"He who passively accepts evil is as much involved in it as he who helps to perpetrate it. He who accepts evil without protesting against it is really cooperating with it."
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Martin Luther King Jr. //
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"There are some ideas so absurd that only an intellectual could believe them."
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George Orwell //
Want to contact the Stubble Jumping Redneck? Shoot her an email @ oldweesie@sasktel.net
"Is promoting genocide a human-rights violation? You might think that's an easy question. But it isn't at Human Rights Watch, where a bitter debate is raging over how to describe Iran's calls for the destruction of Israel. The infighting reveals a peculiar standard regarding dictatorships and human rights and especially the Jewish state."(Emphasis mine)
Prime Minister Netanyahu's apology to Arab citizens of Israel. English subtitles by clicking the "cc" box in the video.
Posted by StandWithUs on Monday, March 23, 2015
Israel treats its Arab citizens better than any Arab treats its Arab citizens, and especially, their minorities.
"Going largely unnoticed in Greece and beyond, an important anniversary passes annually and passed again, on March 23rd. The date in 1943 marks one of the most important moments in the history of World War II and the Holocaust, when the Archbishop of Greece, Damaskinos, openly defied Adolf Hitler’s Final Solution with a letter of protest— unique in the annals of occupied Europe.
According to the International Raoul Wallenberg Foundation, “It required virtue and courage to sign such a document in those dark times.”"
"On March 26, 1965, LIFE Magazine featured an iconic photo on its cover of Greek Orthodox Archbishop Iakovos marching with Dr. Martin Luther Jr.
Sixteen days earlier, the events that gave rise to that photo took place in Selma, Alabama. On March 11, 1965, white American Unitarian Universalist minister James Reed was brutally clubbed to death by segregationists while marching for civil rights. Days later, Archbishop Iakovos would travel to Selma and march arm in arm with King for equality. The photo on LIFE’s cover is of Archbishop Iakovos marching with King as King holds a wreath for Reed’s memorial service."
"Dissident blogger Yoani Sanchez checked in at Havana's international airport on Sunday without complications, with a flight to Brazil the first item on her world tour itinerary.
Sanchez was granted a passport two weeks ago, under more lax travel laws introduced in January by Cuban authorities. The critical online activist, who had been denied a passport in 20 applications over the past five years, was initially skeptical about her chances of securing a passport even under the new system.
The 37-year-old author of the "Generacion Y" blog is one of several Cuban critics to receive a passport, but the first to take advantage of the measure."
Good for her.
Some reprehensible regimes collapse overnight. Others fade away over a long period of time. But nothing lasts forever. This, too, shall come to pass.
"The message said: "It has come to our attention that the Israeli government has ignored repeated warnings about the abuse of human rights, shutting down the internet in Israel and mistreating its own citizens and those of its neighboring countries.""
"Witnesses said the six men were pulled out of a van Tuesday, forced to lie face down on the street and then shot dead.
Five bodies lay in a pile as a mob stomped and spit on them. A sixth body was tied to a motorcycle and dragged through the streets as people screamed, “Spy! Spy!”
Hamas posted a sign on an electricity pole, naming the six alleged informers.
Israel relies on a network of local informants to identify its targets."
...but at least here's a little bit about the status of Brian Storseth's proposed amendment to Section 13 of the Human Rights Act:
"This evening, members will debate Conservative MP Brian Storseth's private member's bill, which would delete Section 13 of the Human Rights Act -- the often-criticized hate speech law which has been said to violate the right to free speech.
"Another private member’s bill on Wednesday moved toward the final stage of Commons approval, to loud applause from Conservative benches. Bill C-304 would repeal Section 13 of the Canadian Human Rights Act and prevent rights claims based on hate speech from being brought before human rights commissions."
...of the progress of Bill C-304, the amendment to Canada's Human Rights Law which will remove the nefarious clause that suppresses free speech?
Brian Storseth, the MP who is spearheading this, has a running list of the major steps already taken along the way, as well as links to numerous articles about it. The last entry was two months ago. I have no idea where it is at the moment. Hopefully, it will soon be law.
"At the time of her attack in May 2000, her ex-husband Bilal Khar was the man accused of entering her mother's house and pouring acid over Younus's face as she slept."
[---]
"Her nose was almost completely melted and she has since undergone 39 separate surgical procedures to repair her disfigured face over the past decade."
[---]
"...on March 17 she took her own life, after leaving a message saying she was committing suicide over the silence of law on the atrocities and the insensitivity of Pakistani rulers."
[---]
The horrific attack also burned off her hair, fused her lips, blinded her in one eye, destroyed her left ear and melted her breasts.
After being rushed to hospital she said, 'My face is a prison to me', while her distraught young son said at the time, 'This is not my mother'."
[---]
"More than 8,500 acid attacks, forced marriages and other forms of violence against women were reported in Pakistan in 2011, according to The Aurat Foundation, a women's rights organization."
[---]
"Tehmina Durrani, the ex-wife of Bilal Khar's father, had become an advocate for Younus after the attack, and said the acid attack victim had pledged to bring her attacker to justice when she had recovered.
[---]
"Durrani said Younus' case should be a reminder that the Pakistani government needs to do much more to prevent acid attacks and other forms of violence against women, and also help the victims.
'I think this whole country should be extremely embarrassed that a foreign country took responsibility for a Pakistani citizen for 13 years because we could give her nothing, not justice, not security,' said Durrani."
"A Ukrainian teenage girl died Thursday three weeks after being set on fire in a gang rape attack by youths which shocked the nation and raised doubts about the competence of police.
Oksana Makar, 18, was raped by three men in their early 20s, strangled with a cord, burned and left for dead in an attack in the southern Ukrainian city of Mykolayiv, investigators have said.
The victim was found by a passer-by after she was dumped by her attackers at an abandoned construction site. She was hospitalised in a critical condition with burns over 55 percent of her body, requiring the amputation of one of her arms."
[---]
"She was strangled and they (the attackers) thought she had died. So they burned her. She was lying there 10 hours in the freezing cold and inhaled the by-products of the burning," Fistal said."
[---]
"If convicted, the three face between 15 years to life in jail, although the brutality of the crime has renewed public debate about the use of the death penalty which was abolished in Ukraine over a decade ago."
UPDATE: I've now gone through the list of who voted for free speech. Here's what I found: With two exceptions, virtually every single one who voted for free speech was a member of the Conservative Party, but not every Conservative voted (their names do not appear on either the Yeas or Nays lists)
These are the Conservative MPs who did not vote:
Peter Kent (surprise!), but he is a high profile cabinet minister (Environment portfolio) who caused the opposition and CBC/Globe and Mail/Toronto Star supporters to go apoplectic when he announced Canada will be pulling out of the Koyoto Protocol, so I won't hold this against him, and besides, maybe he was busy working on environment issues, of which there are plenty, these days.
Cheryl Gallant; who is also a Conservative, but her name does not appear on the list. Maybe she has a good excuse, but I don't know much about her, although she has been in the news from time to time.
Ted Opitz; same as Gallant, he's a Conservative but I've never heard of him before. He may be a rookie, or at the least, a dull backbencher.
Deepak Obhrai;ditto.
Joe Oliver; he's a Conservative Cabinet Minister whose name has been in the news quite a bit lately, usually in connection with the proposed Northern Gateway Pipeline.
Tilly O'Neil Gordon, another Conservative who has been in the House for a few years, but, again, I know nothing about her, other than that she is from the Maritimes.
The two MPs who are not members of the conservative Party but who also voted for free speech are Peter Goldring, who used to be a Conservative but now sits as an Independent and (drumroll please) A MEMBER OF THE LIBERAL PARTY!!!! Scott Simms. Congratulations to Mr. Simms for voting his conscience.
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Yesterday, the Act to Amend the Human Rights Act (ie) to rid us of the pernicious jackboot on our free speech rights, passed second reading, 158 for to 131 against, (background information here, here, here, and here.)
I was interested to see who was against free speech and found this list of who voted for and against (scroll down near the bottom for tally of votes and voters on Bill C - 304 or Standing Order 93(1)).
As I expected, all members who voted against free speech were Dippers (94 nays), Liberals (32 nays), Bloc (4 nays) and the lone member for the Green Party, Elizabeth May (1 nay).
Interestingly, some members of those parties did not vote against the bill (perhaps they stayed home that day - old trick used by politicians who don't want to be accountable. Regrettably, the same can be said of the Conservatives. They have 165 members, but the total number voting for free speech was 158.)
The current standing of each of the political parties is shown here.
Note, the NDP hold 101 seats, meaning seven Dippers did not vote against free speech (and perhaps conveniently forgot to show up), Liberals hold 35 seats, which means 3 did not vote against free speech.
In any case, the Bill now goes to the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights where the Conservatives have a majority. It is now only a matter of time. The whole process from beginning to end is extremely time consuming and, by tradition and protocol, passes through numerousstages:
"Heather articulates one of the greatest ideas of the Enlightenment and of Western civilization. The way to progress, succeed, and to solve problems is to speak honestly. That’s why freedom of speech is the very first principle in the U.S. Bill of Rights. But the dominant philosophy of the current age — Political Correctness — is based on exalting lies on behalf of allegedly good causes."
"Heather" is an Egyptian woman, by the way. Good ideas do have a way of spreading far and wide.
Which reminds me, I wonder how Brian Storseth's proposed amendment of our Human Rights Act is doing.
UPDATED AND BUMPED: A bit of her family's history: Victims of the 1979 revolution.
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Have a listen to this talk by Peter MacKay's new bride. Not bad. Not bad at all. At the 16:40 minute mark she says something that absolutely/automatically puts me onside with her. She wants to dismantle the United Nations!!! Now there's a cause that I could get behind.
Another point. She describes the situation in Iran which to my mind puts the lie to the Occupy-Whatever-Park-Is-Close-To-You movement and shames the silly groupies who were all gaga about it (like Saskboy).
"Zambia has dismissed an international rights group's call for the arrest on torture charges of former U.S. president George W. Bush, who has been touring Africa to raise awareness about cervical and breast cancer.
“On what basis does Amnesty International want us to arrest President Bush?” state media quoted Foreign Affairs Minister Chishimba Kambwili as saying while Bush, his wife and daughters ended their visit to Zambia on Saturday."
[---]
"Earlier in the week, Amnesty International said it had asked Tanzania, Zambia and Ethiopia to arrest Bush, “someone who has admitted to authorizing waterboarding.” As president, Mr. Bush authorized the interrogation technique that simulates drowning and is viewed as torture by many.
Mr. Bush is warmly remembered across Africa for his U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), which since 2003 has provided AIDS treatment to millions on the continent hardest hit by the disease.
Mr. Bush started his Africa tour in Tanzania. He launched his Pink Ribbon Red Ribbon project Friday in Zambia. The project is aimed at expanding the availability of breast care education and cervical cancer screening and treatment."
A stubble jumper is a prairie farmer. I'm from Saskatchewan and my dad was a farmer, so the name is apt. "Redneck" needs no explanation. It's anyone who disagrees with a lunatic leftie. My blog is mostly about the Middle East but other issues also catch my eye and get me going. I monitor comments to keep out trolls and lunatic lefties. Anyone who is zealously anti-American and anti-democracy in the Middle East is NOT welcome.
