| National Post |
Friday, June 29, 2007
It appears to be a sign that you're doing something abundantly right when the leaders of the Canadian Arab Federation and the Canadian Islamic Congress demand that your conference be monitored by the Police Hate Crime Unit. Which is the case with a Fraser Institute symposium taking place this week, entitled "On The Front Line of Immigration, Terrorism and Ethno-Politics."
In an unintentionally amusing joint press release, the groups speak of "major Canadian bigots, Islamophobes, anti-Arab and anti-immigrant writers and media personalities." As opposed, one assumes, to minor Canadian bigots and Islamophobe media personalities. What it all means, of course, is that they disagree with their targets. Yet instead of simply debating with the conference speakers in a quintessentially Canadian manner, they insult them and try to have them silenced.
In fact, the conference the comrades find so irksome boasts an extraordinarily impressive and diverse list of speakers. Columnist Margaret Wente, author Daniel Stoffman, a former director of CSIS, the retired executive director of the Canadian Immigration Service, ambassador Marisa Lino from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, MPs, numerous university professors, award-winning writers and decorated diplomats and scholars.
And the internationally renowned author Bat Ye'or. If the other speakers provoke certain people, this diminutive, gentle and brilliant 74-year-old lady seems to positively terrify them. They urge immigration authorities "immediately to bar Bat Ye'or from entering Canada."
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