A ban on bad ideas?

Editorial

Germany currently holds the rotating presidency of the European Union and, as a signature achievement of this mandate, is mooting the possibility of making Holocaust denial a criminal offence in all 27 states of the EU.

Five countries – Austria, Belgium, France, Germany and Spain – already have such legal interdictions. And these laws are no straw dogs. The notorious Holocaust denier David Irving was recently released from an Austrian prison after 13 months for denying the Shoah.

The proposal to create a European-wide legal ban on denial is, of course, controversial. Britain, Italy and Denmark have demurred at the proposal, which they see as limiting of freedom of expression. This argument is well-trodden. There is something to be said for hateful speech to be out in the open, rather than sheltered in the darkness by law. There is also a case to be made that even the most extreme and vile ideas have a place in the continuum of free expression.

The practical application of a ban on Holocaust denial is admittedly a challenge. To apply a similar ban across 27 jurisdictions is not impossible, but difficult.

Perhaps, instead of threatening legal sanction against those who express ahistorical misinformation, Europe could adopt a universal curriculum that inculcates not only historical truth, but moral introspection. Teaching the Holocaust is arguably the best method for instilling an understanding in young people of the ultimate potential of intolerance. It is also an invaluable gateway to learning about the potential for xenophobia, scapegoating and totalitarianism in apparently civilized societies. Above all this universalism, it is also the keystone to appreciating the distinctive nature of anti-Semitism, which remains vibrant and thriving in Europe and elsewhere.

^TOP