Madam, - Alan Shatter (Opinion & Analysis, March 1st) writes that David Irving's sentence was justified by the current climate of apparent ignorance of and indifference to the Holocaust. Does he mean to suggest that if society was more aware of and interested in the Holocaust, Irving's denial of it would be acceptable?
Irving sits in a prison cell for insinuating almost 20 years ago that the Holocaust didn't happen. As much as one might try, it is impossible to hold different, yet consistent, views on the Danish cartoons and Irving's sentence. David Irving, vile though he is, should be a free man. - Yours etc,
KEVIN BREATHNACH, Portmarnock, Co Dublin.
Madam, - Alan Shatter, along with most rational people, believes the murder of 6 million Jews by the Nazis to be a historical fact.
David Irving does not agree; and for expressing this opinion he was imprisoned.
Mr Shatter justifies this outrageous assault on freedom by blathering on about Hamas, Iran, Danish cartoons, Anne Frank, etc. What have any of these things got to do with Mr Irving? Nothing.
The simple fact is that David Irving stated he did not believe the Holocaust happened. For expressing this ridiculous opinion he was sentenced to three years' imprisonment and that is an outrageous assault on freedom of expression.
Alan Shatter should be ashamed of himself. - Yours, etc,
HUGH MULLEN, Coulson Avenue, Rathgar, Dublin 6.