Ottawa Threatening Hate Charges Against Those Who Boycott Isreal

a reply to: Involutionist

I don't think you understand.

Harper, like many on this site, feel that it is right to protest ONLY those things that you personally agree with.

Me?

I think the right to protest should be free to every idea. It doesn't require a qualification that I, nor anyone else, need to agree to it.

I hate olives. I am free to hate olives. But I would never stop anyone else from eating them, regardless of my feelings towards olives.

Like this issue, it does not matter what my feelings are on the subject. I only made the statement to clarify and stress the importance of the rights to expression and that it doesn't need a caveat to support the rights.

I'm also unclear as to the actual legal rights in Canada, but I was under the impression that they weren't that draconian. Perhaps I was mistaken.

a reply to: beezzer

Harper, like many on this site, feel that it is right to protest ONLY those things that you personally agree with.

Yes, the Harper government feels repulsed at things that go against the policies of the Conservative government.

Me?

I think the right to protest should be free to every idea. It doesn't require a qualification that I, nor anyone else, need to agree to it.

I agree with your fair minded approach. In fact, I saw that you were stating that from your very first post...

I hate olives. I am free to hate olives. But I would never stop anyone else from eating them, regardless of my feelings towards olives.

Like this issue, it does not matter what my feelings are on the subject. I only made the statement to clarify and stress the importance of the rights to expression and that it doesn't need a caveat to support the rights.

To be fair, I sat and contemplated this question before responding to you:

Is there anything that repulses me that I still support?

The answer is yes. I do work every now and then with Amnesty International and have witnessed some events documented on paper that I do support but find it extremely repulsive. Humans killing other humans is very repulsive to me, but I support some of the documented case studies of men getting murdered in order to free children from sex-slave paedophilia rings.

So, after contemplation, I now understand where you were going with that. I feel you.

I'm also unclear as to the actual legal rights in Canada, but I was under the impression that they weren't that draconian. Perhaps I was mistaken.

It is not that draconian, but it can become that way...silently. The article in the OP gives clear examples of how the system can deter such movements. Being placed on a certain list can affect revenue and many other freedoms that will railroad any organization even whose goal is not primarily focused on Israel. There are organizations that help the oppressed all across the globe that receive government subsidies, but as soon as they include the Palestinian cause on their resume these funding are cut off or they are threatened with being silenced with red tape. This new law really just adds an extra stone to the pile. Make sure it sinks real good.


These organizations sit back and are forced to bow out of the fight due to their livelihood being at stake and the fact they cannot jeopardize losing funding that goes to other places across the globe unrelated to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

Kind of like a boys club.

It is still legal to protest and boycott any nation, corporation, organization, person, etc here in Canada. The issue is the Harper Government is using this new law to stifle dissent towards Israel (and other unrelated agendas) by threatening those that do exercise their legal right to organize protest or boycotts towards Israel to be placed on a government watch-list or being charged with hate crimes. The irony is the BDS movement here in Canada is directed by the Independent Jewish Voices of Canada.

Have a nice weekend.