January 2008
SAFS strongly opposes Human Rights Commissions’ attempts to obstruct public
debate on controversial issues. As Alan Borovoy, general counsel for the
Canadian Civil Liberties Association, wrote in March, 2006, in the Calgary
Herald: “During the years when my colleagues and I were labouring to create such
commissions, we never imagined that they might ultimately be used against
freedom of speech …. A free culture cannot protect people against material that
hurts.” We agree.
We
deplore the tactics of the Canadian Islamic Congress and others to exploit the
human rights complaint process to bully Maclean’s magazine, and, in effect, the
rest of us as well. The Human Rights Commission should confer no legitimacy on
their attempt to censor and chill debate. We call for the speedy dismissal of
the complaints.
Free speech is essential to our democracy—and to universities, which are the
particular concern of the Society for Academic Freedom and Scholarship. Without
unfettered debate no one will be able discover the truth about controversial
ideas, scientific claims, and effective public policy. Preventing debate is the
best way to achieve ignorance and force unsavory and wrong ideas underground,
and thus deprive others of the opportunity to discredit them.
To
advance the cause of reasoned debate, we have posted on our website,
www.safs.ca, the human rights complaints launched by Mr. Elmasry, national
president of the Canadian Islamic Congress, the 70 page document written by K.
Awan, M. Skeikh, N. Mithoowani, A. Ahmed, and D. Simard to support claims of
alleged unfairness in Maclean’s portrayal of Muslims, and other material
explaining the grievance. We have also posted Maclean’s explanation of its
position, and columns and editorials of others who, like us, oppose the CIC’s
attack on free speech. There is much at stake, and we trust our readers to make
up their own minds. Free people do not rely on bullies to tell them what ideas
they can read or hear and what to think.
Help us maintain freedom in teaching, research and scholarship by joining SAFS or making a donation.
