“Defending the right to speak out against honour killings”

John Carpay is my lawyer in Canada representing my organization, AFDI, in my lawsuit against the Edmonton city government. They took down my ads helping girls in danger of honor violence because a handful of Muslims were “offended.”

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John Carpay: Defending the right to speak out against honour killings,” National Post, August 13, 2016:

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In a court hearing scheduled to begin in September, the City of Edmonton will have to justify its silencing of a non-profit group that wants to promote gender equality and protect Canadian women and girls from honour killings.

Aqsa Parvez of Mississauga, Ont., was only 16 when she was strangled to death for refusing to wear a hijab. Her brother and father felt that she was dishonouring the family, so they killed her in her own home on Dec. 10, 2007. In a similar case, Mohammad Shafia’s three daughters and ex-wife were found dead inside a car on June 30, 2009, in Kingston, Ont. Mohammad Shafia, his second wife and his son were found guilty of first-degree murder, after a much-publicized trial that exposed the abuse and fear the three daughters had experienced before their “honour killing.”

So-called honour killings occur when a woman is considered to have sullied her family’s honour through some sexual indiscretion, or perceived immodesty. Victims of honour killings die at the hands of their own family members. They are powerless and voiceless, unable to get help from those closest to them.

In October 2013, Edmonton Transit ran — and then pulled — bus ads showing photos of Aqsa Parvez and six other women. The ad stated, “Muslim Girls Honor Killed By Their Families,” and continued, “Is your family threatening you? Is there a fatwa on your head? We can help: go to FightforFreedom.us.”

In response to complaints, Edmonton Transit pulled the ads for being “anti-Islamic,” and broke its contract with the non-profit American Freedom Defense Initiative, which paid for the ads. The non-profit’s court action alleges that the municipal agency violated its charter-protected right to freedom of expression.

In a pretrial skirmish, Justice Donald Lee ordered the city to answer questions about a pro-Islamic ad that previously ran on Edmonton buses. That ad had stated, in part, “ISLAM The message of Abraham, Moses, Jesus and Muhammad” — an assertion sure to be offensive to some Jews and Christians. The city did not remove this pro-Islamic ad when it generated complaints. This is relevant because the Supreme Court has specifically held that governments must be neutral and there is nothing neutral about permitting a pro-Islamic ad, while removing an ad deemed anti-Islamic.

Gordon Kent/Postmedia Network

As our Supreme Court has held, freedom of expression is fundamental to a free and democratic society. Free speech facilitates those who advocate for change, in the hope of improving their lives, or all of society. To be meaningful, expressive freedom must include the right to communicate controversial and unpopular messages.

In a free society, the public is expected to tolerate controversy. Freedom of expression cannot exist if people enjoy a “right” to be free from feeling offended by another person’s opinions. Yet this is the “right” claimed by some Muslims, who would like to be spared the trouble of having to deal with those who would criticize their theology. The so-called “right” not to feel offended by another person’s speech is a toxic cancer that is slowly killing our freedom and our democracy. In September, the court has an opportunity to confront this cancer and defeat it.

For Canada’s democracy to function well, citizens must be able to fully exchange ideas and participate in public discourse. Prohibitions on expression, just because some may feel offended, only serve to further society’s ills, instead of addressing problems and providing help for victims like Aqsa Parvez.

National Post

Calgary lawyer John Carpay is president of the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms, which represents the plaintiff in its court action against the City of Edmonton.

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John Boston

7 years ago

Go Pamela! The free world needs more people like you. The Islamists cannot win as long as there is free speech.

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Dan Knight

7 years ago

Left = Pro-Honor Killing … Tell me it ain’t so … (and I’ve got a bridge to sell too)

Seriously, is there any horrific barbarity that’s too far Left for the Left?

(Answer: No. Their concern is always a disingenuous sham to cover up their envy and hatred for their neighbors. They want to destroy Western Civilization, and if women and girls have to risk rape, murder, FGM, actual discrimination and actual income inequality – F’ ’em – the Left doesn’t care as long as they get their slice of the booty.)

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Dan Knight

7 years ago

Reply to  Dan Knight

Left = No Safe Space for Girls Fleeing Honor Killing …

Just rephrasing …

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Mahou Shoujo

7 years ago

Edmonton is the biggest “me too” city in Canada, it will soak any cork to be suave, sophisticated, urbane, progressive and stunned, just like Toronto. The oldest mosque in Canada, possibly north America is in Edmonton, it has a long established convention of being toady to any progressive stupidity that comes through. A few years ago there were murders in the somali community, they demanded the police do something, but refused to say a word about the crimes, which were merely business transactions between drug dealers.

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Colleen N Quentin

7 years ago

Reply to  Mahou Shoujo

I agree it has become very 2 lawed here … one law for those of us born here … and another for our new “friends”. I’m surprised you didn’t mention the case regarding the Libyan doctor who was given 12 months probation for sexually assaulting a 17 year old girl in Edmonton.

He later went on to sexually assault 2 staff members in his practice and received a 30 day sentence (to be served on weekends) … he is appealing again.
Defence lawyer Eamon O’Keeffe said media attention has created a hardship for Taher. “Taher’s lawyer had asked the judge to consider “who Dr. Taher is and what Dr. Taher means to the community.” during sentencing.

Even how it has been reported is a joke on Canadians, as media made the press release so convoluted that unless you followed the cases from start to finish you’d think justice was served.

I don’t think one could find another case where our judges knowingly protected a convicted doctor so well. The case of the 17yr old didn’t even make press until his later convictions did. His defence in the case of the 17yr old was “she asked him for money AFTER the assault” even the judge found that claim to be very hollow.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/30-days-in-jail-for-edmonton-doctor-convicted-of-sexual-assault-1.3677651

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Mahou Shoujo

7 years ago

Reply to  Colleen N Quentin

With rare exceptions, the legal industry in Canada validated the saying of Charlie Dickens character Mr Bumble who says “The law is an ass, an idiot”. The fact that who Dr Taher is, having any bearing on the courts decisions disgusting, Doctors should be examples of proper behaviour, not dregs of the rapist gutter.

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Colleen N Quentin

7 years ago

Reply to  Mahou Shoujo

I’d like to add that my city, Edmonton, will be named murder capital of Canada again!! The somali community are at war with our regular drug/sex trade citizens for control. I live within a 10 block radius of where over 28 of these murders have taken place (not to mention the other crime elevation, assaults with weapons, sexual assaults etc). It’s not a good place to be. Edmonton is showing the early effects of inviting refugees indiscriminately.

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Mahou Shoujo

7 years ago

Reply to  Colleen N Quentin

Edmonton is renowned for having bad ideas at a municipal level, then denying them. As it attracts more immigrants the problems will get worse, as the will to do anything is completely missing from the city administration. Plus Canadian law is now interpreted that a victim is guilty of criminal activity by attracting attention of persons who would not commit crimes were they not provoked to doing so, like rape of a girl because she has the potential of being a sex object, without her consent. Then the rape victim is the actual criminal for creating a situation where a crime was committed.

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Colleen N Quentin

7 years ago

Reply to  Mahou Shoujo

ideas like this newest one … http://www.metronews.ca/news/canada/2016/09/02/make-it-awkward-and-call-out-racism-edmonton-mayor-after-viral-video.html

somehow it’s become acceptable to confront someone who hollers out a racial slur by trespassing (opening the “racists” car door to clearly intimidate) because it’s ok, you’re fighting the good SJW racism fight …
Sniff test for BLM movement? I’m not saying racism doesn’t exist but it has become more vocal in this past year than it has ever been in my almost 50 years of living with multiculturalism in Edmonton and not in a way that is going to solve it but in a way to create racism against anyone who appears to be European or lighter skinned. Even the Asian community feels threatened by this new call of racism, they are my neighbours in the 10 block radius that used to comprise of the Chinese & Italian enclaves, it has in essence been handed over to somalian immigration (cheap housing).

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Mahou Shoujo

7 years ago

Reply to  Colleen N Quentin

It is necessary to immediately fight back. muslims are cry bullies, belligerent and cowardly. If put in their place, they like all good subservient slaves, will stay there. If allowed to get away with anything, they will keep pushing to get more, There is no such thing as enough in islam.

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Colleen N Quentin

7 years ago

Reply to  Mahou Shoujo

a week or two ago our police service launched what is called the “EPS Dashboard” to great applause … what the average idiot here didn’t know was that it was launched to replace a system that allowed the general publc (anyone who cares) to go to the website and see valid EPS press releases that were showing the rise of a certain base of crimes (it used to give names and details of crimes updated daily, I could literally have EPS helicopters flying overhead all night and in morning go to the website to find out what had been going on, not no more) because our local media doesn’t report on this area often or with little detail. The old system showed too much. New system just shows stats. I have to rely on our interactive crime map now (again no details of the offender/victim, just where the crime took place and very little detail about the crime itself) … I’m very disheartened by how easily we are being prepped to become a country like Sweden has become.

Canadians call any question of Sharia Law in Canada fear-mongering, conspiracy theory, bigotry, racist and never going to happen here! Our Constitution allows for Sharia as a religious freedom/cultural belief (just as we have Christian & Jewish tribunal/courts) … They still don’t understand how it works because of the propaganda or government shutting down any conversation of Islam. The average Canadian thinks our human rights are protecting them as individuals, it’s not. No ONE persons rights supersedes another’s … but it is being used to protect our new Canadians because “A Canadian, is a Canadian, is a Canadian” J. Trudeau, just as our Bill C-51 (anti-terrorism bill) is being watered down by the new liberal government (Trudeau’s brother has been lobbying to change the part that Harper placed in the bill that deports those found guilty of terrorism from other countries) … I’m called insane for seeing these things and speaking out. I have now been banned from Facebook due to saying exactly what I’ve posted here. We are highly censored. Our election was exactly like the US one currently happening. All conservatives (like republicans) = racists
All liberals/democrats = human rights progressive, caretakers of world problems blah, blah, blah

We don’t even have a real conservative party in the first place since it’s become “Progressive Conservative” … so no future election is going to pull us out through politics.

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Mahou Shoujo

7 years ago

Reply to  Colleen N Quentin

You have defined the problem quite nicely. Open discussion of islam and shari’a is forbidden by the Canadian government, with the natural apathy of Canadians making it very easy for cry bullies to be heard when bawling down any criticism or presentation of reality.

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Colleen N Quentin

7 years ago

Reply to  Mahou Shoujo

thank you for listening … I hope others will come across these comments and start really researching the truths of what I’ve presented. We are doomed if the people of Canada don’t realize we are being “groomed” for Islam, just as Europe was groomed and now knows it. My eldest children (supporting socialism) have abandoned me, my in-laws say “oh that won’t happen for years” with no comprehension that we are already 10-20 years under occupation and growing (Islam is 2nd largest religion in Canada) … what they call tolerance is really submission at this junction. What they fail to remember is they have great grandchildren etc. they must protect. I have 2, 25+ yr olds with muscular dystrophy and a 4 yr old from a 2nd marriage without disability.
I am regarded as a nitwit religionist, even though I follow none but I studied many. The compliments I receive are “Well at least you are passionate about YOUR beliefs” … I was raised to be an atheist, but you can’t look past what is happening without looking at the religions behind a lot of it.

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Mahou Shoujo

7 years ago

Reply to  Colleen N Quentin

islam is the superstition of those who are inbred to hate, the criminally insane violence of islam will destroy it, as it can only maintain itself in islamic countries through brutal legal violence against and criticism of it. In the west, eventually even europeans will get disgusted with its hatred and enforced misery. The wars of liberation frmr islam are a fact, they will be bloody.

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IzlamIsTyranny

7 years ago

Canada has been infected w/the same cancer as the USA — a cancer that only spreads over time.

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