The thought police strike again...
Canadian convicted of hate crimes
Former First Nations leader of Native groups found guilty of wilfully promoting hatred when he referred to Jews as 'a disease' and justified the Holocaust in December 2002
By Combined Wire Services
SASKATOON, Saskatchewan - A retired Canadian native leader blamed a racist justice system and lobby groups after he was convicted of hate crimes for praising Adolf Hitler's murder of 6 million Jews.
Saskatchewan Provincial Court Judge Marty Irwin fined David Ahenakew CDN 1,000 (USD 820) for telling a local newspaper reporter in 2002 that Jews were a "disease" and that Hitler was trying to "clean up" when he "fried 6 million of those guys."
The conviction was praised by the Canadian Jewish Congress, which advocated for Ahenakew to be stripped of the Order of Canada, the country's highest civilian honor.
A defiant Ahenakew lashed out at the Jewish community, the courts and the media shortly after being convicted and fined for promoting hatred.
Ahenakew said he is convinced authorities decided to strip him of the Order of Canada before the court reached its verdict.
"This, of course, was the direct result of the pressure put on the (Gov. General's) advisory committee by some of the Jewish community, including a letter-writing campaign and the lobbying by the Canadian Jewish Congress," he said at a news conference.
"If I'm forced to choose between freedom of speech and the Order of Canada, I chose free speech."
Ahenakew, 71, is currently a member of the Order of Canada, but on Thursday the Gov. General's office confirmed it has begun the process of stripping him of that honor.
Tribal supporters
The former First Nations leader was found guilty of wilfully promoting hatred when he referred to Jews as "a disease" and justified the Holocaust in December 2002, a judge ruled earlier Friday.
Irwin handed down his decision in a tiny courtroom packed with Ahenakew's supporters, members of the Jewish community and reporters.
"My conviction says the power of this country lies with those who have the funds to back their lobbies, and the corporate and financial influence to bend the Canadian judicial system and the government at their will," a defiant Ahenakew told reporters after the verdict.
But Ahenakew's lawyer refused to let him answer reporters who asked whether he thought Jewish people were responsible for his conviction.
"He doesn't have to answer questions that are going to get him charged with criminal offenses," said Doug Christie, who said he plans to appeal the verdict.
Ahenakew, 71, former head of the Assembly of First Nations, blamed the media for reporting his anti-Semitic comments and said he was suffering from a diabetes-related chemical imbalance when he made them - arguments Irwin rejected.
Lapel pin
Ahenakew, wearing the lapel pin given to members of the order, said he would not give it up.
A spokesman for the governor general, whose office issues the Order of Canada, said an advisory council had already started the process of revoking the honor.
Ahenakew would be the second person to be stripped of the honor. Disgraced former hockey czar Alan Eagleson had to give his up in 1998 after he was jailed for theft and fraud.
Ahenakew said he was not surprised by the conviction because he believes the justice system is prejudiced against aboriginal people.
"Hatred of First Nations people is rampant in our country, and it exists in the legal and justice systems, the media and the Canadian economy," he said.
Ahenakew said he hoped his case would raise awareness about the litany of social injustices faced by aboriginals.
"We've suffered under deliberate genocidal policies designed to rid the world of us," he said.
"The injustices against First Nations people are more than equal to the horrors perpetuated against the Jewish community and the racism and ethnic cleaning that has so shocked the world in places like Rwanda and Bosnia."
Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this article
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3110562,00.html
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This guy obviously has some issues, but our legal system is being supremely arrogant in overruling the Charter Right to freedom of speech just because it is distasteful.
I guess the Charter of Rights and Freedoms only applies to those with politically correct causes... :-X
Canadian convicted of hate crimes
Former First Nations leader of Native groups found guilty of wilfully promoting hatred when he referred to Jews as 'a disease' and justified the Holocaust in December 2002
By Combined Wire Services
SASKATOON, Saskatchewan - A retired Canadian native leader blamed a racist justice system and lobby groups after he was convicted of hate crimes for praising Adolf Hitler's murder of 6 million Jews.
Saskatchewan Provincial Court Judge Marty Irwin fined David Ahenakew CDN 1,000 (USD 820) for telling a local newspaper reporter in 2002 that Jews were a "disease" and that Hitler was trying to "clean up" when he "fried 6 million of those guys."
The conviction was praised by the Canadian Jewish Congress, which advocated for Ahenakew to be stripped of the Order of Canada, the country's highest civilian honor.
A defiant Ahenakew lashed out at the Jewish community, the courts and the media shortly after being convicted and fined for promoting hatred.
Ahenakew said he is convinced authorities decided to strip him of the Order of Canada before the court reached its verdict.
"This, of course, was the direct result of the pressure put on the (Gov. General's) advisory committee by some of the Jewish community, including a letter-writing campaign and the lobbying by the Canadian Jewish Congress," he said at a news conference.
"If I'm forced to choose between freedom of speech and the Order of Canada, I chose free speech."
Ahenakew, 71, is currently a member of the Order of Canada, but on Thursday the Gov. General's office confirmed it has begun the process of stripping him of that honor.
Tribal supporters
The former First Nations leader was found guilty of wilfully promoting hatred when he referred to Jews as "a disease" and justified the Holocaust in December 2002, a judge ruled earlier Friday.
Irwin handed down his decision in a tiny courtroom packed with Ahenakew's supporters, members of the Jewish community and reporters.
"My conviction says the power of this country lies with those who have the funds to back their lobbies, and the corporate and financial influence to bend the Canadian judicial system and the government at their will," a defiant Ahenakew told reporters after the verdict.
But Ahenakew's lawyer refused to let him answer reporters who asked whether he thought Jewish people were responsible for his conviction.
"He doesn't have to answer questions that are going to get him charged with criminal offenses," said Doug Christie, who said he plans to appeal the verdict.
Ahenakew, 71, former head of the Assembly of First Nations, blamed the media for reporting his anti-Semitic comments and said he was suffering from a diabetes-related chemical imbalance when he made them - arguments Irwin rejected.
Lapel pin
Ahenakew, wearing the lapel pin given to members of the order, said he would not give it up.
A spokesman for the governor general, whose office issues the Order of Canada, said an advisory council had already started the process of revoking the honor.
Ahenakew would be the second person to be stripped of the honor. Disgraced former hockey czar Alan Eagleson had to give his up in 1998 after he was jailed for theft and fraud.
Ahenakew said he was not surprised by the conviction because he believes the justice system is prejudiced against aboriginal people.
"Hatred of First Nations people is rampant in our country, and it exists in the legal and justice systems, the media and the Canadian economy," he said.
Ahenakew said he hoped his case would raise awareness about the litany of social injustices faced by aboriginals.
"We've suffered under deliberate genocidal policies designed to rid the world of us," he said.
"The injustices against First Nations people are more than equal to the horrors perpetuated against the Jewish community and the racism and ethnic cleaning that has so shocked the world in places like Rwanda and Bosnia."
Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this article
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3110562,00.html
//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
This guy obviously has some issues, but our legal system is being supremely arrogant in overruling the Charter Right to freedom of speech just because it is distasteful.
I guess the Charter of Rights and Freedoms only applies to those with politically correct causes... :-X