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January 30, 2004
CJC responds to Miracle
Letters
Editor: The implication of Nusrat Hussain, chief editor of the
Miracle, ("Miracle defends controversial article,"
Bulletin Opinion, Jan. 23) that Canadian Jewish Congress,
Pacific Region, has stirred up a hornets' nest is unfounded. Furthermore,
contrary to Mr. Hussain's statement, CJC, Pacific Region, has had
no contact with the editor before or after the publication of the
anti-Semitic diatribe that appeared in his newspaper.
Mr. Hussain's arguments and tortured justifications for publishing
the article were well publicized by the mainstream media and widely
condemned. His most recent contribution in which he continues to
describe "the consequences of censorship" and his unique
interpretation of freedom of speech further demonstrates his inability
to understand what impact hate speech has on identifiable communities
in Canada.
It is simply outrageous that the editor was willing to publish material
written by Edgar J. Steele, a well-known anti-Semite and anti-black
racist, whether he was a reader or not. The article is nothing but
vile hate propaganda and a poisonous rant unworthy of any rebuttal
and, in our view, violates the anti-hate provision of the Canadian
Criminal Code. CJC, Pacific Region, has turned over copies of the
paper to the B.C. Hate Crime Team for investigation.
Group hatred and the hate speech that propagates it are premised
on the irrational fear of "others" and the desire to define
and separate communities on the basis of color, race, ethnicity
or religion. By defining individuals by such characteristics, in
counter-distinction to the values of equality and multiculturalism
enshrined in Canada's Constitution, hate-mongers reject the individuality
of group members, thereby dehumanizing them.
We have learned that Mr. Hussain issued an apology to the Jewish
and Muslim communities in the Miracle.
CJC, Pacific Region, has also expressed our appreciation for the
numerous responses we received from the public, including Muslim
organizations such as the B.C. Muslim Association, the Muslim Canadian
Federation and the Council of American-Islamic Relations Canada.
We were heartened by their strong condemnation of the article's
content. We are particularly pleased that the B.C. Muslim Association
prohibited the circulation of the Miracle at their mosques
and centres. As citizens of goodwill, they support the issue of
combating hate propaganda when it is directed against identifiable
groups.
CJC, Pacific Region, has expressed its desire to the B.C. Muslim
Association to use this unfortunate incident as a catalyst in looking
for ways to improve communication and understanding between our
respective communities.
Nisson Goldman, chair
Canadian Jewish Congress, Pacific Region
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