Changing Times, Changing Lives

In free, liberal democracies there are some issues that really are sacrosanct. The freedom of expression, of association, of religion, of social debate, of political association, for example.

The freedom to express one's opinion as long as it does not go beyond the realm of reasonable apprehension, so long as one does not slip into malicious slander as an expression of hate, inimical to social order and injurious to individuals or groups singled out for censure on the basis of religion, ideology, ethnicity, gender.

Those are reasonable parameters. Giving us ample space to prattle on about our perceptions, moderately and even ironically expressing opinions about everything on earth. These are freedoms guaranteed us as members of free societies where the rule of law represents both our restraints as civil beings and our entitlements as responsible social beings.

Which is why - when one group takes action to stifle, blame and condemn another for a public expression that is in its essence, supportable by evidence, reality, even absurdity through hypocrisy - we are puzzled and affronted, and declare ourselves unwilling to accept what can only be construed as an attempt to waylay our freedoms.

So it's nice to know that Calgarian and Muslim leader Syed Soharwardy, acting for the Islamic Supreme Council of Canada has decided to withdraw the complaint lodged with the Alberta Human Rights Commission against former publisher of the Western Standard, Ezra Levant. Because, Mr. Soharwardy states, he now realizes how precious is that right to freedom of expression in Western society.

That Mr. Levant chose to publish a series of controversial cartoons originating in Denmark - and which caused a violent convulsive backlash across the Muslim world, resulting in deaths, destruction of property, threats against the publisher of the Danish newspaper that originally published the cartoons, and death threats against the cartoonists - was an expression of his personal defiance against the vicious unreasonableness of Muslim anger.

Particularly in light of the fact that most other Canadian media were sufficiently cowed by the potential danger inherent in outraging Muslims who claim such ironic cartoon depictions of that which they hold holy to have abstained from publishing. Claiming that they had no wish to offer offence to Muslims.

In the process eschewing in the most cowardly fashion, to perform their duty to publish all newsworthy items; duties they don't shirk when it comes to other religious faiths being lampooned.

In the meantime, Mr. Levant was forced to defend himself. Hauled before a human rights commission to explain his position, as a Canadian with rights which appear to have been illegally revoked by a quasi-judicial body responding to an irate complaint from a witlessly humourless fundamentalist religious body.

His on-line magazine was closed as funding became tight in his need to pay legal fees. A year of his life was stolen.

On balance, it might be said he hasn't suffered all that much, in comparison to Danish cartoonists whose caricatures published in Jyllands-Posten earned them fatwas and the country a crippling economic boycott of its goods and trade. Certainly not in comparison to Kurt Westergaard, one of the dozen cartoonists behind the incendiary Muslim tirades and threats.

Three men intent on murdering him were just brought into custody. In respect of which Mr. Westergaard says "Of course I fear for my life after the Danish security and intelligence service informed me of the concrete plans of certain people to kill me. However, I have turned fear into anger and indignation. It has made me angry that a perfectly normal everyday activity which I used to do by the thousand was abused to set off such madness.

"I could not possibly have known how long I would have to live under police protection. I think, however, that the impact of the insane response to my cartoon will last for the rest of my life. It is sad indeed, but it has become a fact of my life." His satirical drawing of the Prophet Mohammad sporting a stick of dynamite atop his turban was not appreciated by the Muslim community for whom any depiction of the Prophet is considered sacreligious.

As with Mr. Soharwardy who claims now to understand the backlash against his group's complaint on the basis of freedom of expression, the chairman of the Organization of the Islamic Faith in Denmark proclaims his organization to consider the cartoon issue "closed".

The fact that Mr. Westergaard and his co-cartoonists have suffered and continue to do so, that people were killed as a result of their having deliberately, and with aforethought brought the matter before the international Muslim community ultimately resulting in the violence that occurred, appears to trouble them not at all.

Mr. Levant has other ideas. He plans to sue the Islamic Supreme Council of Canada and Mr. Soharwardy. He will launch a protest of his own, a civil lawsuit through which he intends to recover the tens of thousands he has had to spend defending himself as a result of the complaint lodged against him.

He has no hopes of recovering lost time, but his equanimity, combativeness and resourcefulness in the face of injustice remain intact.