But we were getting along so well!

MCLEANS Online ^ | 06.05.08 | The one and only Mark Steyn

[knews_hound]

The charge levelled against Maclean's by the Canadian Islamic Congress is that, in publishing an excerpt from my book, this magazine exposed Muslims to "hatred and contempt." Alas, at the first day of the Great Maclean's Show Trial at the British Columbia "Human Rights" Tribunal, the well of my book excerpt's "hatred and contempt" pretty well ran dry in the first hour. So Faisal Joseph, counsel for the plaintiff Mohamed Elmasry, was forced to bus in a huge pile of miscellaneous generic "hatred and contempt" from all kinds of other sources. And even then much of it seemed less like "hatred and contempt" than "mild offhandedness and the occasional droll titter." A lot of it was from me, of course. Mr. Joseph started with my article, but quickly moved on to my book, my columns, my sitcom review, my lame jokes, and no doubt (by the time you read this) my casual asides while muttering to myself on top of Mount Logan during a windstorm. At the end of the first day, m'learned friend was complaining that I had been rude to the three Osgoode Hall law students who've been fronting for the strangely shy and retiring Dr. Elmasry these last six months. Not rude to them in the article in this space that triggered the complaint. No, apparently I was rude to them at TVOntario last month. Not rude to them on-air (although it was a somewhat raucous show), but rude to them off-camera. Geez, these days I don't seem to be able to step out of the house without committing a hate crime.

[knews_hound]

Pinging the Mark Steyn Ping List.



Steyn Mocks the kangaroo court and its defendants.

FreeRepublic is now being brought into it as quotes from FReepers are being used as evidence that Steyn has incited hatred for Islam.

Related FR Thread here http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2026587/posts

Liveblogging of the Kangaroos in action is here  http://blog.macleans.ca/2008/06/05/liveblogging-the-macleans-trial-iv-habib-and-habib-not/

Be sure to read the sock puppets in the comments section below.

On or off, FReepmail  or Ping me.

Cheers,

knewshound

knewshounds blog

[Ronin]

I got to get a copy of that book!

[FreedomPoster]

This whole piece deserves to be read, but for those who won't, this really sums it up. Emphasis added:

One thing I've learned these last few months is that it's always worse than you expect. The willingness of the B.C. troika's social engineers to trample over every basic rule of English law has embedded at the heart of Canadian justice a soft beguiling totalitarianism. I'll be the first No. 1 bestselling author and National Magazine Award-nominated columnist to be deemed unpublishable in Canada.

But I won't be the last.

[FreedomPoster]

Do you know of a good summary page on the whole affair? Most of what’s out there assumes a pretty good knowledge of the situation, gained over time. I’d like something I could get someone up to speed quickly. Does that exist?

[FreedomPoster]

Yes, yes you do.

I’m about 2/3rds through.

[RightField]

I got to get a copy of that book!

I got my copy over the weekend. Am going back to buy copies for my grown children, too! Steyn, as always, hits it out of the park!

[calex59]

FreeRepublic is now being brought into it as quotes from FReepers are being used as evidence that Steyn has incited hatred for Islam.

The only ones inviting hatred of Islam are members of Islam themselves. If you bomb, behead and generally persecute and kill people who don't join the Islamic faith then you invite people to hate you. Running two airliners into a building full of people of various ages and religious beliefs pretty much makes at least 3000 people, and probably a lot more, hate your a** big time. Imprison all the muzzie bas***** as far as I am concerned. I hate 'em and don't need Mr. Steyn to push me to it.

[Hildy]

What can ultimately happen to Steyn from this? It is so outrageous. Bridget Bardot...Mark Steyn..and we just sit and let it happen.

[knews_hound]

This is the minimalist version;

Mcleans ran excerpts from the book in the ping, America Alone.

Canada has an unusual extra legal “court” system to punish those accused of “hate speech”.

Some aggrieved, seemingly extremely thin skinned members of the Islamic faith brought charges in one of these kangaroo courts claiming that Steyn insulted them. They are claiming that Mcleans defamed Islam, hurt feelings and so on (the usual list of Muslim grievances). They were demanding a 5000 word response, not for editing to be run in Mcleans to refute Steyn.

Mcleans to their credit, told them to pound sand.

And here we are today.

Canadians it seems have no rights. Just things their government or courts “allow” them.

The entire affair is suitable for a Monty Python skit if it were not so serious.

Hope this helped.

Cheers,

knewshound

[Texas Songwriter]

Thank you Candor7 for publishing sharia law at its finest. An innocent man, convicted of nothing, being beheaded in the name of their god, allah. This is not ether or vanity speaking, it is the death of innocents and the national sanctioning of such. And we stand on the precipice of electing an arabAmerican (at least he practiced islam devotedly for 31 years until michelle made him convert for political reasons) to the highest office, the most powerful office in the world. Everything will change.

[Texas Songwriter]

Thank you Candor7 for publishing sharia law at its finest. An innocent man, convicted of nothing, being beheaded in the name of their god, allah. This is not ether or vanity speaking, it is the death of innocents and the national sanctioning of such. And we stand on the precipice of electing an arabAmerican (at least he practiced islam devotedly for 31 years until michelle made him convert for political reasons) to the highest office, the most powerful office in the world. Everything will change.

[FreedomPoster]

Don’t forget Oriana Fallaci in that list. Though of course she has now died of cancer, she was prosecuted in Italy for saying unkind things about Muslims.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oriana_Fallaci#Controversy

[FreedomPoster]

It does, thanks.

Hmmmm. Maybe I should start with that, and do an expanded version with links.

[knews_hound]

Steyn himself is not the defendant, Mcleans is.

I will give you two guesses which has the deeper pockets for the inevitable guilty verdict and damages to be paid to relieve the "suffering" that these poor put upon Muslims had to endure.

/sarcasm

As is typical in these matters, it all comes down to a payout to these thin skinned members of the religion of peace.  Remember the "Flying Imans"?   

Cheers,

knewshound

[knews_hound]

Steyn has documented most of this at steynonline.com

A good place to start IMHO.

Cheers,

knewshound

[okie01]

In addition to knews_hound's post, it's important to know that, in the Canadian Human Rights Commissions, the charges are filed by the "judge", heard by the "judge" and decided by the "judge".

There is a presumption of guilt and the "judge" is always right.

This link is on the cute side...but is an accurate portrayal of the situation.

[mylife]

I just heard Steyn talking about this with Hewitt.

How are postings of individual opinions on FR relevant to Steyn in any way?

[okie01]

FreeRepublic is now being brought into it as quotes from FReepers are being used as evidence that Steyn has incited hatred for Islam.

My recollection of the threads is that the reports incited much more hatred for the Human Rights Commissions than for Islam.