Toronto (July 26, 2019) -Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center (FSWC) is shocked to learn about plans to reopen former fascist dictator Benito Mussolini's tomb to the public in his hometown of Predappio, Italy, as reported in an article published in the Calgary Herald and other Canadian newspapers that fails to mention Mussolini’s ties to Adolf Hitler.

The mayor of the city is reportedly working with Mussolini's family to promote the tomb, which will also be opened to the public on July 29th to celebrate the dictator's birth, as a tourist attraction.

"Not only was Mussolini a fascist dictator, he also inspired Hitler and the ultimate rise of Nazism in Germany, which Italy maintained an alliance with. Under his rule, Italian Jews were stripped of their citizenship and civil rights following the enactment of racial laws in the country. It’s extremely surprising that the report in the Herald fails to mention this connection," said FSWC President and CEO Avi Benlolo.