I heard an interview on Radio 4 this afternoon with Lord Janner, discussing the return to this country of Richard Williamson. I do not know the ins and outs of this particular “holocaust denial” fracas (or any other for that matter) but from what I can gather, Williamson’s current position is that he does not believe that gas chambers existed and therefore that people (specifically Jews) were killed in them. Maybe I am missing something, but that doesn’t sound like an out and out denial of the Holocaust to me.
Lord Janner went on to describe Richard’s Williamson’s belief in the non-existence of gas chambers as offensive and anti-Semitic, touching on the possibility of using religious hate crime legislation against him. Again, I am confused – I do not think that his view of history as it was stated in the interview is in itself anti-Semitic. I can see how his view is obnoxious and offensive to many people, as well as likely uninformed - I assume that, because of the outrage it has caused, the evidence he uses to back up his claim is either non-existent or nonsensical. If this is the case, can we not just write him off as undeserving of our time and attention and move on?
Here’s the deal. I was never taught about the Holocaust at school and aside from the media coverage I have seen, I have never engaged in any real learning about the subject as an adult (although it’s definitely on my list for this year). Apart from television programmes and newspaper articles, the only other vaguely empirical evidence I personally have that gas chambers existed is second- or third-hand hearsay – and all of this would be trashed by any self-respecting positivist. However, I nevertheless believe without question that the Holocaust happened and that gas chambers were used to murder many people.
If we were talking about the existence of any other historical claim and such evidence, I would rightly be called upon to examine more critically the sources upon which I base my beliefs. Before the squawking begins, I am sure that when I begin to dig a little deeper myself this year, I will find more compelling evidence that supports the view held by the majority (including my hitherto uncritical self) which is that:
a.) The Holocaust happened, and
b.) People, including many Jews, were murdered in gas chambers.
But as of yet, entirely because of my own ignorance, I have very little compelling evidence upon which to base or make these assertions myself. Accepting any claim without due consideration – even in a very sensitive and emotive area - simply because many other people say it is so, or because one has seen something on television or read about it in a newspaper, is absolutely not sufficient and would be scorned in any other context. My concern with this whole affair is that this normally encouraged rigorous approach to evidence, analysis and debate is completely forbidden in relation to the Holocaust – for no other reason than it offends some people’s sensibilities.
The freedom that allows us to express our opinions and be heard requires that we allow others to be heard, regardless of how abhorrent or ignorant we find their opinions. It is also a freedom that goes a long way towards the prevention of genocide, and as such it should not be stifled for the sake of hurt feelings.
