I just learned about the story of your Professor, Anthony
Hall, who is the latest to be persecuted by B'nai Brith because of what he
thinks and what he is willing to talk about openly. Having lived through a
similar horror story for half a century, I have a few ideas I wish to
contribute to the debate ... if indeed there is going to be a debate that B'nai
Brith will not strangle before it sees the light of day.
Let me tell you two historical facts having to do with the
media in Canada .
The first happened in the mid-1960s at the height of the Vietnam War when
everyone believed that America
was doing “Civilization” a great service by going over there and “killing them
yellow belly Chinks.” One day, the CBC staged a debate between someone who
supported the war and another one who opposed it.
At some point, the latter asked the former: “What makes you
think God is on your side?” Well, I can't remember what the answer was but I
remember what the reaction was as it came fast and furious over the following
days and weeks. The media types in Canada celebrated what they saw as
Canadian journalism finally “coming of age.” By journalism, they meant getting
rid of the stiff upper lip mentality that prevailed then, and willing to
discuss taboo subjects.
Shortly after that, the 1967 war erupted in the Middle East , and the opinions supporting one side or the
other came from everywhere. At a time when the Jews were describing the Arabs
as being wounded animals, and cartooned as being cockroaches exterminated with
the pesticide “Raid,” a few voices began to respond – not exactly in kind – but
a little more harshly than the stiff upper lip would have allowed.
The Jewish organizations welcomed the opposition saying it
was good that these things were coming out because they were eager to refute
them and ridicule their authors. Alas, it did not take long before the Jewish
side was crushed like an eggshell under a steamroller.
From that point on, every time that the Jews lost a debate,
they accused their opponent of being antisemitic. Within a few months, they had
managed to shut everyone up, thus monopolized the marketplace of ideas. By the
time a year had passed, I decide to join the debate, so I wrote a letter to the
editor that was published in the Toronto Star under the title: “Don't listen to
propaganda, Egypt
is a civilized country.” I said nothing offensive about Israel or the Jews, but the fact that I said
something good about Egypt
was too much for the Jews to stomach. They blacklisted me, and I'm still on
that list.
The reason why I'm on it even though I knocked on every door
you can think of – those of Jews and those of non-Jews – is because the Jewish
organizations have cultivated the idea they are fire-breathing ogres who will
crush you if you foil their blacklist. Many tell me how talented I am, and how
much they would love to use what I create both in fiction and non-fiction
except that it is too dangerous to foil the blacklist, and they cannot take
that chance given the obligations they have.
Now these two questions to you, University of Lethbridge
The answer to both questions is: understandable cowardice.
It is the cumulative effect of incidents such as the one unfolding at this
time, which gives B'nai Brith the reputation it can and will crush you if you
dare to speak your mind, or if you publish the work of someone they have on the
blacklist.
And so, if you being a University where new ideas are
supposed to flourish, accede to the demand of B'nai Brith by harming the
interests of Professor Hall, you will have institutionalized moral cowardice in
Canada .
Almost half a century ago, Canadians believed we had come of age. If you do
what the Jews are asking, you'll set us back half a century to an era no one
wants to revisit.