ZGram - 12/16/2002 - "Hate crime charges for the Indian Chief?"
irimland@zundelsite.org
irimland@zundelsite.org
Mon, 16 Dec 2002 15:26:05 -0800
ZGram - Where Truth is Destiny
December 16, 2002
Good Morning from the Zundelsite:
Yesterday's ZGram told you that a bombshell of sorts exploded in the
Great White North and was widely published and broadcast on media
networks from coast to coast in Canada and via the Internet all over
the world: An Indian chief misspoke himself in politically incorrect
ways - and not a few of us were wondering if "hate charges" would
follow.
Guess what? Here is a follow-up!
A Zundelsite comment: If the Jewish leadership succeeds in dragging
the old Indian Chief through a criminal trial, they will make the
same mistake they did with the Zundel trials earlier! Can't you see
Doug Christie, the world-famous Battling Barrister, flanked by Indian
Braves in full war paint glory, clashing mightily with the Forever
Persecuted who stand there, wringing hands, oy veying? Can a movie
be then far behind? Such a scenario could well amount to a version
of Custer's Last Stand - Blockbuster Glory, in my book!
[START]
Could Native Leaders Be Charged
With "Advocating &
Promoting Genocide"?
By Erin Anderssen
The Globe and Mail
12-16-2
A prominent Jewish group in Canada is calling for a hate-crimes
investigation after a former national native chief publicly applauded
Adolf Hitler for the six millions Jews "fried" in the Holocaust.
Keith Landy, president of the Canadian Jewish Congress, suggested the
Saskatchewan government should consider criminal charges against
David Ahenakew, a former leader of the Assembly of First Nations, the
country's most prominent native organization.
"There's no doubt that the police should be looking into this," Mr.
Landy said. "These statements cannot be made with impunity." In an
interview with a Saskatchewan journalist after a public speech before
a provincial native group, Mr. Ahenakew was quoted as saying that the
genocide Hitler ordered against Jews and other ethnic groups was an
attempt to "clean up the world." "That's how Hitler came in," he told
the Saskatoon Star Phoenix. "He was going to make damn sure that the
Jews didn't take over Germany and Europe.
That's why he fried six million of those guys, you know. Jews would
have owned the goddamned world. And look what they're doing. They're
killing people in Arab countries." Mr. Ahenakew, 68, who headed the
AFN in the 1980s and remains a prominent native statesman, had been
invited to speak before a meeting of the Federation of Saskatchewan
Indian Nations, a group he once led. The subject of the meeting was
new Health Canada policy requiring natives to sign consent forms
releasing medical information before they can obtain services. In his
speech, the Star Phoenix reported, Mr. Ahenakew said that while he
served with the Canadian Army in Germany in the 1950s, the Germans
had told him the Jews started the Second World War. Asked by a
reporter to clarify his statement, he saidhe agreed with the Germans,
and in reference to the Holocaust, responded, "How do you get rid of
a disease like that, that's going to take over, that's going to
dominate?"
When it was pointed out to him that the Nazis had committed genocide,
he said: "I don't support Hitler. But he cleaned up a hell of a lot
of things, didn't he? You would be owned by Jews right now the world
over." Mr. Ahenakew told the gathering that he has warned provincial
officials "40 years down the road, we're going to be taking over
[because of population growth among Indian people]. We're going to be
the government. You [non-Indians] are going to be the Indians, and
we're going to be the bosses. And you [the government] better start
preparing right now." He also complained about bigotry in city
schools. "My great-grandson goes to school here in Saskatoon.
These goddamned immigrants =F7 East Indians, Pakistanis, Afghanistan,
whites and so forth =F7 call him a dirty little Indian. He's the
cleanest of the old goddamn works there. That's what I'm saying. It's
starting right there, at six years old." Mr. Ahenakew could not be
reached for comment Sunday, but he was expected to meet Monday with
the chief of the Saskatchewan native organization, Perry Bellegarde,
to discuss his statements. Native leaders have made efforts to
distance themselves from his comments. A spokesperson for the AFN
stressed that the national association does not share his views. Mr.
Bellegarde, who was not at the meeting, called the comments shocking
and pointed out that Mr. Ahenakew is no longer an elected member of
the federation. As a former provincial leader, he holds the honorary
title of senator. He has a reputation for bold talk; most recently,
he was quoted in July warning of an impending "physical
confrontation" over native issues that neither the police nor the
army would be able to stop. "We respect David," Mr. Bellegarde said
Sunday.
"But his views on the Holocaust are his own personal views. His
language and train of thought must have gotten off track. We don't
try to push people apart and burn bridges."Mr. Bellegarde said he
plans to send letters of apology to Canada's Jewish organizations. "I
have to extend my hand," he said. Members of the Saskatoon Jewish
community met Sunday to decide what action to take. Susanne Kaplan,
president of the congregation Agudas Israel, said that she now plans
to wait to hear from native leaders. "We'll see what they have to
say." A criminal charge under the country's hate laws would require
the consent of Saskatchewan's Attorney-General. The offence, defined
as advocating and promoting genocide, carried a maximum sentence of
five years in prison. Mr. Landy said his group will review the
process for filing a complaint and gather input from other Jewish
representatives in Saskatchewan. "One has to question what is the
motivation and how deeply held are these views," said Mr. Landy, who
wants to hear from the native community. "This is the time for good
people to speak up."
Another former head of the Assembly of First Nations, Phil Fontaine,
called Mr. Ahenakew's comments intolerable, but declined to comment
on whether they constituted a hate crime.
"[Aboriginals] have been subject to all kinds of similar experience
with racism; I don't know why we should turn around and inflict that
on other people. You can imagine if it was directed at us as first
nations people; there would be a great hue and cry."
[END]
(Source:
http://www.globeandmail.com/servlet/ArticleNews/front/RTGAM/20021216/wxnati1=
216
/Front/homeBN/breakingnews )