In Unison

Waikato Uni pulls thesis after 'neo-Nazi Satanist' complaints

By inunison | Published Sunday, 5 October, 2008 | 6 Comments

By Joshua Drummond (ASPA)

A published, marked thesis that calls controversial far-right figure Kerry Bolton a “Satanist neo-Nazi” has been pulled from publication by the University of Waikato, without warning.

The thesis, published six months ago and titled Dreamers of the Dark: Kerry Bolton and the Order of the Left Hand Path, a Case-study of a Satanic/Neo Nazi Synthesis, was submitted as part of a Masters degree by Philosophy and Religious Studies student Roel Van Leeuwen. In a highly unusual move, the marked and published thesis was removed from the University library and the University’s online publishing repository last week. Neither Van Leeuwen or the thesis’ co-supervisor Dr Dov Bing were notified prior to the sudden removal. Extraordinarily, reporters from Waikato student magazine Nexus have established that no legal threat has been entered against either Van Leeuwen or the University of Waikato – rather, the thesis was the subject of a mere complaint from Kerry Bolton. Bing told Nexus reporters that the thesis was a “first-class piece of work,” and was externally moderated by other universities before being published. ‘The thesis was assessed by two senior academics from other New Zealand Universities,” Bing said. “They both deemed it to be a first-class piece of research.” Van Leeuwen said he was “surprised” to learn from reporters that the thesis was being pulled. “I haven’t been informed or anything,” he said. Van Leeuwen said his thesis, which was “inspired” by former University employee Dr Dennis Green, had received full-class honours (a mark equivalent to an A) and was accurate. “I unequivocally stand by my thesis,” he said. “There is nothing at all in there that’s defamatory in any way to Bolton.” Nexus contacted both Vice-Chancellor Dr Roy Crawford and Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences Dean, Dr Dan Zirker, for comment on the thesis’ withdrawal. Crawford’s office did not respond to repeated calls prior to deadline, and Zirker said that the withdrawal was a “confidential matter.” “It would be really inappropriate for me to comment,” he said. Nexus contacted Kerry Bolton, who said he had been told “informally, sort of last week,” that the thesis was “up for [internal] review by the University.” “The University hasn’t been particularly communicative, so I don’t know what’s going on,” he said. He said that he had “made a complaint, and it’s being investigated,” but had issued no legal threat. However, he claimed “there are defamatory references in it… that were removed by the chap.” Bolton claims there were flaws in the thesis’ bibliography, and said he had never written some of the articles attributed to him. He also claimed that he has “since dumped most of that stuff [those views referred to by the thesis,] and it’s totally irrelevant.” He said he had been involved in far-right organisations, and refers to himself now as a “radical conservative,” but denied being influential or a leader. “I wouldn’t call [the positions I have held] influential,” he said. Bolton is a well-known figure in the New Zealand far-right community. He has been involved in both neo-Nazi and Satanist movements, and has published extensively, under his own name and using pseudonyms, on both topics. His writing is featured on the website of self-described “Holocaust revisionist” Fredrick Toben, a personal friend of Bolton's and the founder and director of the controversial Adelaide Institute. Toben was arrested on October 1 at Heathrow Airport for holocaust denial and is set to be extradited to Germany, where he has previously been convicted and imprisoned for inciting racism. Bolton has set up a website, titled “Dreamers Exposed”, where he provides copies of his correspondence with the University. Bolton had also corresponded previously with Van Leeuwen about the content of the thesis, and two things that Bolton deemed offensive – that he “raised his son in a racist milieu,” and “mistreated a brain damaged man,” (according to Bolton,) were removed from the thesis. Yet a letter from Bolton to Vice-Chancellor Crawford, dated 27th August 2008, states: “… I have little reason to be satisfied with the two amendments to the thesis that [Van Leeuwen] has conceded. He claims that his sloppy, flawed research in (sic) satisfactory for MA thesis level. He claims that we have differences of opinion. As I have documented in some detail in my Statement and supporting documents to you, these are not ‘matters of opinion’, they are very fundamental errors and slanders….This is to clarify to you that I am not satisfied with my initial letter merely being handed to him under the advice that he makes two amendments…” Elsewhere on his site, Bolton calls Van Leeuwen’s thesis “Zionist smear-mongering posing as scholarship,” and accuses Dr Dennis Green and Dr Dov Bing of “harassing” Dr Joel Hayward, who, infamously, wrote a controversial MA thesis on Holocaust denial. Bolton also states that “Waikato University is also noted for its bigotry in hounding out a student, Hans Kupka, in 2000, for being a German.”

UPDATE: Nexus editor Josh Drummond has provided us with a bit more information about self-described “radical conservative” Kerry Bolton. (Read more...)