IRAN: EUROPEANS INTOLERANT

Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi claims to be surprised at the reaction to President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's recent remarks regarding the Holocaust and Israel:

"I'm surprised by the reaction to these comments," he told a weekly news conference. "Some foreign circles and foreign countries are giving a misleading impression (of what Ahmadinejad said)."

"I'm surprised that the Europeans cannot tolerate others' opinions. They are used to talking and want others to listen to them," he added.

Speaking in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, Ahmadinejad said:

"Some European countries insist on saying that Hitler killed millions of innocent Jews in furnaces ... Although we don't accept this claim ...

"If the Europeans are honest they should give some of their provinces in Europe -- like in Germany, Austria or other countries -- to the Zionists and the Zionists can establish their state in Europe," the official IRNA news agency quoted him as saying.

The remarks followed comments by Ahmadinejad in October in which he described Israel as a "tumour" which should be "wiped off the map."

Iranian academic Mehdi Motaharnia points to the evil Jew aspect of the controversy:

"Israel ... can exploit such comments by Iranian officials to mobilize all countries against Iran."

Well, if Ahmadinejad would just shut the fuck up, the Jews wouldn't be able to exploit his words. What a bunch of dumb-arses.