Photo: The Canadian Press People take pictures as they enter the Sachsenhausen Nazi death camp through the gate with the phrase “Arbeit macht frei” (work sets you free), in Oranienburg, about 30 km north of Berlin. Holocaust denial will be outlawed in Canada in a further effort to eradicate anti-Semitism. Denial, consent or downgrading of the Holocaust, other than a private conversation, is considered a criminal offense. The federal government is going to use a budget bill to change the Penal Code this year, based on existing laws banning hate speech. Canada will join a number of European countries, such as Germany, Greece, France, Belgium and the Czech Republic, which have already banned Holocaust denial. Richard Marceau, vice president of the Center for Israel and Jewish Affairs, says the fight against Holocaust denial is an important tool in the fight against anti-Semitism. Saskatoon Tory MP Kevin Waugh introduced a private-law bill earlier this year banning Holocaust denial, which is currently running through Parliament.
