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Robert Sibley’s Ideas & Consequences
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I’m sure everyone knows the old saying, “There’s a sucker born every minute.” Well, the sentiment might make a worthy motto for the Canadian Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-CAN) in its attempts to stymie those who question extremist Islam.
CAIR-CAN, it appears, would like Canadians to believe it has discovered the virtues of tolerance, inclusiveness, diversity and, most marvelous of all, freedom of thought and speech. Nonetheless, the organization wanted the Ottawa Public Library to cancel a Monday night speech by British “mosquebuster” Gavin Boby, the founder of group devoted to “resisting the tide of Islam” in the United Kingdom. Boby uses legal processes and municipal bylaws to help Britons who don’t want mosques built in their neighbourhoods. He’s apparently been quite successful.
Naturally, CAIR-CAN objects to such ideas. What’s interesting, though, is how the organization presents its opposition. To be sure, it still tosses around words and phrases meant to shut down debate or intimidate those who challenge it; you know, words such as “Islamophobic” and “anti-Muslim hate-monger.” But in this particular case it is also casting itself in a politically correct mode.
This is interesting, it seems that they are feeling the heat and are trying to defuse the charges of wanting to force their opponents to keep quiet.