By Klaus Rohrich
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Mohamed Elmasry, president of the Canadian Islamic Congress (CIC) and famous for declaring all Jews over the age of 18 in Israel fair targets in the Arabs’ struggle to annihilate that country, thinks the decision by the Canadian Human Rights Commission to dismiss claims against McLean’s Magazine and columnist Mark Steyn is wrong. Elmasry claims that “hate speech” creates a dynamic that silences disadvantaged groups and individuals and keeps them from participating in civil discourse.
Quoted in the National Post, Elmasry stated, “The state should act to empower those who are disadvantaged by hate speech, and that may mean lowering the voices of some in order that others may be heard.” Of course he isn’t talking about lowering voices; what he really wants is to silence them.
It’s a frightening prospect when adherents to any religion can dictate what is and is not acceptable in public discourse. As a society we have taken strong measures to ensure that government and religion are separated, yet Mr. Elmasry wants to prevent so-called Islamophobes from speaking their mind by classifying anything they may have to say as “hate speech”.
His opposition to the repeal of Section 13 of the Canadian Human Rights Act, a section that is so draconian in preventing free speech that even Alan Borovoy one of the driving forces behind the establishment of the Canadian Human Rights Commission, thinks it overly intrusive.
Elmasry wants to use this law to silence all critics of Islamic fundamentalism, which will impose a chilling effect on freedom of speech in this country. There are no guarantees in our democracy that anyone has the right not to be offended. Indeed, much of what Elmasry says is offensive, especially to those of the Jewish faith. Yet no one is attempting to gag his vitriol, even when he asserts on national television that killing all Jews over the age of 18 in Israel is desirable.
Those words are one hell of a lot more “hate-filled” and inflammatory than anything Mark Steyn or Ezra Levant have written. Yet the CHRC who looked at Elmasry’s assertion with a view toward possible censure gave him a pass. It’s frankly surprising that they did. Chances are if someone of a different nationality or religion had made the same remark, he or she would now be languishing in a CHRC re-education facility north of the Arctic Circle.
People who foster the beliefs that Mr. Elmasry is espousing are a clear and present danger to all Canadians’ fundamental freedom. If any one religion can exempt itself from scrutiny on the basis that such scrutiny would constitute “hate speech” and use a mechanism like the CRHC to do so, then we will be living a nightmare not even George Orwell could have imagined.
Elmasry is pushing to have our freedom of speech curtailed through a strenthening of Section 13 of the Canadian Human Rights Act. He’s pushing to take away your right to legitimate discourse about the nature of religion. Obviously there is a deeper agenda in this man’s incessant desire to control free speech in Canada. It’s high time Canadians started pushing back.
Klaus Rohrich is senior columnist for Canada Free Press. Klaus also writes topical articles for numerous magazines. He has a regular column on retirementhomes.com and is currently working on his first book dealing with the toxicity of liberalism. His work has been featured on the Drudge Report, Rush Limbaugh, Fox News and Lucianne, among others. He lives and works in a small town outside of Toronto and is an avid student of history.
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Mohamed Elmasry, president of the Canadian Islamic Congress (CIC) and famous for declaring all Jews over the age of 18 in Israel fair targets in the Arabs’ struggle to annihilate that country, thinks the decision by the Canadian Human Rights Commission to dismiss claims against McLean’s Magazine and columnist Mark Steyn is wrong. Elmasry claims that “hate speech” creates a dynamic that silences disadvantaged groups and individuals and keeps them from participating in civil discourse.
Quoted in the National Post, Elmasry stated, “The state should act to empower those who are disadvantaged by hate speech, and that may mean lowering the voices of some in order that others may be heard.” Of course he isn’t talking about lowering voices; what he really wants is to silence them.
It’s a frightening prospect when adherents to any religion can dictate what is and is not acceptable in public discourse. As a society we have taken strong measures to ensure that government and religion are separated, yet Mr. Elmasry wants to prevent so-called Islamophobes from speaking their mind by classifying anything they may have to say as “hate speech”.
His opposition to the repeal of Section 13 of the Canadian Human Rights Act, a section that is so draconian in preventing free speech that even Alan Borovoy one of the driving forces behind the establishment of the Canadian Human Rights Commission, thinks it overly intrusive.
Elmasry wants to use this law to silence all critics of Islamic fundamentalism, which will impose a chilling effect on freedom of speech in this country. There are no guarantees in our democracy that anyone has the right not to be offended. Indeed, much of what Elmasry says is offensive, especially to those of the Jewish faith. Yet no one is attempting to gag his vitriol, even when he asserts on national television that killing all Jews over the age of 18 in Israel is desirable.
Those words are one hell of a lot more “hate-filled” and inflammatory than anything Mark Steyn or Ezra Levant have written. Yet the CHRC who looked at Elmasry’s assertion with a view toward possible censure gave him a pass. It’s frankly surprising that they did. Chances are if someone of a different nationality or religion had made the same remark, he or she would now be languishing in a CHRC re-education facility north of the Arctic Circle.
People who foster the beliefs that Mr. Elmasry is espousing are a clear and present danger to all Canadians’ fundamental freedom. If any one religion can exempt itself from scrutiny on the basis that such scrutiny would constitute “hate speech” and use a mechanism like the CRHC to do so, then we will be living a nightmare not even George Orwell could have imagined.
Elmasry is pushing to have our freedom of speech curtailed through a strenthening of Section 13 of the Canadian Human Rights Act. He’s pushing to take away your right to legitimate discourse about the nature of religion. Obviously there is a deeper agenda in this man’s incessant desire to control free speech in Canada. It’s high time Canadians started pushing back.
Klaus Rohrich is senior columnist for Canada Free Press. Klaus also writes topical articles for numerous magazines. He has a regular column on retirementhomes.com and is currently working on his first book dealing with the toxicity of liberalism. His work has been featured on the Drudge Report, Rush Limbaugh, Fox News and Lucianne, among others. He lives and works in a small town outside of Toronto and is an avid student of history.
Source: Canada Free Press
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