Thursday, February 14, 2008

Theo Van Gogh - revisited

The following is a letter I wrote the day after the murder of Dutch Filmmaker Theo Van Gogh. The issues remain relevant and thus the posting this letter:

Dutch filmmaker Theo Van Gogh has been laid to rest. He was murdered ostensibly for his involvement in a film titled "Submission", which addresses the topic of women in Islam. I have not seen the film, nor do I need to in order to condemn the actions of the terrorists who took his life, and in doing so attacked one of the core pillars of western democracy - freedom of expression.

Even 20 years ago it would have been inconceivable that anyone in the western world should fear retribution for expressing his or her opinions candidly and openly. We are living in very dangerous times. If western civilization is to survive, we must stand up to those who have come to the west with the intent of bringing about its annihilation.

November 11 is Remembrance Day, a day in which we honor those who have fallen in the defense of our freedoms. On this day may we all pay homage to our fallen protectors - ordinary men and women who exercised extraordinary courage in the protection of our right to freedom of thought, freedom of speech, freedom of expression and freedom from fear. May their souls rest in peace - each and every one of them!

The torch of freedom has now been passed to us. It is now our turn to protect those freedoms. Like anything else Freedom MUST be exercised to remain strong. Let us all guarantee the survival of our freedoms, by using them each and every day, and further more by demanding that there shall be zero tolerance towards any individual or group, which seeks to destroy them.

Do you support Westergaard? Better look out for the HRCs

Danish authorities arrested three men Tuesday of this week for plotting to kill Kurt Westergaard, one of the Danish cartoonists who, as an affirmation of the fundamental (Western) right to freedom of speech, created editorial cartoons on the subject of the Prophet Mohammed.

Today all across Europe newspapers are reprinting the cartoons as an act of solidarity with Kurt Westergaard (who has stated that he will live out the rest of his life in a fear, a fear which he has transformed into anger and defiance). It is refreshing to see this solidarity in the face of such an egregious attack on both Kurt Westergaard, and the core values of Western civilization, which he was exercising when he created the cartoon.

Unfortunately, here in Canada engaging in such an act of solidarity can leave one is some very hot water – just ask Ezra Levant or Mark Steyn – both of whom have been or will be dragged before human rights commissions for exercising their inalienable right to freedom of expression.

Ezra Levant’s case is of particular relevance concerning acts of solidarity for Westergaard. The human rights complaint issued against Levant (by Syed Soharwardy, president of the Islamic Supreme Council of Canada) was a direct response to Levant publishing the Danish cartoons in the Western Standard.

Fundamentalist Muslims are loop holing through section 13 of the Canadian Human Rights Act to squash the right to freedom of expression afforded to every Canadian under the Canadian Charter. It works like this: if someone (anyone) even references an idea not agreeable to the Fundamentalist Muslim mindset, file a human rights complaint, sit back and let the respective human rights commission (federal or provincial) do the rest. The complainant pays nothing (thanks to the taxpayers) and the defendant must bear the burden (financial and otherwise) of proving his or her innocence (a direct reversal of our notion of innocent until proven guilty).

A single courageous MP Dr. Keith Martin (a liberal no less) has brought forth a motion to eliminate section 13 of the Canadian Human Rights Act. He clearly understands the profound danger of allowing bureaucratic thought police (employed by the respective human rights commissions – federal and provincial) to decide what thoughts should be deemed acceptable and which should not.

Finally, will any Canadian papers express solidarity with Westergaard? Not if the human rights commissions, have their way.

to the members of the Alberta Human Rights and Citizenship Commission

I am writing you to express my profound outrage at your wonton attack on Ezra Levant's fundamental right to freedom of speech.

My father lost two brothers fighting against Nazi Germany. They selflessly gave their lives so that our fundamental freedoms should live.You are committing an egregious act against the memory of, all of those who fought, to preserve our culture and heritage - a culture steeped in reverence for freedom. That freedom was hard fought and won.

So many have sacrificed over the last eight hundred years, in order that free thought might illuminate and enrich our world - you are choking that light out.

You have embraced complaints from individuals whose mindset and cultural background is not informed by the Wests fundamental core values, but rather by an unabiding servitude to the notion that one must never, never seek to question. or step beyond boundaries which have not grown or breathed new thought for close to one thousand years - an issue which is of great concern to reform minded members of that culture.

You have attacked the inalienable rights to free expression guaranteed to all Canadians under the Charter, and in doing so, I believe you have opened a Pandora's box - good luck trying to close it.

Gordon MacDonald