Posted on 02/15/2008 5:14:03 AM PST by Rb ver. 2.0
SYED SOHARWARDY
Special to Globe and Mail Update
February 15, 2008 at 12:50 AM EST
Recognize my name? Lately, Ezra Levant of the now-defunct Western Standard has been doing his best to demonize me in interviews and blogs.
Mr. Levant probably had never heard of me until I filed a complaint with the Alberta Human Rights Commission against his decision to reprint the Danish cartoons that sparked a wave of violent and destructive protests across Europe and the Muslim world in 2005.
The reprinting of the cartoons wasn’t about free speech. The originals are readily available on the Internet for any who wish to see them. The reprinting seem aimed more at forcing people who are deeply unhappy about the cartoons, and who would not seek them out, to be faced with them again. This is hurtful to many in the Muslim community, and can create ill-will between Muslims and non-Muslims. (Interestingly, other Canadian magazines and newspapers, including The Globe and Mail, came to the same conclusion.) I therefore filed a complaint with the Alberta Human Rights and Citizenship Commission. I worried that pointless re-publication of the Danish cartoons could alienate the young people of my community, when in fact I would prefer to see them move into the mainstream of Canadian society.
Having no previous experience with any human rights commission, I was unaware of the ongoing debate about whether such commissions should have narrower or broader mandates, or of the doubts many Canadians have about whether such commissions are the right venue in which to argue questions about hate speech.
Subsequent discussions with several Muslim leaders, and more particularly with some of my Christian and Jewish friends, have led me to conclude that my complaint was beyond what I now believe should be the mandate of such a commission. I now am of the view that this matter should have been handled in the court of public opinion.
Consequently, I am withdrawing my complaint with the Alberta Human Rights Commission against Mr. Levant’s right to publish the offensive and hateful drawings.
I believe his decision was irresponsible and was intended to cause strife, but I now appreciate that it may not fall outside the limits of free speech.
Perhaps our elected leaders should, indeed, legislate a narrower role for human rights commissions, but the campaign by Mr. Levant and others to have such commissions abolished is going too far. These commissions play an important role in protecting the most vulnerable in our society by countering discrimination in important areas such as housing, employment, and government services.
In his writings, Mr. Levant has characterized me as many things. Let me set the record straight.
When I left Pakistan long ago, several Western countries offered to accept me and my wife as immigrants. We chose Canada as the best place in the world to live, work and raise a family, irrespective of skin colour. We still believe that. We are proud Canadians, and share Canadian values, as do our two accomplished teenagers. I hold two masters degrees in engineering, one American the other Canadian. My work has included university teaching and management of major IT projects. Outside of work, I volunteer my time trying to develop greater understanding and better relationships between Muslims and people of other faiths, particularly Christians and Jews. I enjoy excellent relationships with numerous Jewish leaders: In my mosque in Calgary we have studied Jewish festivals, and invite Jewish experts to speak to us.
So if anyone is looking for anti-Semitism, you won’t find it in my mosque.
The history of anti-Semitism in Alberta is non-trivial, and it didn’t come from newcomers like me, who abhor it. In fact, I’m pretty mainstream and heavily into interfaith dialogue.
Which leads me to an offer to Ezra Levant: We clearly disagree about the cartoons; but I’m willing to sit down with you and discuss it.
And if you really believe the central issue is that human rights commissions have over-broad mandates, then that is an issue on which we may now be able to converge.
Syed Soharwardy is founder of the Calgary-based Islamic Supreme Council of Canada, and founder of Muslims Against Terrorism.
Levant spent thousands of his own money and time defending himself. His demand that his hearing before the Canadian Human Rights Commission be videotaped produced these outstanding videos of the investigator being handed her backside during the interrorgation. 2nd video is the best, IMO.
Levant's opinion on Soharwardy's claim of withdrawl of the complaint:
http://ezralevant.com/2008/02/syed-soharwardy-wants-a-hudna.html
Translation: Wait until Muslims are the majority of the population, then you can start the beheadings.
It is permitted to lie to the Infidel.
That would be a good way to chastise Soharwarty for his admitted abuse of a legal process . . . and maybe he can even nail the Human Rights Commission for participating in this farce.
And recoup some of the money he's spent defending himself against this frivolous complaint.
One of the happiest moments of my legal career was when a federal court awarded my client $11,000 in Rule 11 penalties -- all my legal fees -- for a worthless lawsuit brought by a greedy plaintiffs' lawyer. The greedy plaintiffs' lawyer is still a greedy plaintiffs' lawyer, but at least once he was called to account for his greed and dishonesty. (And I got to do the Scalp Dance down the hall in the office brandishing the court's order over my head.)
The second video is one of the best defenses of free speech I have heard. Bravo to Ezra Levant for standing up to bureaucrat and defending his inalienable right to free speech and free thought.
Good for you!
“For two years, this corrupt, radical imam has hunted me using the resources of the taxpayers of Alberta for the “thought crime” of publishing a cartoon he didn’t like. I had a preliminary discussion with my lawyer today. My aim is to file an abuse of process claim in the Court of Queen’s Bench within the month. Whether or not I sue the commission itself, and its inquisitor Shirlene McGovern, is something I haven’t discussed yet with my lawyers.
When the chief complainant in a two-year censorship exercise admits the whole thing was improper, an abuse of process suit is not just about recouping my losses. It’s about holding a little fascist, and the government agency he hijacked, to account, and having grown-ups — that is, real judges in real courts — tell them that what they’ve been doing is morally and legally wrong.”
Levant didn’t knuckle under like I expected him to, Canada won’t allow me to cut off his head, and the case has generated a bunch of bad publicity, so it’s hudna time.
That should be made into a sticker, sold on a roll, and distributed everywhere - like airports (footbaths, etc) and universities.
It is acceptable in Islam to lie about your religion, if you are in a weakened position. Wait until you are strong, then kill the infidel.
ping.
ping
L
Hope Ezra sues the mofos ass, and the so called human rights commission .
I hope Joey Vento does the same. And that his lawyers get to do the "scalp dance." (Best mental image on FR all week, except one of the signs at Berkeley.)
The weasel still doesn't get it.
I now am of the view that this matter should have been handled in the court of public opinion.
It has been - clearly you've lost - and Ezra Levant has become a hero of Western Civilization on a par with - I dunno - Patrick Henry? Thomas Paine? John Stuart Mill?
In his writings, Mr. Levant has characterized me as many things. Let me set the record straight.
Note to self: I don't see where he has directly addressed, let alone refuted, any of the specific allegations that Levant made about him. Probably because Levant's allegations were all true...
Just a typical Friday down at the law firm . . . .
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