Are the Holocaust deniers something we should be concerned with?

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has convened approximately 70 "researchers" such as ex-Klansman David Duke to discuss their doubts about the extent of the Holocaust, and questioning whether or not it actually happened. Have Western leaders' reactions up to this point been sufficient, or should there be a larger outcry? How does this influence Muslims' thinking around the world?


KJW:

I do not believe that the denial of the Holocaust should be a criminal offense. I believe that every person should be allowed to express their views and opinions, even power hungering maniacs like Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

Furthermore, I believe that the number of people educated in a free society who actually believe that the Holocaust never occurred is rather small. However, Iran and much of the middle east are societies that do not allow their citizens to be freely educated. In such societies that are oppressive and regulate what their citizens may and may not learn, there is a problem. Societies such as Iran indoctrinate their citizens to extreme beliefs (and actions) by using ideas such as Holocaust denial to mischaracterize Israel, and the United States, as evil that needs to be eliminated. Terrorism, just like racism, is not inborn, but instead is learned behavior.

So while I believe that persons should have the right to say the most absurd and controversial things, I also believe that it is incumbent upon all of us to stand up and say it isn't so. World leaders must not just dismiss Iran's Holocaust denier meeting, but instead should stand up and vehemently condemn it.

As Irish orator, statesman, and politicial philosopher Edmund Burke said over two hundred years ago:

"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing."


EJS:

Like I have said before, we are living through the 1930's all over again. We have a world leader once again espousing world domination and using the Jews as the scapegoat. Sound familiar? With the US sending clear signals of wavering in Iraq and wanting to negotiate with Syria and Iran, and with appeasers such as Robert Gates and James Baker now forming policy, the stage is set for another despotic regime to commit genocide on a grand scale.

The question we must ask ourselves: where is the outcry? Yes, a few Western leaders have spoken up to condemn the Holocaust deniers. But the response, quite frankly, has been sub par. Why do we study history? Answer: so we don't repeat history's mistakes. According to today's revisionist historians though, the Jews are to blame for displacing the Palestinians. These premises come from the same wackos that say 9/11 was an inside job. The fact remains though, Israel is the only UN-created state, and they still can't manage the situation. The Palestinians claim to the Holy Land is completely baseless. The Jews have ties to the Holy Land which extend back three millennia. One must not forget, in addition to the West Bank, there is also an East Bank. It is called Jordan, and this Arab kingdom was set up after WWI as a homeland for the Palestinians. Eighty percent of Jordan's population is Palestinian.

We must also take into consideration the influence that Iran and Ahmadinejad has on the rest of the Muslim world. Ahmadinejad is attempting to be THE MAN in Muslim culture. What he has been in effect saying since he took office is, "It isn't Mubarak, it isn't King Abdullah of Jordan, it's me. I'm the leader of the Arab world. I have stood up to the Great Satan." Mr. Ahmadinejad is a well educated man. Not for one minute do I believe he actually believes in the religious fanaticism he espouses. But he is using religion as a means to accomplish his goal: world domination. And he is using a scapegoat which has been used for millennia as well: the Jews. The question we must ask ourselves: are we going to let history repeat itself again, or will we confront evil before it gathers? Stay tuned.