dem In- und Ausland, insbesondere iranische Oppositionelle, teilnehmen werden.

11.02.2008

Aviso: Morgen, Dienstag, 10 Uhr Pressekonferenz von STOP THE BOMB - Bündnis gegen das iranische Vernichtungsprogramm

Utl.: NR Steinhauser, Schiedel, Bahrami und Hartmann zu OMV, Nabucco und Iran

Wien (OTS) - Die überparteiliche Plattform "STOP THE BOMB - Bündnis gegen das iranische Vernichtungsprogramm" lädt die Vertreterinnen und Vertreter der Medien zu einem

PRESSEFRÜHSTÜCK

mit
Albert Steinhauser, Nationalratsabgeordneter und Justizsprecher der Grünen
Heribert Schiedel, Aktion gegen den Antisemitismus
Hiwa Bahrami, Demokratische Partei Kurdistan-Iran
Simone Dinah Hartmann, STOP THE BOMB - Bündnis gegen das iranische Vernichtungsprogramm

Zeit: Dienstag, 12. Februar 2008, 10 Uhr

Ort: Café Berg, Berggasse 8, 1090 Wien

Themen:
- Präsentation der über 3000 Unterschriften der Kampagne gegen Geschäfte mit dem Iran und internationale Reaktionen
- Aktuelle Entwicklungen bei OMV, Nabucco und Iran

Wir freuen uns auf Ihr Kommen!

Pressemappe [PDF]

14.12.2007

Proteste gegen Besuch iranischer Parlamentsdelegation

Utl.: Ehemaliger österreichischer Botschafter in Israel, Dr. Kurt Hengl, sowie Abgeordneter des europäischen Parlaments, Paulo Casaca, schliessen sich dem Protest gegen das OMV Geschäft an

Wien (OTS) - Die überparteiliche Plattform "STOP THE BOMB - Bündnis gegen das iranische Vernichtungsprogramm" verurteilt die jüngsten Treffen zwischen ranghohen österreichischen Politikern und Politikerinnen mit einer Delegation des iranischen Pseudo-Parlaments aufs Schärfste. Im "Mittelpunkt der Aussprache" standen laut Parlamentskorrespondenz zudem nicht die Menschenrechtssituation im Iran und dessen Vernichtungsdrohungen gegen Israel, sondern "wirtschaftliche Beziehungen".

Auch andere Äußerungen zum fast einwöchigen Besuch der iranischen Delegation lassen befürchten, dass die heiklen Themen wieder mal ausgespart wurden. So sprach Nationalratspräsident Michael Spindelegger (ÖVP) vom "Respekt des jeweiligen anderen Standpunktes", was angesichts der antisemitischen Staatsdoktrin des Iran wie Hohn klingt. Noch weiter ging Abg. Helmut Kukacka (ÖVP), der behauptete, "Österreich sei sehr daran gelegen, die Freundschaft zwischen den beiden Ländern zu vertiefen und auszubauen."

"Ich empfinde kein Gefühl der Freundschaft gegenüber diesem Folterregime, sehr wohl aber mit dem unterdrückten iranischen Volk! Herrn Kucacka seien solche Gefühle unbenommen, aber er soll hier nicht für alle Österreicher sprechen!", so Dr. Elisabeth Pittermann, die gemeinsam mit Elfriede Jelinek, Beate Klarsfeld, Leon De Winter, Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Neugebauer, Dr. Ariel Muzicant, Prof. Arik Brauer, Dr. Kazem Moussavi, Lotte Tobisch, Gerhard Haderer, Hermann Gremliza, Dr. Matthias Küntzel, Erwin Riess, Dr. Kurt Hengl, Robert Schindel, Alfred Dorfer, Marika Lichter, MEP Paulo Casaca, Mag. Hiwa Bahrami, Prof. Micha Brumlik, Dr. Brigitte Bailer, Prof. Andrei S. Markovits, Fiamma Nirenstein und Dr. Lars Rensmann zu den Unterzeichnern der Petition gegen (OMV-) Geschäfte mit den Mullahs zählt.

Die überparteiliche Plattform "STOP THE BOMB - Bündnis gegen das iranische Vernichtungsprogramm" hat vor mehr als einer Woche ihre Unterschriftenkampagne gestartet. Aktueller Anlass ist das kurz vor Abschluss stehende Mega-Geschäft der Österreichischen Mineralölverwaltung (OMV) mit dem iranischen Terrorregime.

"Während die internationale Staatengemeinschaft auf die politische und ökonomische Isolierung Teherans drängt, springt Österreich in die Bresche. Seit Ahmadinejads Amtsantritt im Sommer 2005 hat keine einzige ausländische Firma einen Eröl- oder Erdgasvertrag mit dem Iran abgeschlossen. Das geplante Geschäft der OMV soll das größte Erdgas-Geschäft werden, dass je ein europäisches Unternehmen mit dem Iran abschlossen hat", erklärte Dr. Matthias Küntzel, dessen Buch "Jihad und Judenhaß" zu den diesjährigen Gewinnern des Londoner Buchpreises zählt, im Mai 2007 in Wien.

Die Forderungen der Plattform nach umfangreichen politischen und ökonomischen Sanktionen gegen den Iran wurden heute früh in einer Aussendung allen ParlamentarierInnen zur Kenntnis gebracht.

Die Plattform "STOP THE BOMB - Bündnis gegen das iranische Vernichtungsprogramm" begrüßt bei aller Skepsis gegenüber den Intentionen des Konzerns die Diskussionsbereitschaft der OMV. "Wir hoffen, in einem öffentlichen Gespräch mit Generaldirektor Ruttensdorfer endlich eine Antwort darauf zu finden, warum die OMV als ein angeblich den Menschenrechten verpflichtetes Unternehmen einem Regime Milliarden an Euro in den Rachen schiebt, das Menschenrechtsverstöße gesetzlich vorschreibt und in den letzten drei Jahrzehnten für den Mord an Zehntausenden verantwortlich ist", so Simone Dinah Hartmann, Sprecherin der Plattform.

Morgen, Samstag, wird eine Anzeige in der Tageszeitung "Die Presse" mit einem Auszug der über 1000 UnterstützerInnen erscheinen.

05.12.2007

No Deals with the Iranian mullahs!

Presentation of a broad campaign against the OMV-Deal and nuclear armament
Nobel Prize Laureate Elfriede Jelinek cautions against opening Pandora's box
Prominent support for call against the new appeasement

The non-partisan platform "STOP THE BOMB - Coalition against the Iranian extermination program" launches today a signing petition against deals with the Iranian mullahs. The impending completion of the mega-deal between the Austrian Oil Management Company (Oestereichische Mineraloelverwaltung - OMV) and the Iranian terror regime is prompting this petition. The anti-Semitic, apocalyptic Ahmadinejad is leading a regime that outright threatens Israel, and implicitly the West as well, with nuclear annihilation. Whereas the world attempts to avert this menace, a company - of which the state of Austria is its largest shareholder and owns 31.5 percent - undermines these peace efforts.

"The OMV views a country whose leadership exhibits a suicidal sense of mission and a determinedness to obliterate another country as an 'ideal partner' for business. It appears as though Austria intends to downright push itself forward in order to establish itself as a commercial hub, but unfortunately not as an agent of change, for this anti-Semitic and totalitarian Iranian regime", said Elfriede Jelinek. The Nobel Prize Laureate together with numerous prominent individuals coming from almost all walks of life are among the first signers of the campaign "No Deals with the Iranian mullahs". Some of the supporters are: Alfred Dorfer, Robert Schindel, Lotte Tobisch, Dr. Ariel Muzicant, Prof. Arik Brauer, Dr. Ing. Kazem Moussavi, Dr. Elisabeth Pittermann, Dr. Erwin Riess, Hon. Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Neugebauer, Marika Lichter, Dr. Matthias Küntzel, Walter Kohl, Gerhard Haderer, Hermann Gremliza, Karl Pfeifer, Leon De Winter and Beate Klarsfeld.

For a long time Austria refused to acknowledge its complicity in the extermination of European Jews, and Austria is now demonstrating, in light of its WW 2 history, hollow talk of "responsibility" and "never again!". For former city councilwoman a.D. Elisabeth Pitterman, this failure to learn from history shows once again: "The fight against anti-Semitism is regarded at best as synonymous with coping with the past, but never as an effort of the present."

Nowadays, too, the anti-Semitic furor can not be subdued through ignorance and denial. In contrast to those who due to financial interests play down and gloss over the threats of annihilation towards Israel, we, the initiators of this campaign, take the words of a Dictator seriously. Whoever denies the Nazi crime against humanity, or lets them be denied at conferences, just as Ahmadinejad did, is preparing for the next murder of Jews. Wolfgang Neugebauer (Action against anti-Semitism in Austria) said: "As a historian I know that shying away from totalitarian dictatorships can have catastrophic consequences. The Western appeasement policy of 1938 facilitated the successes of Hitler Germany significantly and ultimately led to an even wider war than would have been the case, had there been timely and decisive resistance. The Shoah and other genocides in Europe would not have been possible, had Hitler Germany already been restrained in 1938. From this one should learn."

The signers demand the cessation of a "critical dialog" with the regime in Tehran in favor of comprehensive political and economic sanctions. "The negotiations between the OMV and the Iranian Mullahs as well as credit subsidies by the 'Oesterreichische Kontrollbank AG' for such deals have to be discontinued immediately. The Iranian nuclear program has to be stopped early enough in order to give peace in the Middle East a chance," warned musical star Marika Lichter.

Dr. Ing. Kazem Moussavi (Green Party of Iran) demands that the dialog should be led with the Iranian opposition and no longer with the mullahs. All trade with the regime consolidates its power.
"As a result, the Pandora's box would truly be opened. Something horrendous would thereby emerge", according to Jelinek.