What, us? Enemies of Free Speech?

? From the world's press some traditional enemies of Free Speech: Anti-Defamation League (ADL) of B'nai Brith, USA Australian Government Australian B'nai Brith Anti-Defamation Commission Board of Deputies of British Jews Center for Democratic Renewal, Atlanta Canadian Jewish Congress Canadian League of Human Rights of the B'nai Brith Coalition for Human Dignity, Oregon Community Security Trust of Board of Deputies German Government Jewish Telegraph Agency Searchlight and Gerald Gable Simon Wiesenthal Center Surfwatch Internet censorship The Birmingham Post Glasgow, April 19, 2000 Jewish leaders attack BBC for Irving Broadcasts Jewish leaders criticised the BBC yesterday for continuing to give a voice to shamed historian David Irving after he was branded "racist and anti-Semitic" by a High Court judge. The 62-year-old author of Hitler's War faces financial ruin after losing his libel action against American academic Prof Deborah Lipstadt and Penguin Books last week.

But since the judgment, which saw him accused of racism and being a Holocaust denier, he has appeared on BBC2's Newsnight and Radio 4's Today programme to defend himself. Now the Board of Deputies of British Jews has written to BBC director of news Mr Tony Hall complaining about the corporation giving him a platform. Mr Neville Nagler , the board's director-general, said: "It is surprising that the BBC regards it appropriate to offer a platform for someone whom the High Court has found to be an anti-Semite and a racist." A BBC spokesman said: "Far from giving him a platform, we challenged him on his opinions and asked the kinds of questions many viewers and listeners wanted to see put to him."

David Irving's AR-Online requests all its readers to write moderate messages of support to the BBC's Director of News, Mr Tony Hall, at BBC, Television Centre, Wood Lane, London W12 7RJ. (You will not help if you use intemperate language. Leave that to the traditional enemies of free speech.) Suggestion: Also write to the Newsroom at the BBC Television Centre April 19, 2000 Website fact: The stamina of the defence team was aided by a six million dollar fund provided by Stephen Spielberg, Edgar J Bronfman, and the American Jewish Committee, which enabled them to pay 21 lawyers and "experts"; the experts like Evans, Longerich were paid up to £109,000 each to testify as they did (while the defence's star legal team was paid considerably more). Nobody was paying for who has been fighting this battle for three whole years.

Nobody was paying for who has been fighting this battle for three whole years. Nor did he pay his defence witnesses one cent or sous: they testified from conviction, not for reward. [ Help ! ] |