Outlawing genocide denial : the dilemmas of official historical truth / Guenter Lewy.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Lewy, Guenter, 1923- author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Genocide--Historiography.

Genocide.

Criminal liability (International law).

Freedom of speech.

Historiography--Political aspects.

Historiography.

Holocaust denial.

Physical Description:

viii, 201 pages ; 23 cm

Place of Publication:

Salt Lake City : The University of Utah Press, [2014]

Summary:

Historian and political scientist Guenter Lewy is no stranger to the topic of genocide or to exploring controversial issues. His penchant for approaching topics from contentious angles continues in Outlawing Genocide Denial, as he scrutinizes the practice of criminalizing the expression of unpopular, even odious historical interpretation, exemplified by genocide denial. Holocaust denial can be viewed as another form of hatred against the Jews and preventing it can be understood as a form of warding off hate speech. Germany has made it a crime punishable by law. Other European countries have similar laws. While the rationale for such laws seems reasonable, Lewy asks readers to look again and to consider carefully the dangers that these laws could present. His discussion, neither, dismisses the ramifications of genocide denial nor justifies it; he instead looks closely at the possible risks of government-enforced interpretations of history. Allowing governments to dictate historical truth and how events should be interpreted can be counterproductive in democratic societies which value freedom of speech. Lewy examination these and related ideas through the analysis of historical and current examples. Book jacket.

Contents:

1 Introduction 1

2 Holocaust Denial Law in the German Federal Republic 8

3 Holocaust Denial under the Austrian Verbotsgesetz 51

4 Genocide Denial Law in Switzerland 66

5 The French Lois Memorielles 91

6 The Zündel Case in Canada 103

7 International Bodies and Genocide Denial 113

8 Criminalizing the Denial or Affirmation of the Armenian Genocide 131

9 American Exceptionalism: The Mermelstein Case 140

10 State-Mandated Genocide Education 144

11 Conclusion 154.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9781607813729

1607813726

1607813734

9781607813736

OCLC:

879642478