Canada's speech Nazis

NY Post Editorial:

Celebrated author Mark Steyn has been summoned to appear before two Canadian judicial panels on charges linked to his book “America Alone."

The book, a No. 1 bestseller in Canada, argues that Western nations are succumbing to an Islamist imperialist threat. The fact that charges based on it are proceeding apace proves his point.

Steyn, who won the 2006 Eric Breindel Journalism Award (co-sponsored by The Post and its parent, News Corp), writes for dozens of publications on several continents. After the Canadian general-interest magazine Maclean's reprinted a chapter from the book, five Muslim law-school students, acting through the auspices of the Canadian Islamic Congress, demanded that the magazine be punished for spreading “hatred and contempt" for Muslims.

The plaintiffs allege that Maclean's advocated, among other things, the notion that Islamic culture is incompatible with Canada's liberalized, Western civilization. They insist such a notion is untrue and, in effect, want opinions like that banned from publication.

Two separate panels, the British Columbia Human Rights Tribunal and the Canadian Human Rights Commission, have agreed to hear the case. These bodies are empowered to hear and rule on cases of purported “hate speech."

Of course, a ban on opinions - even disagreeable ones - is the very antithesis of the Western tradition of free speech and freedom of the press.

Indeed, this whole process of dragging Steyn and the magazine before two separate human-rights bodies for the “crime" of expressing an opinion is a good illustration of precisely what he was talking about.

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If you need examples of hate speech read the translations of Islamist speeches on MEMRI. If Islam is held in contempt it is because of the actions of its proponents and not Mark Steyn. The Friday afternoon tantrums after being stirred by Imams spouting anger an hate toward non Muslims is a good example.

In the past weeks we saw such demonstrations in Sudan over the naming of a Teddy Bear. Who could not have contempt for such strange conduct in the name of a religion. What kind of hate demands the murder of a teacher who permitted her students to name a Teddy Bear?

It is fair to argue that it is an example of what would be imposed on the rest of us if Islamist get their way. That Steyn would warn us of these dangers should be applauded, not subjected to the speech Nazis. Besides the Nazis these groups are also similar to the Stalinsit suppression of the old Soviet Union. That Canada even has these forums of political correctness is a travesty. The government should abolish them immediately. They are undemocratic and anti freedom.