Vancouver-based Alan Dutton helped lobby for the 1996 creation of the B.C. Hate Crime Team that brings together law enforcement, Crown prosecutors and provincial bureaucrats to combat hate crimes.
Dutton argues abolishing the law will embolden hatemongers to re-organize and strengthen the white nationalist movement in Canada.
"The danger here is that they're going to believe that they have fertile ground now," said Dutton, who chairs the Canadian Anti-Racism Education and Research Society.
Speaking with B'nai Brith folks at the Lemire hearing, it is pretty clear they think Section 13 is dead via bill C-304 and are trying to work out how to protect the CDN Jewish community through whatever criminal code provisions remain available. BB CEO Frank Dimant has said as much here. The problem is that it has been historically difficult to get the police to lay charges, and that (as I understand it) any changes to the code will themselves be vulnerable to a constitutional challenge (more vulnerable than S13, perhaps).
On a slightly different topic, Joe Brean buries the lede in this story:
Neither the analysis by Digital Wyzdom, nor a subsequent one, turned up any evidence that Mr. Warman had written the message at the heart of the [Levant] libel suit.
Levant's defense, and the defense of the other bloggers in the various lawsuits that Richard Warman has brought against them, turned on Warman's having written "The Cools Post". It was already pretty obvious that he had not; now it is even more so. These various legal actions are all effectively done, but for the paying out of damages.
12 comments:
Seems to me that this law has been used rarely and only with some really vicious hatemongers. Where is the Canadian Jewish Congress which has always been so rational when it comes to hate laws? It's all getting very confusing.
Interesting in that both Farber and Dimant seem to be on the same page but this CIJA is mum. I understand why Brennerman is confused.
I think CIJA is holding some townhalls. For those who are supporters of CIJA should come out to them, I have it written in my calendar but i need to look it up.
As far as i know some far right folks like ezra are gonna show up and try to influence cija to oppose section 13
I think CIJA is holding some townhalls. For those who are supporters of CIJA should come out to them, I have it written in my calendar but i need to look it up.
As far as i know some far right folks are gonna show up and try to influence cija to oppose section 13
And what exactly is a Townhall suppose to accomplish? Seems to me that some leadership in the Jewish community are very conflicted. In the end hate laws are what took down the likes of Keegstra, Zundel, Malcolm Ross hell the entire Heritage Front.
Why would the Jewish community want to bite its own nose to spite it's face?
CIJA is holding some townhalls. Some people thing this is just a concession to old CJC types like Bernie Farber, and its already been decided against them.
My opinion: the right wing of the Jewish Canuck community has got the CPoC to tilt way Israel. This is the price they pay for that. The lunatics at home (another part of the CPoC base) get set free tit for tat. Hate Speech Laws get gutted. Congratulations, BB and CIJA.
The Town Hall is the right way. Let the community have a say. I will be there and help expose the false left/ Al Jazeera agenda. So much for your so called 'right wing' agenda.
@Mordechai According to Shimon Fogel: "“What was intended as a shield against hate has become a sword. Certainly in its day, it was helpful in confronting the challenges related to the likes of [Holocaust denier] Ernst Zundel… What it has really done is create difficulties for those who might legitimately want to raise questions about groups or ideas that in fact are a threat to the Jewish community or Israel. In effect, the act has become an instrument to chill critical debate about important issues like radical Islam.”
In other words, Section 13 was great when it was used against anti-Semites but now that it might be used against Islamophobes he's against it. Not exactly a principled stance.
Well at least there appears to be a healthy difference of opinion in the Jewish community. I seem to recall that Frank Diamond of Bnai Brth, the Simon Wiesenthal centre and former Jewish Congress guy Bernie Farber have come out in support of the CHRC.
What's really sad is that everyone else who in the past have also been supportive of anti-hate laws have gone to ground. Still don't understand why.
Deboaned,
My theory: several Jewish community groups wanted a solid pro-Israel stance from Harper and Co. and they got it. This is the trade they've made.
I'm not sure about that BCL, b,nai brith isn't exactly a Liberal bastion and Frank Diamond is a strong Tory yet he and his organization seem to be going against the Cons on this one supporting S13.
Chapel,
I think you're at least half right. Frank will fight for S13, but if you look at some recent statements he's made lately BB is are already thinking about transitioning to a post S13 world. Which may be OK, depending what changes there are in the criminal code provisions. I would prefer BB fight Bill c-304 tooth and nail, because you don't know what the Tory changes amount to. They may be harder to defend constitutionally than S13. And BB seems to be a bit ticked that Muslim groups might have launched a probably frivolous S13 complaint against them a few years back. But my opinion is in practical terms the White Nationalist groups are a far greater threat than a few Muslim women in Burkas thinking dark thoughts about Israel. So why throw out the baby with the bathwater?
PS. I thought Frank was Liberal.
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