EU Greases Their Slippery Slope

I have always stated that the European nation's outlawing free speech (anything that looks, sounds or reminds anyone of the 1940's is illegal) is their version of stealth.
"If we are fascists the Nazis can't get us!"
Here is the newest incarnation of the EU's fascist police state in action.
If you live with hate and denial, you become what you hate.

EU aims to criminalise Holocaust denial
By Tobias Buck in Brussels

Published: April 17 2007 19:56 | Last updated: April 17 2007 19:56

Laws that make denying or trivialising the Holocaust a criminal offence punishable by jail sentences will be introduced across the European Union, according to a proposal expecting to win backing from ministers Thursday.

Offenders will face up to three years in jail under the proposed legislation, which will also apply to inciting violence against ethnic, religious or national groups.


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Diplomats in Brussels voiced confidence on Tuesday that the controversial plan, which has been the subject of heated debate for six years, will be endorsed by member states. However, the Baltic countries and Poland are still holding out for an inclusion of “Stalinist crimes” alongside the Holocaust in the text – a move that is being resisted by the majority of other EU countries.

The latest draft, seen by the Financial Times, will make it mandatory for all Union member states to punish public incitement “to violence or hatred directed against a group of persons or a member of such a group defined by reference to race, colour, religion, descent or national or ethnic origin”.

They will also have to criminalise “publicly condoning, denying or grossly trivialising crimes of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes” when such statements incite hatred or violence against minorities.

Diplomats stressed the provision had been carefully worded to include only denial of the Holocaust – the Nazi mass murder of Jews during the second world war – and the genocide in Rwanda in 1994.

They also stressed that the wording was designed to avoid criminalising comical plays or films about the Holocaust such as the Italian comedian Roberto Benigni’s prize-winning Life is Beautiful . The text expressly upholds countries’ constitutional traditions relating to the freedom of expression.

Holocaust denial is already a criminal offence in several European countries, including Germany and Austria. It is not a specific crime in Britain, though UK officials said it could already be tackled under existing legislation.

In an attempt to assuage Turkish fears, several EU diplomats said the provisions would not penalise the denial of mass killing of Armenians by Ottoman troops in the aftermath of the 1915 collapse of the Ottoman empire. Turkey strongly rejects claims that this episode amounted to genocide.

The proposal draws what is likely to be a controversial distinction between inciting violence against racial or ethnic groups and against religious groups. Attacks against Muslims, Jews or other faiths will only be penalised if they go on to incite violence against ethnic or racial groups, the draft text states.

Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2007

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/122134be-ed1...0779e2340.html

I wonder how this fits-in with the UK and other nations refusing to teach this subject our of cowardice in deference to muslims?

[TheMercenary]

Ask the French. They are experts at cowardice.

[9th Engineer]

In an attempt to assuage Turkish fears, several EU diplomats said the provisions would not penalise the denial of mass killing of Armenians by Ottoman troops in the aftermath of the 1915 collapse of the Ottoman empire. Turkey strongly rejects claims that this episode amounted to genocide.

Why the hell should that be held in exception?? Reeks pretty bad to me

[Sundae]

Originally Posted by rkzenrage

I wonder how this fits-in with the UK and other nations refusing to teach this subject our of cowardice in deference to muslims?

I've just come across this. What?

The only possible explanation I can think of is the story that one single school in a predominately Muslim area chose not to include the Holocaust as an essay topic at GCSE level (14-16 year old). Please bear in mind that schools throughout the UK get to choose which specific modules they teach for the exam. I did World Powers in the 20th Century for my GCSE - my friend at a different school did Tudors & Stuarts (British Middle Ages) and got exactly the same qualification.

In this case it was decided that it wasn't reasonable to set a question that would count towards their final grade if it contradicted what they had been taught at home and in the mosque. Not when there were plenty of other topics that could be selected that would not anger the community, disrupt classes, and which would allow pupils to get the qualifications their intelligence deserved.

In the same way schools in the Bible Belt would probably protest if pupils had to sit an exam where the only acceptable responses involved reference to evolution.

It was nothing to do with cowardice. It was an isolated educational decision.

[xoxoxoBruce]

Originally Posted by 9th Engineer

Why the hell should that be held in exception?? Reeks pretty bad to me

Because they won. They are allowed to write the history and chose to write there was no genocide. At the time, they probably felt they were right, so that's the history they stick to.
This is not unusual, every country has skeletons in the closet..some of those closets are huge, too. But I find it tough to condemn people for what their ancestors did. look what it did for the Hatfields and McCoys.

Passing a law that it's illegal to deny the holocaus is pretty shaky, but making trivializing illegal is telling people how they should feel... how important it should be to them? Thought police? Homogenizing Europe sucks.

Originally Posted by Sundae Girl

I've just come across this. What?

The only possible explanation I can think of is the story that one single school in a predominately Muslim area chose not to include the Holocaust as an essay topic at GCSE level (14-16 year old). Please bear in mind that schools throughout the UK get to choose which specific modules they teach for the exam. I did World Powers in the 20th Century for my GCSE - my friend at a different school did Tudors & Stuarts (British Middle Ages) and got exactly the same qualification.

In this case it was decided that it wasn't reasonable to set a question that would count towards their final grade if it contradicted what they had been taught at home and in the mosque. Not when there were plenty of other topics that could be selected that would not anger the community, disrupt classes, and which would allow pupils to get the qualifications their intelligence deserved.

In the same way schools in the Bible Belt would probably protest if pupils had to sit an exam where the only acceptable responses involved reference to evolution.

It was nothing to do with cowardice. It was an isolated educational decision.

I live, and have taught science, in the bible belt... most schools here do not teach the myth. VERY few do.
It is pure cowardice... who cares what they are taught at home?