DouG

__COLLINS

© get this straight «

THE tGUTCRY over Salman Rushdie’s book The Satanic
Verses has given n::: a number of horselaughs, not least of
which was the emergence of Capilano College guru Stan

Persky as a freedom fighter.

Yes, Stan is on parade and at
the salute on this one. It appears
that our local leftist is co-chairman
of the Political Action Committee
of the Writers’ Union of Canada.
You bet!

Stan has therefore taken it upon
himself to hold indignation
meetings and write to the papers.
He was also interviewed on TV,
and has stated grandly that ‘‘we
writers have a pact."’

That pact, it seems, binds
writers together when a writer is
threatened. Good. Can I count on
Stan’s support when Aziz Khaki
mounts another advertising
boycott against the North Shore
News? Thanks, Stan.

Stan and his pals also sport ‘‘!
am Salman Rushdie’’ buttons.

Glad to hear all this. However,
there are a few things missing.

One would think from all the
rage directed against that old fart
the Ayatollah that Canada is clean
where censorship is concerned.

it isn’t. We have heaps of dirty
washing. There are the wonderful
“hate laws,’ for instance, plus the
regulations on book imports and
the law that prohibits ‘‘false
news.”?

These things are used by axe-
grinding pressure groups. Didn't
the banning of Rushdie’s book at
Customs points take place at the
behest of a bunch of Moslems who
wrote to the prime minister?

The book’s hasty unbanning
caine only after we had become an
international laughing stock, and
after it began to look as if Ottawa
was on the Ayatollah’s side. But if
the target is villainous enough in
the eyes of our liberal establish-
ment, banning stays.

Need I remind you that a man
has been through two trials and
been sentenced to nine months in
the clink for what he wrote? Yes,
Ermst Zundel is a writer too — one
accused of ‘‘spreading false
news.’’ I don’t think much of his
writing, but that’s not the point. I
don’t think much of Stan's, either.

In New Brunswick, a
mathematics and English teacher
named Malcoim Russ has been
hounded for years by the Atlantic
Jewish Council and other Jewish
organizations.

He's also a writer, and it was his

books that his opponents objected
to. No question of his having at-
tempted to corrupt little kids, as
was claimed in the Keegstra case.
His views never entered the
classroom.

The New Brunswick Human
Rights Commission (what else?)
wants Ross’s head, and a Dr.
Julius [srael has called loudly for
Ross to be pushed into the clink.
Provincial Attorney General James
Lockyer declared there is no place
in our society ‘‘For the promotion
of wicked thauphts."'

Criminal charges were to be
brought against Ross, but there
was not enough evidence to sup-
port them. Undaunted, the
lickspittle provincial government
ordered the human rights lot to
hold a hearing on Ross's alleged
sins (and those of the school board
for employing him) but a court has
now ruled that there is also not
enough evidence to warrant such a
hearing. The Canadian Jewish
Congress expressed ‘‘profound
disappointrnent”’ at that outza-
geous decision, and there may be
an appeal.

All this over a couple of books!

Appeal or no appeal, Ross is stiil
in the glue. He is forbidden to air
his views in public and cannot even
defend himself against his enemies’
attacks. The schoo! bord has said
it will fire him if he does.

Ross must wonder whether he is
living in Ayatollah Land.

Book banning? There are hun-
dreds of books on the Customs
“banned” list, dozens of which are
political.

The Rushdie affair may do us
some good. From all accounts,
The Satanic Verses is hate litera-
ture, certainly to Moslems, just as
Zundel’s stuff is ‘‘false news"’ to
Jews. But one man’s poison, as
they say, is another man’s meat,
and it is possible that the Rushdie
case can be used in the courts to
expose our double standards.

As for freedom fighter Stan, I
will believe he is serious when he
starts wearing buttons that read:
“am Ernst Zundel. | am
Malcolm Ross.”’ It will then be
seen that we writers must stick
together!

DESCENTE
DITFRANI
SUNICE
SPRUNG

ALL*

SPYDER
SCHNEIDER
FERA
JACKETS

1 PCE SUITS
WARM UPS

SWEATERS

BOB RANDALL
Your Understanding

Realtor
Call me now at

984-8711 or 980-8700
SUSSEX GROUP-S.R.C. REALTY CORP.

9 - Wednesday, Murch 1, 1989 - North Shore News

THE 'JET SET" Is COMING TO VANCOUVER!
TWO JET POWERED RACE CARS TO BE HERE AT THE

MARCH 3,4,5
(FRIeSATSUN}

show AT THE P.N.E.

ITS THE BIGGEST SHOW EVER IN 5 BIG BUILDINGS.
* HOT RODS * RACE CARS * CLASSICS » DRAG BOATS
¢ NEW PRODUCTS = * ENTERTAINMENT

Kk Meet "English Leather” March ‘89 He Sco “Street Rod City” - the largest
Calencéar Girl Evette Neddo. collection of Hot Reds ever in an indoor
See Ujena Swimwear ‘89 Fashion Vancouver Show.

Show. A large selection of Nostalgin Drag Race

¥K Radio controlled car racing throughout Cars from the 60's & 70's.
the weekend. See the fitness world avrobic

Xk Ser the large Cobra kit cnr collection demonstration.
from Cardiac. Talk to the people planning a new racing

4K See the dim Ratsoy car collection. complex for the Fraser Valley.

DISCOUNT COUPONS AT MOST SUPER SAVE GAS LOCATIONS.

~ This Sale: Hurts” ”

But you

h

OFF

REGULAR PRICE

* EXCEPT SHELLS AND 89/90 INVENTORY — SOME ITEMS
LIMITED IN QUANTITY — SALE ENDS MAR. 19/89.

One time only sale! Up to 35% off

NATURAL FACTORS VITAMINS
And, if you bring in this coupon receive an

should hear the mann facture :

additional
$2.00 off
discounted prices.

NORTH VANCOUVER
119 West 26th Street
985-9161

MERRISDALE
5393 West Boulevard
266-1061