Canada: Professor who said Israelis over 18 are legitimate targets for terror will not be punished

Maariv News Ticker ^ | 11/17/2004 | AP

[yonif]

Translation from Hebrew to English by me

Mohamed El-Masry, a professor at a Canadian university and the president of the Canadian Islamic Congress will not be punished for his words against Israel, the university has said.

El-Masry said during a TV program that every Israeli over the age of 18 is a legitimate target for terror.

Prof and president of Islamic congress won't be disciplined: university

http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Canada/2004/11/17/718908-cp.html

WATERLOO, Ont. (CP) - A University of Waterloo professor who is also the president of the Canadian Islamic Congress won't be disciplined for controversial comments he made about Israelis, the university announced Wednesday.

Mohamed Elmasry was a panellist on Ontario current affairs program Michael Coren Live last month when he said any Israeli over the age of 18 could be attacked because they are all members of the country's army.

The university released a statement Wednesday announcing the results of its investigation into Elmasry's comments.

"Although the statements made are indeed abhorrent and unacceptable, I have taken into account the contents of the apology and retraction and your long years of distinguished service as a faculty member at this university as well as your assurance that there will be no repetition of any such statements in the future," dean of science George Dixon said.

Elmasry, who is a professor of computer engineering, wrote an apology letter to Dixon retracting his comments, calling them "totally unacceptable."

"The statements were an aberration," Elmasry wrote. "It has always been a core belief of mine that killing civilians - any civilians for any cause - is an immoral act."

Officials with B'nai Brith Canada said in a statement that the university's decision to not discipline Elmasry is "unacceptable."

"Surely, Israeli students cannot feel comforted in knowing that a professor considers them to be fair game - 'legitimate' targets for murder," said executive vice-president Frank Dimant.

"(The university) has effectively alienated its students, which clearly cannot look to Elmasry - as they can to other professors - to teach by moral example."

Elmasry has already apologized publicly for his comments. He also offered to step down as president of the Islamic congress, but its board of directors refused to accept his resignation.

Despite Elmasry's remorse over the incident, Halton regional police have launched an investigation into his televised comments as a possible hate crime.

[ken21]

doesn't that violate canadian speech laws?

[American in Israel]

So perhaps someone should put a bullet through this guy. After all, he is over 18 and has picked a side in a war. Would they be punished?

Why?

[monkeyshine]

What about people who moved to Israel when they were old? They are not part of the army.

[intolerancewillNOTbetolerated]

"Which, using the logic of mathmatics, roughly translated means, that any Muslim over 18, anywhere, is also elligible for attack, including him."

It seems that by that logic all Muslims of any age are eligible for attack, since their religion teaches that all Muslims are bound together by the hateful heresy they call Islam.

[sport]

Did you expect him to be?

[sarah_f]

Canada supports terrorism. Clear as a bell.

They sure support muslim terrorism.

Muslim terrorists at the universities operate with impunity in particular. They have their middle finger in the air and know the "hate crimes" laws better than the police.

As an identifiable by observation 'minority' they are automatically victims, regardless of facts.

Add in the ideologically sympathetic fascist government and courts and the picture is complete.

al-Qanada is a muslim terrorist breeding ground.

[RockAgainsttheLeft04]

"So perhaps someone should put a bullet through this guy"


We can only hope so, but the price of a bullet in socialist Canada might just be too much money to waste on such a vile piece of anti-Semetic filth. Canada is so lost they couldn't find their way back to sanity with a metal detector and an On-Star system.

[MeekOneGOP]

bump for later!

[badbass]

It isn't hard to tell which way the wind is blowing in Canada, is it?

Isn't that spelled "Qanada" now?

[MeekOneGOP]

bump!

[EdReform]

Prophet of Doom - Islam’s Terrorist Dogma, In Muhammad’s Own Words

Islam is a caustic blend of regurgitated paganism and twisted Bible stories.
Muhammad, its lone prophet, conceived his religion solely to satiate his lust for power, sex, and money.
He was a terrorist.

And if you think these conclusions are shocking, wait until you see the evidence at www.prophetofdoom.net.

[EdReform]

Bimp!

[Polybius]

El-Masry said during a TV program that every Israeli over the age of 18 is a legitimate target for terror.

Does that make him a legitimate target for the Mossad?

[keat]

Israel took this position when civilians were being kidnapped and held hostage. They took the position not to negotiate with hostages and instead said they would treat any kidnapped person as though they were a member of the military. (And in fact all citizens do take military training and up to some age can be recalled, so this is not at issue.)

I have no reason to believe this is true. You think Israel considers an 80 year old woman or an 8 year old boy a member of the Military? The U.S. also does not (officially) negotiate for the release of hostages but we don't feel it necessary to classify them as combatants to do so.

As far as killing them being moral, how do you feel about Israel killing all their enemies, do you care if they are armed? Or may they be killed on the street?

I am fine with Israel killing their enemies - armed, unarmed, in the street or in their homes. It is the moral thing to do. Of course, I classify their enemies as radical, Islamic terrorists not freedom fighters or oppressed Palestinians as they do in the NYT and on CNN. Fact is, Israel kills very, very few innocents.

I believe that in war, both sides are moral in attacking and killing the uniformed enemy. In a very real sense, those armed members of the IDF are moral targets. I would say killing adult Israelis at a bar mitzfa, restaurant, or on a bus is immoral, regardless of their military status, they are not uniformed and armed, and are not "on duty".

Check your premise. Israel is in no way at war. They are defending their sovereign country against radical Islamic terrorists. There is no moral equivalence between an IDF soldier and a suicide bomber.

[KC_for_Freedom]

Ya know, you got everything I posted wrong. I agree with you wholeheartedly but you seem to want to change the terminology of everything I wrote. I don't see any benefit in this. I repeat, Israel has issued a position that everyone is in the military. (It was not meant to be taken to the extreme, everyone is not receiving military pay for example.) I was writing in favor of Israel killing all their enemies. Had I been in charge, we would have unleashed the dogs of war long ago. And as for Israel being in a state of war, so is the United States, and don't mince words that refer to documents issued by the legislature and such. We are engaged. That is enough to be in a state of war. (You are right that it is not a war started by Israel or the US, but we are free to use the offensive and do not need to wait any longer for the enemy to open fire first.)

I also believe that the level of morality in this war has been set very low by the use of suicide bombers and terrorism. Israel and the United States are (as far as I am concerned) released from accepted war conventions when fighting this particular enemy.

[keat]

Dang, and I thought we were in for a good brawl. Thanks for the post and God Bless America.

[XBob]

44 - "Which, using the logic of mathmatics, roughly translated means, that any Muslim over 18, anywhere, is also elligible for attack, including him."
It seems that by that logic all Muslims of any age are eligible for attack, since their religion teaches that all Muslims are bound together by the hateful heresy they call Islam."

I don't disagree, however, he limited the 'set' to people over 18, so I did likewise.

However, considering they (the muslims) also kill women and children of non-muslims indiscriminately, they should be likewise targeted.

[O.C. - Old Cracker]

Your link to canoe does not work.

[yonif]

Sorry about that. Worked when I posted. Here is the same article on another site: http://canadaeast.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20041117/CPN/36432024