Posted on 06/05/2008 2:29:33 PM PDT by 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.
(Excerpt) Read more at macleans.ca ...
You are correct.
Its still a funny quip.
Yup.
Its a hilarious but scary segment.
Exactly! So just confess your crimes and promise to be a better person and, by the way, do you have a neighbor or family member you'd like to inform on? Just to show you've learned your lesson, you know.
It all sounds so familiar.
I have been following the live blogging Macleans is doing for the trial. According to their reporter on the scene they are actually hoping to lose this case. That way they can appeal it to a real court and have the whole Human Rights Commission scrapped. That would be a wonderful day for Canada.
Be still my beating heart !
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.