scaramouche

...born with the gift of laughter and a sense that the world was mad

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User: scaramouche
Irreverent, contrarian, delighted to be out of synch with the zeitgeist, I depend on my sense of humour (such as it is) to keep me sane in this wacky world.

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Sunday, 07 December 2008

Syed “‘splains” it: Syed Soharwardy, who launched, then dropped, an infamous complaint to the Alberta Human Rights Commission re Ezra Levant, has decided to give that free speech stuff a tumble. The brains behind both the Islamic Supreme Council of Canada and Muslims Against Terrorism has gone and created yet another entity to head up (where does he get the time?)—Calgary’s Freedom of Speech Centre. As Soharwardy explains to a Canwest reporter, the new body will be dedicated to his own totally incoherent take on free expression:

…As for Soharwardy, the imam's change of heart took time - and included spending a while looking down the barrel of a human rights complaint that was aimed squarely at him.
 
Soharwardy was accused of discriminating against several women at his mosque.
 
"I understand the pain that people go through when they face a complaint at the human rights commission," he said. "If a frivolous complaint has been filed, then the defendant is still on the hook to defend himself."
 
But he insists it wasn't the complaint against him but his concerns about his religious freedom that prompted him to turn his back on the process.
 
"Freedom of religion is very dear to me," he said, explaining he worries that restricting speech could lead to limits on his right to express his religious beliefs.
 
Soharwardy said he believes the federal government needs to do a better of educating newcomers to Canada about freedom of speech, as well its consequences, both good and bad.
 
"People in any Muslim country people will not make fun or should not make fun of any religions," he said.
 
"Here, people go on air and make fun of Jesus Christ. . . . That is a very shocking thing for a Muslim. People are not used to this kind of freedom."
 
He said he believes freedom of speech is about more than just public discourse - it's also about how different generations relate within families.
 
He points to family violence, some of which is the result of tensions flaring between immigrant parents and their western-raised children.
 
Freedom of speech is crucial so that everyone's voice is heard, he said.
 
"That freedom will save a family from destruction," he said. "We can resolve domestic violence, we can resolve women abuse, child abuse."…

Come again?

Update: Guess who's coming for latkes?

Posted by: scaramouche at 21:07 | link | comments (1)


Comments:
#1  12 December 2008 - 15:06
 
I think we have a wolf in sheeps clothing.

Anyone heard anything about Ezra suing this guy to recover his costs?
Anonymous
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