In “Outlawing Genocide Denial: The Dilemmas of Official Historical Truth” (University of Utah Press) historian and political scientist Guenter Lewy scrutinizes the practice of criminalizing the expression of unpopular, even odious historical interpretations, exemplified by genocide denial. Holocaust denial can be viewed as another form of hatred against the Jews and preventing it can be understood as a form of warding off hate speech. Germany has made it a crime punishable by law. Other European countries have similar laws.
While the rationale for such laws seems reasonable, Lewy asks us to carefully consider the dangers that these laws could present. His discussion neither dismisses the ramifications of genocide denial nor justifies it: he instead looks closely at the possible risks of government-enforced interpretations of history. He says that allowing governments to dictate historical truth and how events should be interpreted can be counterproductive in democratic societies which value freedom of speech.
Lewy investigates examples of Holocaust denial laws not only in Germany but Austria and France; examines cases in Switzerland, Canada, the United States, and international bodies; probes the criminalization of the denial or affirmation of the Armenian Genocide; and looks at state-mandated genocide education.
Guenter Lewy is Professor Emeritus of Political Science at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. His books include “The Catholic Church and Nazi Germany;” The Nazi Persecution of Gypsies;” The Armenian Massacres in Ottoman Turkey: A Disputed Genocide;” and “Essays on Genocide and Human Intervention.”
