Objective: Offend as much as possible

by Werner Patels

There is a storm front moving right across Canada, as well as other parts of the Western world, and unlike typhoons, which are said to be triggered by a butterfly flapping its wings somewhere in the world, this particular perfect storm seems to be the doing of just two men: Mark Steyn and Ezra Levant.

Both these gentlemen are Canadians -- one is a journalist and successful author, and the other, a lawyer, journalist and ex-publisher. One thing they have in common, apart from journalism (or opinionating), is that either of them has offended Muslims.

Mark Steyn has been the target of complaints over his book America Alone, in which he spends 214 pages of dead tree material insulting Muslims and the religion of Islam in colourful language. True, there is veracity underlying many of his arguments, but even the most Steyn-friendly (and, thus, ultra-conservative) reader will often find himself shaking his head in utter disbelief at Steyn's audacity of expression.

Steyn, naturally, always tries to recoup some of his political correctness by following up some especially harsh observations about Islam and Muslims with a joke in an attempt to make light of the previous few words or sentences -- but the reader, particularly of the Muslim persuasion, cannot be fooled.

As it happens, a group of aggrieved Muslims has decided to file a complaint against Mark Steyn -- indirectly -- by filing their complaint against the Canadian magazine that published excerpts from Steyn's book. What a deliciously roundabout way of getting things done -- thus, perfectly Canadian and proof positive that the complainants have fully integrated in Canadian society.

The real problem, though, is not the complaint, but the vehemence with which the extreme right has picked up the case as ammunition to be used against most, if not all, Muslims -- this is, it seems, what they have been waiting for since 9/11: just the right kind of pretext to engage in Muslim and Islam-bashing.

The events of 9/11 were triggered by religious and political fundamentalism and fanaticism originating in the Middle East. But the mullahs and imams in that part of the world do not have a monopoly on taking things to the extreme in the name of a religion. We in the West are just as good at this game, if only we apply ourselves sufficiently.

The American Right with all its evangelicals and holier-than-thou Bible-thumpers had been gaining momentum even before 9/11, but when those towers in New York collapsed, it not only marked a tragic moment in time of loss and destruction, but also of the starting pistol fired by the religious right to compete with their enemies in the Middle East over who could be the most fundamentalist and the most fanatic.

One only needs to look at most conservative blogs in the United States to see that most of their blogging revolves around Islam, Islamists, Muslims and terrorists, rather than more important and more essential issues -- say, education, health care, the state of the economy, etc. Canadian conservative bloggers, by contrast, do write about terrorism, too, but they still spend more time on more wholesome activities, like bashing the Liberal opposition.

One element, certainly, that divides Canadians from Americans is that Canada has not been attacked (yet). But overall, Canadians have always been more secular and less fanatic than their southern neighbours -- and this is a good thing, even though many (social) conservatives in Canada will try to tell you otherwise.

In the wake of the Mark Steyn affair, Canada has seen, sadly, an upswing in fundamentalist voices, editorials and blogs from the far right. Entire websites have been created in defence of Steyn, or to free him, although the man himself does not stand accused of anything -- the magazine does, but not Steyn.

So, those Steyn Soldiers of Fortune are waging a fierce battle with the forces of Islam. They keep harping on about their values and freedom of speech, but all it takes is a bit of scratching of the surface to reveal that these are just platitudes used to cover up their real motivation: Islam-baiting and bashing.

Each time one of them says or manages to write for a national newspaper something clever, they congratulate each other (and themselves) with a lot a back-slapping, followed by extended periods of leisure during which they sit back and ponder the fruit of their good work.

Ezra Levant is going even further still: After publishing in his now-defunct magazine the Danish cartoons that depicted Islam and the Prophet in a very bad light and getting slapped with a complaint by an imam and his organization, he is now before a human-rights commission defending -- what else could it be -- his right to free speech. However, instead of trying to bring the matter to an agreeable dénouement for both sides, he plasters the videos of his "interrogation", as he calls it, before the commission all over the Internet -- on YouTube.com, on his own blog and, through special syndication rights, on the sites and blogs of his sympathizers. For extra good measure, he has also re-posted the offending Danish cartoons on his blog and brags about his right to offend.

When he published the cartoons in his magazine, journalistic sensationalism was clearly the main driver -- all other media outlets in Canada had refused to reprint the cartoons, so from Levant's point of view, there simply was no better way to increase the sales of his (financially troubled) magazine.

While giving offence to Muslims must have been merely the icing on Levant's cake back then, it has become glaringly apparent that it is now his main source of emotional sustenance. Why else would he re-post the cartoons? Why else would he keep ratcheting up his rhetoric both in front of the commission and in the media, instead of toning it down and, possibly, find a way to reach some sort of conciliation with the complainant? Why else would he spread on his blog and elsewhere allegations of varying probative value about his opponent, who has filed further complaints as a result?

All this is accompanied by a chorus of conservative bloggers and columnists who take every opportunity to congratulate Levant on defending their honour and values. Even many conservatives are becoming increasingly disgusted with Levant's and his supporters' conduct in the matter -- to the point where they are seriously beginning to question their adherence to conservative ideology.

But those poor souls should take heart: They can stick with their conservative ideology, because what Levant, Steyn et al. are preaching is American, as opposed to Canadian, conservatism -- so no need to become upset or question one's Weltanschauung. Not yet anyway.

The ones, though, who should really be worried about their ideological affiliation are the Liberals and those with an affinity for all things leftist: There has been very little outcry, or even just plain old commentary, about the Steyn and Levant sagas from their corners of the media world. An objective observer could be forgiven for concluding that they tacitly and secretly agree with the far right for once and have, therefore, decided to remain shtum. More's the pity.

Comments

[dinosaur]

ultra-conservative) reader will often find himself shaking his head in utter disbelief at Steyn's audacity of expression.

Not this "ultra conservative", I don't think Mark went far enough I've never known any conservative who read it to say that and 1 liberal.

Do you know that among the reasons there are so many casualties after a typhoon -tsunami are that Muslim women cannot go to shelters if they are not wearing head covering which makes it hard to walk in those winds and they are not allowed to leave home unless their husband is with them so whenever one of these hits and 200,000 are killed the number could be 1/2 or 1/3 that or whatever but their strictures deliberately killed those women.

so if you are at work in bangladesh you have to go 5 miles home to get the wife and kids and only then can they go to the shelter even if it's 100 feet away.

This ladies thoughts are stronger than mine but this UC doesn't disagree with her.
I din't disbeliever her either

I fear EUrabia.

[dinosaur]

I should add offending is a "fundamental" right so sayeth trudeau's charter. No where does it say you have the right to live life unoffended.

2. Everyone has the following fundamental freedoms:
a) freedom of conscience and religion;
b) freedom of thought, belief, opinion and expression, including freedom of the press and other media of communication;
c) freedom of peaceful assembly; and
d) freedom of association.

The best part of the show was where she says to Ezra you are entitled to your opinion.

No he isn't this is Canada, you are only entitled to your opinion if socialist censors [big brother] approve. Ie the right to free speech, freedom of the press isn't worth the paper it's written on.

Anyone can hate Christians, Muslims are different they have the right to not be offended.

Why isn't Heady Fry threatened with 5 years in jail for insulting Christians did she pay a 5000 dollar fine?

[greyburr]

Very well said Mr Patels, definitely gives one a reason to take a moment for thought.

I have friends who are Canadian & through birth are also Muslims. I also have friends who are Hindu, Methodist, Jewish, Shinto, Atheist, Mormons, even practising Catholics like myself. I say that only because most of us are born into our religions & it is not really a choice that most of us decide to change during our lives. How we practice our religion towards other people is really the issue in my mind.

The people that we have to be on guard for and fear are the ones that use religion to advance their agendas for power & political gain by advocating fear & hatred and/or political correctiveness. That can come from both the right & the left

[Horny Toad]

"The real problem, though, is not the complaint, but the vehemence with which the extreme right has picked up the case as ammunition to be used against most, if not all, Muslims -- this is, it seems, what they have been waiting for since 9/11: just the right kind of pretext to engage in Muslim and Islam-bashing."

Actually, the REAL PROBLEM that is bothering Canadians is the action of the HRC.

Horny Toad