Posted on 06/27/2008 12:38:52 PM PDT by mojito
The Canadian Human Rights Commission has dismissed a hate speech complaint against Maclean's magazine.
Brought by Mohamed Elmasry, national president of the Canadian Islamic Congress, the complaint was the centrepiece of a three-pronged offense against what he sees as Islamophobia in the national newsweekly, with columnists Mark Steyn and Barbara Amiel the main offenders.
An identical complaint, brought with the help of three Muslim law students who became the public faces of the complaint, was rejected in Ontario on jurisdictional grounds. The third was heard this month by a British Columbia tribunal, which is now deliberating.
Announcing the decision (the CHRC does not publicize dismissals of complaints), Maclean's said in a statement that it "is in keeping with our long-standing position that the article in question, "The Future Belongs to Islam," an excerpt from Mark Steyn's best-selling book America Alone, was a worthy piece of commentary on important geopolitical issues, entirely within the bounds of normal journalistic practice."
"Though gratified by the decision, Maclean's continues to assert that no human rights commission, whether at the federal or provincial level, has the mandate or the expertise to monitor, inquire into, or assess the editorial decisions of the nation's media. And we continue to have grave concerns about a system of complaint and adjudication that allows a media outlet to be pursued in multiple jurisdictions on the same complaint, brought by the same complainants, subjecting it to costs of hundreds of thousands of dollars, to say nothing of the inconvenience. We enthusiastically support those parliamentarians who are calling for legislative review of the commissions with regard to speech issues."
Specifically at issue was Maclean's publication of the article on its Web site. The federal human rights commission is the only such body that properly deals with hate spread via the internet, although there have been some apparent exceptions, such as a recent order of the Alberta Human Rights and Citizenship Commission that a pastor refrain from "disparaging" comments about homosexuals in his internet postings and private emails.
The ruling means the CHRC does not believe there is evidence to support a complaint that the Steyn article was "likely to expose" Muslims to hatred or contempt.
IIRC, this makes Steyn and Amiel the only people brought before the CHRC to ever not be found guilty.
We’ll break out the bubbly (Sparkling Apple Cider) and pork products tonight! Congratulations to the defenders of free speech & truth! Cheers for Mark Steyn!
bump!
Apparently, you’ve got to hire a lawyer and go to court in order to exercise your right of “free” speech in Canada.
Please see my tagline.
The third was heard this month by a British Columbia tribunal, which is now deliberating.
Heather's not done with him yet.
They(the commission)couldn’t take the heat could they? I think Mark is the only one that ever beat these idiots and he is probably the most famous also.
Time for a countersuit, Mark.
I don't know anything about Canadian law -- do MacLean's and Steyn have any process where they can sue CHRC for defamation, wrongful prosecution, etc.? Or at least sue to recover their costs?
/mark for later
It is, after all, Canada's Parliament that is the cause of all this nonsense.
The Government in Canada is now telling people what they and cannot say in private communication. Not since the heyday of Communism has the state interjected itself is such a way.
How very, very sad for Canada and Canadians.
Good news!!
Steyn won’t be beheaded then? Bravo!
So Free Speech won (this time.)
What happens when the body reverses itself next time?
The big thing is that they forced the defendants to spend time and money having to deal with this kangaroo court. Win or lose, they will make you pay for your Political Incorrectness
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