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.