UN troubled by minaret initiative

United Nations human rights specialists have expressed concerns over November’s anti-minaret vote and “discriminatory” poster campaign in Switzerland.

The comments by the Geneva-based UN Human Rights Committee were made in conclusions on Swiss progress in implementing the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), which is monitored by the body of experts.

Switzerland should “strenuously ensure respect of freedom of religion and firmly combat incitement to discrimination, hostility and violence”, the committee declared.

Among other recommendations, they said the Federal Commission against Racism should be strengthened to investigate all cases of racial discrimination and incitement to national, racial or religious hatred. Otherwise, an independent mechanism able to initiate legal action should be set up.

The committee said it was also preoccupied by reports of police brutality against people arrested or detained, in particular against asylum-seekers and migrants.

It said all cantons should create an independent mechanism to investigate complaints against the police. Ethnic minorities should also be better represented in Swiss police forces, it added.

While recognising the Swiss authorities’ “sustained attention” to human rights and measures undertaken since the last progress report in 2001, the body urged Switzerland to lift its remaining reservations concerning the treaty, to ratify the Optional Protocol – which establishes complaint and inquiry mechanisms – and to create a national human rights institution.

Other specific recommendations focused on better protection and support for asylum seekers, firearms, assisted suicide, combating violence against women, and compensation or reparations for forcible castrations and sterilisations conducted between 1960 and 1987.

More on Switzerland and the minaret issue here.

With thanks to Vlad Tepes

Rejected Complaint Still Makes its Point

A Canadian human rights council has rejected a complaint from an online magazine editor against an imam the editor accused of engaging in "hate propaganda." The Canadian Human Rights Act prohibits communication which "is likely to expose a person or persons to hatred or contempt by reason of the fact that that person or those persons are identifiable on the basis of a prohibited ground of discrimination."

Imam Abou Hammaad Sulaiman Dameus Al-Hayiti did just that to gays, women, Jews and people he considers infidels in his book, "Islam or Fundamentalism? In light of the Qor'an and the Sunna," Marc Lebuis said in his complaint. Al-Hayiti writes gays and lesbians should be "exterminated in this life" and beheaded if caught performing sodomy. Women are inferior to men. Jews "spread corruption and chaos on earth" and "injustice will never disappear from the face of the earth before Islam and Sharia are properly applied throughout the world." Those who leave Islam should have their necks cut, the book said.

But in a December 5 letter, a Canadian Human Rights Commission official said the imam's writing weren't likely to provoke hatred or contempt and the complaint would be dropped. Read more ...

Source: IPT Blog

8 Muslims settle skirt dispute with UPS

By Paola Loriggio

Eight Muslim women who filed a human rights complaint against the United Parcel Service (UPS) over a dress code dispute, settled with the company yesterday.

But it is unclear whether the company will change its policy, since neither party would discuss the terms of the agreement.

"Everyone is very happy," said Jacquie Chic, lawyer for the complainants, after announcing the agreement at a Canadian Human Rights tribunal yesterday morning.

The file will be closed once copies of the agreement are sent to the tribunal, said Karen Jensen, panel chair for the tribunal.

Karen Dick, a community organizer with the Workers Action Centre said none of the women are going back to work at UPS.

"They haven't worked there since 2005 so they're not going back. Three and a half years later, people are already doing what they need to do to survive. ... Some of them are working some of them are not." Read more ...

Source: The Star

Mosque fights for rights, but slurs Jews and West

Khalid Mosque supports a complaint by eight women, including two above,
who say they lost their jobs for refusing to raise their skirts above knee.

Centre backs women in UPS dress case, while other faiths are smeared online

By John Goddard

A mosque asking that Canadian workplaces respect a strict Muslim dress code is at the same time disseminating slurs against Jews and Western societies, and warning members against social integration.

The Khalid Bin Al-Walid Mosque near Kipling Ave. and Rexdale Blvd. serves as the religious authority for eight Somali women complaining to the Canadian Human Rights Commission that UPS Canada Ltd. violated their religious rights at a sorting plant. The mosque, founded in 1990 and serving upwards of 10,000 people, preaches strict adherence to sharia, or Islamic law, and no compromise with the West.

Teachings on the mosque's website, khalidmosque.com, refer to non-Muslim Westerners as "wicked," "corrupt" and "our clear enemies." Read more ...

Source: The Star

Rights bodies vulnerable to 'political Islam': B'nai Brith

By Joseph Brean

Canada's human rights commissions have shown "a disastrous combination of investigative zeal and substantive ignorance" that has left them vulnerable to abuse by "political Islam," the same ideology that has hijacked the United Nations human rights council, according to B'nai Brith Canada.

In a submission to an independent review of the Canadian Human Rights Commission's hate speech mandate, the Jewish human rights group states that "when it comes to this particular threat to human rights, human rights commissions just don't get it."

"Human rights commissions, like generals, are fighting the last war. They do not see new threats until they are overwhelmed by them. If, out of generosity than for no other reason, we should assume ignorance rather than wilful blindness, then the remedy is education and training," reads the report, written by B'nai Brith's senior legal counsel, David Matas. Read more ...

Source: National Post

Anyone Care About Free Speech?

By Peter Worthington

The tragedy of the B.C. Human Rights Tribunal's case against Mark Steyn and Maclean's magazine over alleged "hate" mongering because of Steyn's views on Islam, is that most people don't give a damn.

Oh, many sympathize with Steyn because the issue seems so silly, but most don't see the destructive effect of hate legislation, or how it threatens our freedom.

Of all the benefits embodied in our county, free speech is -- or should be -- among the most precious. Without the freedom to express opinions on any matter, we cease being a free society. The implications are as simple as that.

The villains in the Steyn case are not Muslims who complained to the HRC that Steyn's writings foster "Islamophobia" and hate. Nor is the Human Rights Commission at fault for hearing the allegations.

At fault is the government of Stephen Harper for not rescinding a law that the Liberals introduced and makes a mockery of both justice and freedom. Read more ...

Source: Toronto Sun

Free Speech on Trial

Canadian Human Rights Commission investigator: "Freedom of speech is an American concept, so I don't give it any value"

By Jacob Laksin

Earlier this month, the columnist Mark Steyn went on trial for being mean. Steyn's offense was to have published, in the fall of 2006, an excerpt from his book, America Alone, in the Canadian newsweekly Maclean's. In it, Steyn advanced the provocative but by no means untenable argument that plunging birthrates in Europe would precipitate a demographic decline, forcing Continental countries to reach an "accommodation with their radicalized Islamic compatriots." Europe's future, Steyn suggested, "belongs to Islam."

Islamic radicals, one might think, would be heartened by the backhanded vote of confidence. Instead, led by a group called the Canadian Islamic Congress, they elected to take offense. Had they limited their remonstration to an angrily worded letter to the editor or a rebuttal in another magazine, they would have been unobjectionably within their rights. But several of the group's more aggrieved members decided to press things further. First, they demanded that Maclean's publish an equal-length rejoinder to Steyn's article – a crude attempt to dictate content no independent publication would accept. Failing to hijack the magazine's pages, Steyn's disgruntled detractors did the next best thing: they took the author and the publication to court. Read more ...

Source: FrontPage MagazineCanadian Islamic Congress
Latest recipient of the Distinguished Islamofascist Award

Canadian Human Rights Commission
Latest recipient of The Dhimmi Award

The court of last resort: Maclean's faces the B. C. Human Rights Tribunal

By Brian Hutchinson

VANCOUVER -In the subterranean bowels of a provincial courthouse, a bizarre and frightening spectacle starts to unfold.

At issue are the pointed musings of Mark Steyn, a journalist and author living in the United States. A lengthy excerpt from his controversial book, America Alone, was published two years ago in Toronto-based Maclean's magazine, a weekly publication owned by Toronto-based Roger's Publishing Ltd.

The book excerpt ran as a cover story, entitled "Why the Future Belongs to Islam," and argued that Western democracy is threatened by the spread of Islam. In response, a human rights complaint was made here, in British Columbia, by an electrical engineer living in Waterloo, Ont.

That's the bizarre part, or one slice of it. None of the main players starring in this quasi-judicial drama actually live or work in B. C. Not Mr. Steyn, not the editors responsible for Maclean's, and not Mohamed Elmasry, a Muslim who launched a complaint to the B. C. Human Rights Tribunal on behalf of all Muslims in this province. Read more ...

Source: National PostMohamed Elmasry
Latest recipient of the Distinguished Islamofascist Award

Islamophobia accusations spark debate on Canada press freedom

OTTAWA (AFP) - A complaint by Canadian Muslims against a leading local news magazine has sparked a national debate on the limits of press freedoms in this country often cited as a beacon of multiculturalism.

"Protest while you still can," shouted this week's edition of Maclean's, a publication similar to US magazines Time or Newsweek, saying in an editorial that human rights boards are undermining free speech in Canada.

The controversy dates back to October 2006, when Maclean's ran an article excerpted from noted author and journalist Mark Steyn's book "America Alone," entitled "Why the Future Belongs to Islam."

A self-described agitator, Steyn argued that demographics and Muslims' global ambitions ensured Islam's eventual world domination and that Europe was "too enfeebled to resist its remorseless transformation into Eurabia."

For four Toronto law students, Maclean's had crossed the line by proposing that "Muslims are part of a global conspiracy to take over Western society and impose an oppressive form of Islamic law," Khurrum Awan, one of the students, told AFP.

"We did some research and realized that Maclean's had published 19 articles with such a tone," he said, adding that his group asked for but was denied the opportunity to publish a response when they met with the magazine's editors.

Maclean's, which is defending itself against accusations at a human rights tribunal that its articles incited hate, said the students' demands for a 5,000-word rebuttal and to direct the magazine cover art were unacceptable.

"This is a complete fabrication," said Awan, insisting the editor-in-chief told them he would rather see the magazine go out of business than publish a response, or, according to the magazine, hand over editorial reigns.

The students, backed by the Canadian Islamic Congress, lodged a complaint with the federal human rights commission and two of its provincial counterparts in Ontario and British Columbia.

The federal and British Columbia tribunals are still mulling over the case.

The Ontario panel declined to hear it, yet offered a stern rebuke of Maclean's on April 9 which prompted indignation from the magazine.

In a statement, the Ontario Human Rights Commission said the contents of press articles were beyond its purview, but added it "has serious concerns about the content of a number of articles concerning Muslims" published by Maclean's and other media outlets which were "identified as contributing to Islamophobia and promoting societal intolerance towards Muslims."

Supported by several media outlets, Maclean's said it was "deeply troubling" that a public official would castigate the press without offering it an opportunity to defend itself at a hearing.

The magazine also called for "an unambiguous reaffirmation of the right to freedom of expression, and assurance that reasonable limits on free speech are in fact reasonable."

The complainants said they were "delighted" by the Ontario commission's outcry.

"The tribunal said clearly that Maclean's articles were racist," explained Mohammed Boudjenane, head of the Canadian Arab Federation.

"I believe this will start a debate on the freedom of the press versus limiting speech that incites hate."

Alan Borovoy, a lawyer for the Canadian Civil Liberties Association, however, said human rights commissions should limit their decisions to acts, and not "restrict the free expression of opinion."

For Julius Grey, an advocate for minority rights, "all restrictions on freedom of expression are appalling" and he said the students in this case "chose the wrong target."

"But they're right to complain about Islamophobia," he told AFP, noting that "since the September 11, 2001 attacks in the United States, Muslims are not treated the same as everybody else."

Source: AFP

OIC: Respect Our Religion and Pay Jizya, or See You in Court!

By Denis Schulz

Has the Organization of Islamic States (OIC) lost all faith in assassination and suicide bomber attacks as a means of putting an end to the ceaseless literary and artistic assaults on Islam? Has the OIC lost its nerve? Perhaps.

What if the United Nations' Human Rights Commission should find the gumption to issue a vigorous condemnation of some future terrorist act? The UN has made many allowances for over-zealousness on the part of Islam but there have been stirrings in the West of late. Theo van Gogh's murder did not cow Rooster Cogburn or Tom Tancredo - it angered them. There has been talk in some circles of Thomas Jefferson and Richard the Lion-Heart, to stand up for the First Amendment, for freedom of the press, for freedom of expression. Scary. That is not on the OIC want list. Read more ...

Source: Islam Watch

Calgary Muslim's home torched

By Nadia Moharib

Several Muslims say their lives are at risk because they dared speak out in what has become an ongoing dispute in their community.

Yesterday, one of the people claiming to be victims of ongoing violent attacks, Dr. Iftikhar Ahmed, watched in horror as a car pulled up outside his Panatella Blvd. N.W. home and a man armed with a jerrycan and booze bottle got out, scaled the fence and set his home ablaze as seven children and three other adults slept.

Hours earlier, Ahmed had called 911 after two threatening men came to the door. Read more ...

Source: Calgary Sun
Jihad Watch

Saudi Arabian Human Rights Commission to Complain About Human Rights Violations

"A Criminal Complaint Might Be in Order"

Muslim women cry foul

"Three Muslim women in Canada have filed a human rights complaint against Syed Soharwardy, the Alberta-based imam who brought publisher Ezra Levant before the Alberta Human Rights Commission after Mr. Levant's magazine republished the Danish Muhammad cartoons."

[snip]

"Although Mr. Levant is sympathetic to the women, he does not support their complaint.

"I'm opposed to anyone being subject to the arbitrary rules and procedures of [Canada's] human rights commissions," he said, though he added that a criminal complaint might be in order."

Go for it!!

Canada: Freedom of Speech succumbing to Kangaroo Courts of the Human Rights Commission

Continuing Louise's An Important Message Worth Repeating.
Source: www.EzraLevant.com [1] [2] [3]
H/T: Louise

Proceedings against Ezra Levant are nothing short of ridiculous, but let's consider the implications for moderate Muslims. This "investigation" will further divide Muslims and non-Muslims in Canada. It will give credence to radicals' claims that the West is at war with Islam. It will antagonize non-Muslims and radicalize moderate Muslims. Regardless of the outcome, once again Islamists skillfully manipulated Dhimmi justice system and came out as clear winners. Thank you, Human Right Commission!

Alberta Human Right Commission
Latest recipient of The Dhimmi Award

Sign Free Dominion Against the HRCs Petition

Muslims Against Sharia are proud to be the first Muslim group to publicly support Ezra Levant and denounce HRC inquisition.

An Important Message Worth Repeating

Speaking of Dr. Ehernfeld's message (below) and of lawsuits, Canadian Ezra Levant gave a powerful opening statement before the Alberta Human Rights Commission on Friday.

Levant is being brought before the tribunal for the sin of exercising his right to freedom of expression by reproducing the Mohammed cartoons published by the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten a couple of years ago. Godspeed to him. I don't often agree with Levant. In fact I find him to be more than mildly annoying, but if Canada cannot uphold his freedom from this kind of frightening persecution and denial of such a precious and necessary right, then I have to believe that they are also after me and any and every other Canadian citizen. There is nothing stopping them. And that's the point. The state should defend its people against this sort of persecution. Not the other way around. WAKE. UP. CANADA.

Read it here.
More commentary here.