CAFE SUBMISSION TO PARLIAMENTARY COALITION TO COMBAT ANTI-SEMITISM

Written by Paul Fromm

Sunday, 30 August 2009 22:37

* Canadian Association for Free Expression Inc. P.O. Box 332, Rexdale, ON., M9W 5L3 PH: 905-274-3868; FAX: 905-278-2413 * *Submission to The Canadian Parliamentary Coalition to Combat Antisemitism 440-C Centre Block, House of Commons, Ottawa, ON K1A 0A6 Phone: 613-947-2277 Fax: 613-947-2278 Email: [email protected]\ * *[This is an executive summary of our position. We have not included footnotes and documentation, which would be included in a more formal submission. This is the thrust of the remarks we would present should we be called to appear at the hearings the Coalition proposes to hold later this year.] * *Disband * There are many problems confronting Canadians today. “Anti-Semitism” isn’t one of them. The raison d’etre of the Parliamentary Coalition to Combat Antisemitism reads, in part: “The extent and severity of antisemitism is widely regarded as at its worst level since the end of the Second World War.” This is factually false, fearmongering and absolutely ludicrous. Consider: * Jews constitute a little over one per cent of Canada’s population, yet, comprise fully one third (3 of the nine Justices) of the Supreme Court of Canada. The by The Jewish People Policy Planning Institute (JPPPI) states that, in 2005, the Jewish POPULATION OF Canada was 372,000. * Jews are well regarded on both wings of the political spectrum. “Rightwing” Stephen Harper recently announced nine new appointments to the Senate. Of these, two Linda Frum Sokokowski and Judith Seidman are Jewish. Again, while Jews comprise a trifle over one per cent of the population, they gained 22 per cent of the new Senate appointees. *The stridently pro-Israel Asper family controls Canada’s largest media giant, CanWest Global, with chains of major daily newspapers (from the Victoria Times-Colonist, Vancouver Sun, Vancouver Province, Calgary Herald, Edmonton Journal, National Post, Ottawa Citizen, Montreal Gazette, etc.) community weeklies, and, of course, the Global Television Network. Given the prominence of Jews, as well, in editorial and journalist positions in other media, it is safe to say that Jewish media influence is way out of proportion to their numbers. * In business, the professions and academe, Jews in Canada are represented out of all proportion to their share of the population. * As reported by StatsCan, the 2001 census revealed that Jews were Canada’s wealthiest ethnic or religious group. * While representing a tiny minority, Jews are widely welcomed into leadership positions. The largely non-Jewish NDP was led by David Lewis federally; later, his son Stephen Lewis led the provincial NDP in Ontario. Over the years, non-Jewish ridings have returned Jewish politicians, like Liberal Herb Gray. None of these facts, we hasten to add, implies misdeeds on the part of Jews, but their prominence and success certainly give the lie to cries of anti-Semitism unparalleled since World War II. Does the Coalition seriously believe there are pogroms under way or extermination facilities or in place in Canada? The very suggestion is offensive. Canadians are tolerant and accepting. Jews have earned a privileged and comfortable place in Canadian society. There are no barriers to their progress financially or socially or politically. The creation of this Coalition with its “crisis” language is insulting to Canadians. Yearly, the League for Human Rights of B’nai Brith publishes its Audit of Anti-Semitic Incidents. Predictably, each year, the situation is worse, “anti-Semitic” incidents are up; maybe, there’s a spike this year in Quebec; maybe, it’s in Alberta. This Audit is a crude, propagandistic concoction of highly subjective reports. B’nai Brith even runs a hotline to stir up business. It turns out that the vast majority of these “incidents” are occurrences of “hate literature” – so identified by a complainant – or instances of grafitti. Almost none of these incidents results in a criminal charge or conviction or, thus, even the most rudimentary form of verification. Indeed, Bernie Farber, now CEO of the rival Canadian Jewish Congress, commented some years ago, that a spike in “anti-Semitic” incidents might well be explained by the fact that the local critic now had enough money for two reams of paper this year, instead of one, and had handed out 1,000 flyers, instead of 500. Interestingly, the few serious incidents -- the firebombing of a Jewish school in Montreal and the arson at an Edmonton synagogue -- actually proved to be immigration control issues. Perpetrators in both these incidents sought to bring the quarrel from the Middle East (as do many Zionist Jews) to Canadian soil. As there is virtually no crisis of anti-Semitism, we urge that this Coalition disband as there is no useful work for them to do. Inter Group Conflict Having said that Canadians are extremely tolerant and accepting of minorities, especially Jews, there are nonetheless some points of inter group tension in Canada. 1, First, is the correct perception that organized Jewish groups like the Canadian Jewish Congress, the League for Human Rights of B'nai Brith and the Friends of the Simon Weisenthal Centre actively lobby to restrict free speech in Canada. [It must be noted that many individual Jews, like Ezra Levant and journalist George Jonas are outspoken opponents of such censorship.] Going back to the 1930s, the Canadian Jewish Congress persistently lobbied for restrictions on free speech, which eventually saw the light of day in Canadian law as Sec. 319 of the Criminal Code, the so-called "hate law." Groups like the Canadian Jewish Congress, the League for Human Rights of B'nai Brith and the Friends of the Simon Wiesenthal Centre, remain outspoken defenders of the widely discredited Sec. 13 of the Canadian Human Rights Act, the Internet censorship provisions where truth is no defence, intent is no defence and the threshold is so low that merely criticizing privileged minorities can get the poster into trouble. All three groups intervened in favour of censorship in Ricihard Warman v Marc Lemire, a case wherein Mr. Lemire launched a constitutional challenge against Sec. 13. Currently, the League for Human Rights of B'nai Brith and their Victoria operative Harry Abrams have launched a Canadian Human Rights Commission Sec. 13 complaint against Quesnel, BC journalist Arthur Topham and his radicalpress.com. This complaint seeks to make criticism of Israeli policies a discriminatory offence. Recommendation: It's unhealthy for a group, especially a minority, to be seen trying to take away rights from other people. Organized Jewish groups should adopt a more libertarian approach to free speech and not be seen to be trying to silence critics. 2. Second, perhaps the major factor in intergroup conflict involving Jews is the pernicious and ongoing conflict in the Middle East. There are really two irreconcilable positions. One, is the Zionist position, apparently endorsed by this Coalition. This position holds that large numbers of Jewish foreigners, some claiming a distant ancestral attachment to Palestine, were justified in the 20th century to occupy the land of others; namely, Palestinians, Christian and Moslem. The land of many of these people was seized and they were expelled, many to live for decades in wretched refugee camps. When some of these Palestinians armed and used guerilla warfare tactics (as the Zionists had used in the 1940s) to regain their homeland, they were denounced as terrorists. It is hard to explain to Palestinians why they should have to sacrifice their homeland to outsiders and be second class citizens, if citizens at all, in the land of their birth,. In the Zionist view, Jews have a right to their homeland in Palestine, Palestinians should meekly accept their dispossession, and neighbouring Arab nations should live in peace with the State of Israel. There are, of course, many shades of Zionist and anti-Zionist opinion. The Middle East is a snakepit or irreconcilable differences that would test the wisdom of Solomon. Recommendation: The Coalition cites tensions among Zionist Jews and anti-Zionists, especially on university campuses in Canada. Here, we urge a Canada First approach. The Middle East is not Canada's problem. Both factions, the Zionists and the anti-Zionists, should be encouraged to leave their quarrels in the old country. They are in Canada now and should be loyal to Canada. Politicians, especially, should not pander to either faction, but should pursue a strict Canada First policy of neutrality: trade with all; aid to none. Finally, we urge the Coalition to disband as the "problem" it seeks to solve is wildly overblown and the formation of such a Coalition, with much media fanfare, is provocative and offensive. -- *Paul Fromm, Director* *[Founded in 1981, the Canadian Association for Free Expression is a non-profit educational organization incorporated in the Province of Ontario. CAFE seeks the maximum application of the Charter guarantees of freedom of speech and expression. These are not merely Charter rights of permissions but fundamental human rights, essential to adults in a democracy. CAFE publishes the Free Speech Monitor and regularly intervenes in human rights tribunals on behalf of the victims of censorship*.]

 

POLITICAL PRISONER TERRY TREMAINE, OUT OF JAIL, BUT TOTALLY GAGGED

Written by Paul Fromm

Sunday, 30 August 2009 07:53

*Political Prisoner Terry Tremaine, Out of Jail, but Totally Gagged* ** *REGINA. Poltical prisoner Terry Tremaine was granted bail, Friday, August 28, here, but is now hobbled with restrictions more in keeping with tyrannies like Burma or Red China. Arrested August 6 for "breach of undertaking" (breach of bail conditions), Mr. Tremaine, a former lecturer of math and computer science at the the University of Saskatchewan, had spent 15 days in jail for posting his defence on the Internet. * ** *Mr. Tremaine's alleged offence was posting on the Internet on Stormfront, July 22, the statement of defence he planned to deliver to a contempt of court hearing in Federal Court the next day. Attending court, July 23, Mr. Tremaine and CAFE's Director Paul Fromm learned that the hearing, at the request of the Crown, had been adjourned sine die; that is, indefinitely.* ** *It took nearly 10 days for Mr. Tremaine's lawyer Gene Jacobson to obtain the transcripts of Mr. Tremaine's several bail hearings before the Court of Queen's Bench -- incredible when the court is only a few blocks away.* ** *On August 27, the Crown argued strenuously for continued incarceration of political prisoner Terry Tremaine. The judge reserved his decision.* ** *When the hearing resumed on Friday, the judge said: "It is not my role to judge Mr. Tremaine's political views. The two questions before me are: is he likely to appear for his trial and is he likely to reoffend?"* ** *The judge noted that the 61 year old scholar had no criminal record, and was, therfore, likely to show up for his trial,* ** *The Crown charged that Mr. Tremaine was "cavalier" in his attitude to his previous bail conditions.* ** *The judge seemd to take Mr. Tremaine's side: He noted that Mr. Tremaine "had made the effort to go to the Court of Queen's Bench to seek an amendment to his bail conditions and had, thus, acted responsibly."* ** *He went on to note that "multiple amendmentds had created an ambiguity in Mr. Tremaine's bail conditions" -- he been permitted to use the Internet for his defence in his case. That was the reason, said the judge, that the Crown had now charged Mr. Tremaine again.* ** *So, to remove any ambiguity, the judge decided to shackle Mr. Tremaine entirely. He is not to possess a computer, or use one or access the Internet in a library or Internet CAFE.* ** *These conditions will hobble Mr. Tremaine's preparation for his preliminary hearing in October on "hate law" (Sec. 319) charges about his Internet postings. The charge followed a complaint by arch complainer Richard Warman, whose compalints also led to Sec. 13 of the Canadian Human Rights Act charges against Mr. Tremaine and to the loss of his job at the University of Saskatchewan.* ** * "Mr. Tremaine is almost condemned to unemployment as many jobs are advertised online and applications received online," Paul Fromm of the Canadian Association exploded, when informed of the Court's Soviet gag order.* ** *Douglas H. Christie, Mr. Tremaine's lawyer in the upcoming (0ctober 19-21) preliminary hearing, fumed: "The system says: 'You're free, but you're not allowed to breathe.'"* ** Mr. Tremaine is unemployed and penniless. He needs your support for his defence fund to fight the hate law charges this fall. You can send cheque, money order or cash to: *CAFE,* *Box 332,* *Rexdale, ON., M9W 5L3,* *CANADA.* You can also send money by e-mailing your VISA number and expiry date. Terry is a remarkable man putting up an amazing fight.

 

I BLAME MY WIFE

Written by Paul Fromm

Saturday, 29 August 2009 09:23

*CRIME WATCH* *I Blame My Wife* In most cases, when a grow-op farmer is busted, he claims that he was "tricked," or "didn't understand" what he was getting into. A few have taken the measure of Canada and know which levers to pull: "A Chinese immigrant got involved in one of* Waterloo Region'*s largest marijuana grow operations because he needed money to bring his wife to Canada, a court heard yesterday. *Dejian Li*, 55, pleaded guilty to possessing marijuana for the purpose of trafficking and was sentenced to the equivalent of 18 months in jail. He has 12 months left to serve after getting credit for time he spent in pre-trial custody. Li is the fourth of five people to be convicted on charges related to the seizure of $1 million of marijuana from a Pine Valley Drive bungalow in Kitchener's Doon area last September. Police carried out 1,074 marijuana plants in a raid on Sept. 11. They'd been watching the house at 366 Pine Valley Dr. for several weeks because of tips from the community and other investigations. That day, they saw Li pull out of the garage in his van with two other people. Police followed as the trio headed to Toronto and pulled into the parking lot of a Chinese restaurant. Two other vehicles drove up beside them. Li and another man took two cardboard boxes from the van and carried them to one of the other cars. The boxes held 10.7 kilograms of marijuana. The second driver then handed a package containing $24,000 in cash to the driver of the third car. As police moved in, one of the drivers sped off. He drove in circles around the parking lot and hit an officer [other reports suggest the driver was deliberately bearing down on police.] Police fired five shots before his van finally hit an abutment and came to a stop. They seized more marijuana from the car driven by *Vincent Fung*, court heard. He is the only person left to deal with his charges. Li came to Canada from China in 2001, said his lawyer, *James Jordan*. He was a refugee claimant who ultimately got permanent resident status. He wanted to sponsor his wife to come to Canada. He was working two jobs to earn money, Jordan said. [But hard work just wasn't Mr. Li's cup of tea.] The conviction will likely affect his status in this country, the lawyer said. 'This was an extremely significant grow-op,'' said Justice *Michael* *Epstein*. Li faces more legal proceedings in the fall. *Prosecutor Kathleen Nolan* will ask a Superior Court judge to order Li and his surety to forfeit $100,000 each man pledged when Li was released on bail. Li was basically under house arrest and couldn't go out unless he was with his surety. He breached the court order by being out alone in Markham. He pleaded guilty to the charge. Nolan wants him to give up the $100,000 he pledged as a guarantee he would obey his bail terms. 'They pledged it. They filled out an affidavit that they have it,' Nolan said yesterday." (* Kitchener** Waterloo Record*, July 14, 2009) Less than three weeks later, Li was pulled over. So, far from being just another hard working immigrant holding down two jobs to bring wifey over, this rather impenetrable "news" story suggests that farmer Li was already in trouble and out on bail on some earlier offence. Nor does it explain how Li, who cannot afford to bring the wife over, can pony up a $100,000 surety. Li's cronies were, *Weisheng Lu*, 51, *Vincent Fung*, 53, *Qunzhu He*, 50 and *Tuan Ky Quach*, 38. "Neighbours said a man bought the home about a year and a half [before the raid.] ''He immediately put up a fence,' *Peter Mazza* said. 'Right away, they painted the windows on the garage so you couldn't see in.' [They] dug down through the garage floor and the foundation and altered the path from the hydro meter out of sight of neighbours, said *Staff Sgt. Scott Buchanan* of the drug unit. ... 'That represents significant value in the whole scheme of the operation,' Buchanan said. 'It's just not about marijuana any more. That type of operation is very consistent and connected to an organized criminal activity.'" (* Kitchener** Waterloo Record*, September 13, 2008) And the judge, in his infinite wisdom, imposes a sentence of less than two years -- meaning this accomplished lowlife cannot be deported upon release. *[This article appears in the August, 2009 issue of the CANADIAN IMMIGRATION HOTLINE. Published monthly, the CANADIAN IMMIGRATION HOTLINE is available by subscription for $30 per year. You can subscribe by sending a cheque or VISA number and expiry date to CANADIAN IMMIGRATION HOTLINE, P.O. Box 332, Rexdale, ON., M9W 5L3.]*