British historian David Irving sentenced for Holocaust denial, Salman Rushdie honored for Islam denial , why?

Question

British historian David Irving sentenced to three years in prison for Holocaust denial. No freedom of speech when it come's to their matter. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4733820.stm

British Writer, Salman Rushdie is honoured for disgracing Islam and this comes under freedome of speech?
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/6757369.stm

I don't care both of them, who knows using pen only for hatred, still curious to know what can we call this attitude of the west? hippocracy or what?

Answer 1

I think that it's because the Holocaust was an event, while Islam is a faith. People get to choose their own faiths, but denying a genocide and stirring up hatred is completely different. (Although I must say that no one should be honored for disgracing any faith.)

Answer 2

First of all David Irving was prosecuted in Austria where there is a specific offense - and he committed the offense in Austria - not England. In the UK he had the right to make the same tatements without the risk of prosecution.

Salman Rushdie published his book in the UK where we have the concept of Free Speech. Rushdie was not honoured for disgracing Islam - he has written a body of work in addition to The Satanic Verses.

Britain is a multi-cultural society.. we are free to express opinions however British citizens of any creed have the right to their beliefs and I think Mr Rushdie spent enough time fearing for his life first time around and Mr Irving should have realised that Austria does not tolerate his specific views.

Answer 3

If you are saying the reverse should hold, I would disagree. There is a certain hypocrisy in a man with the surname of Irving denying the Holocaust, and there is a certain honor in speaking the truth. If the truth is disgraceful (not saying that it is, I've never read any of Rushdie's work), but if the shoe fits . . .

Answer 4

It is a CRIME to deny the holocaust - that's why. Its also ABSURD because the Nazi's documented what they did because they were PROUD of it - they left all kinds of evidence, including living victims! The US Army has just revealed that they have even more documentation than what was previously known that they have kept secret for years, for whatever unknown reason.

As to Salmon Rusdie "denying" Islam, that is not true. INSULTED yes, but not DENIED - there IS a difference.

Fundamentalist extremist Islamists have said that it is OK to kill me and women and children in my country, simply because they are AMERICAN. Guess what? This offends ME - and MILLIONS of other Americans, some of whom are MUSLIMS!!! If you are offended by Salmon Rusdie's personal opinions because you don't like them we are delighted! YOU don't get to decide what other people can think or say or write. You can threaten us, but we have OUR "martyrs" too - we aren't just going to stand idly by while extremist nut cases threaten us with MURDER. If someone wants to practice Islam that is their business. When someone threatens someone because they have the courage to say "I don't like this and this is why" that is the WORLD'S business. This isn't "the west" - this is FREEDOM. Get used to it, because it isn't going away. You might also want to read a few history books to learn the REAL origins of the Koran - Muhammed modeled it after a religious book that had been used for years... by the JEWS. Ever wonder why Muslims and Jews BOTH don't eat pork?

Answer 5

Six MILLION completely innocent Jews died during the Holocaust. Untold thousands died afterward of disease and suicide, directly attributable to the horrors they'd been forced to endure. To deny that the Holocaust happened is an affront to their memories. Therefore, some countries have made this a crime. If you break the law, you are punished.

Conversely, there are no penalties for speaking against a particular religion -- whether it's Judaism, Islam, Christianity, or whatever.

You are comparing two different subjects.

Answer 6

Sorry; I read Rushdie with a critical eye, and to compare his statements on Islam with Irving's denial of the Holocaust is utterly inaccurate.

Answer 7

i've got study it too. the important to understanding it quite is to understand what the characters characterize. there's a character named "Mahmoud" who's called The Messenger. This character represents the Prophet Muhammed. there's a piece the place between the Messenger's companions says some thing approximately changing the verses that the Messenger dictates. this would be a diffused jab on the Quran, saying that people who transcribed the Quran could replace factors of it to greater healthful with their own perspectives. Mark77: The e book does not equate Allah with devil. She suggested: Rushdie went into hiding for a number of years as a results of fatwa against him.

Answer 8

Denying the holocaust = false factual statement

Disgracing Islam = voicing a moral or value-based judgement

Neither is right in my book, but if you were actually interested to know the difference, now you know.

Answer 9

England and Austria...2 different country's and 2 different sets of laws.

Answer 10

A German historian wrote a book which claimed three centuries of history including the Islamic revolution in the seventh century never happened. He never got into trouble with Islamicists. Yet that constituted Islamic denial. The point was he did not insult the Prophet by portraying him in satanic and lewd ways. He just said he never existed.