Ezra Levant: “I refused to shake his hand…”

An anecdote from the Steyn trial:

I also learn of the insanity of the complainants: that neither Naiyer Habib or his Ontarian boss, Mohammed Elmasry, will take the stand as witnesses. No more evidence was needed to convict this tribunal of being a farce and waste of taxpayers money, but this is just the latest and most arrogant example.

Yesterday in Vancouver, during one of the tribunal’s many “health breaks”, Habib approached me, and introduced himself to me. I refused to shake his hand; a crowd soon gathered.

He told me he thought there could be a reconciliation between Jews and Muslims — at least I think that’s what he meant. I’m not sure why Habib thought I was the ambassador of the entire Jewish people, but such modesty doesn’t burden him, a member of the confidently named “Canadian Islamic Congress”. I told him he was a bigot, and followed a bigoted, Jew-hating boss in Elmasry; he didn’t try hard to deny it; the crowd grew.

He continues:

I regret that Elmasry and Habib and Awan have exposed moderate Canadian Muslims to hatred and contempt, for their un-Canadian antics. But I am deeply grateful to those anti-Semitic CIC bastards for waking up the nation to the threat of radical Islam, and calling upon a somnolent press corps to rediscover and rededicate themselves to our ancient value of free speech.

Alas, I don’t share Ezra’s optimism. Why?

Because Canada’s newsrooms — like most offices in the nation, regardless of sector — have Muslims working there now.

That’s why it is easier for independant bloggers like me to fearlessly tackle these issues.

We don’t have Muslim bosses or Muslim colleagues we’re afraid of pissing off or hurting.

We don’t have the luxury of a steady paycheque with benefits, but we do have our freedom.

For now.