New York, N.Y., February 1, 2002 … The Anti-Defamation League (ADL)

• Excerpts From Al-Ahram Article

today expressed outrage at an Egyptian newspaper's comparison of Hitler's treatment of Jews to the United States' treatment of Al Qaeda prisoners at Guantanamo Bay.

Anis Mansour, a columnist for Al Ahram, called U.S. treatment "worse than what Hitler did to his rivals from among the Jews and Christians."

"In no way can the security measures taken by the U.S. to ensure the safe transport of individuals taken prisoner because of their active participation in a terrorist organization be compared to Hitler's deliberate and systematic murder of millions of innocent Jewish men, women and children," said Abraham H. Foxman, ADL National Director. "Unfortunately, there have been far too many instances where Egyptian newspapers print sensationalized commentary peppered with inappropriate or blatantly false comments about the Holocaust.

"Claiming that Jews and Christians, who were killed in the Holocaust, were 'rivals' to Hitler and his foes, in the manner of the Al Qaeda prisoners, is outrageous," Mr. Foxman said.

ADL has communicated this latest example of anti-Jewish missive in the Egyptian media to M. Nabil Fahmy, Egyptian Ambassador to the United States.

The translation of the Al-Ahram article was provided by MEMRI.

The Anti-Defamation League, founded in 1913, is the world's leading organization fighting anti-Semitism through programs and services that counteract hatred, prejudice and bigotry.