A prominent Holocaust denier in Canada has lined up the help of Internet activists in the United States to fight efforts by the German government to block access to the World Wide Web sites in which he promotes his theories.
Last year, the German government tried without success to restrict access to dozens of Internet sites promoting hate literature and pornography.
Germany’s policy was followed last week by the government’s blocking of access to Internet sites posting illegal messages promoting racial hatred.
Germany, which has legislation making Holocaust denial a punishable crime, took the move in large measure to prevent Ernst Zundel from propagating his Holocaust-is-a-hoax message.
Zundel, 57, a German-born resident of Toronto, countered the German government’s action by enlisting the help of computer experts in the United States.
The Internet activists, operating from 10 prestigious American institutes of higher learning – including the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Stanford University, the University of Texas and the University of Pennsylvania – have created mirror sites carrying Zundel’s messages.
The multiplication of alternate Zundel World Wide Web sites made Germany’s ban all but unenforceable.
The cyberspace experts said that they do no support Holocaust denial, but that they helped Zundel because they oppose any effort to regulate and censor the Internet.
Help ensure Jewish news remains accessible to all. Your donation to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency powers the trusted journalism that has connected Jewish communities worldwide for more than 100 years. With your help, JTA can continue to deliver vital news and insights. Donate today.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
