|
|
October 29, 2004
Anti-Semitic preaching
Hatemongering Muslims should be fully prosecuted.
EZRA LEVANT SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH BULLETIN
Calgary
Years ago, Jim Keegstra was charged with and convicted of the crime
of spreading hatred. It was a seemingly endless case, working its
way up to the Supreme Court.
It cost millions of tax dollars and, more than that, was an energetic
expression of the government's opposition to racial and religious
discord. Libertarians were rightly upset that speech – no matter
how vile – could be criminalized. But a precedent was set,
along with a message.
Fast forward to the present: News out of Vancouver is that the imam
of a major mosque there, one Younus Kathrada, has been whipping
up his congregants each week with anti-Semitic hatred that would
make Keegstra sound positively like a Zionist.
Like Keegstra, Kathrada called Jews names – "we are dealing
with a people ... the brothers of the monkeys and the swine ...
whose treachery is well known."
Calling Jews brothers of monkeys and swine sounds like a schoolyard
taunt more than high argument, but his point was clear. And just
in case it wasn't, Kathrada made it clearer still: His sermons repeatedly
called for the killing of Jews.
Poor old Keegstra. All he ever did was call the Jews power-hungry
money-grubbers, and he was convicted of a crime. Kathrada whips
up his congregants into a Jew-baiting frenzy – and tells them
to go and actually kill someone – and he remains free.
There's some evidence that his Muslim acolytes actually followed
his instructions, too. Rudwan Khalil Abubaker, who attended Kathrada's
mosque, was in a fire-fight with Russian troops in Chechnya earlier
this year. At least he took his violence outside of Vancouver.
The question remains: Why was Keegstra's offensive but non-violent
anti-Semitism taken to the Supreme Court, but Kathrada's is tolerated
with impunity?
Kathrada doesn't just call for the death of Jews; he slams Muslims
who dare to believe in peaceful co-existence – you know, Ottawa's
dream of multiculturalism. Kathrada claims that such Muslims aren't
real Muslims, and no truce with Jews can ever be had.
Kathrada also uses his tax-exempt mosque to trumpet the cause of
Hamas, a notorious terrorist group responsible for countless suicide
bombings. Earlier this year, he lambasted Israel over the assassination
of Sheik Ahmed Yassin.
Why hasn't Kathrada been charged with a hate crime? Why haven't
he and his mosque been charged under Canada's new anti-terrorism
laws for promoting and aiding terrorist groups like Hamas? (To date,
not a single charge has been laid under this law.)
The answer is obvious. It's easy to pick on a politically incorrect
country bumpkin like Jim Keegstra. Some dumb white guy making dumb
remarks about Jews – go get 'em. There's not a well-funded,
politically correct Dumb Guy Defence Committee ready to roll for
his defence.
But ever since 9/11, liberals throughout the West have decided an
anti-Arab backlash would be worse than Arab terrorism itself. So
true risks like Kathrada are ignored, in the name of not making
a fuss. The liberal thinking is that charging someone like Kathrada
would only give a bad name to all Muslims.
Of course, it would do the opposite – it would point out that
not all Muslims are in league with such terror tactics, and that
the few who are will be rooted out.
Not charging the handful of Muslims who are haters is like not charging
the handful of Italians who are part of the Mafia – it is a
misguided act of political correctness. The majority of Muslims
– we hope – do not support Kathrada. He should be made
an example of, not have excuses made for him. Justice calls for
it.
Ezra Levant is the publisher of the Western Standard.
This article was originally published in the Calgary Sun
and is reprinted with permission.
^TOP
|
|
