MP loses party support for Holocaust denial

A Norwegian Labour Party Sami MP has caused outrage within his own ranks by denying that the Holocaust ever happened. Fellow politicians are calling for the resignation of Anders Mathisen, who is advocating changing history books after apparently spending months researching WWII concentration camps.

“There is no evidence the gas chambers or mass graves existed. Even reputable Holocaust historians have admitted it cannot be established,” Mathisen told the Finnmarken newspaper, while challenging readers to prove that his views are inaccurate.

“Raul Hilberg, the world’s most renowned Holocaust scholar, spent his entire life working at telling people the Holocaust took place,” he continued. “However, when asked at [the Holocaust denier] Ernst Zundel’s trial in Canada in 1985 if he could prove this, he admitted this was not possible. Even those who examine the gas chambers cannot find any trace gas was used.”

Nordlys newspaper also carried quotes from the MP, who accused Holocaust survivors of exaggerating their accounts of what happened. “I have read a book containing statements from those who were there, and the stories they come with are just not true,” he claimed.

Mathisen showed no remorse for his comments on his Facebook page, writing that he is proud to call himself an anti-Semite if it means “not accepting lies and nonsense”. In addition, he has separately claimed that the public has been brainwashed into the believing in the Holocaust by films like Schindler’s List.

Labour Party Secretary Raymond Johansen denounced his colleague’s comments. “I am shocked and appalled by Anders Mathisen’s statements about the Holocaust,” he said in an email to The Foreigner. “This is Nazi-inspired nonsense and extremely disrespectful to the victims of the Holocaust. This is far from our values,” he added.

Mathisen has refused to resign from the Labour Party but has been told that, as he hasn’t paid his party dues since last year, he is no longer officially a member and that reinstatement will not be possible.

Comments are closed.