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Jews urge attorney general to 'stand up to hate'
Jews urge attorney general to 'stand up to hate'
A new petition calls on Ontario Attorney General Yasir Naqvi to respond to the Jewish community’s complaints and concerns about hate crime and hate speech.
The petition, launched Friday by the Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Centre for Holocaust Studies (FSWC), says no charges were laid in relation to Al Quds Day held outside Queen’s Park on June 24 where speakers expressed anti-Semitism and Holocaust denial, as well as spoke in favour of the annihilation of the Jewish people and Israel.
FSWC also wanted action against Your Ward News — a publication deemed so “highly offensive” by the federal government that it ordered Canada Post to stop delivering it.
“Over the last couple of years, FSWC has filed a number of hate crime-related complaints with police and with the Attorney General’s office. We have expressed our concern over hateful rallies at Queens Park like ‘Al Quds Day’ and hateful publications like ‘Your Ward News,’” Avi Benlolo, President and CEO of FSWC, said in a statement. “Unfortunately, the response has been inadequate and this seems to have only emboldened both white supremacist groups and Islamic groups who have both called for our annihilation.”
The online FSWC “Stand Up To Hate” petition, at www.friendsofsimonwiesenthalcenter.com/petition, asks the Attorney General to take immediate action to prosecute hate crime and reply effectively to community concerns.
Emilie Smith, a spokesperson for the Ministry of the Attorney General, said in an email that FSWC should be commended for its efforts to raise awareness about the impact of hate crimes and speech in communities.
“The province shares its commitment to standing up to hate in all of its forms across Ontario,” Smith said.
The Attorney General’s responsibility under the federal Criminal Code is to provide consent to allow hate crime charges to go forward upon referral by the police.
In July, Naqvi gave his consent for police to proceed with a charge of willful promotion of hatred against Kevin Johnston, author of The Freedom Report.
The charge, unproven in court, was laid after Johnston, according to media reports, posted a YouTube video offering $1,000 for recordings of Muslim students praying in Peel Region schools.
“This is a responsibility that the Attorney General takes extremely seriously in every case,” Smith said about hate crimes in general. “Where charges are laid, Ontario prosecutes these cases vigorously.”
http://www.torontosun.com/2017/08/26...and-up-to-hate
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