Press Conferece for Farsi Version of NIGHT at Simon Wiesenthal Center

November 10, 2008 Video

On the seventieth anniversary of Kristallnacht, the Simon Wiesenthal Center is Los Angeles, California invited representatives of the English and Farsi media to introduce the Farsi translation of Professor Elie Wiesel's acclaimed memoir, Night. Night is the first book by Wiesel, a survivor of the Auschwitz, Birkenau, and Buna concentration camps who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1986.  Night has been translated into Farsi by Mrs. Nina Ostovar-Maserrat and printed and distributed by the the Graduate Society Foundation. 

The Simon Wiesenthal Center is an international human rights organization dedicated to fighting racial and religious discrimination against Jews and other groups.  The Museum of Tolerance, the Center's educational arm, is located on the same site.

A portion of Genocide, a documentary about Kristallnacht and the crimes of the Holocaust, was shown at this.  This film has been shown throughout the world, including in Russia and China.  The film's historical footage acts an undeniable document, showing windows being broken, Jewish homes, synagoguges and ghettos being set on fire, and other violent acts committed against Jews on Kristallnacht.  Interestingly, most of these documents were provided by the Nazis and Germans themselves.  Undoubtedly they were satisfied and proud of what they did, and so took photographs, films, and documents of their despicable violent crimes.

Representatives from the English-speaking media outlets ABC-7, Fox-11, USCS, and ATVN (Annenberg TV News) were among those invited.  From the Farsi media, Mr. Reza Goharzad, editor of Prestige magazine; Mr. Fereydoon Mirfakhraee, voice of America; Mr. Bijan Khalili, director of the Ketab Corporation, and famous actors and activists Mr. Parviz Sayyad, Mr. Parviz Kardan, and Mr. G. Haroonian attended the gathering.  Mrs. Ostovar-Masserat was also in attendance, along with her husband and their son.  From the Graduate Society, Dr. Shirzad Abrams, Mr. and Mrs. Mehrdad Mobasseri, Mr. and Mrs. Saeed Sassooni, Mr. Fred Golbar, Dr. Yaaghoob Ainechi, Dr. Ardeshir Babaknia, and Mr. Abdi Khorramian attended.

The hosts of this gathering were Rabbi Marvin Hier, president, and Rabbi Abraham Cooper, director of the Simon Wiesenthal Center.

Rabbi Hier, speaking on the importance of translating such a significant book into Farsi, emphasized the positive step it will be to inform the people of Iran of the crimes committed against Jews during World War II.  He added that President Ahmadinejad sent a congratulatory message to President Obama after his election.  His goal seems to be to start a new relationship between Iran and the United States, yet he repeatedly denies the Holocaust and expresses his desire for Israel to be wiped off the map.

Rabbi Hier thinks that the Farsi translation of Night is the best response to Mr. Ahmadinejad's words and beliefs, and the best way to inform the people of Iran.  Rabbi Hier hopes that in an expression of goodwill, Mr. Ahmadinejad might arrange for the shipment of the book to Iran to be available for schools and universities. 

In his speech, Rabbi Cooper recognized the positive role Iranians and Iranian Jews play in the greater Los Angeles community.  He said that he is hopeful that with the cooperation of the Farsi media, a united message will be sent to Iran's government and citizenry, especially its large population of students, and that this message might cool down agitation between Iran and the United States.

Other attendees mentioned that informing Iran's people is the best way to defend them against the baseless words of their own leaders.

The hosts thanked Mrs. Ostovar-Masserat and the Graduate Society Foundation for the translation and publication of Night, and Mrs. Ostovar-Masserat signed copies of the book after the presentations.