Public denial of the Holocaust is a criminal offence in Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Israel, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Switzerland, and is punishable by fines and jail sentences
Interesting debate in Times of London.
It’s time for these laws to go, and for the true freedom of expression that so many lecture others about to be applied.
Re: Why should Holocaust denial be a crime?
I totally agree.
I assume since you are such a staunch proponent for free speech that you also do not want laws limiting newspapers on what cartoons they are allowed to publish?
Re: Why should Holocaust denial be a crime?
Does questioning the so called facts over the Holocaust consitute insulting the Jewish faith or even Jews?
Re: Why should Holocaust denial be a crime?
Its because of freedom of speech silly, All the above countries are a shinning example of freedom of speech. BTW what was that young Iranian President saying? There were only 5 million suckers in Europe but Europeans killed 6 million… Is this some kind of Jewish math or something?
Re: Why should Holocaust denial be a crime?
I agree completely. Since you are a champion of "true freedom of expression", you should also support the right of newspapers to publish cartoons they choose to.
Re: Why should Holocaust denial be a crime?
Oh, so you aren't advocating free speech, you just have a problem when it affects Muslims and not Jews.
You want selected freedom of expression, not *true *freedom of expression.
Re: Why should Holocaust denial be a crime?
^
Did you even care to examine what I said? Does questioning the Holocaust constitute insulting Judaism? After all we hear the term anti-semite! banded about so often by so many Jew supporters.
Re: Why should Holocaust denial be a crime?
I believe that these laws were created shortly after the war so that they could go in and break up hate groups as they were worried that they could cause strife in the country and possible inflitrate the government. Remember they had an elected madman rile up the entire country supporting the banishment of Jews and those feelings just don't go away after the war is over hence the laws.
Re: Why should Holocaust denial be a crime?
That is too true mo. When was the last time you saw an article in any mainstream American or European newspaper questioning the so-called Holocaust facts? When was the last time ABC, CBS, CNN, Fox News or NBC gave due coverage to people who dispute the facts so often repeated about the Holocaust?
Re: Why should Holocaust denial be a crime?
It is a crime simply because it was viewed as a form of hate speech, which is illegal in many countries such as the United States. The people of those countries felt that it was such a heinous form of hate speech that their legislatures took specific step to ban it. Denying the horrific murders of six million people is a way of mocking one of the most horrific events in the history of humanity.
It is essentially the equivalent of saying that an event essentially a million times worse than Sabra and Shatilla can be ignored because those Muslim people don't count. Do you get it now?
How come Muslim people are so hyper-sensitive about their issues, but are essentially clueless about the issues of other people?
Re: Why should Holocaust denial be a crime?
So you support these laws?
Israel has such laws as well.
Are you saying that Jews in Israel previously elected a madman that riled up the country supporting the banishment of Jews
Re: Why should Holocaust denial be a crime?
This is the most important part to focus on.
It is ironic that the freedom to critice religion is being championed in countries that are opposed to freedom to question history.
Re: Why should Holocaust denial be a crime?
Did you even care to examine what I said? Does questioning the Holocaust constitute insulting Judaism? After all we hear the term anti-semite! banded about so often by so many Jew supporters.
No I don't think it does. But you are asking for selective freedom of expression. If someone had to worry about offending someone every time they wrote, spoke or drew something there would be no freedom of expression. You are not entitled by law the freedom from being insulted.
Re: Why should Holocaust denial be a crime?
No I have done nothing to support these laws.
As OG said it's part of the hate laws these countries have, what aren't you grasping?
Re: Why should Holocaust denial be a crime?
^
Don't you think the term "anti-semite" is rather over used? In fact is it not used to snuff out the free opinions of people who have legitimate questions about the Holocaust, Israel, and Judaic beliefs?
Re: Why should Holocaust denial be a crime?
Why does the “Jewish” state of Israel have such laws? Or even neutral Switzerland which was never even in WW2. Explain, please.
Re: Why should Holocaust denial be a crime?
Why do countries have hate laws, that's what you are asking?
Re: Why should Holocaust denial be a crime?
^^ Sure, as long as you realize that YOUR Religion will have to live by the same rules, and that countries such as Pakistan should repeal all blasphemy laws.
Freedom of Speech is not an absolute, even in pure sectarian societies. Can you stand up in a crowded theatre and scream “Fire”? No, the safety of the other theatre goers is tantamount to your Freedom of Speech.
Can the KKK scream “Kill all the Niggers?”? No, the Civil Rights of the Black Man outweigh that form of Freedom of Speech.
Denial of the Holocaust is Code. It was code for those who hated the Jews to dismiss the event and in essence say that the murder of millions does not matter, because it was “only Jews”.
To me, denial of the Holocaust is an example of Islamocentrism. Muslims who would scream bloody murder if their rights were abridged, somehow believe that the murder of nearly half of the Jews in the world is a non-event.
A good discussion of Hate Speech here:
Re: Why should Holocaust denial be a crime?
Utd seems to be saying that Jews in Israel should be stopped from hating other Jews, hence these laws. Is that what you are trying to say utd?
Why no similar laws in the USA to stop people questioning the millions of Native American's the whites killed? Are whites not being racist or hateful when they dispute such tragedies perpetrated against the natives?
Re: Why should Holocaust denial be a crime?
More than just just jews live in Israel Reza and Israel wants to make it clear that such hate speech is not accpeted there.
I don't know of anyone who denies that many European settlers who came to America fought and killed Indians. Mind you many Indian tribes were waring with one another before the European settlers joined the battle.