Holocaust deniers and other groups that spout hate won’t be
able to sell their merchandise through MasterCard Worldwide, according
to Assemblyman Dov Hikind, who is applauding a decision by the credit
card giant to stop doing business with such zany entities.
Hikind (D-Borough Park-Midwood) recently met top executives of
MasterCard to thank them for their addressing what he called “this
deeply hurtful issue.”
Last month, it was discovered that eight organizations were selling
racist, anti-Semitic and Holocaust denial products, including books and
videos, via websites through credit card sales. A report on one of the
websites stated, “The alleged gas chambers of Auschwitz could not have
existed.”
Hikind, who represents a district where hundreds of Holocaust
survivors live, said he was outraged when he learned these hate groups
were selling items and using credit card companies to collect the fees.
He called on all credit card companies to stop doing business with these
groups.
“MasterCard was the first to take this issue seriously,” Hikind said.
“Freedom of speech allows anyone to espouse openly racist, hateful
ideologies, but there’s no need to make it easier for them and no cause
for a respected credit card and international brand to be associated
with such reprehensible material. I applaud MasterCard for their
sensitivity and respect—for going the extra mile and making the
necessary efforts to do the right thing,” he said.
Unlike in some European countries, where selling racist and
Holocaust-denial materials is illegal, hate speech is protected speech
in the United States. That means that MasterCard is limited to
“educating” its merchant banks with regard to who they are issuing
merchant accounts to. “But MasterCard has been a master educator,”
Hikind said. He said that nearly every hate group that he reported last
month for selling Holocaust denial products has now been dropped by
their individual merchant banks.
“It’s an important victory,” said Hikind, who is the son of Holocaust
survivors. “The Jewish community and anyone interested in historical
accuracy owe MasterCard a debt of gratitude,” he said.
Source: Mastercard.com
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