S. Africa OKs hearing into hate

cape town (jta) | A South African court paved the way for a hearing on whether a Muslim radio station broadcast a program containing Holocaust denial.

On Monday, Sept. 6, the country’s Supreme Court of Appeal ruled that Radio 786 could not appeal a court decision made earlier this year that a hearing should be held into a May 8, 1998, program.

The broadcast featured an interview with Yacoub Zaki, a historian at the Muslim Institute in London. During the interview, Zaki said, “I accept that 1 million-plus Jews died during the Second World War, but I dispute the fact that they were murdered, that they were killed by gassing.”

The South African Board of Jewish Deputies, which has pressed for the hearing to be held, said it welcomed the decision.

Gang hate-crimes trial in Argentina

buenos aires (jta) | Photos and a videotape of Hitler allegedly were found at the house of the leader of an Argentine gang that is accused of kidnapping a Jewish man.

Police made the allegations while testifying in the trial of Ariel Strajman, who was kidnapped in October 2002 and whose finger was cut off before he was freed.

In addition to burning Strajman’s chest and mouth with cigarettes and kicking him, the kidnappers allegedly said, “S—-y Jew, you’ll see what Holocaust suffering was about.”

Nine members of the gang are charged with kidnapping and inciting racial and religious hatred.

Chief rabbi calls for ‘religious U.N.’

rome (jta) | One of Israel’s two chief rabbis renewed calls for a Jerusalem-based “religious United Nations” to promote dialogue.

Yona Metzger is attending a weeklong interreligious conference organized by the Milan Archdiocese and the St. Egidio community, a Catholic social action group.

“We should form a permanent assembly of religious leaders, like the U.N. General Assembly for international political and diplomatic relations, with its permanent center in Jerusalem,” Metzger told the opening session Sunday, Sept. 5.