| FrontPageMag.com | By Robert Spencer | By Hugh Fitzgerald | Books | Jihad Watch | Islam 101 | Qur'an Blog | Raymond Ibrahim | Robert Spencer |  |
|
|
|||||||||||
|
|
Heavyweight indeed
In "The Steyn show trial" in the Western Standard, Kathy Shaidle and Pete Vere lay bare the dhimmitude of the mainstream media in Canada, when Mark Steyn and Maclean's magazine were hauled up in front of the Thought Police for daring to voice their resistance to jihad and Islamization.
By the time the “show trial” against Mark Steyn and Maclean’s began on June 2, 2008 the case had become a cause celebre in the formidable U.S. conservative media network of blogs and talk radio. Four heavyweight pundits--Jonah Goldberg, Robert Spencer, David Harsanyi and Pat Buchanan--rebuked the censors of “Soviet Canuckistan” on the very same day.But Canada’s liberal mainstream media more or less shrugged. Veteran journalism professor John Miller condemned the “xenophobic” Steyn in an online forum by and for professional reporters, accusing Steyn of failing to express his opinions “in food [sic] faith”, then scolding prissily that “everyone must obey the law.” This lead Parliament Hill reporter Deborah Gyapong to ask the obvious question: “What if the law advocated slavery or chopping off hands?”
With professors like John Miller training journalists, it is no wonder that the state-run, taxpayer-funded CBC got the name of Steyn’s book wrong or that their local reporters admitted that they knew nothing about the trial they’d been sent to cover. Their broadcasting rival outlet, CTV, published a glorified review of America Alone in lieu of an objective news report. (They at least managed to render the book’s title correctly.)
Columnist David Warren bluntly explained: “Among the spookiest aspects of these cases is the silence over, and indifference to them, on the part of journalists whose predecessors imagined themselves vigilant in the cause of freedom. As I’ve learned first-hand through email, many Canadian journalists today take the view that, ‘I don’t like these people, therefore I don’t care what happens to them.’ It is a view that, at best, is extremely short-sighted.”
Indeed it is, and it isn't limited solely to Canada.
Read it all.
Posted by Robert at September 23, 2008 12:14 PM
Print this entry
| Email this entry
| Digg this
| del.icio.us
When your profession relies on the freedom of expression, I would think that you would hasten to defend it.
No one finds the corporate industry that controls pornography sympathetic, but the media rushes to defend their first amendment rights.
Guess the "heavyweights" of the right wing are not in the same category...........
Posted by: tanstaafl![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.jihadwatch.org/dhimmiwatch/nav-commenters.gif)
at September 23, 2008 12:31 PM
"This lead Parliament Hill reporter Deborah Gyapong to ask the obvious question: “What if the law advocated slavery or chopping off hands?”
was there an answer?..
at September 23, 2008 12:52 PM
I'm sick of hearing the excuse that people are a product of "who trained" and "who taught" and "who raised" them. Can't people think outside the box? If someone tells you the sky is purple, can't you refuse to accept that? Why can't people think on their own?
Posted by: Madame Vengier at September 23, 2008 1:50 PM
What seems to be the inexplicable indifference of journalists to on-going threats against freedom of expression is not only NOT surprising, it is predictable. This is the by-product of a liberal education in the Western world...and then the newsroom culture that perpetuates it.
There is a belief among many that if we bring Muslim students to the West for a college education, we will shatter the barriers between cultures and foster a common understanding. What happens instead is that these young Muslims have all their ugliest misconceptions about the West - that we are imperialist, oppressive and racist - validated and reinforced by Left-wing Professors preaching their particular brand of civilizational self-hatred.
Posted by: Cornelius at September 23, 2008 2:36 PM
OT, but Yikes!, Robert. It took just two minutes in Photoshop to tame the orangeyness in your photo. No way to upload it to you for your use, so crack that whip & get an assistant on it. (Smile.)
Posted by: Vee at September 23, 2008 3:34 PM
Is it a reflection from the shirt, or has Robert been eating waaay too many carrots?
Posted by: ImNoDhimmi at September 23, 2008 4:46 PM
Robert, indeed "heavyweight" but only in intellectual terms ;-)
Nice ear lobes Robert.
Posted by: S Perry at September 23, 2008 5:45 PM
My friends and colleague here in Vancouver had the pleasure of picketing the BCHRT at the courthouse in support of Maclean's and Steyn last May and June. We held signs in support of free speech and against censorship reading, thanks to the winning submission by Kathy Shaidle-- nothing at all. Blank.
We do have much to say in person, though, which we do in public every Thursday evening at the local library downtown in the atrium from 7-900 pm. We've been at it weekly for closing in on three years. You're welcome to join us for coffee, if you will.
The struggle against dhimmitude and jihad is hardly a won deal, and we'll stick with it till it is won. We too might turn orange in the process, but it's a small price to pay. Meanwhile, look for us in the blue scarves and Israeli flag baseball caps. I'm sort of green, and my colleagues range from purple to silver. Hard to miss. Orange people welcome, as always.
Posted by: dag at September 23, 2008 10:37 PM
I have not seen a verdict yet in the trial. Was there one that I missed? If so, I better stop reading all the blogs and websites that Irely on for info around the web. Mark's website has nothing on it that I could find. America Alone is a must-read, just like the Politically Incorrect books. Thanks.
at September 24, 2008 12:22 AM
In Nazi Germay "following the law" meant ensuring Jews, Gypsies and other ostracized parts of society were handed in to the authorities...
What was frightening was how many people were prepared to "follow the law"... The law, like anything else, can be used to support tyranny.
I am icreasingly orried about the way "the law" is going and how easily immoral bufoons like professor Miller are prepared to "follow the law" - wherever that takes them.
Posted by: Stefcho at September 24, 2008 6:15 AM
lightlysalted, there is no verdict yet. The BCHRT is dumbstruck over the blowback and confused as to what "hate" is, as are all leftoid fascists.
Posted by: Sounder at September 24, 2008 8:56 AM
"Veteran journalism professor John Miller"
A bit of background:
"He’s been professor of journalism at Ryerson for 22 years, following a 20-year career as an editor and reporter. Most of that was spent at the Toronto Star,"
"Miller is one of Canada’s leading researchers and trainers dealing with diversity in news organizations. ... in 2004 he was invited to Ottawa by the federal Minister of State (Multiculturalism) as one of four speakers commemorating the 15th anniversary of Canada’s Multiculturalism Act."
http://www.ryerson.ca/journalism/facultydirectory/faculty/miller.html
Ryerson University - aka "Ry High" as in high school. The Toronto Star is Canada's most relentlessly left wing major newspaper (see Atkinson Principles). So what else would one expect the establishment to do in this case?
Posted by: johnb at September 24, 2008 10:51 AM
Thanks for the plug, Robert. You're one of the good guys!
No, there has been no "verdict" in the "trial" yet. Charges against Steyn were tossed out in the other two jurisdictions.
The book also features the saga of Ezra Levant; the pastor who is banned for life from quoting certain Bible verses; the Bishop & the gay nuisance suit and much more.
Americans have their own Human Rights Commissions -- just look at that Christian photographer in New Mexico.
The book The Tyranny of Nice can provide you with ideas for how to fight back when they come after you. :-)
You can learn more at
tyrannyofnice.com
Thanks for your support, everyone!
Posted by: Kathy Shaidle at September 25, 2008 9:45 AM
Comments are turned off and archived for this entry.
(Note: The Comments section is provided in the interests of free speech only. It is mostly unmoderated, but comments that are off-topic, offensive, slanderous, or otherwise annoying stand a chance of being deleted. The fact that any comment remains on the site IN NO WAY constitutes an endorsement by Jihad Watch or Dhimmi Watch, or by Robert Spencer or any other Jihad Watch or Dhimmi Watch writer, of any view expressed, fact alleged, or link provided in that comment.)