69 million page views

The Respectable Biases of the Canadian Left- reponse to J.S.

Reader comment on item: L.A.'s Thwarted Terror Spree

Submitted by Aidan Maconachy (Canada), Sep 9, 2005 at 14:52

J.S. makes some very accurate observations about the bias in the Canadian media. He is absolutely right when he refers to the double standard exercised by the CBC and newspapers such as the Toronto Star, which always seem eager to give a pass to virulent expressions of anti-Semitism expressed by mainstream Islamic spokespersons such as Elmasry (notwithstanding the fleeting storm-in-a-tea-cup that followed the Elmasry's endorsement of the killing of Israeli civilians). On the other hand attacks on Israel and the U.S. (as represented by G.W.) are dished out with almost knee jerk predictability.

This bias is demonstrated on a weekly basis in the Toronto Star. They offer a high pulpit to journalists such as Haroon Siddiqui, who artfully couches his rhetoric in the language of the intellectual, while routinely bashing US policies with the mono-minded ardor of a soap box rabble rouser. While ready and willing to host the biases of Siddiqui, The Star makes no effort to offer any column space to a pro American/pro Israel writer capable of offering an alternative point of view. Occasionally, the extreme views of a Siddiqui are mitigated by the more objective rationales of other scribes on the Star such as Richard Gwyn and Rosie DiManno, but by and large the bias is clear and unmistakable.

While the planned attacks on Jewish synagogues in the US is certainly a source of deep concern, the plotters were very much on the fringes of society ... desperadoes with a fanatical agenda. What is more worrisome, is the incursion of extremist Islamic thinking into the cultural arena in Canada. Of course it is never presented as "extremist" per se. Intellectuals such as Siddiqui take care to package extremism in the language of liberal persuasiveness.

The plan to introduce Sharia law provisions in Ontario, is being greeted with horror by western based Islamic women who see this move as a betrayal of their trust. Many of these women came to countries like Canada precisely to escape from the type of draconian justice represented by Sharia, which also shows a powerful anti-woman bias in its provisions. The willingness of Ontario to support this move was recently given added weight by an editorial in the Globe and Mail that came out in favor of this oddball legal direction.

I agree with J.S. - these developments in Canada pose a much greater threat to any "golden age" for Jews here in Canada, if indeed such ever existed. This statement is not an attempt to exclude muslims from entering fully into Canadian life, rather it seeks to draw attention to the type of Islamic voice that is being empowered in Canada, and this voice is not in concert with the Canadian way, and most certainly out of synch with mainstream Jewish Canadian opinion.
Submitting....

Note: Opinions expressed in comments are those of the authors alone and not necessarily those of Daniel Pipes. Original writing only, please. Comments are screened and in some cases edited before posting. Reasoned disagreement is welcome but not comments that are scurrilous, off-topic, commercial, disparaging religions, or otherwise inappropriate. For complete regulations, see the "Guidelines for Reader Comments".

Submit a comment on this item

<< Previous Comment      Next Comment >>

Reader comments (47) on this item

Title Commenter Date Thread
Are you in error...? [239 words]Phil GreendMay 27, 2007 13:3594833
Some additonal facts [212 words]DSep 25, 2005 12:4126289
To Asim [61 words]DaisySep 14, 2005 10:3425821
Religious Terrorism? [29 words]SheilaSep 14, 2005 08:0625811
Praise for article "Home-grown radical Islam has arrived" [20 words]Bob AronoffSep 13, 2005 01:4525735
Iron Resolve to crush Terrorism completely [171 words]kanadSep 11, 2005 05:0125640
More on the threat posed by Islamists... [86 words]J.S.Sep 9, 2005 19:4825625
Response to Yuval [369 words]WalterSep 9, 2005 16:2525622
The Respectable Biases of the Canadian Left- reponse to J.S. [460 words]Aidan MaconachySep 9, 2005 14:5225621
Reply to Mary - actually, it has been made up [53 words]yuval Brandstetter MDSep 9, 2005 09:1425610
Comments about the "golden age...coming to an end.." [583 words]J.S.Sep 8, 2005 17:0325601
Malcom X-Files [363 words]Reuben HorneSep 8, 2005 11:3325594
Reply to come to England [216 words]MarySep 8, 2005 09:2125591
Response to Amitabh tripathi [58 words]DvoraSep 8, 2005 07:4125586
Re: Versions of Islam [182 words]PeterSep 8, 2005 06:1125582
publicity [54 words]diane cohenSep 7, 2005 19:3425573
Terror spree by American Islamists. [203 words]Steven LSep 7, 2005 18:5025572
Islamic terrorism, Response to Asim Ahmed [138 words]N. KhanSep 7, 2005 14:3925566
Agreement with Faqi Husssain [186 words]David J. BastyrSep 7, 2005 13:4925564
OTT [16 words]R LaGambaSep 7, 2005 11:5025561
suggestion to Faqi Hussain [63 words]Determined in DallasSep 7, 2005 10:2125555
Violent Tendency is Root [85 words]jamie ramsfelderSep 7, 2005 09:5925554
Daniel Pipes doing a great job [615 words]Amitabh tripathiSep 7, 2005 09:2325553
go further back- to Faqi Husssain [113 words]yuval Brandstetter MDSep 7, 2005 08:2625550
Reply to Mr. Asim Ahmed [950 words]Faqi HusssainSep 7, 2005 03:4825548
Come to England [60 words]TTSep 7, 2005 03:0625546
Prevent jails becoming breeding grounds [199 words]MadeleineSep 7, 2005 02:3125545
Good article/Bad cop bashing [132 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
jeff hoyneSep 7, 2005 00:5425543
What would you have them do? [151 words]richardDec 19, 2007 11:2825543
Versions of Islam [40 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
PeterSep 7, 2005 00:3425541
Should we be surprised? [84 words]Ruth LowrySep 7, 2005 00:1525540
Terror Thwarted in LA [13 words]John GlueckSep 7, 2005 00:0425539
Jihadi version of Islam [137 words]f, ShawkiSep 6, 2005 21:4825538
small fry [47 words]asim ahmedSep 6, 2005 20:3625537
What About State-Sponsorship [52 words]AlexSep 6, 2005 19:3225536
Real threat [143 words]SamiSep 6, 2005 19:3125535
Just the facts! [65 words]LanceSep 6, 2005 19:0625534
Wearing the mantle of leadership in the 21st. Century [165 words]David W. LincolnSep 6, 2005 18:4225533
People "Acknowledge It" [138 words]George A. GoldbergSep 6, 2005 18:1825532
Fear will live in our hearts [147 words]batya daganSep 6, 2005 17:3425530
home grown [176 words]donevanSep 6, 2005 17:3025528
Great Article [38 words]Tarek AbdelhamidSep 6, 2005 17:0625526
Why Is Race Relevant? [65 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
Rachel PeckSep 6, 2005 16:5825525
Dallas Jewry [182 words]RHSSep 6, 2005 16:5425524
El-al Jihad, LA Style [228 words]Jewish victim of jihadSep 6, 2005 16:3025521
Galuth [107 words]yuval Brandstetter MDSep 6, 2005 16:1725520
How about these mosques? [202 words]Edmund JamesFeb 7, 2003 10:326481

Follow Daniel Pipes

Facebook   Twitter   RSS   Join Mailing List

All materials by Daniel Pipes on this site: © 1968-2024 Daniel Pipes. daniel.pipes@gmail.com and @DanielPipes

Support Daniel Pipes' work with a tax-deductible donation to the Middle East Forum.Daniel J. Pipes

(The MEF is a publicly supported, nonprofit organization under section 501(c)3 of the Internal Revenue Code.

Contributions are tax deductible to the full extent allowed by law. Tax-ID 23-774-9796, approved Apr. 27, 1998.

For more information, view our IRS letter of determination.)