EU plans ban on genocide denial, funds racist pamphlet

The German Presidency is seeking an agreement on a framework decision on racism and xenophobia which would outlaw “genocide denial” across the EU. The proposed measure says, “Each member state shall take the measures necessary to ensure that the following intentional conduct is punishable: 'publicly condoning, denying or grossly trivialising crimes of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes”. However a clause has been inserted which says that member states only have to actually punish such crimes if there is a threat to public order. The UK Government claims this clause will mean it will be able to avoid bringing in a new law as Britain's existing rules against crimes motivated by racial hatred would be enough to cover such offences.

But hang on a minute. If the UK Government believes as a point of principle that (a) we don’t need a law on genocide denial and (b) that these are not questions which should be decided at European level anyway – which it is virtually impossible not to conclude if you have any belief in subsidiarity – then why are we going along with a decision which will establish a number of bad principles? Why not say no to this decision, and let each member state decide for itself whether to have such laws?

No-one should believe the Government’s line that “we are going to accept this but it won’t really change anything”.

Given the dynamic and deeply “fuzzy” qualities of EU jurisprudence, there is every chance that the conflict between the EU law making genocide denial a crime, and the lack of a corresponding UK law will become the subject of court cases. Will cases about whether Kosovo, Bosnia, Armenia etc “officially” count as genocide improve the chances of historic reconciliation? It is not easy to defend the right of deeply unpleasant people to free speech. But there is, or was, a consensus in the UK that they should have it (on the principle that “sunlight is the best disinfectant”). It will say something about the EU’s effect on our political culture if this principle is now abandoned.

On the other hand...

Not content with giving the new extreme-right ITS group in the parliament a million euros a year, the European Parliament's budget for information is now being used to pay for a charming pamphlet from Maciej Giertych MEP, which is discussing "civilisations at war in Europe".

Apparently the clash of civilisations in question is "the Jews versus everyone else". It turns out they wanted to be in ghettos all along.

Uh-oh:

By their own will, they prefer to live a separate life, in apartheid from the surrounding communities. They form their own communes (kahals), they govern themselves by their own rules and they take care to maintain also a spatial separatness. They form the ghettos themselves (…) It was only Hitler’s germany that created the concept of forced separation, of a closed ghetto from which Jews were not allowed to leave... this clearly demonstrates that no middle ground is possible on issues differentiating civilisations

Another good reason there should be no state funding of political parties & nutters campaigning...

(htp Jean Quatremer)