Reader’s the origins of anti-Semitism Letters about David Irving Barry Smith , a surprisingly well-briefed “concerned citizen,” implores New Zealand’s minister of immigration, , to keep Mr Irving out. We reproduce his letter in full. 11 August 2004 [To:] The Honourable Paul Swain Minister of Immigration BY EMAIL Impending visit of David Irving Dear Sir , — I WAS interested to read in the media of the impending visit to New Zealand of British author David Irving .
I understand from comments made in the media that Mr Irving will not get an automatic right of entry to New Zealand, as he has been deported from another country — rather he needs to apply for a visa to enter New Zealand.
As a concerned citizen I would ask that the following be taken into consideration when any application for a visa is received from Mr Irving: Mr Irving’s reputation as a historian was totally destroyed in the defamation proceedings that he brought against Professor [Deborah] Lipstadt (left) and Penguin Books that went to trial in 2000.
In the course of that trial expert opinion was sought from Professor Richard Evans , who examined much of Mr Irving’s work to see if Professor Lipstadt’s accusations that Mr Irving falsified the historical records were true. He found numerous instances of Mr Irving selectively quoting from source documents in a way that totally distorted the meaning and intention of the document. This habit dates