Holocaust Denial

[Lief Erikson]

Originally Posted by BBC News

A Nazi watchdog group warned that a "very ugly wave of Holocaust denial is sweeping the Arab world".

Reading the news today, I found that the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood leader, the main political opposition party to the current political power, has openly denied the Holocaust. "Western democracies have criticised all those who adopt a view different from that of the people of Zion about the myth of the Holocaust," he complained, arguing that he wanted to "expose the false American rule which has become a nightmare of a new world order."

This thread is designed to discuss Holocaust denial. What evidence is used to back Holocaust denial? Anti-semitism plainly is a major reason people do it, but if there are others, I'd be interested to hear about them.

Here is the article about the Muslim Brotherhood's claim. The Iranian president claimed the same.

Originally Posted by BBC News

The leader of Egypt's opposition Muslim Brotherhood has joined Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in calling the Nazi Holocaust a "myth".

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4554986.stm

So as I said, tis thread is designed to discuss Holocaust denial. True or false. Extent of Holocaust denial feeling. People in modern times who deny the Holocaust. Reasons for that.

As this is a "very ugly wave . . . sweeping the Arab world," I thought bringing up a thread about it might be pertinant to the modern situation.

I know the issue gets, to some extent, into US foreign policy, and gets even more deeply into Israeli foreign policy. Those issues are important and very probably will have to be looked into. I hope we don't get into massive political tangents about whether the US and Israeli actions are right or wrong, in our opinions .

[rohirrim TR]

I've been wondering about that too, what exactly do they have to gain by denying the holocaust? I don't think it really helps their anti-semitic agenda; and it makes them look a bit foolish in the process. The only thing I can figure is that the common people who support these guys believe everything they say, so they're trying to spread that view point. Even at that its hard for me to see how that would help them or benefit them.

what was your theory lief?

[Lief Erikson]

Originally Posted by rohirrim TR

I've been wondering about that too, what exactly do they have to gain by denying the holocaust? I don't think it really helps their anti-semitic agenda; and it makes them look a bit foolish in the process. The only thing I can figure is that the common people who support these guys believe everything they say, so they're trying to spread that view point. Even at that its hard for me to see how that would help them or benefit them.

what was your theory lief?

Holocaust denial makes them look bad to their international audience. It makes them look good to their domestic audience, however. Many in the Middle East are strongly alligned against Israel because of the treatment of the Palestinians. Opposition to Israel is a kind of uniting factor amongst many Muslims in the Middle East. Denying the Holocaust is another stab at Israel, and gains public support amongst many of the people in the Middle East. It won't gain any points internationally. I, for a while, was pretty confused by that. Why say it if they're just making themselves look bad? By saying what they are, they can score points on their home soil.

[Insidious Rex]

Its just another loony conspiracy theory that allows certain middle eastern countries (I dont really see the benefit of saying its some kind of distinctly "Muslim" notion Lief) to rationalize the concept that Jews created it as an excuse to found the state of Isreal after World War Two. And that this was propogated by the allies (US and Britian in particular) because they didnt want the jews in their countries necessarily AND they wanted a foot hold in the oil rich middle east. Paranoid nonsense obviously but good internal propoganda never the less as you say.

[Lief Erikson]

Originally Posted by Insidious Rex

I dont really see the benefit of saying its some kind of distinctly "Muslim" notion Lief

It's not limited to Muslims, and it definitely doesn't extend to anywhere near all Muslims. However, it is largely Muslims in the Arab world that are most strongly opposed to Israel, and it is thus largely amidst this part of the Arab Muslim world that the Holocaust denial theory is gaining the most strength.

[Earniel]

Denying the Holocaust is, IMO, like living with blinkers on. It's a bit... pathetic to use it as a tool in the Middle-east conflicts. In Belgium, and I believe in neighbouring countries also, denying the Holocaust is a punishable offence.

[Lief Erikson]

Originally Posted by Eärniel

Denying the Holocaust is, IMO, like living with blinkers on. It's a bit... pathetic to use it as a tool in the Middle-east conflicts. In Belgium, and I believe in neighbouring countries also, denying the Holocaust is a punishable offence.

Yes. Austria recently arrested a British historian named David Irving for denying the Holocaust. It's weird how in some places you can be arrested for a belief that in other places is espoused by the governments. I'm not saying it's bad. Just that it's weird how the world works .

[Earniel]

Yeah, we've got some 'imfamous' Belgian guy constantly denying the Holocaust too. Germany wants him delivered up to be trialed there, last time I heard of him.

Personally I never really understood why it's a punishable offense here. I mean, you're a total loon if you vehemently stick to believing the Holocaust never happened, even with all the remaining evidence still in front of you: the camps, the footage, the pictures, Anne Frank's diary... And you probably deserve to be laughed at publically, but to be jailed over this? Meh, I don't know... People don't get jailed for stupidity in other cases.