Since when has opposing human rights become so popular

There has been a great deal of discussion going on in Canadian political blogs for months now about the Mark Steyn-Maclean’s versus the Canadian Islamic Congress.  I just finished reading this article on RealClearPolitics.  I find it interesting that commentators from the United States have taken such an interest in the BC Human Rights Tribunal and the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal.  The tone of most of the things that I have read so far seems to be that Americans think that free speech includes the right to promote hatred against identifiable groups, a view that I hope most Canadians disagree with.

I should state that I strongly support free speech.  I think that you should be able to say pretty much whatever you like, short of encouraging people to harm or kill others.  I would rather hear someone’s hate loudly and clearly then have them keep their hatred secret and festering.  Once hate is out in the open it can be challenged, and hopefully changed.  What upsets me about the Steyn versus the Canadian Islamic Congress debate is how many people think that we should not have Human Rights Commissions, or at least that they should not hear any cases related to issues of freedom of expression.

I think that the BC and Canadian Human Rights Commissions play very important roles in regulating what Canadians can do and say regarding vulnerable minority groups (and very importantly ensuring that women’s rights are respected, I say this separately as women are not a minority group, but they clearly are not treated equally to men). What is particularly odd to me is that so many people think we need to get rid of the BC and Canadian Human Rights Commissions simply for holding hearings into the complaints launched by the Canadian Islamic Congress. There have been no decisions made yet.  The BC tribunal might simply dismiss the complaints against Mark Steyn and Macleans magazine. I think that the correct thing would be to dismiss the complaints, but if they are not dismissed then the matter can be appealed to the BC Supreme Court, where there will be a more thorough analysis done, and hopefully then the correct decision would be made.

What this case does, and I am glad it is doing, is bring the issue of Islamophobia to the attention of the public. I think that Islamophobia is getting out of control in Canada.  I do not think that Mark Steyn made Islamophobic comments in the Macleans excerpt from his book.  I think that the Canadian Islamic Congress made a mistake in taking the issue to human rights tribunals rather than trying to present their own case, and their own evidence, and let the battle happen out in the market place of ideas.

For now, everyone should calm down a bit and wait and see what the BC Human Rights Commission decides and then worry about whether or not freedom of expression is truly being stifled in Canada.