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Adolf Hitler
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LONDON - The poem "Jews" -- penned by a 14-year-old schoolboy for an anthology of young writing -- contains the lines: "Jews are here, Jews are there, Jews are almost everywhere, filling up the darkest places, evil looks upon their faces."

Another reads: "Make them take many paces for being one of the worst races, on their way to a gas chamber, where they will sleep in their manger."

In submitting the work to the Forward Press publishing firm, the young author states he wrote the poem for his religious studies homework on the Holocaust as an alternative perspective based on Hitler's "perception of life and power".

"As soon as I had written the poem and read it through, I knew some people would interpret it in the wrong way... I did not mean to offend anybody by writing this poem and I am not a racist person," he added, according to a copy released by the firm.

But Louise Ellman, a Labour member of parliament, said she was concerned the context of the poem -- which mentions the former Nazi dictator by name -- was not properly explained.

"The way it is presented can feed prejudice and I think that's very disturbing," she argued.

"I would like it to be withdrawn or if it is not withdrawn, then it should be reissued so that it's made clear what it is about.

"In its present form, with no explanation, it could foster prejudice."

Ellmann was supported by Lord Greville Janner, chairman of the Holocaust Educational Trust, who said an approach had been made to the publishers, the Forward Press group, based in Peterborough, eastern England.

"A book containing this offensive poem should not be included in any textbook," added Janner, a former president of the Board of Deputies of British Jews.

"If our efforts with the publisher fail then I shall certainly ask our Education Secretary (Ruth Kelly) to intervene."

Ian Walton, managing director of Forward Press, gave a robust defence of the poem and said they had only received one complaint, blaming exaggeration from a Jewish newspaper for the furore.

"E-mails coming in tell me that kids aged 11 to 18 wouldn't understand the subtleties of the poem," Walton said in a statement.

"I take exception to that as these 'kids' would be well aware that the poet has written from the perspective of Adolf Hitler.

"They are probably more intellectually-minded than many of the bigots who comment before obtaining the facts.

"If this poem had caused an outrage, I am sure many of the other parents or schools would have complained."

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