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Toronto for Free Speech or Human Rights?
Yesterday, on International Women's Day, a packed crowd gathered at OISE on Bloor West. Shaila Kibria from the university's administrative council spoke of a recent incident at Hart House where a Muslim student was followed into the bathroom and shoved.
The assailant pushed a flyer for the Toronto Supports Denmark rally scheduled the same time as the Women's Day march and said, "You're a Muslim, you should learn from this."
The student ran away from a second person charging at her, shouting racial slurs. When Kibria heard of this incident, she was so furious, she and about 25 other Muslim students, proudly sporting Hijabs, held a demonstration the following day. They had eggs thrown at them.
"When the university makes an statement that Freedom of Expression should not be curbed, yet human rights must be respected, what does that mean," says Kibria. "Every since 9/11, we're all afraid to speak up. No Muslim on campus feels safe now."
Down the street at the Danish Consulate, the Toronto Supports Denmark rally was to encourage freedom of speech in a friendly, peaceful way -- and to condemn the worldwide violence springing from the published Muhammad cartoons.
Organizers Nav Purewal (a 21-year-old blogger) and Daniel Dale say they had not heard of this incident before I brought it up and said they were appalled.
"We don't condone that at all," says Dale. "We're going to have Muslims here as friends and it's an insult. That incident there wasn't freedom of speech, that was violence, same as reaction to the cartoons around the world."
One sign at the rally read "All We Are Saying is Give Speech a Chance" while another read "Freedom Rings Whenever Opinions Clash."
Former broadcast journalist and Conservative candidate Peter Kent spoke the rally as a representative of the non-profit group Canadian Coalition for Democracies (CCD).
"Any democracy worth its salt should be strong enough to endure the most controversial speech," says Kent. "That speech cannot be corrupted or compromised or silenced by intimidation or fear of violent reprisal."
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Shame shame shame on the people who behaved so wrongly.
Wouldn't it have been more useful to invite Muslims with different beliefs on the situation and other critics to protest against the violence?
Attacking protestors at UofT is deplorable, but also deplorable is the stifling of free speech that occurs at the university. It's impossible to flyer for an event at all critical of Islamism without having those flyers torn down. That doesn't happen to other events.
Ya think that maybe if the protest had been named "Toronto Against Violence" more would've turned up?
When using "Toronto Supports Denmark" I think you ended up alienating those moderate Muslims who found the whole deal controversial, those that did not support printing of those toons, and those that are already having a hard time dealing with being compared to Islamic fundies.
"It's impossible to flyer for an event at all critical of Islamism without having those flyers torn down."
Having known this, could some smart not have been used to ensure the largest possible gathering? Unless of course the aim was to cause drama and in that case, well done.
You're right. It's my fault this girl was attacked.
"Who ever came up with that name for the march should be kicked in the gnads."
Dave: Ask me if I'm surprised that those opposing the rally advocate violence.
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Unlike in the Middle East, where, in many countries, the media is policed or openly controlled by the state, Denmark is a democratic country that allows newspapers to print what they like. What I was supporting was Denmark, which has faced threats, boycotts, etc. just because they allowed a right-wing newspaper to print something controversial.