Hate speech at McMaster University
If you haven’t heard about the recent hate speech at McMaster University please read the full Tribune article, I was quoted as saying:
“We are calling on the Attorney General to act on the request of the Hamilton police. Failure to bring this matter to a resolution is at odds with the severity of the offence. Campus is an important microcosm of society where there can be no immunity from hate. As universities across Canada gear up for a new academic year, any further delay leaves Jewish students at risk.”
What do you think?
August 13th, 2008 at 7:28 pm
I agree completely. These hate mongers must be pushed out of our system of higher education. And kudos to you for pursuing this under existing hate laws instead of going to our infamous HR committees. These odious people need to be dragged up in front of a public court to explain themselves to the public, and then suitably ostresized and punished when they can’t. With so much clear cut documentation, video and witnesses, the case should be a slam dunk. They’re worse than Ernst Zundel for heavens sake, and no one spared the horses on him! Let’s see if our judicial system is truly capable of meting out justice; Mr. Attorney General???
August 18th, 2008 at 6:44 pm
Calling it hate speech is a stretch, however we need to hold our universities accountable for the actions of student groups. You should we working with the rest of us who are extremely concerned about these hateful people, lets try them in the “Court of Public Opinion” I assure you we can defeat these hatefilled bigots. In the past six years I’ve watched some of our major universities slide so far left in their ideology whilst embracing the propaganda of the Poltical Islamists. Perhaps new laws need to be enacted under our Civil Laws? We need to address the growing hatred towards Jews but I’m not willing to negate my right to “Free Expression”. Calling any event Israel Apartied is offensive, and it’s also a lie and could be considered be considered Group Libel.
I’m glad a Jewish organization is finally waking up to the danger that REALLY exists to them as a group “Political Islamists” are spreading lies (Legally) about Jews blowing up the Twin Towers etc start verbally attacking the groups that are attacking the Jewish people. If Muslim Student Organization (joined by left leaning fascist students) can’t stop spreading hate than your goal should be (the US is working on it) to shut down those Student Organizations.
We should be demanding that any Muslim Organization that espouse hatred towards Jews be disbanded NOW. If they continue with their fevered pitch of spreading their Saudi Funded lies the fabric of Canadian Society will suffer.
We also need to update our Treason and sedition laws, waving a flag of Hamas at student rally tells me that these people have no loyality to Canada and should be dealt with as a supporter of Terrorism. Free Speech should not include the right to publicly support our enemies who’s sole goal is to Kill all Jews.
I’ve blathered long enough.
August 18th, 2008 at 7:35 pm
I commend B’Nai Brith for taking the position it has with Ontario’s Attorney General.
What action however did B’Nai Brith take with McMaster University both before and after the anti-Israel event last February, 2008?
What was this event? Israel Apartheid Week or some other named event?
Did McMaster not have to give its blessing to this event?
Just who was behind the event?
How was the event presented to McMaster University and how was it promoted?
Surely there was forewarning as to the nature and purpose of the event that came to B’Nai Brith’s attention?
Whether it was an Israel Apartheid Week event or another similar anti-Israel event by a different name, surely it could have been reasonably foreseen, from the history of such prior or similar events, that such event would as similar or the same events held at the U of T, York and Ryerson would degenerate into a Jew hate fest.
Anti-Israel rhetoric that is close to or crosses the line into anti-semitism has been reported time and again as finding acceptance, both from Professors and students as legitimate opinion for discussion and debate in Universities, especially in Middle Eastern Studies and Political Science classrooms.
How much more proof does one need before B’Nai Brith takes pre-emptive action to prevail upon universities to halt these events and to remind both its staff and its students that freedom of speech has its limits and that limit is the line between lawful and unlawful expression of opinion.
A much more aggressive stance is in order by B’Nai Brith, but so too is such stance demanded of CJC, C.I.C. and Hillel. Surely these organizations can get together, come to an agreement as to what the problem is and to unite to take all lawful measures at their disposal to fight back against the Jew hating forces within our society and our universities.
If this blog is intended for B’nai Brith to just inform ordinary Jews of what it is up to and promote discussion amongst ordinary Jews, this blog is going to be pretty much a waste of time.
If B’Nai Brith is intending to use this blog to connect with, engage and interact with ordinary Jews, then that is a significant step in the right direction.
With that in mind, I hope Frank Dimant’s blog is for the latter purpose as well and thus I return to my questions and ask Frank Dimant to respond.
August 20th, 2008 at 12:17 pm
I live in Hamilton and I have always deplored the ignoring of all this extremist crap that a lot of univiersity professors espouse. As being part of a public educational institution, the university and the aforementioned profs should be held accountable for being extremist nutbars who are severely warped and deluded.I agree that the HRC approach should be avoided, but I am not sure what Frank is advcating here.In a truly free society, everyone, even zundel or Keegstra, should be entitled to freedom of opinion, freedom of speech, freedom of the press (ie written expression). You see, the problem is once we start drawing lines (that aren’t to do with actual libel or slander), with the enlistment of a government body, then the HRC fiasco is what develops. You see, my nanna used to tell us, “give them an inch and they will take a mile” - not just governments but a wide variety of other groups or lobbies. The real problem is that education today is not in the tradition of past eras, where pro and con were researched, debated, and students were allowed to come to their own conclusions, even if they didn’t conform to the prevailing mindset. Today, we have university students, writing journalists, and columnists, anonymously (for good reason it seems), to say that if they come up with conclusions for instance, that MMGW (man made global warming) is based on junk science, has become an ecoreligion, or any other such conclusions, they will be graded with a failing grade because they have already seen that the profs are true believers and don’t want to hear any evidence to the contrary.This same mindset, hobbles debate on issues like unsavoury opinions, or extremist views etc. If all had the benefit of what used to be called a classical education in the disciplines of reasoning, assessing, and concluding, then extremists would not generate hysterical reactions, but instead would be met by intellingent refutation and laughed out of town so to speak. Remember, without and audience there is no show. I admire Ezra Levant and Mark Steyn because they can rebut with wit and intelligence and even sarcasm, and thus altho’ one laughs one also thinks about what was written or said.
August 22nd, 2008 at 11:42 am
I’m with Ezra Levant on this. If we truly believe in free speech then it has to be free for even those we despise. Bnai Brith has been the leader in using our Human rights Commissions to stifle free speech. Even our so-called criminal hate laws ought to0 be done away with.
October 30th, 2008 at 5:52 pm
McMaster felt left out, given the goings on at University of Toronto (also known as U of T, or UToronto). Purveyors of antisemitism are clearly progressing in their exploitation of academic institutions.
D.Shak
September 10th, 2009 at 9:18 am
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Cheers! Sandra. R.