Stephen Fry provokes Polish fury over Auschwitz remark

Stephen Fry provokes Polish fury over Auschwitz remark

The Polish embassy has accused Stephen Fry of "slander" after he suggested Poles had played a role in the Holocaust.

He made the comments on Channel 4 news while talking about the Conservative Party's links with Poland's Law and Justice party.

The party has members that have faced accusations of anti-Semitism and homophobia, and Mr Fry appeared to hint that Poland may hold some responsibility for the mass murder of European Jews.

"Let's face it, there has been a history in Poland of right-wing Catholicism, which has been deeply disturbing for those of us who know a little history, and remember which side of the border Auschwitz was on," he said.

The remark provoked a furious response from the Polish embassy.

"To suggest, even indirectly, that the Polish people, and Poland as a country, are in some way collectively responsible for the [Auschwitz] death camp, which became the symbol of the horrors of the Holocaust, is completely wrong and frankly – defamatory," the embassy said a statement.

It was not a clever thing to say, maybe he should not have said it but i find it laughable that the Polish Embassy felt the need to get involved. People need to get a life and realise that things will be said, in the past, present and future, no need for the world to grind to a hault though

Its a quote from the Telegraph.
The Telegraph is a Tory mouthpiece.
Mr Fry was commenting on the Tory party.
Tory party respond through the Telegraph.

Pinch of salt needed.

Stephen Fry is accused by embassy officials of making "utterly misleading" and "slanderous" comments about Poland after a Channel 4 News interview in which he mentioned links to the infamous Auschwitz concentration camp.

made his remarks in an interview with Jon Snow this week.

Fry appeared on the programme to voice his concerns over the alleged homophobic and anti-Semitic background of some Polish members of David Cameron's European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) group in the European parliament.

Fry said: "There has been a history, let's face it, in Poland of a right-wing Catholicism which has been deeply disturbing for those of us who know a little history, and remember which side of the border Auschwitz was on, and know the stories, and know much of the anti-Semitic, and homophobic and nationalistic elements in countries like Poland.

"This is a problem that is not going to get smaller because as we start to pay for the financial disaster of the least year - as the bill comes in – a kind of great pimple acne of nationalism and homophobia and racism is going to erupt around Europe because there is going to be trouble with unemployment, there are going to be all the problems."
Fry is one of a group of activists, which also includes comedian Eddie Izzard and the Unite union, who have written to David Cameron asking him to reconsider the Conservative party's links with the Polish Law and Justice party, with whom the Polish MEPs are affiliated.
But Fry's comments on Channel 4 News, as well as prompting complaints from Polish viewers in the UK, also led the Polish Embassy to complain.
Robert Szaniawski, spokesman for the embassy, told Channel 4 News: "I have taken strong exception to the statement made by Stephen Fry in which he suggested Polish complicity in the Nazi atrocities in Auschwitz during World War Two.
"While Mr Fry has every right to express his opinion, be it regarding current political developments or, indeed, historical matters, nonetheless, it should be tempered with some respect for factual accuracy in his public pronouncements.
"Poland was not free from anti-Semitism before World War Two or under the Nazi occupation, but to imply, however vaguely, some form of collective responsibility of the Polish nation and Poland for the notorious death camp which came to symbolise the horrors of the Holocaust, is utterly misleading, and quite frankly, slanderous.
"The mere geographical reference in this context is also incorrect, as Auschwitz-Birkenau was set up and administered by Nazi Germany in the part of Poland directly annexed to the Third Reich at the time."

"and remember which side of the border Auschwitz was on,"

Channel 4

Looks like Mr Fry did indeed make a gaffe. A bit ironic that he was challenging anti semetism.

Is anybody else getting utterly sick of British celebrities making completely false comments about Poland and Poles? I certainly am.

Maybe we should send him some swans?

No chance, I'm eating those!

Stop whining Jew, you are a parody of the Nazis at this stage. Blitzing the Palestinians into kingdom come. Any sympathy I did have for the Jews has long gone.

I think you should make the distinction between the so-called "Jews" (member of the Judaic faith) and "Israelis" (citizen of Israël). The Jews are the ones who live in Europe and the US and are not responsible for the deeds of Israël, nor do most of them condone it. Let me make this a bit more clear in case you don't understand what I'm saying: An Irishman kills somebody in Asia. Some ppl now say they hate the Irish. All the Irish. Does this make the error of your (and other's) ways a bit more clearer? Thanks.

>^..^<

M-G (clarify)

Harry

PiS (a bunch of xenophobic, racist homophobes of the highest order)

maybe he should not have said it but i find it laughable that the Polish Embassy felt the need to get involved

So we should just let people edit history to suit their political opinions and say nothing?

remember which side of the border Auschwitz was on

Propaganda war stared long ago to accuse Poles of NAZI crimes

Erm... it was on the German side of the border, you idiot.

oh why, did their anthem started
with "Deutschland, Deutschland über alles" :-)

Polish officials seem to have developed an annoying habit recently to complain about every fart someone has made. Reminds me a lot of Israeli politicians.

Ah...now it's german land...ah ja! ;)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deutschlandlied#Historical_backgrou nd

though I blame the sensitivity of the Polish Ambassador in London more than the country itself.

It was not a clever thing to say, maybe he should not have said it but i find it laughable that the Polish Embassy felt the need to get involved.

The party has members that have faced accusations of anti-Semitism and homophobia,

right-wing Catholicism

The remark provoked a furious response from the Polish embassy.

I think you should make the distinction between the so-called "Jews" (member of the Judaic faith) and "Israelis" (citizen of Israël). The Jews are the ones who live in Europe and the US and are not responsible for the deeds of Israël, nor do most of them condone it. Let me make this a bit more clear in case you don't understand what I'm saying: An Irishman kills somebody in Asia. Some ppl now say they hate the Irish. All the Irish. Does this make the error of your (and other's) ways a bit more clearer? Thanks.

Of course there is no such thing like right-wing or left-wing Catholicism, there is just Catholicism.

For goodness sake, if i complained everytime i heard something said that offended me i'd be knee deep in complaints forms :) Give it a rest, he said what he said and the whole world is going to come crashing to a hault because Poland has been offended.

It was not a clever thing to say, maybe he should not have said it but i find it laughable that the Polish Embassy felt the need to get involved. People need to get a life and realise that things will be said, in the past, present and future, no need for the world to grind to a hault though

They should ignore this idiot but this is how they try to proof their usefulness.

Of course there is no such thing like right-wing or left-wing Catholicism, there is just Catholicism.

Interesting logic, I believe that Mr Fry often face accusation of being an idiot.

Robert Szaniawski.
"While Mr Fry has every right to express his opinion, be it regarding current political developments or, indeed, historical matters, nonetheless, it should be tempered with some respect for factual accuracy in his public pronouncements.

That we have people trying to re-write history in 2009 of such an event is truly shocking