CIC takes Maclean's and Mark Steyn to Human Rights Commision

[FascistLibertarian]

Just in case anyone thought we have freedom of speech in this country, we do as long as the various human rights commisions think so, after you pay for a legal defence.

http://www.macleans.ca/article.jsp?content=20071130_111821_7448

Canadian Islamic Congress launches human rights complaints against Maclean's
Canada's largest non-profit Islamic organization launches complaints over Mark Steyn's article, "The Future Belongs to Islam"
Kate Lunau | Nov 30, 2007 | 11:18 am EST

The Canadian Islamic Congress—Canada's largest non-profit Islamic body—has launched two human rights complaints against Maclean's and its editor-in-chief, Kenneth Whyte. The complaints' subject is "The Future Belongs to Islam," an excerpt from Mark Steyn's book "America Alone: The End of the World as We Know It," which appeared in the magazine's Oct. 23, 2006, issue.
Complaints were submitted to Human Rights Commissions in B.C. and Ontario on the grounds that "the article subjects Canadian Muslims to hatred and contempt," according to a CIC press release. In the release, the CIC labels Steyn's article as "flagrantly Islamophobic."
Faisal Joseph is the CIC's legal counsel on the matter. "In Canada, we have 750,000 law-abiding Muslims," he says. "When you read that article, it sounds to some people [like] there’s an attack from the 'Muslim' world against the 'non-Muslim' world. We take real issue with that type of characterization and the implications of it."
In response, a Maclean's spokesperson provided the following statement: "Mark Steyn is a thoughtful and experienced journalist, and the piece was a commentary on important global political issues. It was not in any sense Islamophobic, and Maclean’s is confident that the Human Rights Commissions will find no merit in the complaints."
this time, the B.C. Commission has accepted the complaint, Joseph said. He will argue the matter at the B.C. Human Rights Tribunal hearings from June 2 to 6.

and the article can be found at http://www.macleans.ca/article.jsp?content=20061023_134898_134898&source

 

[George Wallace]

From your title, I thought we had another Cadet Instructor Cadre thread started.  My mistake.

 

[YZT580]

Read the article and it appears to be more a scathing commentary on the lethargy within the western world than a slap at the Eastern one.  As a temporary resident of Brussels I have to agree with most of his comments on the attitudes here.  But there is a simple solution: put away your joysticks and computers and take back the night.  Turn off the lights, turn down the sheets and use it for its intended purpose.  In 20 years, give or take a few false starts we will have re-gained our land. 
In the meantime, what is the difference between pursuing a reporter for this offense and an off-duty teacher in B.C. for comments made out of the class room?  Nobody protested that one.