UNESCO Symposium and Conference on Freedom of Expression
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No. 179 Challenging the Holocaust Taboo Since 1990 February 2011 UNESCO Symposium and Conference on Freedom of Expression "UNESCO promotes freedom of expression and freedom of the press as a basic human right, through sensitization and monitoring activities. It also fosters media independence and pluralism as prerequisites and major factors of democratization by providing advisory services on media legislation and sensitizing governments, parliamentarians and other decision-makers." ollowing are four letters cisms of her actions with regard to up through UNESCO bureaucratic sent to leading partici- freedom of expression. The pur- ranks to—where? F pants of this UNESCO pose of these letters from CODOH The vast majority of UNESCO Symposium and copied to person- is to make the hypocrisy of UNES- field offices are outside the Euro- nel in UNESCO Headquarters and CO claims about supporting free- pean Union and North America—in to its field offices throughout the dom of expression, when it does so short, out in the big world where world. The letters went to: only for some, will be obvious to accusations of anti-Semitism are Irina Bokova, Director-General growing increasingly ineffective. of UNESCO. Frank La Rue, Special Rappor- Irina Bokova teur on the promotion and protec- Director-General of UNESCO tion of the right to freedom of opi- UNESCO Headquarters nion and expression. Place de Fontenoy Jean-François Julliard, Paris, France Secretary General Reporters Without Borders 20 January 2011 At this point the Secretart- General opened the Symposium Dear Director-General: with a talk significantly focused on UNESCO proclaims on its Free Expression. Free Expression Website that: "Freedom of informa- here, Free Press there, Free Speech tion (FOI) is a fundamental human Irena Bokova here, again and again. It was unbe- right as stated in the UN General lievably blind to the issues of free Assembly 1946, Resolution 59." her associates worldwide. The expression in Europe so I have in- UNESCO states that its awareness of this double standard cluded it here, with my response. "mandate as set out in its 1945 will drift from office to office and, It is understood that Ms. Bokova Constitution specifically in mandat- will not respond publicly to criti- if we stay with it, will slowly rise 1 ing the Organization to 'promote Frank La Rue, to the development and strengthen- the free flow of ideas by word and Special Rapporteur on the pro- ing of effective democratic sys- image.'" motion and protection of the tems." I presume that you are aware of right to freedom of opinion and What do you make then of the the fact that if I go to Germany or expression fact that in France, where UNES- Israel to argue for a free exchange Palais des Nations CO is head-quartered in Paris, there of ideas on the question of the CH-1211 Geneva 10 is no freedom for individuals to WWII German WMD (homicidal Switzerland fully exercise their right to freedom gas-chambers) I will be arrested, of opinion and expression when it prosecuted, and in all likelihood Fax: +41 22 917 9006 comes to asking questions about imprisoned because I will have Email: [email protected] fragments of World War II history? questioned publicly what the Ger- One such question is: "What proof man and Israeli States demand that 21 January 2011 is there that the German WMD I not question. In your published (homicidal gassing chambers) ac- "credo" for UNESCO, which you Dear Mr. Frank La Rue: tually existed?" Remember the Ira- refer to as a "New Humanism," you qi WMD fraud? write that you will "not cede" with On 26 January you will give the What do you make of the fact regard to the "dignity of every hu- keynote address to the two-day that the French citizen Vincent man being." UNESCO symposium and confe- Reynouard is presently imprisoned Director General Bokova: do rence on the status of press freedom for what the French State holds to you personally find it "dignified" to worldwide, freedom of expression be a "thought crime"—questioning cooperate via your office with the on the internet, and the safety of this or that fraction of the orthodox imprisonment of men and women journalists. These are matters that I Holocaust story? for thought crimes? Those who am interested in. Have you looked into the matter hold that the German WMD of this French prisoner? Have you charges should be examined in the decided to not look into it? I see routine way that all other historical that recently, in your position of questions are examined? Special Rapporteur for UNESCO If you do, there are men and you have addressed the right to women in UNESCO Headquarters freedom of opinion and expression and in UNESCO field offices all for folk who live in Tunisia, China, over the world who would like to Mexico, Italy, Colombia, Venezu- know how you can dignify that po- ela and even in The Maldives. Are sition. So would I. you suggesting perhaps that the Sincerely, Maldivians have the right to free- Frank La Rue dom of opinion and expression Bradley R Smith while Frenchmen do not? I have here your Statement to Committee for Open Debate Please don't take this the wrong the Fourteenth session of the Hu- on the Holocaust way. It is my view that you are en- man Rights Council at Geneva, 3 PO Box 439016 titled to your opinion, and that you June 2010, on the promotion and San Ysidro CA 92143 have the right to express it, as does protection of the right to freedom Tel: 209 682 5327 the Director-General of UNESCO, of opinion and expression. With E-mail: [email protected] Irina Bokova. Nevertheless, it these remarks you note that "The Web: www.codoh.com would be interesting to hear you Human Rights Council, through NOTE: This letter will be copied explain why Vincent Reynouard is resolution 12/16, asserted that the to personnel at UNESCO Head- imprisoned for stating publicly that exercise of the right to freedom of quarters and to UNESCO Field Of- he questions what the French State opinion and expression is one of fices throughout the Arab states holds to be true regarding one the essential foundations of a dem- and in North America. ocratic society, and is instrumental Continued on page 12 2 The Holocaust in 2525 by Jett Rucker ost people who appre- they will not be recognized—none tations. None of us will ever know ciate what an invi- of them, by anyone, at any time, if they’re correct unless we test M dious mythology it is with occasional, obscure exceptions them by looking back from today at that today passes for the ―history‖ among specialists and collectors of the histories of yesteryear, which is of the holocaust are frustrated by curiosities. where my assumption comes from how little progress that history has As to the larger question of how in the first place. made in the direction of truth in the the history and, alongside it, the I do not consider my predictions decades that revisionists have been myth, will develop, I’ll first state a to be sensitive to future events. Ci- active. Over the past thirty years or few assumptions and caveats. My vilization may fry itself to a cinder so, the horrors experienced by the conclusions reflect my tentative in a nuclear holocaust (remember victims of the holocaust have been belief that over time, as the history that kind of holocaust?), a Jewish magnified and broadened while the of a certain time, place, and event state may expand to encompass demonization of Germans has be- ―fades‖ and loses both detail and everything from the Euphrates to come more vicious and the sup- the Nile, or may morph into a pan- pression of dissenting views, stea- My speculation concerns Semitic simulacrum of its present dily more thorough and brutal. It is what that cabal among us self at peace (or war) with similar fair for revisionists to wonder: neighbors, all bearing names that where is this all heading, and how whom we call “historians” we would recognize today. Ameri- will it ―end up‖? Some of the more will be telling us, and each ca may be the hegemon, or China, egocentric among us secondarily other, about the Jewish ex- or Nauru, for that matter. My spec- wonder: will any of today’s revi- perience in Europe from ulation concerns what that cabal sionists ever be recognized as the 1938 to . perhaps the among us whom we call ―histo- first expositors of the truth? present year of 2525. rians‖ will be telling us, and each As for that secondary question, other, about the Jewish experience the answer is simple and obvious to in Europe from 1938 to . perhaps emotional potency, it grows more me: revisionists who today are ac- the present year of 2525. The Jew- accurate. It grows more accurate, tive or already dead will gain no ish nation, with or without territory, first and foremost, from the gradual lasting recognition, as I hope to may have shrunk to numeric and erosion of falsehoods from its de- demonstrate in the following, but influential insignificance, or it may tails. Along the way, here and there is another surprise among my be able to claim allegiance from there, but rather sparsely, a detail or conclusions on this point that may some double-digit percentage of the impression is ―picked up‖ and add- console: their views, at least in the world’s (surviving) population. ed to the account. Some of these negative—as to what did not hap- None of these things much affect details will, of course, be condi- pen, or was not done—will prevail the course of history.