An Oxford union has voted to let the British National Party (BNP) leader and a controversial historian speak at a free speech event on Monday.
Despite opposition, the Oxford Union Debating Society members voted by a margin of 2 to 1 to continue to extend an invite to the BNP's Nick Griffin. David Irving, who was jailed for Holocaust denial, will also be invited.
The move was opposed by the Oxford Student Union and the university's Muslim and Jewish societies.
The Oxford Union Debating Society said it was important to give people of all views a platform. Luke Tryl, president of the society, said: "The men were not being given a platform to extol their views, but were coming to talk about the limits for free speech. They will be speaking in the context of a forum in which there will be other speakers to challenge and attack their views in a head to head manner."
Jailed
Mr Griffin, the leader of the far-right party, has repeatedly insisted the BNP is not a racist group. He was convicted in 1998 for incitement to racial hatred for material denying the Holocaust.
Mr Irving was imprisoned for three years after pleading guilty to Holocaust denial in Austria. But he denied being a Holocaust denier as he said he had no alternative but to plead guilty to the charge.
The union said all tickets for the event, which were only available to its members - who are mainly students - had gone.
A rally in protest at the invitation was held on Tuesday and among those speaking there were Holocaust survivors.
Stephen Altmann-Richer, co-president of the Oxford University Jewish Society, said that while freedom of speech was important it was "overshadowed in this instance".
"I don't think these people should be invited to the Oxford Union, by having them speak, it legitimises their views," he said.
BBC
November 24, 2007
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
7 comments:
1.7 to 1, not 2 to 1
Am I alone in thinking that this row is giving Herr Griffin the very publicity he craves????
Just ignore the clown!!!
Oh please don't be so pedantic, had the vote went the other way I'm sure you would say 2:1
Hopefully the police will call off the nazi speaches as they are a rish to public safety.
In France since 1970's we have a law which forbids "holocaust denial". Because Free speech is not freedom to call for hate. Every "holocaust denial" thesis are not historical thesis but political thesis according to demonstrate that jewish people are robber, parasite, etc.
'Anonymous said...
In France since 1970's we have a law which forbids "holocaust denial". Because Free speech is not freedom to call for hate. Every "holocaust denial" thesis are not historical thesis but political thesis according to demonstrate that jewish people are robber, parasite, etc.'
Laws like that only force far-right parties to become more mainstream which results in them becoming more successful.
I wish I'd been inside the Union. I did go in here last year when somebody signed me in.
I think racism of any kind is grotesque and stupid, but getting Griffin and Irving into an open debate is the solution to dealing with it. I agree with Evan Harris. Let's not turn Griffin and Irving into martyrs. If their beliefs really are all nonsense then let that nonsense be blown apart in the marketplace of ideas. Locking it away from sight will not make it go away. On the contrary, it will just fester in the underbelly of society, praying on the dissillusioned and desperate, people fed up of being told what to think!
The BNP are not evil; they are misguided. Some friends of mine from Birmingham are BNP supporters. I’ve had long debates with them on the BNP and immigration, but they’ve always been good-natured wrangles. If I was one of the protesters from last night I guess I’d just hurl abuse at them and walk out of their house! My friends gave me a copy of a BNP newspaper and I read their manifesto. I have to admit that if you take away their immigration and the bulk of their criminal justice policy, the BNP sound very progressive to me. They oppose the EU, like me; they favour local government and democracy, like me. I would never vote for them if they were the last party on Earth, but I can understand why many decent people are attracted to them.
Post a Comment