Imam drops Star Chamber complaint against Ezra Levant?
posted at 10:50 am on February 13, 2008 by Allahpundit
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A surprise twist ending to an otherwise standard addition to the Orwell and Kafka genre? Indeed. Except (a) this ain’t over and (b) this isn’t the big surprise twist.
Calgary Muslim leader Syed Soharwardy says he is withdrawing his Alberta Human Rights Commission complaint against former Western Standard publisher Ezra Levant…
“Over the two years that we have gone through the process, I understand that most Canadians see this as an issue of freedom of speech, that that principle is sacred and holy in our society,” said Soharwardy, president of the Islamic Supreme Council of Canada.
“I believe Canadian society is mature enough not to absorb the messages that the cartoons sent. Only a very small fraction of Canadian media decided to publish those cartoons.”…
“But I hope people see this as a positive action, that it will create better feelings between Muslims and all Canadians,” Mr. Soharwardy said.
Here’s the surprise twist. Levant:
I understand that Soharwardy has an Op-Ed in tomorrow’s Herald in which he effectively admits his complaint was motivated by Saudi-style censorship, not any Canadian belief in human rights. In other words, he admits what I’ve alleged all along: he was hijacking a secular “human rights” commission for his radical Islamo-fascist agenda. But now he wants us all to pretend he didn’t.
Well, back in the land of real laws and real rules of court, there’s a tort called “abuse of process”, and Soharwardy has just admitted to it.
For two years, this corrupt, radical imam has hunted me using the resources of the taxpayers of Alberta for the “thought crime” of publishing a cartoon he didn’t like. I had a preliminary discussion with my lawyer today. My aim is to file an abuse of process claim in the Court of Queen’s Bench within the month. Whether or not I sue the commission itself, and its inquisitor Shirlene McGovern, is something I haven’t discussed yet with my lawyers.
I doubt he’ll get far with the suit but winning it isn’t the point; the point is to warn off potential Star Chamber abusers with the prospect of the same legal headaches they’re using to harass publishers into silence. Follow the link for his pungent metaphor for what Soharwardy’s doing here. And if you’re unfamiliar with Soharwardy himself, read this.
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Well, good news. I hope Levant goes far with this. I’m sure he’ll get overuled though.
boomer on February 13, 2008 at 10:55 AM
Goose, meet gander.
Jim Treacher on February 13, 2008 at 10:58 AM
-Mr. Levant
Good for Mr. Levant for going and on offense and staying on offense. Words like jihad, taquiyya, and hudna had better become understood in our every day language if our enemy’s tactics are to be understood and defeated.
RushBaby on February 13, 2008 at 11:01 AM
Actually not an ending, so far.
The Edmonton Muslim Council still has an indentical complaint against Ezra with the AHRC.
Jim708 on February 13, 2008 at 11:06 AM
Great news. I wonder if this will have any impact on Steyn’s situation. Keep pursuing it, boys. Don’t let up. Chase that ugly thing down and drive a stake in it’s heart.
a capella on February 13, 2008 at 11:07 AM
Perhaps a standard will be set against this kind of fallacious complaint? Try to get someone for a ‘hate crime’ and likely you will end up getting sued for abuse of process? We can only hope.
RiverCocytus on February 13, 2008 at 11:07 AM
Awesome!
BJ* on February 13, 2008 at 11:13 AM
Fine job Levant. Ram it home to the hilt.
LimeyGeek on February 13, 2008 at 11:18 AM
Go Levant Go! Good for him!!
ihasurnominashun on February 13, 2008 at 11:22 AM
Wow. Something making sense and being a good thing? That is such a rarity these days.
Weebork on February 13, 2008 at 11:26 AM
Pushem back! Pushem back! Waaaaaayyy Back!
ronsfi on February 13, 2008 at 11:31 AM
Well this made my day just a little better.
Though in about a half hour I’ll have to deal with a professor teaching East Asian Religion who’ll find two or three openings to make a Bush joke…
Keljeck on February 13, 2008 at 11:36 AM
Isn’t that a hate crime against Levant? However, while he COULD, Levant won’t file a complaint in the same court that he is protesting. And therein lies the great struggle persons of principle have in a pc society: the enemy will use whatever method they can to attack us regardless of its purpose or effect, where we do the right thing, the hard thing, without taking shortcuts, and it takes longer and is more difficult.
JustTruth101 on February 13, 2008 at 11:36 AM
Good to see the Muslim sweat. Now eviscerate his a$$ legally. Don’t let any of these ‘Slumtards off.
BL@KBIRD on February 13, 2008 at 11:36 AM
I feel your pain. I’m in a class tonight with a prof pushing Hillary, and he keeps promoting what great public policy it would be to increase the death tax…I know he’s only doing it because it will come up if she gets the nomination. And the scary part? All the little sheeple-students just nod their heads in agreement…one day my head is just going to freaking explode right there in the middle of class.
JustTruth101 on February 13, 2008 at 11:38 AM
Hope, baby. Someone call BHO.
Vote Sauron 08 on February 13, 2008 at 11:41 AM
Oh that feeling…
I had a Philosophy Professor who’s style of teaching was to have a conversation with himself. So he’d start out talking about, let’s say the Brain in a Vat problem, and as he’d argue with himself he’d use random liberal talking points to explain his argument.
So fifteen minutes later when he’s finally finished with his conversation with himself not only has the time passed so far that it would be rude to go back to that point, it wasn’t relevant to the discussion anyway.
Keljeck on February 13, 2008 at 11:45 AM
Go Ezra!
But one cannot help but wonder at which point this potential suit will be squashed by the powers that be in the interest of not offending “someone.”
drjohn on February 13, 2008 at 11:46 AM
This should end up being very good for the citizens of Canada. Don’t think for a minute it will change anything here.
How many US papers published the cartoons?
tgillian on February 13, 2008 at 11:48 AM
Levant is a real hero for western values and free speech. Did you see that 11 Danish newspapers are reprinting the Mohammad cartoons? Maybe western civ is waking up.
Clark1 on February 13, 2008 at 11:49 AM
Go to it, Mr. Levant! Never surrender.
PattyJ on February 13, 2008 at 11:58 AM
Yup, I think an “abuse of process” charge in a real court might be just the thing.
mojo on February 13, 2008 at 12:33 PM
I don’t know anything about how Canada’s tort system works, but if Mr. Levant needs funds to support his lawsuit, I hope he’ll set up a site where people can make contributions. I know I’d be willing to donate.
AZCoyote on February 13, 2008 at 12:38 PM
So, the fascists can just run up their opponents legal fees into the tens of thousands and walk away unscathed.
Blake on February 13, 2008 at 12:55 PM
The whole affair reminds far more of an Ayn Rand novel.
Blacklake on February 13, 2008 at 12:56 PM
Hate is not a crime. Hate speech is free speech.
billhedrick on February 13, 2008 at 12:56 PM
The solution to bad speech is more speech not censorship.
billhedrick on February 13, 2008 at 12:57 PM
If it weren’t for people like him, we’d probably be south of Canadistan right now.
mattyj86 on February 13, 2008 at 1:15 PM
The ambitious and wealthy are often valuable to the rest of us, because they have the energy and means to fight back, where we otherwise could not hope to do so successfully.
Kralizec on February 13, 2008 at 1:18 PM
Oh, he should soo sue these clowns.
Iblis on February 13, 2008 at 3:12 PM
Give ‘em hell, boy. Give ‘em hell.
srhoades on February 13, 2008 at 4:01 PM
Hudna=”He who fights and runs away, lives to fight another day”.
Frozen Tex on February 13, 2008 at 5:59 PM
Excellent news,whew someone dodged a beheading!
canopfor on February 13, 2008 at 7:34 PM