But it is a truism that is almost axiomatic that almost everyone who DOES “question” the figure has a rather sinister motivation for doing so.
Mel Gibson defended his fathers Holocaust denial, and many hoped that there was not an accompanying antisemitism that went along with it; but like ducks and water - the two just seem to go together.
Also, one is most certainly allowed to CHALLENGE the figures with contrary historic evidence, it is just that the evidence of what the Nazis did, and what they INTENDED to do are an absolutely backed by ironclad historic evidence; while the “scholarship” of those who challenge the scale, intent of, and even the existence of the Holocaust tends towards outlandish conspiracy theories to accompany their brain dead racism.
The names and places of more than 3 million Jews killed are recorded. Many are unrecorded because whole towns and regions were made Judenrein. Those without surviving relatives and friends are more difficult to individually identify.
Jews were carefully segregated and counted, for tax purposes if nothing else. The numbers before and after are pretty solid.