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Banned from Canada, Muslim Cleric still manages to speak to youth conference in TO
I love it!
Canada bans him because he "may say something that canadians dont agree with" so as a result he speaks to the delegation here through video conference from overseas.
I probably dont agree with this man or what he stands for, but i will support his right to speak his mind. Im even willing to bet that based on what the media has said, hed probably be promoting hatred against people like me. However, I think we did a very dangerous thing in banning this guy from coming here based soley on the criteria of what he has to say.
Whats next? Banning Eminem? They tried that too didnt they?
This country is becoming very totalitarian and i cant stand it. "think the way we think or you cant come here, or worse you might get arrested"
For shame canada, for shame!
| quote: | A British Muslim cleric who says he was barred from entering Canada has spoken by video link to youth conference at a Toronto mosque.
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In his hour-long address, Sheikh Riyadh ul-Haq expressed none of the controversial opinions against Christians, Jews and Hindus that his opponents in Canada say prompted them to ask that he be stopped from coming here.
In his hour-long address, the Toronto Star reports, ul-Haq thanked those who supported his attempts to come to Canada and urged Muslim youth to avoid spreading harmful rumours about other people.
"If a single person comes to you with news, ascertain the truth lest you harm someone and regret later, " he said in the speech.
"We should not harm anyone through libel and slander on the basis of false news. As Muslims we should realize this."
Comments about other faiths and about moderate Muslims that appeared on ul-Haq's website were cited by the Canadian Jewish Congress, the Muslim Canadian Congress and other groups that asked for ul Haq to be denied entry to Canada.
The cleric has vehemently denied accusations that he has promoted hatred in his speeches.
"All I would like to say is that the picture portrayed from these quotes that I preach hatred against the Jews, the Christians or the Hindus is totally false," he said.
Taken out of context
In an interview broadcast Friday on the CBC Radio program The Current, ul-Haq insisted his words have been taken out of context and that he was actually condemning extremists of every religious persuasion who misinterpret their holy books to justify terrorism.
After ul-Haq's address at the Toronto mosque Saturday, several participants in the Muslim youth conference told the Toronto Star that the Indian-born cleric and author should not have been barred from coming to Canada.
"He was being denied freedom of speech and freedom of mobility," student Ayounb Ansari told the Star.
There were no reports of an explicit ban on ul-Haq coming to this country but last week, CBC news obtained a copy of instruction sent to Air Canada to refer the imam to the Canadian High Commission in London if he attempted to board an aircraft. He was interviewed by High Commission officials Thursday and later said he had been told that he would likely be denied entry to Canada if he arrived here by air. |
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| quote: | Originally posted by jester
Everything in this country is illegal. |
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