Aberdeen Tory candidate Ryan Houghton's sick posts uncovered

In a series of old posts made on a martial arts forum – uncovered by The National and the Twitter account @matesjacob – Ryan Houghton suggested some events around the Nazi regime’s state-sponsored persecution and murder of six million Jews had been “fabricated”.

He also praised the “interesting" research of the discredited British historian and Adolf Hitler apologist David Irving (inset page 5). In another post, he suggested fellow users on the martial arts forum should have a debate on how the Holocaust had been “exaggerated by the victors.”

In other discussions he said he didn’t see how homosexuality was good for the human race and, in comments that will only add to claims that the Tories have an Islamophobia problem, Houghton claimed Muslims were having big families in a bid to create “Eurabia”.

The Tory, who has been a councillor in the city since 2017, and is the business manager in the ruling Labour-Tory administration, also repeatedly shared pornography on a poker forum where he boasted about “smashing birds” and spending his winnings on Tag Heur watches.

Last night Houghton refuted any suggestion he held anti-Semitic, racist or homophobic views.

Writing on the forum in 2013 under the username Razgriz, Houghton said there is “no credible evidence to suggest the Holocaust did not happen” but that “I do find some of the events fabricated, and exegarated [sic] in some cases.”

He added: “As history is written by the victors there is always going to be a bit of re-writing.”

When another forum user described Irving as a charlatan, Houghton leapt to the defence of the notorious Holocaust denier.

Irving, who has written more than 20 books, has been widely condemned for his sympathetic view of Hitler and for disputing the official account of the Holocaust.

Irving sued author Deborah Lipstadt and her publisher for libel after she wrote that he was a Holocaust denier, he famously lost the case in 2000.

In 2006, Irving was jailed in Austria – where Holocaust denial is a criminal offence – after describing the gas chambers as a “fairytale”.

Houghton said: “A charleton [sic] seems a bit heavy, even his opponent’s recongnised [sic] his skill as a historian.”

He added: “His arguments - in terms of the Holocaust- have been that Hitler was not in the know about Aushwitz, rather as he challenged Deborah Lippstrad to do, show a genuine document linking Adolf Hitler to Auschwitz-Birkenau... No one has yet taken his challenge. (From what I know, im more than willing to be corrected here) “His other main focus was that the gas chamber which you go into as a tourist - if that word can be used in this context- was constructed after WW2.”

He adds that he is “not defending David’s Irving’s views” and that he does not agree with “some of the stuff he says”.

In another post he suggests the members of the martial arts forum start up a debating society.

Some possible topics for discussion, he says, could include, “Britain would of [sic] been better staying out of world war two” and that “the events of WW2 mainly the holocaust have been exaggerated by the victors.”

Danielle Bett from the Scottish Council of Jewish Communities said the comments were awful: “Any suggestion that the Holocaust has been fabricated or exaggerated is unacceptable and rooted in antisemitism. David Irving is an anti-Semite, well-known for denying the historical facts surrounding the Holocaust and no decent person should praise or endorse his views.”

Houghton, who stopped posting on the forum in 2014, also claimed that the “core teaching” of Islam is the “eventual domination” of the world.

And in a discussion about the boss of Barilla pasta saying he would never do a commercial with a homosexual family, Houghton wrote: “surely if the majority of the population was to become gay then the species would die out, so it would be harmful?

“I know im kind of going to the extreme here but I don’t see how homosexuality is ‘good’ for the human race?”

He later clarified that he had “no problem with anyone’s lifestyle choices” but was just trying “to think of an example when it could be considered bad for the human race.”

Houghton told The National: “These posts were made on private discussion forums about eight years ago. Much of this has been taken totally out of context. And I made very clear at the time that I was not defending the views of David Irving in any way.

“I do not hold, and have never held, anti-Semitic, racist or homophobic views. I would strongly refute any suggestion to the contrary.”

Nevertheless, the Tories moved to suspend their candidate.

A spokesman said: “The comments contained in these blogs are unacceptable and Mr Houghton has been suspended as a member of the Scottish Conservative party as a result.

“The party has also withdrawn its support for his candidacy in Aberdeen North. The Scottish Conservatives deplores all forms of Islamophobia, homophobia and anti-Semitism.”

Here are some of the shocking quotes in full:

NB. We’ve not corrected his spelling mistakes

DEBATING THE HOLOCAUST

I FIND no credible evidence to suggest the Holocaust did not happen. I think thats a baseline of historical fact,anyone who says otherwise. Stand by. But I do find some of the events fabricated , and exegarated in some cases. As history is written by the victors there is always going to be a bit of “re-writing”. But to say that it was all some Jewish Lie, is just obscene.

*

Think you mean David Irving as the Historian and a lot of his research is interesting. He does not (now) deny the holocaust but finds a lot of the events fabricated and or exegarated but he does say that 4 million Jews were killed as a result of WW2.

*

[about Irving] A charlatan seems a bit heavy, even his opponent’s recognised his skill as a historian. I have not read all his material nor watched all his lectures so I cannot comment on him in entirety. His arguments – in terms of the Holocaust – have been that Hitler was not in the know about Aushwitz, rather as he challenged Deborah Lippstrad to do, show a genuine document linking Adolf Hitler to Auschwitz-Birkenau (and yes I have been there before a smart alex comes along, and I dont mean Johno :)) No one has yet taken his challenge. (From what I know, I’m more than willing to be corrected here) His other main focus was that the gas chamber which you go into as a tourist - if that word can be used in this context- was constructed after WW2.

*

P.S For absolute clarity I am not defending David’s Irving’s views and I do not agree with some of the stuff he says, I find some of his research containing interesting points which people find difficult to argue about without going into character assignations.

P.S.S Im also a member of the Holocaust Educational Trust.

MUSLIMS

Another one of the problems I find and others have noted also, is that for a lot of understandable reasons and some for really deplorable reasons, many Muslims, are playing hide the ball with the articles of faith, and are eager to have the conversations of the sort you have had from a very cynical and manipulative perspective. We’re just going to keep having big families, and eventually it’s going to be Eurabia, and the war will be won. There are people who really think in those terms, and they’re not necessarily just the people in the center of the bull’s-eye of Islamic infatuation. I am not saying this is the true Islam as I have mentioned before its really hard to say who a true Muslim is.

*

From what I understand, and you obviously have more knowledge than me, looking at the verses above as example, the core teachings here when it comes to Islam’s place in the world is eventual domination.

*

As I see it, Islam has been, can be and is an expansionary religion. Christians would expand their religion with missionary and with the sword. But now they do it missionary (In the vast majority). Muslims have spread by the sword and to some extent by the word, and are now still trying to spread with the sword and with the word.

*

The reason its coming across as if I am making Islam out to be a special case is because this thread was about actions of Muslims. So naturally the coversation is going to go that way. On a personal level yes I do think Islam is more violent, from verses from the Quran itself, from watching lecture by Islamic scholars etc. Now you can go ahead and say ah yes but these are not true Muslims, which is something we have been discussing, but I choose not to accept that. But this is my personal belief and Im entitled to it.

TOPICS FOR DEBATE

Ok following on from some conversation in the thread relating to the US Embassy attacks, I thought it might be an idea to create a specific thread of debate.

Some possible motions [for debate].

“Britain would of been better staying out of world war two.”

“Religion is bad for the human race”

“Abortion is morally wrong”

“Gun control is good for society”

“State involvement in our lives is to high and should be kept at a minimum.”

“The events of WW2 mainly the holocaust have been exaggerated by the victors.”

These are just ones that came to mind, as I was thought typing

HOMOSEXUALITY

I’m [far from] homophobic in any sense of the [word]. But, surely if the majority of the population was to become gay then the species would die out, so it would be harmful? I know I’m kind of going to the extreme here but I don’t see how homosexuality is “good” for the human race?