On Iran's bizarre anti-holocaust conference

Well, I'm sure all of you have been reading with indignant outrage about the conference that Iranian president Amandinejad has been holding in Tehran. How dare he? Right? How dare he question something that has been ingrained in our history as the most defining tragedy of the 20th century? I mean, it would take a lunatic to question something that has so much empirical evidence backing it! Right? And to go so far as to invite all sorts of anti-Semites and bigots to his nation to participate in something as dignified as a conference about it??

But, here's the deal you guys. As much as I think Amandinejad is a nut, some of the policies of other countries have made this a much bigger deal than it could have been. In France, German and Austria (and I'm sure other nations) it is a crime to question the validity of the Holocaust. Now, I understand the reasoning for this. I understand that in Europe, WWII was a major trauma that many people are still recovering from. (As a quick aside, when I was in Germany, I heard stories of tensions still occuring between Germans and French, as well as stories of men who, as children were forced to be a part of Hitler's Youth). But, had these nations been willing to accept unpopular opinion as a part of free speech, Amandinejad wouldn't have nearly as much international press as he does right now. There would be no need for an international conference in Tehran about the Holocaust because these idealogical "criminals" would be allowed to voice their opinions in their own countries.

As ludicrious as claiming that the Holocaust didn't occur is, outlawing that kind of speech only gives fuel to people like Amandinejad. Now, he's drawing all sorts of international attention to himself. He's able to say to his fellow Arab states, "See? Look how anti-Israeli I am. Look, I'm even questioning their very reason for having an Israeli state!" He's able to say "Look how forward thinking I am! These so-called liberal-democratic states are outlawing freedom of speech, so I am allowing these free-thinkers to come speak in my country. I am giving them refuge from hypocracy!"

Yes, the Holocaust was an awful example of what humans are capable of. Yes, it is ridiculous to try to claim that it didn't happen. I visited Dachau. It was a moving, emotional, terrible place. BUT, there have been other, equally as atrocious crimes against humanity in the non-Western world that haven't gotten nearly as much attention. And outlawing dissenting voices about the Holocaust is doing nothing but fanning the flames.