Shameful. Western governments should be standing strongly for the freedom of speech, and protecting those who are being threatened for exercising it. Instead, this. “Feds’ advice to two Canadians linked to anti-Islam film: button your lip,” by Joan Bryden for The Canadian Press, September 21 (thanks to all who sent this in):
OTTAWA – The federal government has some advice for two Canadians who fear for their lives after being wrongly linked to an anti-Muslim film that has sparked violent protests around the globe: button up.
That response has infuriated Nader Fawzy, one of two Canadian Coptic Christians against whom Egypt has issued arrest warrants for alleged involvement in the production, distribution or promotion of the film, Innocence of Muslims.
Fawzy says he believes the arrest warrants are aimed at silencing activists who’ve criticized the persecution of Copts in Egypt.
And now, he said, the Canadian government is compounding the injustice by suggesting they keep quiet.
“Why I should be quiet?” Fawzy demanded in an interview, noting that freedom of speech is guaranteed in the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
“Is the Canadian government, because they are scared from those people, they are going to change the way how you live in Canada? I’m so sorry, I’m Canadian citizen and when I came to Canada, I came to live in free country.”…
Those days are vanishing quickly.