The web of hate: An exploratory study of holocaust denial on the net

Holocaust denial is one manifestation of racist and antisemitic thought, the scope of which has increased dramatically over the last decade, especially on the Internet. This thesis applies an anti-racism framework to the study of Holocaust denial on the Internet with the objectives of identifying the key claims made by Holocaust deniers, the themes emerging from these claims, and how practitioners working in the fight against hate understand and identify the phenomenon of Holocaust denial. Qualitative thematic analyses of twenty-five Holocaust denial websites and six supplementary interviews reveal that three strategies are used in denial arguments: the relativization of the Holocaust, the trivialization of the Holocaust and the literal denial of the Holocaust. Holocaust denial serves two primary functions: the ideological goal of promoting hate, racism and antisemitism, and the political goal of furthering white supremacy and National Socialism. Notably, the law remains ineffective and inefficient in combatting Holocaust denial.