Syed Soharwardy, (who originally filed, then dropped, a complaint against Ezra Levant over the republication of the Danish Mohammed cartoons) has issued statement on recent decisions by Canada’s human rights tribunals;
When I initiated my complaint against Mr. Levant, I saw human rights commissions as a non-violent means of resolving differences among Canadians. I was not aware of the controversies between the commissions and Canada’s faith communities. I am thinking specifically of my friend Fred Henry, the Roman Catholic bishop of Calgary. Upon learning about the difficulties he and other faith communities have encountered with the commissions, I withdrew my complaint against Mr. Levant.
One of the reasons I chose Canada as my adopted homeland is because of our country’s great respect for religious freedom. In Canada, I am free to be good Canadian and a good Muslim. There is no contradiction between the two.
In listening to the experiences of Bishop Henry and Pastor Boissoin, I realized how precious religious freedom is to our country and how easily freedom is lost.
Yes, I have often expressed concerns over Islamophobia. Some of the portrayals of Muslims in the media have been painful – so much so, that I worried when I set out across Canada on the multifaith walk against violence.
However, the reaction from ordinary Canadians could not have been more hospitable. Canadians of all races, colours, religions, and ages have welcomed me, a Muslim man with brown skin, into their homes, their neighbourhoods and their communities. They have walked with me, eaten with me and prayed with me. They have expressed strong concern for preserving our civil liberties – which includes freedom of speech and religion. They have also expressed a strong desire to end violence in Canada and around the world.
This experience has taught me that we can only end violence when we respect the freedom all Canadians.
There will always be pockets of Islamophobia in Canada, just like there are still pockets of anti-Semitism, racism and sexism. However, I have learned that the best way to dispel misconceptions between our various cultures and communities is for us to meet face to face and learn from each other similarities and difference.
This can only be accomplished in a society that respects freedom of expression, freedom of religion and all of our other democratic freedoms.
And good for him.
interesting…. wonder how honest he is being?
Perhaps he’s worried about an attempt by Ezra to recoup Ezra’s legal fees as a result of the complaint.
He has learned this, presumably, after his attempt to force his thinking on the rest of us failed.
Anybody who believes his words is a complete idiot.
Weasel words. He’s now had the time and enough negative feedback to figure out life is not so sweet as a pariah.
Color me unimpressed.
“Canadians of all races, colours, religions, and ages have welcomed me, a Muslim man with brown skin”
I don’t have a problem with people with brown skin. I have a problem with idiots, who happen to come in all colours, including brown. If Mr. Soharwardy would like me to have warmer feelings about him, he could do something distinctly unidiotic like reimbursing Mr. Levant in full for the legal costs that he was wrongly burdened with. I remain unimpressed until such a time as Mr. Soharwardy makes amends for his actions.
One can only go on what another says, or does. He withdrew the complaint, and states a reasoned position.
Whatever he believes, it looks like he’s learned a valuable lesson about freedom. Unless he pulls something to the contrary…I can’t criticize.
Wondering if the Human Rights ‘Roos would ever consider the same? Nope, me neither.
Sounds like a hudna to me.
You’re right, Penny about weasel words.
“There will always be pockets of Islamophobia …”
Define “Islamophobia”, Mr. Soharwardy. Is that any criticism of Islam?
As far as “___phobia”, an irrational fear, there are ample factual and historic grounds for people of the Western Democracies to have very rational anxieties about Islam in their societies.
Just tarring these rational anxieties is attacking the messenger, rather than debating the message. That’s rhetorical evasion, used when the person/ideology being criticized either is too intellectually lazy to respond logically or has no logically sound counter-argument.
Holy crap. Do you think he’s serious? Bravo it’s for real.
I think as a gesture of his good intentions and change of heart he should fly himself out to BC and have a chat with the sockpuppets.
PIMF
“if” it’s for real
I am well-disposed towards Syed Soharwardy, but he must realise his earlier actions justify scepticism about his sincerity. Making common cause with, for example, the Muslim Canadian Congress the next time they condemn Mohammedan atrocities or extremist demands would carry more weight than issuing a statement regretting past errors.
Let’s not be naive, folks. It’s just a tactical retreat, nothing more.
What he said is sooooooooooooo Canadian … and I mean that in the very best sense of the term.
Bravo, indeed! I only hope his fellow Muslims in North America will take what he has to say seriously.
I would like to think that the man is being sincere and that this is not just a reaction to the horrible PR this case has generated.
It’s Friday and I’m in a charitable mood so unless he does something else in the future, good on him.
We believe Soharwardy at our own peril. The Koran permits lying to unbelievers.
“There are, however, a few choice instances where lying is acceptable in Islam.
The Prophet Muhammad said: “Lying is not permitted except in three cases: a man speaking to his wife to make her happy; lying in times of war; and lying in order to reconcile between people.”
Sumayyah Meehan as quoted in Jihad Watch.
Actions speak louder than words, when Soharwardy coughs up for the cost of Ezra’s defence, I’ll be more inclined to believe this is genuine.
Colour me not convinced yet.
If it is genuine, good for him, but I doubt that it is.
I’m with the hudna.
Change of heart? Hardly. More like change of spin.
Just take him at his word, forgive him and move on.
If he’s truly repentant, he will continue to work for understanding among all human beings, as his words seem to imply.
Just like the citizens in Afghanistan starting to turn their guns on the Taliban, Soharwardy can do himself a favour by condemning the jihadists.
The Mohammed cartoon depicted how the violent jihadists (as represented by the 19th-century bomb in the turban) were cloaking themselves in religious legitimacy.
Once Soharwardy steps back, he will understand the enemy is not free speech that points out these things, but that it’s groups like the Taliban and al-Qaida that bring disrepute to Islam.
The solution has to be within the Moslem community and Soharwardy should focus his efforts, not some imagined slight.
Whether you believe him or not, he said it publicly. I’d count that as a victory for our side.
Another thing…isn’t he a law student? Could this be a response manufactured to preserve the hopes of a future career outside of the HRC racket?
Given the numerous cases of Soharwardy speaking sympathetically of jihadists and other radicals…..echoing terrorist sentiments about Israel and Jewish people ….. think this is for real??
If so it’s quite an epiphany that he’s had !
Money talks…bullshit walks.
When he reimburses Ezra then I might start to believe.
After reading some of the stuff that has come from Mr. Syed Soharwardy on Ezra’s blog I doubt very mich that he wrote this himself. We can only hope and pray that this is actually how the man feels. It would be quite a turn around from what he has been advocating previously. I guess time will tell.
Dave has the goods about lying being ‘good’ if it furthers the cause of Islam.
Google doesn’t reveal any information about the HRC complaint against Soharwardy after the initial flurry of publicity, other than a press release on a couple of blogs claiming that the whole affair was a hoax. Has anyone heard otherwise?
It’s not a victory at all. As long as we have an intrusive agency like the HRC’s, we have a banana republic.
A victory would see this moslem idiot in court fighting a fair battle and paying through the nose for his frivolous abuse of law and Canadian hospitality. A victory would see the end of the HRC’s.
The weapons these idiots used are still in place and they will use them again once the heat is off. It’s how they operate.
I say Ezra should sue Sohawardy for every penny he cost him for his defense.
Sohawardy can STFU and be thankful he has all the freedoms he could only dream about in any Muslim theocracy he and many like him fled. It appears he and others like him just can’t help themselves, they have to keep causing trouble of one sort or another.
Sorry, we just can’t take this person at his word. Trust has to be earned. After episodes of this sort, it’ll take a long time.
Read the first sentence one more time.
“When I initiated my complaint against Mr. Levant, I saw human rights commissions as a non-violent means of resolving differences among Canadians.”
So is the alternative now violence? We had our chance and we blew it? Now we face the consequences?
Many of Bin Laden’s public statements have been considered announcements in code. I say we should focus on the very first sentence, and assume the rest is simply filler.
Wow..Some of you have no problem taking a few words from a man who believes (and has stated so..) that every Israeli citizen over the age of 18 is a legitimate military target.
How do you reconcile this Islamist’s previous words with this obviously scripted piece of feel good puffery, meant to have exactly the desired result displayed by so many of you here..?
Give your collective heads a shake people, this man is an Islamist supremist, don’t you ever forget that..
Blah, blah, blah.
There will always be pockets of Islamophobia in Canada
OK infidelaphobic a**hole: talking about pockets, your Saudi masters have very deep pockets. How ’bout transferring some of the dough from these deep pockets back into Mr. Levant’s threadbare shallow pockets.
Put the umma’s money where your pretty mouth is.
With respect to compensation for Ezra, it really should come from the bodies that allowed such an unjust process to be used: the Rights Commissions themselves. Unfortunately, that means that compensation ultimately comes from us, the taxpayers. However, it is nevertheless the Government that has abused Mr. Levant’s rights and therefore the Government that should be responsibile to make him and the many others who have been victims of these sham proceedings, whole. I think the taxpayer could still come out whole as well, if such compensation were accompanied by removing the mandate of these roo courts, at least in any matters involving free speech.
With respect to the sincerity of the latest words from Soharwardy, I would be among those of you who require further demonstration of the change of heart. However, I believe Kursk at 3:02 pm is confusing Soharwardy with the guy who was actually reported to have said those words about Israelis over the age of 18, Mohammed Elmasry.
“When I initiated my complaint against Mr. Levant, I saw human rights commissions as a non-violent means of resolving differences among Canadians.”
Well that method didn’t work out so we’ll just blow up your Canadian embassy in Pakistan and call it even, okay? I keeeell you.
So I guess the Muslims in Edmonton don’t see it Soharwardy’s way? Will he call for them to drop their case too?
I understand that Elmasry holds these views as well.This is not a unique view to just this man,this is a mindset of Canadian Islamists.This idea of all Israeli’s over 18 being legitimate targets was not created in a vacuum…
My sense is that Soharwardy simply read the writing on the wall, that any “victory” would be a pyrrhic victory i.e. the adverse publicity, outrage and backlash from having Ezra convicted by an HRC would provoke a reaction that would result in the declawing or elimination of one of the most convenient weapons of intimidation available to Soharwardy and his ilk.
It’s a tactical retreat in the face of an overwhelming and potentially devastating foe. His forces and his weapons are preserved to be used on easier victims. And he gets to game the gullible into complacency with all the politically correct puffery.
I hope I’m wrong and the epiphany is real, but time will tell.
Takkiya and kitman are Muslim tactics.
“Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun The frumious Bandersnatch!”
(H/TJabberwocky)
Wow. So how would good Christians respond to someone’s apology? Obviously call him a liar and tell him to shove it. Oh wait, I meant how would pathetic bigots respond. You reveal yrselves with yr own words and attitudes. It’s helpful thanks.
It’s helpful in what way roger? Or zeek, haye, or whatever you call yourself today. What plans do you have in the works?
People can change their ideas. If this is a strategic PR withdrawal we will know soon enough. He has withdrawn his complaint & apologized.
While they are the loudest, extremists don’t speak for Muslims anymore than the IRA spoke for Catholics.
Where is this statement being posted? Is it going to be aired by the MSM? Will CBC interview Mr. Soharwardy about his change of heart?
I find it somehow unbelievable that before now Mr. Soharwardy knew nothing about the persecution of “his friend” Fred Henry, the Roman Catholic Archbishop or the Rev. Boissoin.
One wants to be charitable and accept the lofty words and sentiments of Mr. Soharwardy, but there’s something about his stated ignorance of the battles being fought by Bishop Henry and the Rev. Boissoin that, unfortunately, rings hollow.
It’s fake: a tactical lie to save face. The muslims have a special name for it. Ezra has explained this on his blog before.
As a human being, one must take the man at his word. However, with the addition of his ideology, one has no choice but to be suspicious.
“This can only be accomplished in a society that respects freedom of expression, freedom of religion and all of our other democratic freedoms.” – Sohawardy
Shariah honours none of the above western values. The (Cairo) Islamic declaration on so-called human rights is an example. The whole declaration is abrogated by the last two sections, placing everything stated prior under the dictates of Shariah.
As well, even his own prophet, who Sohawardy is to emulate in every way, was anything but an honourable and truthful man. He provided the basis for taqiyya in the ordering of the assassination of a Meccan female poet. He also said, “War is deceit.”
Muslims curse Christians, Jews and all other religions 17 times a day as part of their religious devotion.
Islamic allusions to supremacy is perhaps the key problem between Muslims and the rest of the world. They believe based on the Quran and Mohammad’s examples and sayings that they are worth more in every way than non-Muslims. This is reflected in their pathologically murderous history practiced against all nations and dhimmitude foisted on Christians and Jews
Isn’t Sohawardy’s Islamic organization called ‘Islamic Supreme Council of Canada?’
The division of the world into dar al Islam and dar al Harb also comes to mind.
Personally, I do not trust any Muslim unless they reject and renounce these concepts. Something that inevitably will make them an apostate.
“Just take him at his word, forgive him and move on.”
The hell you say. I hope Ezra sues him for damages. Remember, he’s at $100,000.00 plus in costs to fight this crap.
This is not a change of heart, it’s a change of face. He didn’t get as far as he’d hoped with his previous tactics, so now he’s a “reformed” character. Just biding his time. The same complaint against Ezra still stands–just initiated by another of the many heads of this particular hydra (the Edmonton Muslim Council). Interesting also that Mr. Soharwardy is also the target of a human rights complaint by some of the women in his church who feel they’re being discriminated against. Interesting.
Zeek, do you enjoy displaying your idiotic ignorance in public?
Do you like to be ridiculed because of your stupidity?
Read and learn.
Zeek,
The fact that Ezra is still being prosecuted by Mr. Soharwardy’s associate for the exact same reason means that this is more about the publicity war than it is about peace and love and harmony.
This isn’t the first time that Mr. Soharwardy has released a statement like that, but given his past public statements, I think the general attitude here isn’t one of “bigotry” but instead one of apprehension at the motive behind his sudden change of heart. Perhaps your bigotry is letting you see only what you want to see? Just a thought.
(Sorry for feeding the troll Kate)
Perhaps Soharwardy has managed to look out into time a little, and imagine a CHRC staffed by appointees from a different party. Ones who will have a different set of enemies to crush than the current bunch of Liberal appointees.
The power inherent in the CHRC allows them to forbid Muslim thought just as quick as Christian. The only way to be sure those guns don’t turn on you is to take them down.
Zeek
Save your offended muslim crap. The vast majority of Canadians are not bigots and would not tolerate bigots. Anybody with an IQ over room temperature knows what muslim activists have in mind for us kaffirs. We have to worry about what our granddaughters will say about us if we let creeping sharia turn them in to “highly respected” but nonetheless non-voting citizens in the country which is now being polluted with scum who would take away women’s rights. If we have to offend activist muslims to protect our granddaughters so be it.
Luckily for you Zeek, there are dozens of “progressive” countries that do not respect the rights of women or Christians or Jews or Bahais or atheists or homosexuals or anyone else who is not a heterosexual male member of the “special religion”. Please move to one of those more perfect countries and take all of your wives and your other possessions. Rest assured you will not be missed.
Most Canadians welcome black people, yellow people, brown people or anyone else who respects democracy and equal rights for all humans. We even let women vote and hold office! We are not the bigots.
I have followed this in detail for 6 months. The point is to ‘allow free speech’, not winning debating points. When a litigant (previous) writes a public statement like this ACCEPT IT until such times as proven false. Then way in with doubts. This really is a great Canadian debate and, until proven otherwise, I think we all just saw a great Canadian compromise.
I have followed this in detail for 6 months. The point is to ‘allow free speech’, not winning debating points. When a litigant (previous) writes a public statement like this ACCEPT IT until such times as proven false. Then way in with doubts. This really is a great Canadian debate and, until proven otherwise, I think we all just saw a great Canadian compromise.
I have several concerns. I think this post of Soharwardy is a strategy not a personal epiphany.
First, to define the HRC as a ‘non-violent’ way of resolving differences is a strange comment, for the HRCs most certainly don’t resolve differences. They punish Canadians for critiquing differences.
Second, stating that criticism of Islam is ‘Islamophobia’ is intellectually dishonest. There are almost no incidents of Islamophobia in Canada, ie, an irrational fear of Islam. But there is certainly criticism of Islam’s axioms and the anti-Western, anti-democratic, anti-freedom declarations of its international and Canadian leaders.
Soharwardy says nothing about the requirement for a religion to be open to debate and critique of its axioms. Not a word. He says nothing about these anti-Western statements by Islamic leaders, including those in Canada.
Third, what does he mean by ‘freedom of religion’? A major problem in Islam as a religion is that it is actually a socio-economic and political system dressed up as a religion. This puts those very same social, economic and political modes of behaviour outside of debate, discussion..and change. Because they are defined as ‘straight from the word of god’. So there.
Now, does Soharwardy, with his ‘freedom of religion’ mean that Islam and all its modes of social, economic and political behaviour (including the inequality of women, including four wives, including jihad, etc)..are outside of the criticism of Canadians? And beyond the touch of Canadian law?
What does he mean by ‘freedom of religion’? He doubtless cares little about the freedom of religion of other religions; he’s focused on Islamic freedom. And my concern is: What exactly does this mean, in practical terms, in Canada?