SOURCE: "His Right to Say It," in The Nation, New York, Vol. 232, No. 8, February, 1981, pp. 231-34.

An American linguist, Chomsky is one of the major intellectual figures of the twentieth century. In addition to his seminal studies in the nature and function of human language, he has also published a number of works on social and political subjects. In the following essay, he defends his support of Holocaust deniers to disseminate their ideas.

An article in The New York Times concerning my involvement in the "Faurisson affair" was headlined "French Storm in a Demitasse." If the intent was to imply that these events do not even merit being called "a tempest in a teapot," I am inclined to agree. Nevertheless, torrents of ink have been spilled in Europe, and some here. Perhaps, given the obfuscatory nature of the coverage, it would be useful for me to state the...