Moscow
Pullman Daily NewsMoscow, Idaho, Thursday, December 11,
2003 Holocaust
revisionist may visit Palouse by Alexis
Bacharach DAVID Irving would have people
believe the Holocaust never happened. The
internationally known Holocaust denier may bring
his message to Moscow on Tuesday, according to his
Web site. The time and location of the event are
not listed. Irving speaks to audiences of all sizes. In some
cases, his presentations are given to small groups
of people in discreet locations. Other times,
though less frequently according to the Anti
Defamation League, Irving speaks to large
audiences on college campuses or other places where
he can draw a large crowd. Even then, details of his appearances are
released just ahead of the scheduled events to
avoid organized protests. This would be Irving's
second visit to the Palouse. He spoke at Washington
State University in 1998, at the request of a
then-WSU student. He stood before a large audience
with images of Hitler and his followers in the
backdrop. He told the Daily News, just after the
event, that particular speech was one of his best
received. Some local residents remember Irving's
visit well. Myron Schreck, a member of the
local Jewish community, has
spent years studying
Holocaust denial. He said every denier has a
different angle, but the overall argument is the
same: Hitler never ordered the extermination of
more than 11 million Jews, Gypsies, Slavic people,
disabled people and others viewed as inferior by
the Aryan Race. Schreck finds Irving particularly
dangerous, because he
masks his "political motivations" under the guise
of scholarship. "It certainly bothers me that he
may be able to influence
vulnerable students in
university towns, who may not have a great deal of
knowledge about Holocaust denial," Schreck
said. "He is always asking
for people to debate. He has an amazing command
of facts that makes it very difficult. People
want to believe his lies. No one wants to
believe the Holocaust happened." Lately Irving has lost momentum, according to an
Anti Defamation League profile. He gained notoriety
as an author, who specialized in World War II
history. The ADL indicates that Irving's books,
dating back to 1963, present apologist arguments
for the Third Reich and suggest Hitler wasn't
really anti-Semitic. Irving has been a high-profile and controversial
figure for many years. In 1996, Irving filed a
libel suit against a professor and a publishing
company, after a book was published that referred
to Irving as a Holocaust denier. A British court
ruled against Irving in 2000. "He was thoroughly discredited when the court
said the way (Irving) used his facts was not
right," Latah Human Rights Task Force Co-chairman
Alan Rose said. "I don't know if he will
show up or not. Last time he was here we ran an
alternative program on the same night of his
speech. I don't know if anything will be done this
time. I'm reluctant to give him any publicity.
That's what he wants." Schreck agreed. Unless Irving makes his presence
known and widely publicizes his views, Schreck said
it may be best to ignore the man. What worries
Schreck is the possibility that Irving will come
into town and gather more followers. "History of the Holocaust is well documented,
but that doesn't stop people from believing the
lies," Schreck said. "It may be worthwhile to
organize something and correct any
misrepresentations after he is gone. If you really
listen to him you can tell he is politically
motivated. My mother always said, 'the most
effective way to counter hate is just to give the
people enough rope and eventually everyone will see
them hang themselves.' " Alexis Bacharach can be reached at (208)
882-5561, ext. 234, or by e-mail at abacharach@dnews.com 
David
Irving speaking tour details-
On Apr 13, 1998 Mr Irving spoke at nearby
Washington
State University, Pullman [partial
transcript].[dossier]
Our
dossier on Auschwitz
| 
write to David
Irving