ANTI-Semitism is one of the oldest and most toxic forms of prejudice ever to rear its head.

The Holocaust, far from being an isolated incident with no historical context, was the culmination of centuries of appalling treatment against a group of people who had contributed immensely to human progress.

Unfortunately, hatred like this is all too common. In our pages today, our award-winning foreign editor David Pratt highlights the atrocities happening right now to the Muslim Rohingya population in Myanmar. Their crime no more than the faith to which they subscribe.

One of the reasons we cover stories like the one mentioned above is to raise awareness of the horror that can flourish if allowed to fester unchallenged. Thankfully, awareness of the terrible events of the Holocaust is high. Holocaust Memorial Day encourages understanding, learning and healing after the atrocities perpetrated by the Nazis.

However, as we are compelled to highlight, bigotry towards Jews persists and not in some far-flung land – right here in Scotland.

The views of the disgraced David Irving, who spoke at a secret event in Glasgow on Friday, should not surprise anyone. He is a horrible man who has been disgraced, jailed and made bankrupt as a result of his Holocaust denial.

The more troubling matter is the views expressed by the people who showed up at his one-man event. Some individuals made openly hostile comments about Jews, while others questioned aspects of the Nazi genocide.

Unlike other countries, Scotland has not had a major problem with anti-Semitism and Jews have a proud place in Scottish society. Friday’s ugly event, however, is another reminder that we should be vigilant about a medieval prejudice that has never really been stamped out.