Source: CODOH

Wiesenthal Center Begins Letter Campaign

10 Jan 1996

THE SIMON WIESENTHAL CENTER BEGAN a letter-writing campaign requesting that Internet providers restrict access to groups or individuals who present material which promotes racism, anti-Semitism, mayhem and/or violence.

This decision has been challenged by both the Internet providers and various civil libertarians. They argue that free and open debate is the way to defeat hate.

According to Rabbi Abraham Cooper, associate dean of the Wiesenthal Center, “[hate groups]…are able to dress up their message in a way that looks … presentable.”

Several well-made web sites now available on the World-Wide-Web cause alarm to the Simon Wiesenthal Center. These include: Aryan Nations, Skinheads U.S.A. and The Aryan Crusader’s Library.

Another site which has upset the Wiesenthal Center is that of Holocaust revisionist, Ernst Zuendel. Zuendel has commented on the attempt to curtail his views:

“The Internet is the first and last truly free marketplace of ideas, for the time being. It levels the playing field. To curtail the freedom for some will curtail the freedom for all.”

The Wiesenthal Center argues that the Internet providers themselves are publishers who have a civic responsibility not to promote bigotry.

Adapted from: The Associated Press 01-10-96

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Wiesenthal Center Seeks Internet Censorship

Members of the Simon Wiesenthal Centre requested that Italian Prime Minister Lamberto Dini back their initiatives to ban “racists” and “extremists” from the Internet.

Italy has been specifically targeted to support the Orwellian-ban because Italy takes over the European Union presidency on January 1, 1996. The Wiesenthal Centre would like the enforcement of Internet Censorship to occur on a European level.

Simon Wiesenthal, known for hunting down those deemed “war criminals” advocated censorhip of the Internet in a speech that he made to the United Nations in New York in November.

Wiesenthal uttered the following appeal to the U.N. “Technology without hate can be so very beneficial for mankind, but in conjunction with hatred it leads to disaster.”

The specifics of the Wiesenthal Centre’s proposals have not been detailed.

Adapted from: Reuter, 7 December 1995.

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