Canadian Publisher On Trial for Islam Cartoons

[BeauJangles]

I didn't see this posted anywhere. If you have any interest in free speech, I'd highly recommend at least watching the first clip.

http://littlegreenfootballs.co...ted_for_Mindcrime&only

I think his criticisms are spot-on. If Muslims do not want to be hated, then the moderates within the religion either need to shut up the extremists or actively move to separate themselves from them. The government's role is to protect citizens, to ensure their rights are unabridged, and this trial is making a mockery of everything that the United States and Canada supposedly hold sacred.

 

[yllus]

In one of the most ironic moves in the last decade, the various Human Rights Commissions in Canada now do more to silence free speech than the allegedly bigoted people that they were supposed to oversee.

Alberta's gauntlet of bias

Ironically, human rights commissions are the best examples of just how many rights we have lost. They follow none of the rules of evidence built up over centuries to assure the accused of a fair hearing. Many commissions will hear plaintiff 's testimony in secret, violating the protection of being able to confront one's accusers. Most admit hearsay and limit the right of the accused to counsel or to call his own witnesses and experts.

Whether they will admit it or not, most also employ reverse onus: Before them, the accused is presumed guilty of racism, sexism, homophobia or general insensitivity if someone from a favoured minority claims to have been offended. It is the responsibility of the accused to prove he is not.

Unlike in a defamation court, at a human rights show trial truth is no defence. What's more, the accuser will be represented by the tax-funded officers of the commission, sometimes even by government-paid lawyers, while the defendant will have to pay his own way.

[Ezra] made it clear, too, he was appearing under protest because he believes "the commission has no proper authority" to limit free speech. He refused to refer to the commission as a "human rights" commission, since "the government agency [is] violating my human rights" and destroying the intended meaning of the words "human rights."

I can only hope that the federal government takes notice of this issue soon and moves quickly to extinguish the existence of these kangaroo courts.

 

[bamacre]

I agree, but I'd also agree that Christians in the US need to do the same.

 

[jonks]

Ezra Levant's comments on his appearance/interrogation before the committee:

http://ezralevant.com/2008/01/kangaroo-court.html
Best quote:

I have read the past few years? worth of decisions from this commission, and it is clear that it has become a dump for the junk that gets rejected from the real legal system. I read one case where a male hair salon student complained that he was called a ?loser? by the girls in the class. The commission actually had a hearing about this. Another case was a kitchen manager with Hepatitis-C, who complained that it was against her rights to be fired. The commission actually agreed with her, and forced the restaurant to pay her $4,900. In other words, the commission is a joke ? it?s the Alberta equivalent of a U.S. television pseudo-court like Judge Judy ? except that Judge Judy actually was a judge, whereas none of the commission?s panellists are judges, and some aren?t even lawyers. And, unlike the commission, Judge Judy believes in freedom of speech.

 

[Moonbeam]

There is a sculpture of Mohamed with a Koran and a sword in the Supreme Court building.

 

[StageLeft]

Haha, did he just say "I think you're playing silly ah heck here" to the investigator? He's being mildly beligerant, which if what he says about this process is correct, is quite reasonable. I have always thought from day one people bend over backwards over the backlash for these cartoons. If anything, they should have been a litmus test; publish more of them and those who take to the streets round them up.

Er, wait, that's like using free speech to bait people who are excercising it. Ok, well carry on!

EDIT: I'm still watching. Despite his tone, he's quite entertaining to watch because he's incredibly well spoken and entirely correct in his stance.

 

[ElFenix]

i don't think he understands the magna charta. england had actual censors for several centuries after the magna charta.

 

[Nitemare]

Originally posted by: Moonbeam
There is a sculpture of Mohamed with a Koran and a sword in the Supreme Court building.

the model for Mohamed with an AK-47 wearing sticks of dynamite was rejected...

 

[Saint Michael]

Originally posted by: bamacre
I agree, but I'd also agree that Christians in the US need to do the same.

The thing is Christians usually lose these battles, and Muslims are winning them because they threaten violence. Even the supposedly peaceful communities that condemn the attacks when they happen are soon saying that, while they condemn the attacks, everybody should have seen them coming and avoided it by not provoking the attackers. Problem is we have rights, and we can't let terrorists or their sympathizers prevent us from exercising them. I know it has been said before, but it can't be emphasized enough.

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

Originally posted by: bamacre
I agree, but I'd also agree that Christians in the US need to do the same.

I'm all for eliminating courts that prosecute people who defame Jesus.

 

[OutHouse]

Originally posted by: bamacre
I agree, but I'd also agree that Christians in the US need to do the same.

err when did somebody get put on trial for a jesus cartoon?

 

[StageLeft]

Originally posted by: Citrix

Originally posted by: bamacre
I agree, but I'd also agree that Christians in the US need to do the same.

err when did somebody get put on trial for a jesus cartoon?

I cannot recall. I have seen movies with people who were acting as Jesus. I saw one called The Ten and a woman goes to Mexico and has sex with Jesus for several weeks (he puts off the Rapture because he's having too much fun with her). I've seen others where God is depicted, such as Evan Almighty. Having a hard time remembering any riots, though.