Dear Ezra,

Your decision leaves me regretful.

Section # 27 of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms does state: “This Charter shall be interpreted in a manner consistent with the preservation and enhancement of the multicultural heritage of Canadians.”

Be that as it may, thanks for replying.

Yours,

Manuel

Manuel Prutschi
National Executive Vice-President
Canadian Jewish Congress

4600 Bathurst St.
Toronto, Ontario M2R 3V2

Tel: (416) 631-5673; Fax: (416) 635-1408
mprutschi@ujafed.org

From: Ezra Levant [mailto:ezra@westernstandard.ca]
Sent: Sunday, February 12, 2006 3:13 PM
To: Manuel Prutschi
Subject: re: Cartoons

Dear Manuel,

Thank you for your letter. You misunderstand our purpose in publishing the cartoons. We are a news magazine, and we publish news. It's pretty simple.

It is vaguely racist to frame this issue around the fact that I'm a Jew. I do not publish a Jewish magazine; I publish a Canadian magazine. For guidance on publishing, I look to Queen Elizabeth's laws, including the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, the Bill of Rights, the constitutional corpus going back to the Magna Carta, and the philosophical principles of Locke and Mill. I also owe a fiduciary duty my shareholders, with whom I have consulted and found strong support.

Instead of arguing further, I will refer you to Charles Krauthammer, who expresses my position more eloquently than I could.

Yours truly,

Ezra Levant

Publisher

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/02/09/AR2006020901434.html?sub=AR

Curse of the Moderates

By Charles Krauthammer

Friday, February 10, 2006; Page A19

As much of the Islamic world erupts in a studied frenzy over the Danish Muhammad cartoons, there are voices of reason being heard on both sides. Some Islamic leaders and organizations, while endorsing the demonstrators' sense of grievance and sharing their outrage, speak out against using violence as a vehicle of expression. Their Western counterparts -- intellectuals, including most of the major newspapers in the United States -- are similarly balanced: While, of course, endorsing the principle of free expression, they criticize the Danish newspaper for abusing that right by publishing offensive cartoons, and they declare themselves opposed, in the name of religious sensitivity, to doing the same.

God save us from the voices of reason.

What passes for moderation in the Islamic community -- "I share your rage but don't torch that embassy" -- is nothing of the sort. It is simply a cynical way to endorse the goals of the mob without endorsing its means. It is fraudulent because, while pretending to uphold the principle of religious sensitivity, it is interested only in this instance of religious insensitivity.

Have any of these "moderates" ever protested the grotesque caricatures of Christians and, most especially, Jews that are broadcast throughout the Middle East on a daily basis? The sermons on Palestinian TV that refer to Jews as the sons of pigs and monkeys? The Syrian prime-time TV series that shows rabbis slaughtering a gentile boy to ritually consume his blood? The 41-part (!) series on Egyptian TV based on that anti-Semitic czarist forgery (and inspiration of the Nazis), "The Protocols of the Elders of Zion," showing the Jews to be engaged in a century-old conspiracy to control the world?

A true Muslim moderate is one who protests desecrations of all faiths. Those who don't are not moderates but hypocrites, opportunists and agents for the rioters, merely using different means to advance the same goal: to impose upon the West, with its traditions of freedom of speech, a set of taboos that is exclusive to the Islamic faith. These are not defenders of religion but Muslim supremacists trying to force their dictates upon the liberal West.

And these "moderates" are aided and abetted by Western "moderates" who publish pictures of the Virgin Mary covered with elephant dung and celebrate the "Piss Christ" (a crucifix sitting in a jar of urine) as art deserving public subsidy, but who are seized with a sudden religious sensitivity when the subject is Muhammad.

Had they not been so hypocritical, one might defend their refusal to republish these cartoons on the grounds that news value can sometimes be trumped by good taste and sensitivity. After all, on grounds of basic decency, American newspapers generally -- and correctly -- do not publish pictures of dead bodies, whatever their news value.

There is a "sensitivity" argument for not having published the cartoons in the first place, back in September when they first appeared in that Danish newspaper. But it is not September. It is February. The cartoons have been published, and the newspaper, the publishers and Denmark itself have come under savage attack. After multiple arsons, devastating boycotts, and threats to cut off hands and heads, the issue is no longer news value, i.e., whether a newspaper needs to publish them to inform the audience about what is going on. The issue now is solidarity.

The mob is trying to dictate to Western newspapers, indeed Western governments, what is a legitimate subject for discussion and caricature. The cartoons do not begin to approach the artistic level of Salman Rushdie's prose, but that's not the point. The point is who decides what can be said and what can be drawn within the precincts of what we quaintly think of as the free world.

The mob has turned this into a test case for freedom of speech in the West. The German, French and Italian newspapers that republished these cartoons did so not to inform but to defy -- to declare that they will not be intimidated by the mob.

What is at issue is fear. The unspoken reason many newspapers do not want to republish is not sensitivity but simple fear. They know what happened to Theo van Gogh, who made a film about the Islamic treatment of women and got a knife through the chest with an Islamist manifesto attached.

The worldwide riots and burnings are instruments of intimidation, reminders of van Gogh's fate. The Islamic "moderates" are the mob's agents and interpreters, warning us not to do this again. And the Western "moderates" are their terrified collaborators who say: Don't worry, we won't. It's those Danes. We're clean. Spare us. Please.

letters@charleskrauthammer.com

From: "Manuel Prutschi" <MPrutschi@ujafed.org>
Sent: February 12, 2006 11:22 AM
To: ezra@westernstandard.ca
Subject: Cartoons

Dear Ezra,

I come to you not with a sword but with outstretched hand hoping to dissuade you from your stated intention to re-publish the controversial cartoons.

A number of us have been working painstakingly and over the long term to build bridges between the Jewish and Muslim communities here in Canada. This effort has borne some fruit as attested, for example, by the positive reaction from various Muslim leaders to CJC’s press release. I excerpt these below and ask that you do me the kindness to read them.

These are the words of moderate Muslims who merit our respect and encouragement. They are individuals like those you met at CJC’s civil discourse conference in Vancouver and whose contributions you undertook to publish in your magazine.

We all share with you your disgust at the vile antisemitic cartoons, articles, television series, movies, statements, etc., many of them directed at our beloved State of Israel, that pollute sectors of the Muslim world, including in the West. But in the specifically current Canadian context does the publication of the cartoons serve as an antidote?

You, better than most, know Hillel’s dictum not to do unto others what we would not want others to do unto us. In other words, two wrongs don’t make a right. The easier course is to opt for a gesture of defiance. The harder course is to show a generosity of spirit by not publishing the cartoons. I entreat you to take the harder course.

Yours,

Manuel

Co-ordinator of the Islamic Council of Imams-Canada: “Thank you very much for a well worded Press Release. I have circulated to member Imams. Please convey our appreciation to CJC officials.”

President, Islamic Supreme Council of Canada: I am thankful for the statement that the Canadian Jewish Congress sent out. I agree… that violence is not the path to resolve issues. Hatemongering cartoons are very provocative but Muslims should not resort to violence in protesting against these insulting and racist cartoons. I am not sure you saw our press release regarding Iranian newspaper. [Following are the headlines of the press release]

Provocation from Muslims will not be Tolerated

Iranian Newspaper Must not Publish Any Cartoons Against Holocaust

President, Coalition of Muslim Organizations (COMO): Thank you very much for your honourable position.… I did take the liberty to send your “Press Release" to all COMO's members, the major Islamic organizations in North America and about one hundred community leaders. In addition … [in a] speech today to 400 people … I will inform them the commendable position of CJC…. I am sure … [CJC’s release] will enhance our [Jewish-Muslim] growing good relationship….

President, Muslim Council of Montreal: Thank you very much for sharing the statement with us, I will forward it to our community leaders to inform them of your action. I also received a release from CJC, Montreal office denouncing hate actions directed at Muslim Schools of Montreal, for that I also thank you. I hope we continue to work hard together to uproot hatred and xenophobia from our society and world wide, while we continue to build bridges of cooperation and understanding.

Immediate Pas President, Muslims Against Terrorism, Canadian Chapter: Thank you… I have sent a press Release to the Toronto Star denouncing the Iranian cartoons of the holocaust. I hope they'll print it….

Past Chair, Federation of Muslim Women: Thank you for the press release. I am just as appalled by the violence and the antisemitic rhetoric that some of the Govts, eg Iran are spouting. These are hurtful and sad times for all…. I pray for peace and calm. Salaam and shalom

Muslim community member: … I am thankful to Ed for once again showing leadership and courage against racism, anti-semitism and Islamophobia. The way of the future is for all faith communities to help each other and work together….

Muslim U of T graduate student: Professor Morgan, Just wanted to send a "thank you" for the very cooperative and thoughtful statement released today on behalf of the CJC in regards to the Danish cartoons. I myself could not find a better statement to sum up my views on the situation.