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Dec. 30, 2005
Internet hate stopped
Edmonton man guilty of spreading anti-Semitism.
PAUL LUNGEN CANADIAN JEWISH NEWS
An Edmonton jury deliberated for slightly more than three hours
before finding Reinhard Gustav Mueller guilty of promoting hatred
of Jews on an Internet website.
The conviction earlier this month is believed to be the first ever
under the Criminal Code for using the Internet to promote hatred
of an identifiable group.
Mueller, who also goes by the name Reni Sentana-Reis, now faces
a maximum of two years in jail. Crown prosecutor Steven Bilodeau
told reporters that he will ask Judge Phil Clarke for a jail term
for the 62-year-old Edmonton man.
Clarke turned down a Crown request that he order a psychiatric examination
of Mueller, who acted on his own behalf and offered a bizarre explanation
for his views.
Mueller, 62, testified that ancient writing declared him a spiritual
leader called the Lion of the Tribe of Judah and that he has authority
over the destiny of the Jewish people, the Edmonton Journal reported.
The Edmonton Sun reported that Mueller claims he is of ancient Egyptian
descent and "has authority recognized by all high councils
of this galaxy." In addition, Mueller has assumed the titles
of Grand World Councillor, Lion of Judah, Starship Commander Dexter
and Guardian of the Arab Prophetess Uthrania Seila.
A website called Federation of Free Planets, which Mueller admitted
operating from 1999 to 2003, described Jews as sub-humans and demons.
On the site, Mueller alleged that the Holocaust was greatly exaggerated,
that Jews were responsible for creating the Ebola and AIDS viruses
and that they had caused the destruction of the World Trade Centre
and were responsible for the Columbia space shuttle disaster. He
called on visitors to the website to rise up against an alleged
Jewish conspiracy and isolate and neutralize Jews.
Mueller told the jury he is not a hatemonger, but an investigative
reporter. He called the conviction "a dark day for Canada."
Ironically, Mueller drew police attention to himself when he reported
that someone had left a box of Molotov cocktails in his front yard.
He told police he was likely targetted because of his "politically
incorrect" website. Police investigated the site and charges
resulted.
Len Rudner, director of community relations for Canadian Jewish
Congress, said, "to the best of my knowledge, this is the first
time there's been a successful conviction under [hate crime laws]
for contents on an Internet website."
He said it was significant that an existing piece of legislation
was applied to a new medium. "But there was never anything
in Section 319 [of the Criminal Code regarding hate crimes] that
would act as a bar to it applying to the Internet," he added.
Ottawa human rights lawyer Richard Warman said the charge and conviction
of Mueller "just shows how on top of things the Edmonton [police]
hate crime unit is. They really have become the poster child of
what a hate crimes unit can do."
Warman said a second Edmonton man, Glenn Bahr, has also been charged
under the Criminal Code for material he allegedly posted on two
websites.
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