In Britain, free speech for far right?
The controversy over an Oxford club's invitation to host two Holocaust-deniers on Monday challenges an old academic ideal.
By Mark Rice-Oxley | Correspondent of The Christian Science Monitorfrom the November 27, 2007 edition
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London - It styles itself as the world's most prestigious debating forum, a hallowed chamber at the heart of Oxford University that has played host, over the years, to everyone from Mother Teresa to Henry Kissinger, and from Diego Maradona to the Dalai Lama.
But now the Oxford Union is courting furious controversy for inviting two guests of an altogether different distinction. David Irving is a discredited historian who served a year in an Austrian jail for denying the Holocaust. Nick Griffin is leader of the far-right British National Party (BNP), who was convicted nine years ago for incitement to racial hatred for publishing material that denied the Holocaust
Invitations to the pair to take part in a debate on Monday night has provoked furious reaction in Britain. MPs and ministers have withdrawn from events or resigned their membership of what is essentially an elite club for the political leaders of tomorrow to cut their teeth.
Antifascist groups were descending on Oxford Sunday to vent their anger at the decision to offer a platform to two of Britain's most venomous voices on the right.
"This is not about freedom of speech, it's about providing a free platform to disseminate fear in the British community of Jews, Asians, and black people," says Denis MacShane, a Labour MP and former minister, who pulled out of an Oxford debate because of the invitation.
Mr. Irving and Mr. Griffin, he says, "have had freedom of speech. They have had their day in court and were convicted of Holocaust denial which is one of most egregious forms of anti-Semitism."
Mr. MacShane is not the only one voting with his feet. Last week, the defense minister, Des Browne, pulled out of a debate; and a Conservative MP, Julian Lewis, went one step further, tearing up his life membership of the prestigious union which he said was giving a "boost" to "a couple of scoundrels who can put up with anything except being ignored."
"It's not an issue of free speech to offer someone a privileged platform from a prestige organization," he told the BBC.
The Oxford Union has cited a form of "Voltaire defense" to back its case. The great French philosopher once made an implacable defense of free speech, saying "I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it." Such notions are upheld in British law, which, although intolerant of hate crimes, slander, libel, and indecency, is relatively permissive of what people can say in public.
Luke Tryl, the union president, says though he disapproves of the views of Irving and Griffin, the best way to defeat and discredit them is in open debate. Conversely, muzzling them would risk turning bigots into free speech martyrs.
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