6 — Friday, July 10, 1998 — North Shore News north shore news

___ VIEWPOINT

re

Justice for all

“NORTUNATELY the courts understand what the left-wing fanatics don’t: all Canadians are

equal before the law regardless of how politically incorrect the crimes they are accused of. Recent court rulings at both ends of the country confirm that however far the pendulum has swung to the left, it is still not acceptable to libel fellow citizens no matter how dis- tant their opinions are from those of the prevailing fashions of the day.

In B.C., Eileen Pressler of Salmon Arm was awarded $11,500 in damages after Judge Dermod Owen-Flood found that Pressler had been defamed in a 1993 television “news” report. Pressler was erroneously reported to be building an armed compound for use by far right extremists. Meanwhile in New Brunswick, teacher/pariah

in which he was depicted as a Nazi by a Jewish cartoonist.

Both Pressler and Ross bear the Jabel of anti-Semites and racists — loathsome characteristics that — if true -- deserve criticism and derision.

But not smear, lies, fabrication and blind fanatical pursuit. These are the tactics of the real thugs and the real enemies of democracy.

As lawyer Doug Christie is quoted as saying: “People are still endowed with the same rights no matter whether you agree with them or not. There’s no reason to defame an indi- vidual with false statements of fact in order to justify some other criticism.”

But fanatics never get that part of the equation. There is no such thing as a two-way street for them. Their spite- ful approach is as bad as the wrongs they seek to right.

Malcolm Ross likewise won a libel case

mailbox say i nM Ps’ pay Dear Edito::

Isn’t it time taxpayers had a say in MPs’ pay?

Right now MPs are ramming a report through the House.of Commons ‘that would boost their pay, double cheir expense. allowance and sweeten their severance package and pension options.

MPs cay they need the money, but shouldn’: Canadian taxpayes: have ‘the final‘'word on this mattcr? After all, MPs are. sipposed to work for us. Isn’t it the taxpayers who pay them? |< oo. :

Certdinly. MPs had a perfect opportunity to raise the compensation issue ‘during the last federal election. But they didn’t. Not ‘a single party mentioned any form of compensation increase in its platform in the last clection mot one year ago. They just begged us for their jobs

ch: pensi ier employment benefits. ‘they now want to vote themselves a

That's why MPs should not collect any raise in pay or benefits during the life of this Parliament. Any increase in compensation should not be implemented until the next Parliament, after MPs have sought re-election on the new rules.

‘ We taxpayers can’t give ourselves a raise, and neither should MPs. Stephen Harper ~ - President ~ ; National Citizens’ Coalition Toronto :

fa.

north

hore

More human rights and w

I regret to say that this could be interesting.

Here it is: will the varicus human rights commissions, the police, the attorneys-general and Jewish organizations be as relentless in prosecut- ing the Nation of Islam as they have been in pursuing the few indi- viduals in Canada charged with hate crimes, Holocaust denial and racism?

First of all, Iet us introduce, for Canadians who’ve never heard of it, the Nation of Islam.

It is an organization of American black Muslims that preaches principles of self-esteem and clean living —no drugs or drink or tobacco. The goal is © to make blacks “a more refined and more civilized, 2 more upright and more moral ocople,” in the words of its founder, Elijah Muhammad.

. That sounds vaguely like the goals of born-again (not to’ exclude “main- stream”) Christians.

But, from there, the comparisons disappear.

The Nation of Islam’s present leader, Louis Farrakhan, has made repellent anti-Jewish statements far beyond any- thing I’ve seen attributed to Jim Keegstra or even Ernst Zundel.

Pd rather-not get into detaiis about such inflammatory stuff. But broadly, Farrakhan blames Jews for the slave trade, and speaks in hatred-fanning

terms about Jews who do business in black neighborhoods.

All pretty remote stuff, you. say — a U.S. issue. Except that the Nation of Islam has set up its first Canadian

mosque, in downtown Toronto. And — con- trary to Islamic teach- ing — whites are excluded from mem- bership.

The Canadian Jewish’ . Congress, Ontario . region, spurred police to invest ate after the Nation's Toronto cler- ic wrote that Jews. - finance wars and that.

there were serious questions whether six‘

million Jews died in the Holocaust. --

Taken together, the Nation of. islam’s record makes anytiiing written by this paper's retired columnist, Doug Collins, fale in comparison. And for years Col pursued by the B.C. Human Rights Commission, which has even allowed the column that was the centrepiece of the failed complaint against him and the News to be included in a new, expand- ed complaint by Harry Abrams, B.C. representative of the Jewish organiza- tion B'nai Brith, acting privately.

It will be fascinating to see whether the Canadian authorities and media take en the black Muslim church as vigor- ously as they have the individuals deemed to have fallen afoul of our hate laws.

A far-away matter that doesn’t con- cern us? Toronto's Globe and Mail

lins was — and still is being —.

quotes the head of the about the Nation’s ¢3 “We're looking west.

No further than’ Mississai

eee And speaking of th: Harry Abrams, a remar

. » plaint is.a private one.:It-sol . Hons for B'nai Brith’s inter’ “at the hearing. aa

“And the ad sa a: “TH,

(sic) receipts issued

Fascinating, if true

-'Btnai Brith knows the

“Civil, others, I defe:

ated

Ese

4

treat

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Letters must include your name, _ full address 4 telephone number.

VIA e-mail: trenshaw @ direct.ca

Werth Shore Hews, founded in 1969 2s an independent suburban newspaper and qualifies under Schedule 111, Paragraph 111 of the Excise Tax Act, is published exch Wednesday, Friday and Sunday by North Shore Free Press

Sasigrove Acting Display Manager General Ottice Manager 900-0611 (387) 906-2151 (105) intornot- bottp://erwe.nsnsws.com

Promotions Manager