Please Keep Iceland from Going Down the Dangerous Path of Censorship

The Reykjavík Grapevine

Hafnarstræti 15
101 Reykjavík
Iceland
[email protected]

Attention.   Ms. Andie Sophia Fontaine 
Regarding:  Expansion of Article 233 of the Penal Code to historical discussion:

Dear Grapevine:

I am writing on behalf of a Californian based association, the Committee for Open Debate on the Holocaust, (CODOH). We are an international group open to all people interested in correcting errors in history through scholarship and debate. We are writing to  thank you for your article of January 21 regarding 233 of the Penal Code.

We are also writing to recommend that Article 233 of Iceland's penal code NOT  be expanded to include discussions/books about historic events. Since criminalizing honest and open debate, particularly on matters of history, is a serious step for Iceland to take, we ask to present our side of the discussion to Grapevine viewers.  Perhaps Grapevine would post a short OpEd piece if we sent one in?  Our points are given below.

Holocaust Revisionism is not "Hate Speech." It is the intellectual process of rereading history.  As we all know,  History is never gotten right the first time around.  All history is, or should be, subject to review and revision.

Reviewing history is not directed at any race, nationality, religion, or ethnic group. Neither is it meant to threaten or insult anyone.

Making history accurate is a good thing

The purpose of revisionism is entirely salutary; making the story we call history more accurate.

It is a good thing to try and correct history as far as humanly possible.

A Bit of Background on misrepresenting Revisionist views

In November 2010 CODOH founder Bradley Smith  wrote to the Holocaust Education Trust of Ireland asking to be allowed to attend a conference entitled International Conference on Anti-Semitism and Holocaust denial.  He wanted to attend the conference for the purpose of contributing to people's understanding of Revisionism and to speak in support of the necessity, in a free society, of an open exchange of ideas in an environment of good will.

Bradley Smith wrote to HETI,

"Although it is standard practice to defame Revisionists as 'anti-Semites who claim the Holocaust is just Jewish propaganda,' that is not what we at CODOH argue. Briefly, we believe that much of that history that we are taught today has been influenced by Soviet, British and American wartime propaganda which exaggerated and exploited real tragedies for propaganda purposes. This concerns not just Jews but Slavs, Roma, Jehovah’s Witnesses and, in some versions, Gays. It can be argued that there is considerable research that supports this point of view."

Unfortunately, the HETI did not allow any Revisionist to  talk or even attend the conference ;but Bradley's description of Revisionism is correct.

Unfortunately, as can be seen in the letter of Menachem Z. Rosensaft published Dec. 3rd in the Dagblaoio Visir, there are those who continue to attack the small group of Revisionist scholars using inaccurate facts and reasoning.

Changes in History Textbooks?

As Bradley Smith suggested, the good faith and reasonableness of Revisionists can best be shown by the truth of our arguments. If our suggested changes to history textbooks are more accurate than the "official history," (generally as presented at the International Military Tribunal at Nuremberg,) then criminalizing our right to speak is an obvious mistake for Iceland.   One example of revisionism is the changing history of Majdanek Camp in Poland.  http://auschwitz.org/en/museum/news/majdanek-victims-enumerated-changes-in-the-history-textbooks,44.html.    While it is not mentioned in the article, the figure presented  in post-War trials was 1,400,000 deaths at Majdanek.  The revised figure is 78,000. While 78,000 deaths is a horrible tragedy, it is a major revision to the “history” created by the victors.   When Auschwitz State Museum asks for changes in history textbooks, why are some members of the Althingi attempting to stifle discussion?  Perhaps they believe the claim of Mr. Rosenscaft the he, and he alone knows the "reality" of history?

A certain sign of Bigotry

The enemies of tolerance and diversity are not always the same. Nor are their targets. However, one certain sign of bigotry is the unwillingness to listen to others, or to allow others to speak. Unfortunately, the World Jewish Congress has become one of western world's foremost promoters of censorship and blacklisting.   Given there are about 40 Revisionist scholars around the world, the WJC's concern with one book being published in Iceland seems excessive.

Is the proposed ban even necessary?

The issue has come up because of the publication of a single book, Professor Butz's 1976 book in Icelandic late last year. If so it is a trifling reason to criminalize historic discussions.  The people of Iceland seem pretty reasonable and well educated.  They can judge the value of arguments for themselves.  How many of Professor Butz's books are expected to be sold? 

What other topics does the WJC want banned?..should the British and American invasions of Iceland be made un-discussible history? Of course not.   Subjects of controversy are where free speech matters.

Effects of criminalization

Criminalization of speech and debate will encourage a climate of intolerance and stifle research and thought even if prosecutions are rare.The people of Iceland will be discouraged from reading what they want and thinking for themselves.

The people of Iceland will be discouraged from speaking openly and candidly to each other.
An incorrect "history" still obviously full of wartime propaganda will remain and the many changes to history textbooks that have occurred in the last 25 years will be undiscussed.

Iceland will become a country where books and discussions are banned.

CODOH members believe the best way to defeat hatred and prejudice is by honest and open discussion. 

This is particularly true in writing history.   CODOH feels that the disappearance of objective history is a frightening propagandistic achievement.  We feel that it is in everyone's interest to keep history honest.

Therefore, we would like the government of Iceland to consider encouraging dialogue and research on historical subjects. CODOH will try and help!

Please keep Iceland from going down the dangerous path of censorship.

Yours for tolerance, discussion and truth,

David Merlin, CODOH member

[email protected],
https://codoh.com/

voice & fax: ++1-415-688-2129