2008 Woodie Awards
Professors begin dialogue investigating denial of Holocaust
Rossa Dono
Issue date: 4/19/07 Section: News
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With countries around the world like Iran still denying that the Holocaust ever happened, a panel of San Jose State University professors discussed the reasons behind the denial of the Holocaust and other genocide dismissals.
Jonathan Roth, chair of the SJSU history department, Richard Keady, a comparative religions professor, Allen Leventhal, an anthropology professor, along with panel moderator, Victoria Harrison, the coordinator of SJSU's Jewish studies, discussed what genocide meant and why countries continue to deny that genocide happened.
Genocide is a legal term and is characterized by the motivation behind the destruction of a group and not the individuals in the group, Roth said.
"Genocide developed out of this idea of mass killings of civilians by a state or group," Roth said. "Genocide depends not on the number of people that are killed or tortured or what have you, but by the motivation. That is, the motivation has to be to destroy a group."
One of the issues brought up by the panel was what people thought genocide meant. And if the definition of genocide to those people is different than that of someone else, then how do you determine if people are denying a genocide crime, or simply defending their definition of it.
Roth said that it doesn't matter if you're the president, the king, or the highest in
command in your country, that regardless of the personal definition of genocide that people in command should still take responsibility for their actions and that their high
position doesn't immunize them from that responsibility.
He added that some countries continue to deny and not admit these massive killings took place.
Anthropology Professor Allen Leventhal explained that the United States has yet to admit to the massive killing of the Native Americans of this country and that some of them are extinct because of the murders.
The denial continues even in the United States. Nina Simone Grotch, an associate director for the Anti-Defamation League said that she often gets calls from schools explaining that they need help because substitute teachers go in and give anti-holocaust lectures to the children.
Jonathan Roth, chair of the SJSU history department, Richard Keady, a comparative religions professor, Allen Leventhal, an anthropology professor, along with panel moderator, Victoria Harrison, the coordinator of SJSU's Jewish studies, discussed what genocide meant and why countries continue to deny that genocide happened.
Genocide is a legal term and is characterized by the motivation behind the destruction of a group and not the individuals in the group, Roth said.
"Genocide developed out of this idea of mass killings of civilians by a state or group," Roth said. "Genocide depends not on the number of people that are killed or tortured or what have you, but by the motivation. That is, the motivation has to be to destroy a group."
One of the issues brought up by the panel was what people thought genocide meant. And if the definition of genocide to those people is different than that of someone else, then how do you determine if people are denying a genocide crime, or simply defending their definition of it.
Roth said that it doesn't matter if you're the president, the king, or the highest in
command in your country, that regardless of the personal definition of genocide that people in command should still take responsibility for their actions and that their high
position doesn't immunize them from that responsibility.
He added that some countries continue to deny and not admit these massive killings took place.
Anthropology Professor Allen Leventhal explained that the United States has yet to admit to the massive killing of the Native Americans of this country and that some of them are extinct because of the murders.
The denial continues even in the United States. Nina Simone Grotch, an associate director for the Anti-Defamation League said that she often gets calls from schools explaining that they need help because substitute teachers go in and give anti-holocaust lectures to the children.
Viewing Comments 1 - 3 of 3
Blair
posted 4/20/07 @ 11:46 AM PST
In the area that would eventually become the continental United States, from first contact (1511) to the closing of the frontier (1890), 9,156 people died from atrocities perpetrated by Native Americans, and 7,193 people died from atrocities perpetrated by whites. (Continued…)
necro
posted 4/20/07 @ 8:14 PM PST
hmmm.. seems Mr. Barasch is a bit confused...as the Catholics didn't appear on the scene until 300 years after the death of Christ.
Must have been all that transporting around by the Germans. (Continued…)
Dave Grubman
posted 4/20/07 @ 10:58 PM PST
So let me get this straight...
Werner is telling us that the Catholics killed Jesus, because he was a threat to the Roman Catholics.
Hmmm.
I'm not sure how many times Werner was gassed, or vacuumed, or steamed, or reduced to ashes or soap, but surely we must believe him. (Continued…)
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