CJC News Release: CJC Pacific Region and Darfur Association call on Prime Minister to keep his commitments

Jan 27, 2005 - CJC Pacific Region and Darfur Association call on Prime Minister to keep his commitments.

VANCOUVER, B.C, January 27, 2005…On the 60th Anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz Concentration Camp, Canadian Jewish Congress, Pacific Region and the Darfur Association of Canada – B.C. Chapter held a joint press conference to appeal to Prime Minister Martin to show leadership and follow through on his commitments to help end the crisis in Darfur where 80,000 innocent people have been murdered and 1.5 million are homeless after their villages were burned.

“We call upon the Government of Canada to mobilize all resources - political, diplomatic, and financial - that are necessary to stop the suffering and avert what is becoming another Rwandan-like catastrophe in Darfur,” said Mark Weintraub, Chair of Canadian Jewish Congress, Pacific Region. “Whether or not what is occurring is technically ‘genocide’ should not deter Canada from recognizing that by all accounts, there is a great humanitarian disaster unfolding in Darfur where innocent people, including women and children, are being murdered, raped, and tortured because of their ethnicity,” he charged. In a letter sent to the Prime Minister, Weintraub reminded the Prime Minister of the remarks he made during his November visit to Darfur that “there are always excuses, but it is our responsibility to create a situation where there can be no excuses.”

Nouri Abdalla, an activist in the Darfur community in Vancouver confirmed that the situation in Darfur today is worse than it was four months ago when the UN Security Council Resolution asked the Sudanese government to disarm its proxy, the Janjaweed militia, and bring their leaders to justice. “Despite UN resolutions and all the signed agreements, the Sudanese government continues to violate all its commitments,” he noted. Abdalla called on the Prime Minister to demand “the immediate disarming of the murderous Janjaweed militias initially unleashed by the Sudanese government; the immediate apprehension of their leaders; the imposition of ‘no-fly zones’ over Darfur; intervention by highly experienced, properly funded, well-trained and well-equipped peace-keeping forces; and an immediate investigation with respect to the commission of war crimes and crimes against humanity.”

Robert Waisman, a survivor of the Holocaust said the world must be reminded, especially on the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, of its commitment to “never again” allow such evil to prevail. “Every human tragedy has it's own unique context. Our own experience with the Holocaust has taught us that such evil must be recognized and that we have a responsibility to ensure that it never happens again. In Darfur, inter-ethnic issues have unleashed terrible forces putting hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of innocent victims at risk. The human price that has been paid is already too high.”

Canadian Jewish Congress, Pacific Region addresses issues of human rights, combats all forms of discrimination and antisemitism; establishes an ongoing political liaison with all political parties and all levels of government; aims for an open and enhanced dialogue with other religious, ethnic and minority groups to foster understanding, goodwill and cooperation on issues of mutual concern and speaks on a broad range of public policy, humanitarian and social-justice issues.

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Contact:
Erwin Nest, Executive Director
Suite 201-950 West 41st Avenue
Vancouver, BC V5Z 2N7
Phone: 604-257-5101
Fax: 604-257-5131
E-mail: erwinn@cjc.ca
http://www.cjc.ca/template.php?action=news&story=686

Building your Estate Practice Seminar

Building your Estate Practice
A lunch seminar on Estate Administration for Accountants.
Presented by:
CLARK, WILSON
BC's Law Firm for Business

Estate Administration for Accountants

Acccountants are ideally suited to act as executors for Estates, a function which carries important responsibilities and can provide reasonable compensation. There are many opportunities for a trusted accountant to be asked by clients and other professionals to act as executor.

Yet how many accountants actually take advantage of these potential opportunities?

Clark, Wilson is offering a short, powerful seminar specifically for accountants, which will provide practical information and approaches to building your estate practice.

This complimentary seminar is part of Clark, Wilson's outreach programming, desiged to provide practical advice and business development information to other professionals involvd in the estate planning industry.

All participants will receive a binder of helpful articles complementing the seminar content.

The time commitment is limited and the venue is convenient - don't miss this opportunity.

Space is limited, so reserve early.

Agenda

11:45 am Registration

Noon Welcome & Overview

12:05 pm Douglas Howard
Acting as Executor/Trustee for Your Client

• Duties and Responsibilities - what's involved in acting as Executor/Trustee for your client?
• Application for probate - why is probate necessary?
• Charging Clauses in Wills/Remuneration/Fee Agreements - can you charge your professional hourly rate?
• Summary of the new investment rules

12:25 pm Amy Mortimore
Presenting an Passing Estate Accounts

• Requirement for Accountings - can they be avoided?
• Practical advice regarding the form of accounts - what is the Court looking for?

12:45pm Mark Weintraub
Common Sources of Litigation (and how to avoid them)

• Wills Variation Act applications
• Cy-pres applications
• incapacity/undue influence claims

1:05pm Question & Answer Period

Speakers

Douglas Howard is a senior partner with Clark, Wilson, and Chair of the firm's Wills and Estates practice group. His extensive practice in developing and implementing tax effective estate plans for his clients encompasss a wide variety services, including: tax planned Wills; Trusts; Representation Agreements; Powers of Attorney; Committeeships; Estate Administration; Executor's right, duties and compensation; and Estate issues in connection with RRSP and RRIF. Doug may be reached at tel. 604 643 3110, or by email mdh@cwilson.com.

Mark Weintraub is a partner in Clark, Wilson's Litigation Department. He has had considerable experience as counsel in highly disputed Estates, involving allegations of negligent or fraudulent administration. A number of his cases have involved novel points of law or complex factual issues, including legal obligations of executors, committeeships, powers of attorney, status of parties and gender discrimination. Mark may be reached at tel. 604 643 3113, or email msw@cwilson.com

Amy Mortimore is an associate with Clark, Wilson's Estate Litigation Practice Group. She has experience in various estate litigation issues, including contested accounting, incapacity issues, variation claims, and undue influence claims. She is also a co-author of CLE's text, British Columbia Estate Planning and Wealth Preservation, specifically in the chapter addressing claims pursuant to the Wills Variation Act. Amy may be reached at tel. 604 643 3177, or email aam@cwilson.com

Letter to Prime Minister re: situation in Darfur

Letter to Prime Minister re: situation in Darfur

Rt. Hon. Paul Martin, P.C., M.P.
Prime Minister's Office
Langevin Block
80 Wellington Street
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0A2

Dear Prime Minister:

On May 13, 2004, Canadian Jewish Congress wrote to you conveying "profound concern" in the face of "reports of mass murder, systematic rape and ethnic cleansing in Darfur." Since then the massive suffering continues largely unabated. Inter-ethnic issues have unleashed terrible forces putting well over one million people, at risk. The price that has been paid by innocent victims is unconscionable.

The purpose of this letter, on the eve of the release by the United Nations on an investigation on whether genocide has been committed in Sudan's Darfur region and on the day prior to a press conference on the issue by CJC's Pacific Region, is to once again call upon the Government of Canada to mobilize all resources - political, diplomatic and financial - that are necessary to stop the suffering and avert what is becoming another human catastrophe of major proportions. We add that the recent North-South peace agreement in Sudan is very good news, but any positive impact on Darfur is far from clear.

Since our last correspondence to you on this issue, our CJC National leadership has met with Gilbert Laurin, Ambassador and Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations; our Quebec Region co-organized a Day of Conscience; our Ontario Region, working closely with KAIROS (representing ten Christian churches on domestic and international social justice issues) co-sponsored an important public rally supported by over forty NGOs; all synagogues in British Columbia were addressed on Yom Kippur by rabbinical and lay leadership about the urgency of the matter; and leaders of the Jewish community have raised Darfur at numerous meetings with parliamentarians. Our university students, through the Canadian Federation of Jewish Students and National Jewish Campus Life, also are in the process of planning a series of initiatives. As a result of our active involvement on this issue we have seen that many Canadians, like us, consider this crisis a top priority.

Our initial correspondence to you, reinforced in meetings with Senator Mobina Jaffer, Special Envoy to the Sudan Peace Process, and various Cabinet Ministers and Members of Parliament, called for the immediate disarming of the murderous Janjaweed militias initially unleashed by the Sudanese government; the imposition of "no-fly zones;" intervention by highly experienced, properly funded, well-trained and well-equipped peace-keeping forces; and immediate investigation with respect to the commission of war crimes and crimes against humanity.

We very much appreciate the international advocacy on Darfur that has been forthcoming from you and your government. At the same time the situation on the ground in Darfur continues to deteriorate and the African Union mission does not have the necessary troops and resources to protect civilians. This mandate must be strengthened and more international resources dedicated to support them. You have been in the forefront with the "responsibility to protect" doctrine and a renewed priority to such diplomacy in the context of Darfur is urgently needed. As you pointed out on your visit to Darfur, “we live in a world that is divided into countries. But there is something more important than countries. It is our common humanity.” And you added "there are always excuses, but it is our responsibility to create a situation where there can be no excuses."

Every tragedy has its own unique context. Our own experience with the Holocaust has taught us that such evil must be recognized and that we have a responsibility to ensure that it never happens again. That is why our National President, Ed Morgan and our past chairman of the Holocaust remembrance committee who is a survivor of Auschwitz, Nate Leipciger, are currently in Poland commemorating the 60th anniversary of the liberation of this death camp.

A recent newspaper headline asks, "Will the world ever learn?" above a picture of the gates into Auschwitz. That is a legitimate question to be asked after Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia (to provide but three examples in a longer list) and, now, Darfur. The difference is that in Darfur it is still possible to stop the crisis but it must be done quickly if more lives are to be saved and untold suffering averted.

We have every confidence that Canadians will support you and indeed encourage you to take the initiative on the world stage in protecting the people of Darfur. The Jewish community is only one of countless communities across this great nation who will do all in our power to vest meaning in the words “never again”. As a world community we failed in Rwanda; we implore you to ensure that we not once again fail in Darfur.

We thank you for your attention to this matter of such great urgency and look forward to your response at your earliest convenience

Yours very truly,

Dr. Victor C. Goldbloom, C.C., O.Q.
Chair
National Executive
Canadian Jewish Congress

Mark Weintraub
Chair
Canadian Jewish Congress
Pacific Region

CC.
Hon. Pierre Pettigrew Hon., P.C., M.P.
Minister of Foreign Affairs

Hon. Bill Graham P.C., M.P., Q.C.
Minister of National Defence

Hon. Aileen Carrol, P.C., M.P.
Minister for International Cooperation

http://www.cjc.ca/template.php?Language=EN&action=briefs&item=78

National Post: No charges for 'hate-filled attack' on Jews

Jan 20, 2005 - National Post
By: Stewart Bell

No charges for 'hate-filled attack' on Jews: Blamed for world wars
Crown says no evidence Muslim newspaper intended to incite hatred

Prosecutors in British Columbia have decided not to lay hate crimes charges against a Muslim newspaper that published a shocking column blaming Jews for everything from pedophilia to the 9/11 attacks.

The RCMP Hate Crimes Unit in Surrey, B.C., confirmed yesterday that its year-long probe of The Miracle newspaper had ended and that the Crown would not be pressing charges.

"This case involved a thorough and exemplary investigation by the B.C. hate crimes team into an article published in The Miracle," said Stan Lowe, spokesman for the B.C. Criminal Justice Branch.

"And after an equally thorough review of all the available evidence, and the law in regard to hate crimes by our senior lawyers in the criminal justice branch, the case did not meet our charging standards. Therefore charges will not be laid in this case."

He added that the law requires the Crown to prove there was an intention, or mens rea, to incite hatred.

"I don't think the subject matter itself there is any debate, the subject matter is hate literature. The issue is at the end of the day, the mens rea element."

The newspaper's editor, Pakistan-born Nusrat Hussain, said the RCMP had informed him of the decision, and he would be announcing it to his readers in a front-page editorial in tomorrow's edition.

"At the outset, I would like to thank Almighty Allah for establishing us innocent contrary to the false allegations of spreading hate," he writes in the column, which concludes with a poem praising Canada.

The controversy began in December, 2003, when Mr. Hussain's small newspaper published an article written by an Idaho Holocaust denier that blamed Jews for organized crime, "race-mixing," militant feminism, "forcing us to allow homosexuals to lead Boy Scout troops" and a long list of other items.

"It isn't Arabs lying about and guilt-tripping us with 'the Holocaust' -- it is Jews," the article read.

"It wasn't Arabs who caused the Great Depression -- it was Jews. It wasn't Arabs who started WWI -- it was Jews. It wasn't Arabs who started WWII -- it was Jews."

The Canadian Jewish Congress gave copies of the "virulently anti-Semitic article" to police hate crimes authorities last January and asked for an investigation.

Yesterday, Mark Weintraub, the congress's Pacific Region Chair, said the RCMP had notified him that while the article was clearly hate propaganda, it would be too difficult to secure a conviction.

"The Miracle newspaper article was a hate-filled attack on the Jewish community, penned by a notorious American anti-Semite. Its publication was unequivocally denounced by the mainstream Muslim community; even the publisher responsible for the publication subsequently expressed remorse," he said.

But Mr. Weintraub added that he "fully appreciates that where material is published which is anti-Semitic, racist and hate filled, investigation of the manner of dissemination of such material may lead Crown counsel to conclude that the strict requirements of the incitement provisions have not been met and that criminal prosecution is therefore not appropriate."

The congress will continue its "zero tolerance" approach to hate and "will continue to be vigilant in confronting such acts and in reporting suspected hate crimes whenever they occur so that the criminal justice system may take its rightful course," he said.

Mr. Hussain said in an interview yesterday he did not agree with the article and regretted printing it in his newspaper, which has a circulation of several thousand copies and is based in Delta, B.C.

"I still feel that the article was offensive. I shouldn't have published it," he said. "I shouldn't have, that was a bad choice but at the same time I always believed that if somebody is saying something wrong, let it come out and let us deal with the person."

He said since the issue erupted, the B.C. government and Liberal politicians pulled their advertising. The B.C. Muslim Association also stopped distributing it at mosques, Mr. Hussain said.

The troubles forced the newspaper to scale back from weekly distribution to twice a month.

CJC News Release: Canadian Jewish Congress, Pacific Region Statement on "The Miracle" decision

Jan 19, 2005 - Canadian Jewish Congress, Pacific Region Statement on "The Miracle" decision

VANCOUVER, JANUARY 19, 2005 - Canadian Jewish Congress, Pacific Region (CJCPR) has learned that Crown Counsel has decided not to lay charges against the publisher of the Delta newspaper “The Miracle”. In January 2004, CJCPR turned over copies of the newspaper which contained a venomously antisemitic article to the B.C. Hate Crime Team for investigation as violating the anti-hate provisions of the Criminal Code. CJCPR brought this legal issue to the Crown Counsel and was named as the complainant in this case.

CJCPR Chair Mark Weintraub stated, “The Miracle newspaper article was a hate filled attack on the Jewish community, penned by a notorious American anti-Semite. Its publication was unequivocally denounced by the mainstream Muslim community; even the publisher responsible for the publication subsequently expressed remorse. CJCPR turned over this hate-filled material to the Provincial Hate Crime Team for a determination as to whether charges should be recommended under the incitement to hatred sections of the Criminal Code. The Crown has advised CJCPR that after due investigation and deliberation, it was determined that while the article was obviously hate propaganda and could not be defended as any form of legitimate comment, it would be difficult to obtain a conviction for incitement on various legal grounds.

“CJCPR fully appreciates that where material is published which is antisemitic, racist and hate filled, investigation of the manner of dissemination of such material may lead Crown Counsel to conclude that the strict requirements of the incitement provisions have not been met and that criminal prosecution is therefore not appropriate. CJCPR has and will continue to have “zero tolerance” for all forms of hate and bias, including publication of hate propaganda. CJCPR will continue to be vigilant in confronting such acts and in reporting suspected hate crimes whenever they occur so that the criminal justice system may take its rightful course.

“CJCPR is confident in B.C.’s Hate Crime team; it is a most needed specialized force in the Province. Hate crimes undermine the very fabric of our diverse and free society and have as their motivation and backdrop the terrorization of an entire community. As such, they need specialized skills and different responses than crimes which are random or intended to strike at one individual. CJCPR will continue to advocate for the Hate Crime Team to be supported and funded in a manner which recognizes the important role which it fulfills in our community.”

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Contact:
Erwin Nest, Executive Director
Suite 201-950 West 41st Avenue
Vancouver, BC V5Z 2N7
Phone: 604-257-5101
Fax: 604-257-5131
E-mail: erwinn@cjc.ca

http://www.cjc.ca/template.php?action=news&story=683

Western Jewish Bulletin: Progress seen with labor

December 24, 2004

Progress seen with labor

Local Jewish groups seem to get their points heard.

PAT JOHNSON

It may not be a return to the old days when Zionism and trade unionism were inseparable allies, but some local Jewish community leaders are cautiously optimistic that a recent incident may signal the beginning of a rapprochement.

The British Columbia Federation of Labor passed a resolution condemning Israel's security barrier last month, but not before the Canadian Jewish Congress and the Canada-Israel Committee were able to correct a basic inaccuracy in the resolution. Although the resolution ended up passing, Zionist activists say they feel their concerns were heard. Originally, the resolution stated that the International Court of Justice had ruled that Israel's security barrier contravened international law. In fact, The Hague court's decision was a non-binding advisory opinion, a point made in a letter from two local organizations to the head of the union from which the resolution came.

The motion originated with the social justice advisory committee of the B.C. Teachers' Federation (BCTF) and progressed to the B.C. Federation of Labor, which is the umbrella labor organization for the province, at its general convention in Vancouver, Nov. 29 to Dec. 3.

The BCTF decided to reconsider the issue after a joint letter to the BCTF from Mark Weintraub, chair of Canadian Jewish Congress, Pacific Region, and Bob Willmot, chair of the B.C. branch of the Canada-Israel Committee. The letter outlined the concerns the two organizations had over the nature of the resolution, which condemned Israel's fence without condemning the terrorism that is the root cause of the barrier.

"This resolution lacks context, accuracy and the requisite balance," wrote Weintraub and Willmot. "Members [of the union] who know little about the conflict should be properly presented with full information and a balanced resolution if they are being asked to vote on something so controversial and so potentially alienating for some longtime and stalwart members of the labor movement who feel the concept of a security barrier is sound, although they may disagree with its routing."

As a result, the BCTF returned the issue to its executive, which some activists assumed meant the issue would be shelved for the time being. But a different group managed to get a similar resolution to the plenary after all.

"We understand that, the next day, individuals who are associated with the elementary teachers' association put forth a similar motion but, by reason of internal constitutional process, that motion was able to proceed to the B.C. Federation of Labor convention floor," Weintraub said.

The resolution, in the end, "resolved that the B.C. Federation of Labor through the Canadian Labor Congress demand that the Canadian government exert all possible pressure on the Israeli government to dismantle the wall built by Israel on occupied Palestinian territory."

It may not seem like a ringing victory for a balanced presentation of Middle East issues, but spokespeople for both the Canada-Israel Committee and Congress say that it is a sign labor is willing to engage with them on their concerns.

"This shift emphasizes the significance of engaging in a dialogue with the labor movement and calling to task the various inaccuracies in a constructive manner. The change in the text of the resolution is a result of this effort," said Nava Mizrahi, director of the Canada-Israel Committee for the Pacific region. "Again, it's a small but important first step."

Regrettably, she said, the final resolution did not address the very reason why Israel is building the anti-terror fence in the first place and it therefore lacks the requisite balance. Mizrahi suggests that such imbalance and lack of context does not contribute to achieving Arab-Israeli peace, but in fact may undermine the labor movement's claims to fairness and social justice.

"One-sided and inaccurate resolutions can easily be interpreted as a perversion of the social justice concerns [labor] purports to support," she said.

It may have been the process, as much as the final product, which gave encouragement to the CIC and Congress representatives, Mizrahi acknowledged, an attitude echoed by Weintraub.

"We were very much aware that there were individuals who were concerned by the one-sided nature of the resolution," Weintraub said. "There were other individuals who were highly motivated, [who] appeared to be very intent to have this motion be put forward.... We're still disappointed that there wasn't a proper emphasis on the reason why the security barrier had been implemented, namely to stop terrorism. That motivating reason was absent from the resolution and therefore if anyone is reading that resolution, it doesn't really make sense. It is just a one-sided condemnation. We are disappointed, but we do take cognizance of the fact that there was debate by reason of our communication and that there was some modification for the purposes of trying to be a little more balanced."

Jewish trade unionists, who have sometimes found themselves at odds with their allies as the Canadian labor movement has adopted wide-ranging and often vitriolic anti-Israel positions over the past several years, remain reticent as controversy continues to swirl. One prominent labor leader said the place for him to make his contribution is inside the movement, not in media.

Meanwhile, other efforts have been made between the Jewish community and Canada's left. Canadian Jewish Congress recently met with New Democratic Party members of Parliament Libby Davies (Vancouver East) and Bill Siksay (Burnaby-Douglas) to discuss a range of issues, including the imminent crisis in the Darfur region of Sudan.

"We met with [the MPs] on a number of issues including Darfur, resurgent anti-Semitism and the NDP's relationship with the Jewish community," said Weintraub. "CJC has met with Libby Davies on a number of occasions over the years and there have often been open exchanges on issues of agreement and issues of disagreement. We always value her accessibility and her commitment to listen carefully to views which she may not agree with."

Pat Johnson is a B.C. journalist and commentator.

http://www.jewishindependent.ca/archives/Dec04/archives04Dec24-02.html

Burnaby Now Op-eds: Hate must be stopped

Dec 18, 2004 - Burnaby Now
By: Mark Weintraub

Hate must be stopped

The kind of attack that Aaron Webster tragically suffered was not only motivated against an individual, but is part of a larger pathology of group hatred, tearing at the very fabric of our diverse society. The gay community has long suffered discrimination and abuse. We, as Canadians, have made great strides in recent years but hate crime statistics reveal that members of this community are still disproportionately targeted.

All of us must have a keen interest not only in reducing but indeed in eliminating violence against minorities in our society. Last summer, it was a young Filipino boy, and several years ago it was a beloved caretaker of a Sikh institution whose lives were senselessly brought to an end by those who were filled with vitriolic hatred. Every such violent act undermines the harmony and peacefulness in our cities, province and country.

As a human rights organization within the Jewish community, the Canadian Jewish Congress, Pacific Region has long been concerned with the proliferation of hate and bias crimes in British Columbia. It has advocated for a well-funded provincial hate crime team, the compilation of hate crime statistics, and special sentencing provisions for hate crimes.

Our society recognizes that an attack motivated by hate, whether it is due to a person's race, colour, ethnicity, religion or sexual orientation, creates an additional element of fear for other members of that group and seriously undermines those pillars our society is built on: democracy, equality, respect for diversity and the rule of law. The congress has confidence that a decision to appeal the acquittal will be given full consideration by the Crown.

We also believe that in the upcoming sentencing of the individual convicted, Criminal Code provisions calling for a more severe punishment for hate motivated crimes will be appropriately applied.

Mark Weintraub,

chair, Canadian Jewish Congress, Pacific Region

http://www.cjc.ca/template.php?action=oped&Rec=111

CJC Address: Strategies in Combating a Resurgent Antisemitism

Nov 07, 2004 - Vancouver, B. C.

Strategies in Combating a Resurgent Antisemitism
By: Mark Weintraub, Chair, CJC Pacific Region

On November 7, 2004, Canadian Jewish Congress, Pacific Region Chair Mark Weintraub delivered the keynote address at the 32nd Triennial Meeting of the Canadian National Council of Jewish Women. His remarks are reprinted here in their entirety.

Winston Churchill once said of Lord Charles Bereford's impromptu speaking:

"He is one of those orators of whom it was well said: Before they get up they do not know what they are going to say; when they are speaking, they do not know what they are saying and when they have sat down, they do not know what they have said.

A scripted delivery may go some way to avoiding a similar chastisement, but is no guarantee that the listener will leave knowing what was said. So let me at the outset say as succinctly as I can what it is I am saying.

The struggle against antisemitism is really a fight for the dignity of each individual living in a harmonious world. Antisemitism consists of the corrosive vapours of envy, fear, ignorance and hatred. These are harmful states of being and emotions which are not just directed to the Jews. By directly confronting antisemitism we assist not only in providing security for the Jewish community, we also help bring about conditions for a more peaceful world anchored in an unshakeable understanding of a vision of our common humanity. That is really the underlying theme of my presentation this afternoon.

Antisemitism is a word which encompasses prejudice, violence and ultimately genocide against our people. It is the one word which signals emotionally our collective place in the world as outsiders and victims. From social bigotry to the inconceivable destruction of the European Jewish community in our own time.

So one of the challenges in talking about antisemitism is to deal with it in a manner which doesn't leave the audience despondent and confused. By it's very nature the subject is replete with pain and irrationality. It appears to many of us to defy explanation notwithstanding all of the attempted explanations. How do I present this vast and painful subject attended by wonderfully committed people at a lovely lunch in a beautiful city in a way, which doesn't sugar coat but also doesn't move us towards futile anger or sadness?

There is, furthermore, the question of perspective and how that affects our ability to rationally analyze and respond. We are the post-Shoah generation with many survivors still in our midst; how can we, no doubt collectively traumatized, living in the immediate shadow of our own phys-ical annihilation have a full historical perspective?

Since we lack the historical perspective, how future historians will precisely record this period of Jewish history is anyone's guess; what we can be assured of is that the three monumental modern Jewish experiences; the Holocaust or in Hebrew the Shoah; the establishment of the State of Israel and the establishment of a free and prosperous Jewish community in the Western world will no doubt dominate future histories of the Jewish people in the same way that the destruction of the Temples, the Babylonian exile and the Golden age of Spain are several of the pivotal markers in our distant past. If nothing else, I think we need to constantly have an awareness of the great historical time in which we are living and recognize that our answers will only be partial because we are right in the middle of monumental history making.

This also goes to the issue of intellectual humility; can any of us really have the definitive answers as if what we are dealing with is the subject of the physical sciences? Obviously not, and therefore we must be careful in our assessments. Yet there have been some very cogent explanations for antisemitism in general and the Holocaust in particular although few agree as to the precise importance of each factor. For example; was the Shoah the final culmination of 2000 years of the teaching of contempt for Judaism by Christianity; the antisemitism of countries such as Canada refusing to grant Jews refuge and sending a message of indifference to Hitler; the greed of the leadership and citizenry in seeing the opportunity for appropriating Jewish wealth? Or was the receptivity to the Final Solution an indirect rebellion against the Christian layer of morality imposed upon a resentful militaristic Teutonic culture that saw Christianity as, in fact, a Jewish creation?

Some thinkers who try to provide over-arching theories for anti-Semitism see Judaism as a value system of ethical accountability and the affirmation of life, which threatens so many destructive ideologies such that Jews, as the carriers of hope for a better future are seen as the number one enemy.

Put another way, Jews for various historical and sociological reasons have always been engaged in the struggle over ideas and the vision for an improved society; and therefore will always be in the forefront of ideological struggle, whether Left or Right, secular or religious and thus open to greater attack. Other thinkers see antisemitism as the direct result of corrupt governance that has permitted those in power to divert attention from their own exploitation of the people; this is one of the more persuasive explanations for the pernicious antisemitism emanating from Christian Europe and the contemporary Middle East.

Religious explanations abound. Some on the fringes of religious fundamentalism would see the Holocaust and other manifestations of anti-Semitism as the instrument of God punishing the Jewish people for sins, similar to the prophetic interpretation of the destruction of the Temple; others, even in the mainstream, see antisemitism as almost like a divinely ordained principle which provides the necessary glue that maintains Jewish unity.

Notwithstanding the welter of explanations, the consensus of post-Holocaust advocacy organizations has been to embrace a view that antisemitism is a social phenomenon that can be checked through the creation of liberal democratic societies that are based upon principles of economic equality, the rule of just law, an accountable policing system and the overriding belief in a common humanity.

I think you can, therefore, appreciate how difficult the task becomes today, when Israel, a vibrant multicultural democracy, with a powerful judicial system and open media, is cast as a racist state by her enemies and as such ought to be dismantled. Advocates against antisemitism see us as proponents of a just society with Israel as the expression of nation-al self-determination; yet too much of the world sees Israel as an oppressive state. This creates a serious challenge on many levels and yet upon reflection has it not always been thus, even before the State of Israel?

Jews and their friends considered our traditions to be a carrier of great universalistic ideals; our opponents, even without a State, depicted us as enemies of humanity. So the underlying problem may not have changed, we now just have to deal with greater complexities on two fronts. Further, while the challenge is somewhat more complicated than, for example, pre-1948 or pre-1967 advocacy efforts, Israel, in my view has permitted the Diaspora communities to be more self-confident in claiming our rightful place in Western societies. We need to always remember the pride with which Israel has instilled in us as the hope and refuge for threatened Jewish communities such as the Russians and Ethiopians. As we ourselves become increasingly embroiled in the intensified efforts to delegimitize Jewish national self-determination.

Given my prefacatory remarks, I am sure it will come as no surprise that I wish to put in perspective Canadian antisemitism in the context of the attacks on Israeli citizenry these last years and in the context of the central place of Israel in any discussion of antisemitism. No matter how painful and severely troubling the cemetery desecrations, physical attacks on Jews, the hostile environment on some campuses towards anyone or any program supportive of Israel, the despicable firebomb attack on the Montreal Day School, the musings of the President of the Canadian Islamic Congress about the propriety of killing Israelis, and here in Vancouver the advocacy by Sheik Kathrada of jihad against Jews, it has been Israelis that have to date borne the brunt of violence towards the Jewish people.

It is a heroic tale of Israeli endurance, courage and optimism. Tourism has rebounded, life is more normalized and there is a sense in Israel that they have weathered with great resilience another period of devastating assaults. No one knows what the withdrawal from Gaza and the death of Arafat will bring, but if history is the predictor of the future, Israelis will continue to maintain phenomenal strength in the face of unprecedented adversity.

All of you know that Jewish communities around the world are facing an increased virulence of antisemitism not seen since the Holocaust. That is why I was asked to speak. Some call it the new antisemitism, but what is meant I think, is a new intensification.

Supreme Court of Canada Justice Rosie Abella addressed this resurgence in her 2003 Vienna address to the European Organization for Security and Co-operation. She said:

"What appears to have replaced the antisemitism that led to quotas, employment discrimination, and political invisibility is what Irwin Cotler calls the new antisemitism. This time it is antisemitism, not just against the Jews, but against the Jewish state."

Aspects of the new antisemitism in fact differ little from the old in that defamatory conspiracy theories of overwhelming Jewish power continue to be pumped out with astonishing regularity. The deceit is astounding in variety; some lies are crude and some are cleverly subtle, some may be even inadvertent; Jews masterminded September 11th; Jews control Bush and are responsible for the invasion of Iraq; Jews dictate to the Democratic Party, Jews have a lock on the media and world finance, Jews invented the Holocaust, and on and on the canards are spun out.

But the new antisemitism has found renewed vigor in castigating the Israeli State. This is a form of Jew hatred which is finding increasing acceptance in the universities, in governments, media and in populations around the world.

While we all remember the infamous Zionism as Racism U.N. resolution of the 70's, with it's subsequent repeal and the optimism borne of the Oslo accords, many in the community thought that the lethal anti-Zionism unleashed by the propagandists of various Arab countries would be relegated to the dustbin of history. Not so.

Indeed, at the so called anti-racism Conference in Durban in 2001, we identified the strategic planning by a coalition of representatives of repressive states and anti-Israeli activists for an invigorated campaign to identify Israel as the new South Africa; the new apartheid state deserv-ing of dismantling.

So now we see the increasing acceptance of an attack on the rights of Israel to be a nation. Israel continues to be the surrogate Jew within the United Nations and in many academic and other forums. With the new antisemitism, Israel is the collective Jew amongst nations, vilified and therefore dehumanized as a new demonic state; a successor state to the Nazis.

Then there are the more subtle double standards; media and government in many parts of the world taking seeming satisfaction singling out Israel for any deviation from the highest ethical norms. Israel is held to impossible standards and therefore must fail. Israelis are judged in accordance with abstract ideals in isolation. Even more moderate criticism sometimes has an accusatory backdrop not seen in respect to the critiques of other nations.

Now, of course, Israel must be held accountable for any actions in violation of international law or norms. But that is the point. Equality before and under the law should be the maxim, not the discriminatory treatment Israel receives. There is a fundamental difference between criticism and demonization.

The second point to all of this is that since most Jews are Zionists of some form, Jews are sometimes accused of supporting racism. This plays on the old defamations of Jews as clannish and selfish. As a result, what we have under the guise of fighting racism is the articulation of antisemitism as a moral imperative such that it emerges as a cause similar to the 19th century antisemitism that claimed to be protecting good and decent European values from Jewish contamination. This is one of the reasons we are seeing increasingly unabashed expressions of antisemitism. The propagandists have been so successful that they have been able to engage the old hatreds with a new legitimate and fundamentally important rallying cry, that of anti-racism. Of course, I don't need to point out to this audience the astounding irony of anti-racist ideology turned against the Jews.

It sounds grim, and it is grim, but Jews under siege is an old story; and the fact remains that Israel is moving into it's 7th decade as a nation state; as an energized democracy. The Jews are an enduring people and some would say that never before has the Jewish condition looked so hopeful. There are Jews inhabiting the same land as our ancestors thousands of years ago, speaking their same language and Jews throughout the world draw their values from the same Torah. In Canada, we have had many successes in achieving integration into all levels of society by successfully combating antisemitism and, therefore, sober optimism is not necessarily out of place.

I would now like to make a few general observations of what we have accomplished in Canada in relation to the struggle against antisemitism, identify some initiatives on the world stage and conclude with some points on strategies for dealing with the future.

The Canadian Jewish community in the past has overcome significant antisemitism through the development of highly evolved protective statutory, judicial and law enforcement infrastructures. That is a mouthful and could bore but these are structures that go to the heart of our protections and that have permitted our successful acceptance into a society that not too long ago was thick with bigotry.

In my view, it is no coincidence that illustrious Canadian lawyers and jurists, including Chief Justice Bora Laskin and McGill Law School Dean Maxwell Cohen, were associated in various capacities with CJC and other institutions of the organized Jewish community. Professor of Constitutional Law, Bruce Elman, has written that:

"The Canadian Jewish community has a rich history of involvement and advocacy on constitutional issues particularly the protection of minority rights."

Trudeau himself commented on the significant contributions that our organizations and individuals have made to the development of human rights protection, not least of which has been the Charter.

We have been at the forefront of human rights and multiculturism advocacy, we have left not one serious expression of religion, ethnic, or race based hate go unchallenged - whether white supremacist, neo Nazi, or holocaust revisionist in nature. Zundel, Keegstra, The Heritage Front; Dial for Hate telephone lines such as Liberty Net, Ahenakew, anti-Semitic columnists such as Doug Collins; each step of the way, there was anguish as to whether the challenging of these bigots and racists was restricting freedom of speech; each step of the way the legal system is engaged for the formulation of the correct balance of rights and responsibilities in a liberal democracy.

As a result, there is a comprehensive body of tribunal, judge-made law and statute, charting a uniquely Canadian path in balancing the precious freedoms of expression with the freedom from being hated and reviled by reason of religion, ethnicity, gender or sexual orientation. Our Jewish community has played an important role in this rapid legal evolution which has assisted not only in our acceptance as full citizens but which has also assisted all minorities in this country.

This is our collective inheritance and like good stewards of any valuable inheritance, it should be acknowledged, treasured and enlarged. So what does the future portend?

In a recent survey,1400 Canadians identified that, while three quarters believe that antisemitism is rapidly spreading, here in Canada antisemitism, as a general societal phenomenon is reducing in intensity from previous decades. There are, however, still unacceptably large numbers of Canadians who in some form do not like Jews and the incidents of dislike of Jews is higher in Quebec, in Canadians over 65 and amongst new immigrants. Yet, when all types of antisemitism are taken as a whole, antisemitism is lower in Canada than in the United States and, by some accounts, 25% lower (although the data is complex and one must exercise caution in interpreting it). Not surprisingly antisemitism in Canada is substantially lower than in Europe, which one would suspect, given recent highly publicized occurrences.

Irving Abella, a York University academic and author of ?None is Too Many,? who must surely be seen as one of our leading Canadian experts on antisemitism, has concluded after reviewing the data that the comprehensive legal and human rights structures consisting of the criminalizing of hate, Human Rights Acts, The Charter, hate crime teams, and a constitutionally enshrined multiculturism all collectively act as a "firewall" against some of the more incendiary forms of antisemitism seen in other jurisdictions. This conclusion is that Canada is far from perfect but there are few places where it is better.

We have here in Canada an intellectual and political climate which accepts that hate crimes are an assault on the very dignity of every person; an assault on the fragility of our multicultural fabric. For example, the House of Commons recently passed an unheard of unanimous reso-lution condemning antisemitism. And amongst other Parliamentarians it was a Quebec Bloc member Richard Marceau who has undertaken important work in bringing to the House concerns regarding the spread of antisemitism.

When Justice Minister Irwin Cotler addressed Canadian Jewish Congress at it's National Convention last Spring, he articulated a 12 Point Action Plan to combat antisemitism and reduce racism overall. All of which will resonate with our organizations as an endorsement of the accomplishments of human rights advocates to date. Some of the Points are as follows:

1) Continued education to the effect that hate crimes are not just ordinary crimes but crimes that assault our democratic fabric. 2) The need for unequivocal condemnation of antisemitism by political leadership. 3) Continued awareness of the linkage between hate crimes and terrorism and the advocacy of genocide against Israel and the Jewish people. 4) Gaining universal acceptance of the credo zero tolerance for hate; zero tolerance for terrorism; zero tolerance for antisemitism. 5) Cross -cultural round table to discuss such issues as terrorism and human rights. 6) Continue to ensure that Internet hate sites which we now estimate in excess of 5000 are targeted by the world community as a priority. 7) Increased holocaust education, antisemitism education, multiculturalism education and human rights education. 8) Specifically he also called for the adoption of a day in honour and commemoration of Raoul Wallenberg.

So it would appear that both Professor Abella and the Justice Minister's analysis is that we have been on the right track. If we intensify our efforts, but we also have to acknowledge the increased complexity that I referred to earlier. It is one thing to unite against hate, but is it anti-semitic to denounce Israel as an apartheid state? It is, if the implications are that the Jewish people are denied their national homeland in their ancestral lands. Is it antisemitic to continue to draw attention to the Palestinian issue to the exclusion of so many other important issues? It is, if a double set of standards are applied, about which I will have more to say.

Part of the reason many of us have no difficulty in answering in the affirmative to questions like the above, is in part the original source of certain types of these critiques. Many of them have come from the worst autocratic regimes. Some of whom, like Syria, gave home to escaping Nazis and generally have been strongly influenced by fascist ideology towards Jews. Those who are involved in the study of antisemitism tell us the continued links between Islamicist terrorists and neo-Nazi organizations are more than tenuous and part of the constant stream of anti-Israel tirades have emanated from these dark corners, only to be picked up by less radicalized and hate-filled groups and articulated in a language that could even resonate with moderates.

But it is critical to get this part of the analysis correct and I think we are still in the process of formulating a principled and rational set of criteria for determining what is within acceptable bounds when it relates to critiques of Israel and what constitutes antisemitism, let alone hateful incitement.

Let me tell you a few of the many initiatives that the organized community has embarked upon in response to our current situation and then I will conclude with some overall recommendations for both individual and organizational actions.

One of the most significant developments in response to resurgent antisemitism are organizational attempts to define antisemitism, and then educate and advocate. There are numerous international conferences on antisemitism at which leadership throughout the world is coming together to share and shape responses. Various European Union securities related structures and the United Nations are several forums at which we are attempting to get the message through.

Last June 21, Columbia Law Professor Anne Bayefsky addressed a United Nations Conference set aside exclusively to deal with antisemitism. Her remarks, to the consternation of some, were dedicated exclusively to the United Nations as a birthing room for much of international antisemitism. Her speech was a devastating critique. Her submission, which attempts to identify double standards in the treatment of the Jewish people and Israel, is part of our collective organizational attempt to define the difference between legitimate criticism and critiques that have an antisemitic motive behind them.

Her opening remarks were blunt and I quote:

"This meeting occurs at a point when the relationship between Jews and the United Nations is at an all-time low. The United Nations took root in the ashes of the Jewish people, and according to its charter was to flower on the strength of a commitment to tolerance and equality for all men and women and of nations large and small. Today, however, the U.N. provides a platform for those who cast the victims of the Nazis as the Nazi counterparts of the 21st century. The U.N. has become the leading global purveyor of antisemitism -- intolerance and inequality against the Jewish people and its state."

She went on to note that there has never been a U.N. resolution specifically on antisemitism or a single report to a U.N. body dedicated to discrimination against Jews, in contrast to annual resolutions and reports focusing on the defamation of Islam and discrimination against Muslims and Arabs. Instead there was Durban, the 2001 U.N. World Conference "Against Racism," which was a breeding ground and global soapbox for anti-Semites. Then Professor Bayefsky identifies the issue squarely as follows:

"Antisemitism is about intolerance and discrimination directed at Jews, both individually and collectively. It concerns both individual human rights and the group right to self-determination, realized in the state of Israel. What does discrimination against the Jewish state mean? It means refusing to admit only Israel to the vital negotiating sessions of regional groups held daily during U.N. Commission on Human Rights meetings. It means devoting six of the 10 emergency sessions ever held by the General Assembly to Israel. It means transforming the 10th emer-gency session into a permanent tribunal, which has now been reconvened 12 times since 1997. By contrast, no emergency session was ever held on the Rwandan genocide, estimated to have killed a million people, or the ethnic cleansing of tens of thousands in the former Yugoslavia, or the death of millions over the past two decades of atrocities in Sudan. That's discrimination."

She could have easily referred to the most recent catastrophe in the Darfur region of Sudan where millions more are at risk of murder, mayhem, rape and starvation, while the United Nations once again shows it's paralysis in supporting the victims of a militaristic Islamicist regime. Please note I have not said Islamic regime because the people who are being targeted in Darfur are themselves Moslems; the regime which threatens them is a military group who give obeisance to what may be referred to as a perverse distortion of Islam and what some are calling Islamo-fascist ideology.
But returning to Bayefsky's indictment of the U.N., she went on to articulate that the language of human rights has been hijacked not only to discriminate but also to demonize the Jewish target. More than one quarter of the resolutions condemning a state's human rights violations adopted by the Human Rights Commission over 40 years have been directed at Israel. In 2003, a General Assembly resolution concerned with the welfare of Israeli children failed (though one on Palestinian children passed handily) because it proved impossible to gain enough support for the word Israeli appearing before the word children.

Her concluding words were directed to the Secretary-General:

"I challenge the Secretary-General and his organization -- if they are serious about eradicating antisemitism: Start condemning human-rights violators wherever they dwell -- even if they live in Damascus. Stop condemning the Jewish people for fighting back against their killers. And the next time someone asks you or your colleagues to stand for a moment of silence to honor those who would destroy the State of Israel, say "NO...?

The World Jewish Congress has identified fundamentalist Islamic terror as the main progenitor of hatred against Jews and Israel and therefore sees the war against terrorism as an important bulwark against antisemitism.


Within the larger debate of Islamic extremism there are those who say that fundamentally the solution to the problem of antisemitism must come from within the moderate Moslem community. Support for moderate Moslems is a key plank of our collective strategy in combating antisemitism. In perhaps the first really encouraging sign of moderates finding their voice, the Saudi newspaper Arab News recently reported that over 2500 Muslim intellectuals from 23 countries signed a petition sent to the United Nations Secretary-General calling for an international treaty banning the use of religion for incitement to violence. This is a significant new development. Many of us consider this type of response from the Islamic community to be the most important type of check to contemporary antisemitism.


Several world and local events perhaps best illustrate our current initiatives. Our community has undertaken raising awareness on the humanitarian disaster in Darfur as an absolute priority. Here in British Columbia, we have contacted every federal leader for the purposes of communicating to the political leadership that this is an issue that goes right to the heart of the integrity of the United Nations. Intuitively, our community knows that if there is another genocide in Africa, our mantra of ?Never Again? will ring hollow. That rallying call was not intended only to ensure no more atrocities against the Jewish people, but no more genocides against any people. The anti-genocidal work of our community organizations including Holocaust awareness, demands that we as a community are in the forefront of persuading our political leaders to act. I use this platform to once again call upon all of you to phone or write your political leadership on this issue. Today in Toronto, there is a rally co-organized by CJC, Ontario Region intended to continue to bring this issue to the forefront of the Canadian agenda.

I now wish to conclude with several points on strategies as we move forward. Some of these follow from the Justice Minister's various planks. As you listen to these ideas, perhaps you can think about the role your organization can play in advancing any of these initiatives, or how you as individuals can meaningfully participate:

Firstly, I want to refer to long term planning to anticipate what our Canada may look like 20 years down the road. One of the most important programs we can undertake is a comprehen-sive nation-wide strategy to better promulgate Canadian civics and the internal embrace of Charter values of freedom and equality rights. That has in fact already begun with a series of conferences on Civil Discourse funded by Heritage Canada and implemented by Canadian Jewish Congress with the active support of CIJA. The first one was held in Toronto last week with participants from numerous religious and ethnic communities, including many participants from the Muslim community. The next will be in Vancouver.

The focus is how to craft the ground rules for a Canadian approach to dealing with explosive international issues such as the Middle East so that they do not spill over into hatred, contempt and violence. Philosophy Professor Kingswell was the keynote speaker and articulated a number of principles, such as a thick liberalism which is robust in it's defence of virtues such as civility, willed restraint, openness to challenge, respect and toleration, not as wishy-washy concepts, but as virtues in the old-fashioned sense of the word where virtues connote a disposition to action. The day long conversation which followed amongst leaders of the different religious and ethnic communities was enlivening and shows clearly that we are beginning to chart a course in this new domain called civil discourse, I hope you will be hearing much more about this in the years to come as an important additional approach in dealing with a renewed antisemitism.

I
Secondly, and in the shorter term, and as part of the first point, we can certainly do more to educate our own Jewish community on the importance of human rights, Charter values, multiculturalism and the concepts of shared values and Jewish contributions in this regard. I doubt that most of our community has ever heard of Bora Laskin even though he, as a Jew and as Supreme Court Chief Justice, did important work in advancing the status and welfare of all minority communities.

Here is the opportunity to instill great pride from knowledge of our contributions, our endurance, our hope and optimism. Every young Jew who understands the connection between our struggle for Jewish dignity and human rights becomes a more engaged Canadian and a prouder Jew. I would like to see a curriculum in this regard piloted in our Jewish schools.

And while we put emphasis on the horrors of the Holocaust, and rightfully so, how much emphasis do we place on educating about those peoples who resisted the hate and protected the Jews. Some, but perhaps not enough. Denmark and Bulgaria's record in this regard should be known by each of us - not just as a matter of historical record or as an antidote to cynicism towards the human condition, but as a primer in learning which cultural or historical conditions can immunize populations against antisemitism. When we look at the laboratory of actual human experience, why not look to those places where antisemitism was successfully resisted.

Bulgaria was at the cross-roads of Asia and Europe. There was exposure to numerous religions and ethnicities and therefore many Bulgarians couldn't understand why their Jews were being singled out by the Nazis. As a result, almost all Bulgarian Jews were saved during World War II.

When you see your neighbour as fundamentally different, it is easier to be infected with contempt. The courage of various individuals and certain countries in standing firm with threatened Jewish communities supports our domestic agenda that the way to dissolve antisemitism is to link that struggle with an overall vision of a common humanity.

We must continue to try and ensure that antisemitism does not advertently or inadvertently creep into the mainstream political ideologies. This has so many aspects, from encouraging civil discourse on campuses to ensuring that student press organs are not taken over by extremist groups.

One of the best ways in addressing this latter challenge is to draw upon the good intentions of many political activists to achieve world betterment by articulating that antisemitism is not just another problem. It is like a noxious poison and affects all of us; threatening to derail many important initiatives for world improvement because it so dominates those international institutions necessary in the fight against environmental degradation, disease, and poverty.

We must get the word out comprehensively and effectively that the amount of energy at international conferences devoted to demonizing Jews and Israel has been an unmitigated disaster for various initiatives for world betterment.

I have been speaking primarily on the organizational level, but on the personal level one must first make a decision whether you wish to engage personally. If you decide to personally engage, it should be an informed engagement and I do not see how that can happen without a continual feeding from Jewish newspapers, periodicals and books.


Just by way of passing, if you wish to gain an exposure to the full scope of views on the antisemitism of our times, you might well wish to read the newly published work by Ron Rosenbaum entitled ?Those Who Forget the Past: The Question of Antisemitism? which contains over 50 essays from a wide spectrum of thinkers.

As we face a resurgence of malevolent hatred against both the Jewish state and Jewish Diaspora communities we shudder wondering what might be in store; hoping beyond hope that the circumstances that created the Shoah, the circumstances that created such enmity towards Israel will not be repeated in North America.

Yet let's try and take a hard look at this antisemitism in Canada. While there are revulsions, outrage, and anger at the swastika daubings; the hate-filled statements and horrendous firebombing in the Montreal Day School; the fact is, most of us go on about our daily lives untouched by this resurgence and do not in any real way feel impaired by contemporary antisemitism.

We need to know that in Israel, our brothers and sisters do actively feel the trauma of the continued assaults and there are peoples here in Canada whose lives have been ravaged by racist policies and whose living standards are many times below those of the average Canadian.

When we demand that our political leaders do something about antisemitism, also give serious reflection to those First Nations peoples who every day wonder why there is still so much inequity in Canadian society.

First Nations peoples still feel disenfranchised; as a Canadian society we are responsible for a monstrous repudiation of great hospitality and openness shown to the first European settlers. There is an injustice of such significant proportions in which we are still implicated that I think it is absolutely critical, if for no other reason than our own collective integrity and credibility, for each one of us to totally transform our thinking around the treatment of indigenous peoples in this country so we are ourselves are not guilty of the same indifference or overt discrimination and prejudice which we say the world has shown us. We have done some initial work in this regard, but much more needs to be done.

In my discussion today about the dissolution of anti-Semitism, I want to make these links - I want to suggest that our ultimate security lies in an even greater outward reach to these communities who are in a place of suffering that must command our full and immediate attention. For many reasons, it goes to the integrity of our call for the implementation of Jewish values; it goes to our credibility when we say where was the world and where is the world; it goes to the benefits of making alliances in our quest for a just society and creating conditions for antisemitism not to flourish.

So this is the theme for my presentation today. In a word discovering and nourishing our common humanity so as to create fewer places of hatred wherever they may manifest.

Here we are in Vancouver, a more beautiful place doesn't exist. The birthplace of so many positive forces in our country. If antisemitism is a word which encapsulates hate, fear, lies, irrationality, envy and pain; what is on the other side of antisemitism? Acceptance of people who are different; understanding of people who are different, promotion of harmony amongst different people, empathy with the oppressed and a determination to effect change.

And this means more education, more contact with others, greater enlightenment, broader perspectives and, ultimately, greater places of peace and respect for the dignity of each of us. But it is a two way street- we cannot demand that our dignity be respected and not work diligently for the dignity of the most oppressed.

It is, of course, a task that will not be finished by our generation. To paraphrase one of our time-honoured teachings, t we are not obligated to finish all of the work, but we are certainly obliged to do our part.

All of you, by being at this National Conference, are showing your passion for and commitment to the work that needs to be done. I look forward with great anticipation in seeing each of us contribute in the most powerful way that our potential permits.

Thank you for the honour of addressing this wonderful group of women.

http://www.cjccc.ca/correspondence/correspondence_and_speeches_link2.html

Vancouver Sun: Cleric blames media for storm over anti-Jewish diatribe

Oct. 25, 2004

By: Jonathan Fowlie

VANCOUVER - A Vancouver-based Muslim cleric who called Jews the "brothers of monkeys and swine" released a long statement on the weekend saying he is "not a violent nor hateful person" and that his comments were taken "completely out of context."

Younus Kathrada was heavily criticized last week after reports surfaced in the media of speeches he had made in which he called Jews the "brothers of monkeys and swine" and in which he espoused the virtues of an "offensive jihad," or holy war, between Muslims and people of non-Muslim religions.

In the 1,600-word response on his website, Kathrada said he is going through "perhaps one of the saddest moments of my life," and attempted to clarify what he meant in his lectures.

"References to Jews in any of my lectures have always been linked to the Palestinian issue and the Al-Aqsa mosque," Kathrada wrote, adding "it is not our belief that Jews are subhuman."

With regards to an "offensive jihad" Kathrada said he "made it clear, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that many conditions must be met before this is permissible."

He blamed the media for quoting him out of context in search of a "sensational story."

In reaction to Kathrada's posting, Jewish groups said on Sunday the statement does not change their condemnation of the cleric's earlier comments.

"In my view there is no authentic remorse," said Mark Weintraub, chairman of the Pacific region of the Canadian Jewish Congress.

"But even if there were, it is against Canadian law," he said. "Incitement of hatred and genocide are criminal offences -- punishable by imprisonment if appropriate."

After reading Kathrada's statement, Karen Lazar of B'nai B'rith Canada said, "I think a lot of what he says gives us great cause for concern.

"Having read this, B'nai B'rith certainly stands behind its initial call for an investigation to be launched immediately into charges of incitement to hatred and incitement to genocide, and I hope authorities will respond immediately," she said.

Weintraub said Kathrada's posting was no different from someone who has committed assault turning around and saying he was misunderstood, in an effort to avoid being charged.

"How do you reinterpret a call to kill Jews?" he said. "The hatred in other countries must be kept out of Canada, and I call on all Canadians to stand firm in repudiating his call for violence."

Reached by Canadian Press on Sunday, Kathrada would not elaborate on his statement.

"I think I've made it about as clear as I could on the [web]site," he said. "At this point in time I think I would like to leave it at that."

Kathrada's Dar al-Madinah's information centre came into the spotlight earlier this month because Rudwan Khalil Abubaker, a Vancouver man reportedly killed by Russian forces in Chechnya, went there to pray.

A report from Russian officials says Abubaker was buried in Chechnya after the raid, meaning his body may not be returned.

Federal officials in Canada say the Abubaker family has been provided with the details of that report and told that a representative from Canada's Department of Foreign Affairs will speak with the family's lawyer about the case again today.

http://www.cjc.ca/template.php?action=itn&Story=997