As some readers will know, I’ve fought a long battle in Canada to restore freedom of speech to a country that should never have allowed itself to lose it. So I find this example of naked intimidation by state power especially repugnant:
Pamela Geller, tireless campaigner against Islamic imperialism (and a lady I had the honor of being introduced by at CPAC a few years back), was scheduled to give a speech at a Toronto synagogue on May 13th. Miss Geller is not a convicted terrorist or terrorism-supporter or someone who argues for the execution of all homosexuals. If she were, she could speak at any Canadian venue with impunity. Instead, here’s what happened next:
TORONTO – York Regional Police threatened to remove a rabbi as one of the force’s chaplains if he hosted a controversial anti-Islamist speaker at his Thornhill synagogue.
Insp. Ricky Veerappan, of the force’s diversity, equity and inclusion bureau, confirmed he and officers from the service’s hate crimes unit met with Rabbi Mendel Kaplan of the Chabad Flamingo Synagogue on Tuesday.
They expressed concern about an upcoming talk to be given by Pamela Geller, a vocal critic of radical Islam. She protested past plans to build a mosque near Ground Zero in New York City, and has posted anti-Jihad messages in that city’s subway system.
When the York Regional Police Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Bureau show up thwacking their truncheons against their palms and saying, “Nice little multifaith advisory committee gig you got going, Rabbi. Shame if anything were to happen to it”, a prudent man gets the message:
Subsequent to his meeting with police, Kaplan cancelled Geller’s May 13 talk.
So that worked. Those who didn’t get the memo about Inspector Ricky Veerappan’s self-enthronement as Greater Toronto Area Speech Commissar are scrambling to find Pamela Geller an alternative venue. If you don’t want the coppers determining whose opinions you’re permitted to be exposed to, give ‘em your support. (Miss Geller has more here.)
I’m tired of being told what I’m allowed to read and hear by statist hacks like Inspector Veerappan. John O’Sullivan likes to call the politically correct British police “the paramilitary wing of The Guardian“. Unfortunately, the “Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Bureau” would take that as a compliment.
PS More here. And this line from Inclusion Inspector Veerappan is particularly revolting:
Some of the stuff that Ms. Geller speaks about runs contrary to the values of York Regional Police.
Get lost, creep. In free societies, a constabulary isn’t there to enforce its “values”, it’s there to uphold the law. This man is unfit for his job.
