BEFORE WE CHEER TOO LOUDLY FOR THE "ARAB SPRING"

Written by Paul Fromm

Wednesday, 23 November 2011 03:30

*BEFORE WE CHEER TOO LOUDLY FOR THE "ARAB SPRING"* *Egypt's Arab Spring turns dark* EGYPT'S Coptic Christians are understandably terrified. And as a reality check for those who naively ignored all the warnings about Islamic extremism and insisted enlightenment and tolerance would follow the Mubarak dictatorship's downfall last February, their fate could hardly be more telling. Sadly, the question that inevitably arises is whether, as a community, the Copts will survive the overblown hype of the Arab Spring. A new report from the Egyptian Union for Human Rights Organisations show that nearly 100,000 Christians have fled in the past six months - 14,000 of them to Australia. Copts are not emigrating voluntarily, according to the human rights group. They are coerced by threats and intimidation of hardline Salafists and a lack of protection from the Egyptian regime. An estimated 250,000 members of the Coptic community, which comprise 10 per cent of Egypt's 80 million people, will have fled by year's end. And who, given the way the ruling military junta has shamefully kow-towed to the Muslim Brotherhood and ultra-extremist Salafists and failed to protect the Copts, can blame them for fleeing? Paradoxically Copts were in the vanguard of the revolution. They stood shoulder to shoulder with Muslims in Tahrir Square demanding freedom and democracy, believing there would be a place for them in the new Egypt. But before long they were targeted by the Muslim Brotherhood and Salafists given free rein by the junta. Churches have been razed and individuals brutalised. A new Christian governor in Upper Egypt was barred from his post. Muslim clerics have been referring to Copts derisively as dhimmis, inferior citizens who should pay a special tax. Cairo has seen its worst sectarian violence in modern history, with dozens of Christians killed and wounded by Islamic mobs and the army driving armoured vehicles full-tilt into Christian crowds. Stung by the outcry, the junta has now promulgated a law feebly setting a $4920 fine for discrimination on the basis of gender, origin, language, religion or beliefs. This is unlikely to assuage Coptic fears. By allowing Islamic extremism to gather such a head of steam, the feckless military council has betrayed the noble ideals that echoed across Tahrir Square. Egypt as a whole will be the ultimate loser.:(*The Australian, October 16, 2011)* * http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/opinion/egypts-arab-spring-turns-dark/story-e6frg71x-1226168019106 * October 17, 2011)

 

LEVANT: No More Witchhunts

Written by Paul Fromm

Tuesday, 22 November 2011 02:43

* LEVANT: No More Witchhunts* For 34 years, Canada has had a disgraceful censorship law that violates our human rights. In 1977, Pierre Trudeau rammed through the Canadian Human Rights Act — an Orwellian name for a law that actually destroys real rights. The entire law is a corruption of justice — it creates a kangaroo court, run by non-judges, that does not follow the same rules and procedures of real courts, but has massive powers to punish and fine people who aren’t politically correct. But the worst part of the law is Section 13, the censorship provision. Section 13 creates a word crime — the crime of publishing or broadcasting anything that can cause hurt feelings. Back in 1977, that law was focused on telephone lines and answering machines. But 10 years ago, it was expanded to include the Internet. So it even covers things like whatever you post to your Facebook page. Section 13 says “it is a discriminatory practice ... to cause to be ... communicated ... any matter that is likely to expose a person ... to hatred or contempt.” So if you publish anything on Facebook, or on your cellphone voice message, that might make one person feel bad about another, you’ve just broken the law. Truth is not a defence to being charged with “hate” under Section 13. Fair comment is not a defence. Religious belief is not a defence. Telling a joke is not a defence. The law has nothing to do with truth or the right to have an opinion. It’s about whether or not you’ve offended someone or hurt their feelings. Section 13 is an insane law. So un-Canadian, so contrary to our traditions of liberty that go back centuries, inherited from the United Kingdom. It’s no surprise that this law had a 100% conviction rate in Canada for the first three decades of its existence. This federal law was copied by provincial legislatures. B.C., Alberta and Saskatchewan all have censorship provisions, too. I found out about this the hard way. In February of 2006, I published a magazine called the Western Standard. We reported on the major news story that month — riots around the Muslim world purportedly in response to some pretty banal Danish newspaper cartoons of Mohammed. Those riots killed more than 200 people, and we wanted to show our readers what all the fuss was about. But a radical Muslim imam in Calgary named Syed Soharwardy complained to the Alberta Human Rights Commission. He said I violated his human right not to be offended. He wanted to ban the cartoons, and his hand-scrawled complaint even bitched about the fact that I dared to publicly defend my right to do so. I laughed off that little nut-bar. I mean, get a life — you’re in Canada now, not Saudi Arabia. But to my surprise, the Alberta Human Rights Commission took his complaint and ran with it. The Alberta government, using its provincial version of Section 13, prosecuted me for 900 days, with no fewer than 15 government bureaucrats and lawyers. It spent $500,000 prosecuting me, before dropping the case — and leaving me with my $100,000 legal bill. But sometimes freedom wins a round. Last week, the federal justice minister, Rob Nicholson, stood up in the House of Commons and answered a question about Section 13. The question was about a private member’s bill, put by Brian Storseth, an MP from northern Alberta. Storseth has introduced a private member’s bill, C-304, to repeal Section 13. But private member’s bills have little chance of passing without the endorsement of the government. But Nicholson did endorse it. He called on all MPs to support it, too. Bill C-304, Storseth’s bill, is now effectively a government bill. And with a Tory majority in both the House and Senate, this bill is as good as done. No more witch hunts by the Canadian Human Rights Commission. No more persecuting their political and religious enemies. This is the best thing the Harper government has done in five years. Freedom is on the march. (*Toronto Sun*, November 19, 2011)

 

Hear Paul Fromm -- The Fighting Side of Me: The Distortions & Deceptions of Multicult

Written by Paul Fromm

Monday, 21 November 2011 18:11

Hear Paul Fromm -- The Fighting Side of Me: The Distortions & Deceptions of Multiculturalism<http://reasonradionetwork.com/20111115/the-fighting-side-of-me-the-fighting-side-of-me-the-distortions-deceptions-of-multiculturalism> November 15, 2011 [image: Ari Ben Menashe and Arthur Porter]<http://reasonradionetwork.com/images/2011/11/Ari_Ben_Menashe_and_Arthur_Porter.jpg> *Ari Ben-Menashe & Arthur Porter* *Paul Fromm discusses:* - *Protecting violent minorities — another crime “story” that tells us nothing;* - *Don’t shed any tears for the Somali pirates — bling-crazy, careless and heartless to their own people;* - *Uh-oh, another politically correct non-White appointee, Sierra Leone native Arthur Porter, must resign; head of watchdog over Canadian spies (CSIS) resigns as his connections to ex-Mossad agent and International gun runner Ari Ben Menashe exposed;* - *Why miscegenation is wrong.* http://reasonradionetwork.com/20111115/the-fighting-side-of-me-the-fighting-side-of-me-the-distortions-deceptions-of-multiculturalism