(=_=)
2015-01-09 20:59:49 UTC
I'ts 'free speech' when it attacks the Islamic people and their religions . . .
but it's 'hate speech' when it attacks the actions of Israel.
Get it, Canadians?
______________________________________________________
Published March 19, 2014 - http://thechronicleherald.ca
Hate law bill favours Israel, critics charge
Advocates of free speech and Palestinian rights are preparing to fight a change
to hate speech laws that they say will silence critics of Israel.
The change is buried in Bill C-13, the government’s proposed cyberbullying law.
The bill would expand the definition of groups that can be the subject of hate
propaganda under the Criminal Code. The code now lists people distinguished by
colour, race, religion, ethnic origin or sexual orientation.
Bill C-13 adds age, sex and mental or physical disability. But, most
contentiously, it also adds national origin.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Some legal experts say this is likely a mere housecleaning amendment to bring
the Criminal Code in line with the wording of other statutes.
But certain groups see it as a backdoor way to crack down on criticism of
Israel and they plan to be vocal about it.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
“We will be publicly opposing it,” said Brian Campbell of Seriously Free
Speech, a group formed to defend critics of Israel.
“We believe it is more than just housecleaning. We still believe that it is an
attempt to make criticism of Israel hate speech.”
Justice Minister Peter MacKay’s office would not comment on whether the amended
law could apply to protesters of Israel.
“I cannot address speculative scenarios,” said Paloma Aguilar, MacKay’s press
secretary.
The Justice Department denied a request to speak to an expert involved in
drafting the bill.
In a statement, the department said the amendment is designed to match the
wording of a protocol from the Council of Europe, a human rights organization.
The change would have the Criminal Code mirror the council’s definitions in
regard to racist or xenophobic material.
In fact, the code already refers to national origin in a section about
sentencing. The Charter of Rights and Freedoms also mentions national origin.
Richard Marceau of the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs argues the
amendment is just a housekeeping matter to make the code wording consistent.
University of Toronto professor Lorraine Weinrib, who specializes in
anti-discrimination law, says the wording is likely designed to give further
protection to immigrants, whose national and ethnic origins don’t always align.
“This doesn’t seem to point to … condemnations of Israel,” said Weinrib.
But some Palestinian groups and the British Columbia Civil Liberties
Association say they are skeptical.
One reason is Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s recent speech to the Knesset, the
Israeli parliament, in which he referred to movements like Israeli Apartheid
Week as “the face of the new anti-Semitism.”
Israeli Apartheid Week calls for boycotts, divestment and sanction of Israel
until it changes its policies toward Palestinians.
“In much of the western world, the old hatred has been translated into more
sophisticated language for use in polite society,” said Harper.
“People who would never say they hate and blame the Jews for their own failings
or the problems of the world instead declare their hatred of Israel and blame
the only Jewish state for the problems of the Middle East.”
Some critics see Harper’s speech, and the hate law change, as part of a trend
to directly equate criticism of Israel with anti-Semitism.
They point to 2009 when a group of MPs formed the Canadian Parliamentary
Coalition to Combat Anti-Semitism. It had a controversial run. The Bloc
Quebecois ultimately backed out and accused the coalition of being biased
against critics of Israel.
Critics also raise concerns that the hate speech amendment is packaged under a
cyberbullying bill rather than being debated on its own merits.
but it's 'hate speech' when it attacks the actions of Israel.
Get it, Canadians?
______________________________________________________
Published March 19, 2014 - http://thechronicleherald.ca
Hate law bill favours Israel, critics charge
Advocates of free speech and Palestinian rights are preparing to fight a change
to hate speech laws that they say will silence critics of Israel.
The change is buried in Bill C-13, the government’s proposed cyberbullying law.
The bill would expand the definition of groups that can be the subject of hate
propaganda under the Criminal Code. The code now lists people distinguished by
colour, race, religion, ethnic origin or sexual orientation.
Bill C-13 adds age, sex and mental or physical disability. But, most
contentiously, it also adds national origin.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Some legal experts say this is likely a mere housecleaning amendment to bring
the Criminal Code in line with the wording of other statutes.
But certain groups see it as a backdoor way to crack down on criticism of
Israel and they plan to be vocal about it.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
“We will be publicly opposing it,” said Brian Campbell of Seriously Free
Speech, a group formed to defend critics of Israel.
“We believe it is more than just housecleaning. We still believe that it is an
attempt to make criticism of Israel hate speech.”
Justice Minister Peter MacKay’s office would not comment on whether the amended
law could apply to protesters of Israel.
“I cannot address speculative scenarios,” said Paloma Aguilar, MacKay’s press
secretary.
The Justice Department denied a request to speak to an expert involved in
drafting the bill.
In a statement, the department said the amendment is designed to match the
wording of a protocol from the Council of Europe, a human rights organization.
The change would have the Criminal Code mirror the council’s definitions in
regard to racist or xenophobic material.
In fact, the code already refers to national origin in a section about
sentencing. The Charter of Rights and Freedoms also mentions national origin.
Richard Marceau of the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs argues the
amendment is just a housekeeping matter to make the code wording consistent.
University of Toronto professor Lorraine Weinrib, who specializes in
anti-discrimination law, says the wording is likely designed to give further
protection to immigrants, whose national and ethnic origins don’t always align.
“This doesn’t seem to point to … condemnations of Israel,” said Weinrib.
But some Palestinian groups and the British Columbia Civil Liberties
Association say they are skeptical.
One reason is Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s recent speech to the Knesset, the
Israeli parliament, in which he referred to movements like Israeli Apartheid
Week as “the face of the new anti-Semitism.”
Israeli Apartheid Week calls for boycotts, divestment and sanction of Israel
until it changes its policies toward Palestinians.
“In much of the western world, the old hatred has been translated into more
sophisticated language for use in polite society,” said Harper.
“People who would never say they hate and blame the Jews for their own failings
or the problems of the world instead declare their hatred of Israel and blame
the only Jewish state for the problems of the Middle East.”
Some critics see Harper’s speech, and the hate law change, as part of a trend
to directly equate criticism of Israel with anti-Semitism.
They point to 2009 when a group of MPs formed the Canadian Parliamentary
Coalition to Combat Anti-Semitism. It had a controversial run. The Bloc
Quebecois ultimately backed out and accused the coalition of being biased
against critics of Israel.
Critics also raise concerns that the hate speech amendment is packaged under a
cyberbullying bill rather than being debated on its own merits.
