Institute for Historical Review

From Metapedia

The Institute for Historical Review (IHR) founded in 1978, is a revisionist organization that describes itself as a "public-interest educational, research and publishing center dedicated to promoting greater public awareness of history." Critics have accused it of being an antisemitic "pseudo-academic body" with links to neo-Nazi organizations, and assert that its primary focus is denying the "Holocaust." IHR also publishes the Journal of Historical Review.

[edit] History

The IHR was originally founded by Dave McCalden, a former member of the British National Front, and Willis Carto, the head of Liberty Lobby. Liberty Lobby was best known for publishing The Spotlight, now reorganized as the American Free Press. Dave McCalden left the IHR and Carto lost control of the organization in a power struggle. The current head of the IHR is Mark Weber.

Beginning in 1979, IHR publicly offered a reward of $50,000 for verifiable "proof that gas chambers for the purpose of killing human beings existed at or in Auschwitz." This money (and an additional $40,000) was eventually paid in 1985 to Auschwitz survivor Mel Mermelstein, who sued the IHR for breach of contract for initially ignoring his evidence (a signed testimony of his experiences in Auschwitz). As a result of Mermelstein's case, a U.S. Superior Court in California declared the Holocaust an indisputable legal fact.

The IHR has featured in its conferences and publications figures such as David Irving, Robert Faurisson, Ernst Zündel, Fred Leuchter, Arthur Butz, Joseph Sobran, Pete McCloskey, Bradley R. Smith, Carlo Mattogno, Jürgen Graf, Doug Collins and Radio Islam founder Ahmed Rami.

[edit] Historical revisionism and the "Holocaust"

Although the Institute for Historical Review comments on a variety of subjects, it is most noted for investigating claims surrounding the “Holocaust.”

The IHR spokesperson has stated, "The Institute does not 'deny the Holocaust.' Every responsible scholar of twentieth century history acknowledges the great catastrophe that befell European Jewry during World War II. All the same, the IHR has over the years published detailed books and numerous probing essays that call into question aspects of the orthodox Holocaust extermination story, and highlight specific Holocaust exaggerations and falsehoods."