- TEHRAN (MNA) -- In the wake
of the international uproar that arose in response to Iranian President
Mahmud Ahmadinejad's contention that the Holocaust is a myth, the Mehr
News Agency spoke with Prof. Arthur R. Butz, an associate professor of
electrical engineering and computer science at Northwestern University,
about his views on the issue.
-
- Following is the text of an interview of Dr. Butz conducted
on December 26:
-
- "In 1976 I published a book entitled "The Hoax
of the Twentieth Century", in which I argued:
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- 1. The alleged slaughter of millions of Jews by the Germans,
during World War II, did not happen.
-
- 2. The extermination allegation is properly termed a
hoax, that is to say, a deliberately contrived falsehood. It was not at
its source an honest misunderstanding or accidental falsehood.
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- 3. The hoax had a Zionist provenance and motivation.
That is, while some of the original obscure stories did not come from Zionist
sources, the elevation to allegations repeated by the American and other
governments, and major institutions, was due to Zionist circles within
those countries, who acted with Zionist motivations.
-
- I continue to maintain those three theses, which have
become core features of what is called "Holocaust" revisionism.
Apart from some nuances of wording, the three theses were repeated by President
Ahmadinejad. Therefore, there can be no question that I endorse his remarks
in those respects.
-
- In the years since the publication of my book in 1976
there were two developments that I did not expect:
-
- 4. Western countries undertook a massive repression of
revisionism. In some cases, particularly in Europe, legally formulated
persecution has sent revisionists to prison, in blatant contradiction of
the sermons we have given the rest of the world on "human rights"
and "freedom". In other cases, revisionists have been ruined
professionally with the cooperation of government bodies.
-
- 5. The cognizance of the "Holocaust" in the
West was transformed into a loud, never-ending series of ceremonies that
can only be interpreted as religious in nature.
-
- President Ahmadinejad's remarks also included the last
two observations, so of course I also endorse the remarks in those respects.
I congratulate him on becoming the first head of state to speak out clearly
on these issues, and regret only that it was not a Western head of state.
-
- His political remarks receive no comment on my side.
By 'political remarks' I mean those that deal with questions of what ought
to happen now."
-
- Explanation:
-
- Prof. Butz says he is not a Holocaust denier but a Holocaust
revisionist. However, he says:
-
- "I have no objection to being called a 'Holocaust
denier' provided the meanings of terms are clear. The following has been
on my website since 1997, Holocaust Denial or Holocaust Revisionism?:
-
- http://pubweb.northwestern.edu/~abutz/abhdhr.html
-
- A minor question that sometimes arises is the relative
merits of the terms "Holocaust denial" and "Holocaust revisionism"
to describe the views on the Jewish "extermination" claim that
I and others have expressed. Generally, my side says "Holocaust revisionism"
and our enemies say "Holocaust denial". I did not originate either
term.
-
- I am willing to accept both terms under appropriate circumstances,
but I usually say "Holocaust revisionism".
-
- The problem with the term "Holocaust denial"
is that it conveys, to most people, a false idea of what we say. For the
typical person the term "Holocaust" refers to a complex of events.
He thinks of Nazi persecution of Jews, concentration camps, crematoria,
dead bodies strewn about camps (especially Belsen) at the end of the war
and, of course, "extermination" of millions of Jews in gas chambers
located in some camps. Thus he tends to take the meaning of "Holocaust
denial" as denial of all of these things, whereas we deny only the
last among them. The effect is to make us seem, to passing observers, detached
from reality.
-
- In general, I prefer the term "Holocaust revisionism"
because it does not imply a complete rejection of all that is popularly
understood by "Holocaust", and invites the observer to consider
carefully what is being accepted and what is being rejected.
-
- On the other hand I, and Holocaust revisionists generally,
emphatically reject the "extermination" claim and, by implication,
any figure of Jewish dead (due to Nazi policies) in the millions. Provided
this is what is clearly meant by "Holocaust", I have no objection
to calling my thesis "denial". Such a context of comprehension
is sometimes difficult to achieve. An exception is when our enemies speak
of us. They understand quite well what we do and do not claim, and they
also understand that most in their audiences do not. Thus they use "denial"
as a rhetorical device conveying an implicit false representation."
-
- =====
-
- Dr. Arthur R. Butz was born and raised in New York City.
He received his bachelor of science and master of science degrees in electrical
engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. In 1965 he
received his doctorate in control sciences from the University of Minnesota.
In 1966, he joined the faculty of Northwestern University (Evanston, Illinois).
Dr. Butz is the author of numerous technical papers and the book The Hoax
of the Twentieth Century: The case against the presumed extermination of
European Jewry.
-
- _____
-
- The book The Hoax of the Twentieth Century is available
from:
-
- www.Tadp.org
-
- Holocaust Handbooks, Volume 15: Item No. 29 Germar Rudolf:
Lectures on the Holocaust. Controversial Issues Cross Examined
-
- In 1976, Holocaust revisionism produced its last "standard
work," if there ever was such a thing: Prof. A.R. Butz' Hoax of the
Twentieth Century. "How can a quarter century old text not be obsolete
today?" Butz asks in the preface of the 2003 edition of his own book,
pointing out "the age of this text, and the great advances that have
subsequently occurred in Holocaust revisionism." Hence, there is a
great need for a new, integrated work summarizing Holocaust revisionism
after 30 years of very intensive and thorough research.
-
- And here it is, the new standard work of Holocaust revisionism!
It was written by German scholar, writer, and publisher Germar Rudolf,
based on the research of the most prominent revisionists, most of which
Rudolf had the pleasure to publish in a multitude of German and English
language journals and books over the past 15 years.
-
- The book was written to fit the need of both those who
have no in-depth knowledge of the Holocaust or of revisionism, as well
as for well-versed readers familiar with revisionism. Anyone who wants
to bring himself up to date on revisionist scholarship, but does not want
to read all the special studies that were published during the past ten
years, needs this book!
-
- Since 1992, Rudolf has been giving lectures to various
mainstream audiences all over the world.
-
- ***
-
- His topic is very controversial: the Holocaust in the
light of new forensic and historical findings. His listeners initially
think they know exactly what "the Holocaust" is all about, but
their world view is completely turned upside down after the evidence is
presented. Even though Rudolf presents nothing short of full-fledged Holocaust
revisionism, his arguments fall on fertile soil, because they are presented
in a very pedagogically sensitive and scholarly way. This book is the literary
version of Rudolf's lectures, enriched with the most recent finding of
historiography to a topic regulated by penal law in many countries.
-
- The book's style is unique as is its topic: It is a dialogue
between the lecturers on the one hand who introduce the reader to the most
important arguments and counter arguments of Holocaust Revisionism, and
the reactions of the audience on the other hand: supportive, skeptical,
and also hostile comments, questions, and assertions. The Lectures read
like a vivid and exciting real-life exchange between persons of various
points of view. The usual moral, political, and pseudoscientific arguments
against revisionism are all addressed and refuted.
-
- This book is a compendium of Frequently Asked Questions
on the Holocaust and its critical reexamination. With more than 1,300 references
to sources and a vast bibliography, this easy-to-understand book is the
best introduction into this taboo topic both for readers unfamiliar with
revisionism and for those wanting to know more.
-
- US $30.00 568 pp. ., 6"x9", pb., ill., bibl.,
index (Aug. 2005) , ISBN: 1591480019 , ISSN: 1529-7748
-
- http://www.Tadp.org
|
