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A8 WORLD NEWS
Saturday 3 February 2018
Polish PM: Holocaust bill needed, but timing wasn’t good

By MONIKA SCISLOWSKA porters to explain his feel-
Associated Press ings about the law.
MARKOWA, Poland (AP) Yad Vashem, Israel’s Holo-
— Poland’s controversial caust memorial, has docu-
legislation regulating Holo- mented 6,706 Polish “Righ-
caust speech could have teous Among the Nations”
been timed and presented — gentiles who gave shel-
better, the prime minister ter to Jews without profit
acknowledged Friday, but motive. That number repre-
he insisted that the law is sents only those cases that
needed to defend histori- could be documented,
cal truth. and historians believe there
Mateusz Morawiecki spoke were many cases that nev-
on Friday to foreign cor- er came to light, including
respondents at a museum cases of helpers and Jews
that memorializes Christian discovered and killed.
Poles who risked their lives The German forces im-
to help Jews during the posed the death penalty
German occupation of Po- not only on any person
land during World War II. caught helping, but their
Poland is involved in a bit- entire families. Similar laws
ter diplomatic spat with were in place elsewhere
Israel over the legislation, in occupied Europe, but
which would outlaw pub- Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki places a candle at a memorial wall with names of they were imposed more
licly and falsely attributing some of the Poles who saved Jews during the Holocaust, at the Ulma Family Museum of Poles Who brutally in Poland. The mu-
the crimes of Nazi Germa- Saved Jews during WWII, in Markowa, Poland, Friday, Feb. 2, 2018. seum, which opened in
ny to the Polish nation. The Associated Press 2016, stands near the place
penalty for violations is up Morawiecki said. “We will cupation. ate gave its approval on where German soldiers in
to three years in prison. never be accused of com- “This law is not going to Thursday. President Andrzej 1944 killed Jozef Ulma, his
He defended the law, call- plicity in the Holocaust. This limit speech, not even one Duda now has three weeks pregnant wife Wiktoria and
ing it necessary to protect is our ‘to be or not to be.’” iota,” Morawiecki said. to sign or veto it; he has so their six small children, as
historical truth and pre- He insisted the law — which He did, however, say that far indicated that he sup- well as eight members of
vent the Polish people as a has been passed by parlia- Poland should have better ports it. the Goldman, Gruenfeld
whole from being blamed ment and awaits the presi- explained its intentions to Morawiecki toured the and Didner families that the
for the murder of Jews dur- dent’s signature — would the world, and acknowl- Ulma Family Museum of Ulmas were sheltering.
ing the Nazi occupation not impinge on freedom of edged the timing was “un- Poles Saving Jews in Mar- Mateusz Szpytma, deputy
from 1939 to 1945. speech, as feared by some. fortunate.” kowa after first paying his director of the museum,
“All the atrocities and all Israel, the most vocal critic, The lower house of parlia- respects outside the build- said it is estimated that be-
the victims, everything that fears the legislation will be ment approved the legisla- ing at memorials to Poles tween 700 and 1,100 Poles
happened during World used to whitewash the in- tion on Jan. 26, the eve of who helped Jews and Jew- were murdered by the Ger-
War II on Polish soil, has to volvement of some Poles in International Holocaust Re- ish Holocaust victims. mans for helping Jews dur-
be attributed to Germany,” killing Jews during the oc- membrance Day. The Sen- He then sat down with re- ing the war.q
Vatican nixes former Irish president from Women’s Day event

By NICOLE WINFIELD Voices of Faith said it sub- The conference, he added,
Associated Press mitted a dozen names of would feature testimony
VATICAN CITY (AP) — The proposed panelists to Car- from people in the Dzaleka
Vatican has barred for- dinal Kevin Farrell, head of refugee camp in Malawi.
mer Irish President Mary the Vatican’s laity office. It Milavac said the daylong
McAleese from speaking at said Friday that he rejected conference was follow-
an annual event at the Vat- McAleese and a Ugan- ing the same structure as
ican marking International dan LGBT rights advocate, previous years, with indi-
Women’s Day, just months Ssenfuka Juanita Warry, as vidual speakers — Catholic
before Pope Francis heads well as a third unnamed women — speaking about
to Ireland for a big Catholic panelist. No reason was the innovative work they’re
family conference, organiz- given, said Deborah Rose doing in the field. The panel
ers said Friday. Milavac, a Voices of Faith discussion was to focus on
McAleese, who has a gay advisory board member. the Catholic Church itself
son and has criticized the Voices of Faith then de- and the challenges it’s fac-
church’s position on LGBT cided to change venues In this March 23, 2007 file photo, Pope Benedict XVI and Ireland ing in integrating women
issues, was invited by the and hold the conference President Mary McAleese pose for photographers prior to a into its decision-making.
Voices of Faith Catholic with its original panelists private audience the pontiff granted her at the Vatican. McAleese, the Irish presi-
women’s advocacy group down the block at Je- Associated Press dent from 1997-2011, is an
to participate in a March 8 suit headquarters. Asked fusion about that.” Jesuit necessarily agree with the outspoken advocate for
panel discussion at the Vat- about Farrell’s decision, the Refugee Services, a co- views of all speakers, but it’s gay rights and has urged
ican on women in church Vatican spokesman, Greg sponsor of the event, said it important to have a broad the Vatican not to exclude
governance. In previous Burke, said: “This is not a had been discussing using range of women’s voices gay Catholics from the up-
years, the Women’s Day Vatican-sponsored event, the large Jesuit auditorium at this event, including coming World Meeting of
event has been held in a and given the nature of well before the speakers list refugee women,” said JRS Families, which Francis is ex-
small palazzo in the Vati- the topics being discussed, was confirmed just to han- international director the pected to attend in Dublin
can gardens. there should not be con- dle the crowd. “We don’t Rev. Thomas H. Smolich. in August.q