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  1. Politics
20 May 2008

Why do we tolerate Press TV?

An interesting question on the Iranian state-funded station based in London

By Martin Bright

I recently wrote about my appearance on Press TV, the London-based Iranian channel. The discussion on radicalism was perfectly cordial, but I did wonder what exactly the station was for.

David T at Harry’s Place has raised further questions about the wisdom of hosting a holocaust-denying propaganda outlet in the UK.

With his usual panache, David points out that the Press TV website published a piece by holocaust denier Nicolas Kollerstrom that concludes “that the alleged massacre of Jewish people by gassing during World War II was scientifically impossible”.

Press TV then published the following statement: “The distinguished academic was dismissed on April 22, 2008 without any explanation and a Holocaust conference held on 16-18 May in Berlin refused his article and warned that he would be arrested if he attended the conference and presented his essay.
The West punishes people for their scientific research on Holocaust but the same western countries allow insults to prophets and religious beliefs…”

In fact, this western country allows a level of freedom of speech to Press TV which would have it closed down in most countries.

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