Denial on Trial
By ANNISSA HAMBOUZ AND JAVAID KHANNote: This lesson was originally published on an older version of The Learning Network; the link to the related Times article will take you to a page on the old site.
Overview of Lesson Plan: In this lesson, students learn about the December, 2006, conference in Tehran, Iran, to "debate" the events of the Holocaust. They then research and present some of the key claims, figures, events, and organizations associated with the notion of "Holocaust revisionism" at a teach-in.
Activities / Procedures:
1. WARM-UP/DO-NOW: Before class, write the following statement on the board: "Contrary to popular belief, when Europeans settled North America, there were no other people living there."
When students enter the classroom, ask them to respond to this "statement of fact" in their journals. Allow students a few minutes to write, and then ask them to share their responses. What do they think of the new "version" of this event? Did it cause them to question the facts they already believed to be true? Did it confuse them? Anger them? Were most students in accord with responses or did some vary? Why?
2. As a class, read and discuss "Israel Fading, Iran's Leader Tells Deniers of Holocaust" (http://www.nytimes.
a. According to the article, why did the Holocaust conference in Iran "provoke outrage"?
b. What are some examples of opinions regarding the Holocaust voiced by conference participants?
c. How did world leaders react to the conference?
d. Who were some of the speakers at the conference?
e. Who is David Duke, and what do you think he meant when he said that "Israel feared an inquiry into the Holocaust more than it did the prospect of Iranian nuclear weapons"?
f. What is your understanding of the Holocaust "debate" now that you have read this article?
g. What voices do you think are missing in this news story? Why?
3. [NOTE TO TEACHER: As this lesson focuses on a sensitive topic, you may wish to spend a few minutes with students establishing guidelines for a respectful, open dialogue in the classroom, and responsible research on the Internet. Students who choose not to share opinions or ideas at any point in the lesson should not be penalized.]
Announce to students that, in order to better understand the context of the Tehran conference in which, as the article notes, "Holocaust deniers, discredited scholars and white supremacists from around the world" gathered, they will be investigating some of the key claims, figures, events, and organizations associated with so-called "Holocaust revisionism." Explain that the term "revisionism" typically refers to the legitimate re-visiting of historical events in light of new academic research or findings, or from the perspective of those whose views have been marginalized or silenced. Holocaust deniers have co-opted the word "revisionism" to describe their assertions, and the term has since come to encompass both legitimate/scholarl
They will present their findings at a teach-in, or a forum in which various people present information that inspires discussion regarding an important issue. The goal of this teach-in will be to inform and enlighten others on the topic of Holocaust denial.
Divide students into the following four groups, with corresponding sub-groups and suggested online resources (copied onto handouts and distributed to groups):
GROUP 1- Key Holocaust Deniers and their Claims
Sub-groups:
A. Contemporary international politicians, such as David Duke, Jean Marie Le Pen, and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, have all been known to deny the facts of the Holocaust. Who are they, and how do their theories on the Holocaust both reflect and influence their politics?
B. What are some of the claims of "Holocaust revisionists"
Suggested Online Resource: "Holocaust Denial," at Answers.com ( http://www.answers.
GROUP 2- The Faurisson Affair (1979)
Sub-groups:
A. Who is Robert Faurisson, and what are his specific (i.e., published) views on the Holocaust?
B. What was the controversy known as the "Faurisson Affair"? Whom did it involve, and what were the main issues of contention?
Suggestion Online Resource: "Faurisson Affair," at Answers.com ( http://www.answers.
GROUP 3- The Case of David Irving v. Deborah Lipstadt (2000)
Sub-groups:
A. Who are David Irving and Deborah Lipstadt? What are their specific (i.e., published) views on the Holocaust?
B. Why did David Irving sue Deborah Lipstadt and her publisher, Penguin Books, and what was the final verdict?
Suggestion Online Resources: "The Holocaust Denial on Trial" at http://www.holocaus
GROUP 4-"Holocaust Revisionist" Organizations
Sub-groups:
A. What is the "Institute for Historical Review," when was it founded, and what are its goals?
B. What is the "Committee on Open Debate on the Holocaust," when was it founded, and what are its goals?
Suggestion Online Resource: "Holocaust Denial," at Answers.com (http://www.answers.
[Note: The last two Web sites should be visited with teacher supervision.
Groups should divide research among members by sub-topic. As they research, using all available classroom resources, each student compiles the information on index cards in outline or bullet-point format. Toward the end of the class (or in a future class period, if time is limited), invite another class to attend a teach-in, in which each group presents its research. This exercise may also be extended into a semester-long or yearlong project in which several different classes alternate presentations on various teach-in topics.
4. WRAP-UP/HOMEWORK: For homework, students write letters to the editor of The New York Times, expressing their reactions to the Tehran Conference.
Letters may be submitted directly to The New York Times Learning Network at http://www.nytimes.
Further Questions for Discussion:
-The leaders of Iran's Jewish community made the following statement regarding the conference in Tehran, "We have condemned similar events in the past, and see no reason to condemn it again." Why do you think they chose not to speak out against the events of December, 2006?
-Do you think the spoken or written denial of the Holocaust should be protected under "free speech"? Why or why not?
-In your opinion, is the conference in Iran representative of greater social and political trends, or should it be considered an isolated event? Why or why not?
Evaluation / Assessment:
Students will be evaluated based on their written responses to the opening exercise, in-class research and presentations, and thoughtfully written letters to the editor.
Vocabulary:
annihilation, exterminate, affront, supremacists, lampooned, indicative, extremist, revulsion, sectarianism, convened, repugnant
Extension Activities:
1. The article mentions the European Commission's proposed "Framework Decision on Combating Racism and Xenophobia." Research this legal document and summarize it in a presentation to your class. To whom would it apply? Which types of crimes or offenses would it cover? How does it define "racist" and "xenophobic"? Visit the European Union's "Summaries of Legislation" page on the proposal, found online at http://europa.
2. Read a memoir by a Holocaust survivor, such as Elie Wiesel's "Night," Primo Levi's "The Drowned and the Saved," or Heinz Heger's "Men with the Pink Triangle." How did each of these writers come to terms with his past? Write a book review of the memoir.
3. Jews were not the only targets of Nazi annihilation programs. Make a chart of all the different populations affected by Nazi policy, including how many in these populations perished in the Holocaust.
4. The article notes that in several European countries, denial of the Holocaust is a crime. Where, then, does Holocaust denial fit within the context of "freedom of speech?" Examine the parliamentary laws that forbid this type of speech in Germany, France, or Belgium. When were they created, on what grounds are they based, and what are the legal consequences or punishments?
5. Compile first-person accounts of the Holocaust. Try to find a variety of oral histories from different sources, from survivors to camp guards and soldiers. Write a position paper in which you confront the notion of Holocaust denial based on these personal accounts.
--
Michael Santomauro
Editorial Director
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Amazon's: DEBATING THE HOLOCAUST: A New Look At Both Sides by Thomas Dalton
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