Let Candace speak

Newsroom reports:

The Government should closely scrutinise the visa application of Holocaust denier Candace Owens, the chair of the Holocaust Centre of New Zealand has urged.

Owens, an American far-right activist with a history of antisemitic, Islamophobic and homophobic comments, is visiting Auckland in November as part of a speaking tour which will also take her to Australia.

While Jewish groups across the Tasman have urged their government to reject Owens’ visa application, views are more split in New Zealand.

I would be aghast if she was not allowed into NZ, and/or allowed to speak.

I say this as someone who finds her views repugnant and hateful.

I had generally been aware of her for several years as she was a rarity – a young black woman who was very conservative and pro-Trump – and articulate in presenting her views. I had a fairly neutral opinion of her.

But in the last 12 months especially her views have either changed or she is being more open about what she believes. She has become a promoter of numerous conspiracy theories, as opposed to merely being sceptical of official lines.

But more blatantly she has said and promoted things that are clearly anti-semitic, such as defending Josef Mengele, saying the Holocaust was “almost” ethnic cleansing but what the Allies did was actual ethnic cleansing. She has also done the old blood libel on Twitter and claimed Stalin was Jewish, Jews killed JFK, a Jewish cult does paedophilia etc.

So I have huge contempt for Owens and her views. But that doesn’t mean she should be banned – she should be challenged. People should go to her meeting and quote her words back to her and point out how she fixates on Jewish conspiracies. Or just ignore her and hope no one buys tickets.

“We are aware of Ms Owens’ hateful, racist, historically illiterate and frankly stupid statements, that include but go well beyond Holocaust denial, and suggest an unhealthy delusional fixation on the Jewish people who constitute 0.2 percent of the world’s population,” Jewish Council of New Zealand spokesperson Juliet Moses told Newsroom.

“However, like all the other antisemites who have visited these shores over recent years, some of whom have been platformed at houses of worship, on media and even at Parliament, we will not be opposing her visit.”

A very principled stand.