Irving and Griffin go to Oxford
Oxford University's famous debating society, the Oxford Union, has invited the historian David Irving and the BNP leader Nick Griffin to talk part in a "free speech forum" next Monday -- much to the annoyance of those who took part in . Oxford Union president Luke Tryl defends the invitations . He writes:
These people are not being given a platform to extol their views, but are coming to talk about the limits of free speech. What is more, they will be speaking in the context of a forum in which there will be other speakers to challenge and attack their views in a head to head manner and with the opportunity for students to challenge them from the floor. It is my belief that pushing the views of these people underground achieves nothing. The best way to deal with these views was summed up by Home Office Minister Tony McNulty on Thursday and that is 'to crush these people in debate'. Stopping them from speaking only allows them to become free speech martyrs, and from my own experience back in Halifax, which has suffered from race relation problems in the past, groups like the BNP do well if they look like they're being censored. Unlike OUSU, I think it's patronising to suggest that Oxford students aren't intelligent enough to debate with these people and I do have great faith in the ability of Oxford students to challenge them.
Others students disagree; not least Stephen Altmann-Richer, co-president of the Oxford University Jewish Society, who believes the Union "legitimises their views" by permitting Irving and Griffin to speak.
It's worth noting that both Irving and Griffin have been interviewed on live radio and television programmes, and that one of them is the leader of a political party that is permitted to stand in general and local elections. (I interviewed Irving myself live on radio a few months ago, soon after his release from prison in Austria.)
Their views on history and politics are another matter entirely; and many people regard those views as nothing less than disgraceful. But should Irving and Griffin have the freedom to express those views in a public forum at a leading university; or should they be forbidden to speak on any subject because their views on these issues are considered beyond the pale? Some may defend censorship as an appropriate response to ideas that the vast majority of us regard as morally despicable, but isn't there a danger that censorship will merely draw more attention (and more supporters) to those ideas by enabling their advocates to be portrayed as victims?
Comments
I agree entirely. Censorship is not the way to deal with these kinds of racist ideas. The Oxford Union society is quite right to debate complex and controversial ideas and I say that as an avowed opponent of the BNP.
"I think it's patronising to suggest that Oxford students aren't intelligent enough to debate with these people and I do have great faith in the ability of Oxford students to challenge them."
Since when does intelegence have anything to do with the way people vote, your giving angry people a voice, this debate is a joke! oxford students dont need to sit and listen to this crap, put on a proper debate.
Lots of very inteligent people suported the nazis, in fact a lot of intelegent people run the bnp! gorge galloway when to cambridge.
Free speech is not an absolute. There is no principle of free speech that says you must be able to broadcast whatever you want - lies, slander, incitement to violence, threats, etc. Therefore it follows that some "victims" of censorship deserve to have their speeches banned.
I am disappointed that the Oxford Union should invite such people to debate the issue. Instead of having a debate on the limits of free speech, they are bound to end up with a boiling stew of issues - race relations, immigration, holocaust denial, the right to lie, etc. It will be a mess.
Irving and Griffin are not champions of free speech. Ask Amnesty who the real champions are. I think that the Oxford Union have opted for tabloid sensation instead of real debate.
The Oxford Union seem to be adopting a tabloid approach to debating. The two speakers mentioned will stir up some tabloid sensationalism, but the issue of free speech will not be debated properly.
For a sensible debate on an issue which lies at the heart of NI society, try the Multi-Cultural debate on faith/segregated schools which is being held at Stranmillis UC on Monday 3 December. More details at www.belfast.humanists.net/activities There is even a poster that you can print off and display for free.