New report identifies Costa Mesa hate groups

Lolita Harper

A newly released report designed to outline the use of the

Internet as a tool to further hate has identified two local

organizations as hosting extremist activities.

“Digital Hate 2002,” compiled and released by the Los

Angeles-based Simon Weisenthal Center, highlighted the Web sites of

the Aryan Baby Drive and the Institute for Historical Review -- which

are both based in Costa Mesa -- as promoting intolerance via the

World Wide Web.

The Simon Weisenthal Center, an international Jewish human rights

organization, charges that the Institute for Historical Review uses

the Internet to distribute anti-Semitic propaganda, which it says

manipulates history and influences similar intolerant viewpoints.

“The IHR Web site houses some of the most vile materials, denying

the murder of 6 million Jews by the Nazis during World War II,” the

report states.

Mark Weber, the director of the Institute for Historic Review and

a Costa Mesa resident, said he is appalled by the report’s findings

but not surprised. Weber said his Web site has published a number of

articles that dispute some details regarding the Holocaust and has

subsequently become a frequent target for the Simon Weisenthal

Center.

The two organizations have a long-standing history of not seeing

eye to eye, he said.

But to call his organization a hate group takes a lot of gall,

Weber said.

“They use the word ‘hate’ very loosely, but it is a damaging

buzzword,” Weber said. “How do you disprove that?”

Weber said the Institute for Historical Review exists to promote

greater public awareness of historical issues that have political,

financial and social significance. Many of the articles and postings

on the institute’s Web site relate to Jews because they hold a great

deal of political clout, Weber said.

“This is a very big issue because it plays a huge factor in our

life and foreign and domestic policy,” said Weber, adding that the

United States is one of the few remaining world powers that support

Israel.

Weber said he does not deny the “genocidal and murderous

catastrophe” known as the Holocaust but denounces its use to justify

support of what he calls murderous Israeli policies.

The Weisenthal report monitored more than 3,000 Web sites and

broke them down into specific categories, such as manipulation of

history, using the Internet for recruitment, marketing and online

games that promote violent killings of various minority and ethnic

groups. The study highlights both national and international groups

and devotes a large section to terrorist movements. The Costa

Mesa-based Web sites were found under the “manipulation” subheading.

The Aryan Baby Drive Web site states the movement was designed to

distribute care packages for “all white folk who have children” in an

effort to help support Aryan families.

“It is our hope that by sending out these care packages that your

expenses will be somewhat relieved and free up some extra cash to

spend on other necessities for your children,” the Web site reads.

“After all, this is what white unity is all about -- giving our

children the best we can today.”

An e-mail contact for the Aryan Baby Drive, known only as White

Revolutionary 88, denounced the Weisenthal report’s claims but

declined further comment.

Weisenthal Center officials defend their study and said they will

continue to monitor Internet use and abuse by “bigots, racists and

anti-Semites” as they use cutting-edge technology in their quest to

promote hateful agendas.

* LOLITA HARPER covers Costa Mesa. She may be reached at (949)

574-4275 or by e-mail at lolita.harper@latimes.com.