York Regional Police Strong-Arm Rabbi Hosting Pamela Geller Into Rescinding Invitation

Nice, isn't it, when police act as the muscle for certain groups who deplore Western traditions of free speech. And you can understand why they would want to silence Pamela Geller, an outspoken opponent of the jihad agenda, especially since she advocates:

• The freedom of speech – as opposed to Islamic prohibitions of "blasphemy" and "slander," which are used effectively to quash honest discussion of jihad and Islamic supremacism;
• The freedom of conscience – as opposed to the Islamic death penalty for apostasy;
• The equality of rights of all people before the law – as opposed to Sharia's institutionalized discrimination against women and non-Muslims.

Too late, Pam. Someone gave York Regional Police an award, and, in a bid to curry favour with a prickly and restive sector, they have already institutionalized sharia norms re acceptable speech. Of course, they couch it terms of "hate speech" and "human rights" so that if you object you'll be decried as a racist and an Islamophobe.

And the difference between how YRP operate and how they do things in a police/sharia state is...well, let's just say that here in Canada haven't institutionalized state-sanctioned punishments of amputation or decapitation. Not yet, anyway.

In case you haven't noticed it's 1984 in 2013, and, like Rabbi Kaplan, we are required to celebrate "diversity"--or else.



Update: In light of YRP making the rabbi an offer he couldn't refuse, this is pretty funny:


Update: Mark Steyn, another "controversial" speaker who has had his innings with the "celebrate diversity" thugs, has a few choice words about the incident.

Update: Salim Mansur wrote this letter to the YRP protesting the cancellation:

Dear Sir,

I am writing to you this letter on hearing pressure applied to Rabbi Mendel Kaplan of the Chabad Flamingo Synagogue in Thornhill to cancel an event with Ms. Pamela Geller.

I am a Muslim, a tenured professor in a prestigious Canadian university, the University of Western Ontario in London. I am appalled that in this day and age we continue to hear regularly how the liberal democratic tradition of Canada and the West is being systematically shredded by institutions sworn to protect it. Free speech is the most fundamental right of a free society; constrain it, strip it, shred it, and then let us not be surprised our society will be turned into a society such as one from where I fled as a young man to find freedom in the West, and I remain ever grateful that Canada took me in and gave me the opportunity to pursue my own dreams.

I pray you consider any decision you make that ends up taking another step in undermining the tradition of free speech that made the West, and Canada as a part of it, the most flourishing, open, and free culture in the entire history of mankind. Each one of us are responsible that this tradition is preserved, protected, and passed on to the unborn generations what we inherited. 

I submit your intentions might very well be of some merit as a guardian of law and order. But those pushing for preventing Ms. Pamela Geller from speaking by putting pressure on Rabbi Mendel to deny the use of his synagogue for holding her event are people I know very well. These are people, Muslims as I am, who come from cultures that have no respect for individual rights and freedoms enshrined in our constitution, and while making home here in Canada have no respect for the culture of this country. They need to learn the culture of a free society, of a society that is open to debates and discussions however painful this might be to someone else's sensibilities. But if you concede to their demands, all that you would be doing is indulging them, heeding their wishes and threats, and slowly, intentionally or not, bending Canada's tradition in the direction of the ruined cultures of these people which they have brought with them and want to push into our society. 

I hope you will think hard and think clearly given your responsibility and defend the tradition of liberal democracy based on rule of law, individual freedom and free speech. I might just remind you that it was in defending this tradition that time and time again your compatriots went across oceans to distant places and were prepared to make the ultimate sacrifice so that freedom there might take root by defeating the forces of tyranny. It often takes immense courage to do what is right, whether to refuse going to the back of a bus in a segregated society or protecting the right of someone to speak, especially when one disagrees with what might be spoken. 

I pray God gives you the courage to do what is right in this instance...

Alas, these cops are convinced that they are doing "what is right"--which is precisely the problem. One wishes that Rabbi Kaplan, who I'm told is a very nice man, had stood his ground and had had the presence of mind to tell the cops to take a hike or else he'd expose their strong-arm tactics to the media: As we know from experience, the only way to cow a bully is to stand up to him.

Update: The Geller talk will go on as scheduled. Details re the new venue can be found here.

Update: Tarek Fatah says that

this incident shows the depth of infiltration of Islamists in the police forces, both in Toronto, York Regions as well as the RCMP [Royal Canadian Mounted Police]. One may disagree profoundly with Pam Geller, but the police have no right to shut down speaking events citing hate laws when hate against non-Muslims has become institutionalized in many city mosques where clerics pray for the defeat of non-Muslims at the hands of Muslims.

As we know, though, that sort hate speech is perfectly acceptable in our "human rights"-ridden Trudeaupia, Muslims belonging to one of our nation's privileged "victim" groups, and all.

Update: Scratching your head re YRP thinking? Look no further than this interview with former YRP chief Armand La Barge. In it that chief sucks up--big time--to his Pakistani interviewer, and goes so far as to remark on Islam's innate peacefulness and wish a hearty PBUH to its founder.