Posted on 04/06/2004 5:38:36 AM PDT by Lorenb420
Burlington, Ont. — All Canadians must fight against hatred and intolerance of the sort that spawned the firebombing of a Jewish school in Montreal Monday, Prime Minister Paul Martin said.
Mr. Martin joined a chorus of condemnation from political and religious leaders across Canada who said the attack, and a spate of others across the country in recent weeks, have no place in a tolerant nation that prides itself on its diversity.
"The assault was not directed against the Jewish community of Montreal," Mr. Martin said. "It is an act of violence directed at all Canadians and one to which we must collectively respond."
The attack destroyed the library of the United Talmud Torah elementary school, the oldest Jewish day school in the country. A message taped to the front of the building indicated the bombing was prompted by the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians in the Middle East and that further similar crimes were being planned.
The Prime Minister, who labelled the bombing a strike against freedom, said "the attack against a place of learning, where young children gather, is an offence against all that Canadians cherish."
But he quickly went on to decry other recent incidents that police are investigating as hate crimes, including the desecration of a Jewish cemetery in Toronto, the vandalizing of a synagogue and the attempted arson at a mosque.
"This is not my Canada," Mr. Martin said. "This is not our Canada."
Quebec Premier Jean Charest called the attack on the school "a vile act." And Jewish community leaders in Montreal said the firebombing, which coincided with the eve of the Jewish festival of Passover, was the worst against a Jewish target in Montreal in memory.
Liberal Stéphane Dion, the MP for the district, showed up at the school early in the morning. He said he found it unfortunate that Canadian Jews were being targeted because of the actions of the Israeli government, because Jews are not unanimously in support of the Sharon government's actions.
"Why link all Canadian Jews with the policy of a government? It's so absurd," he said in an interview. "We need to protect the Jewish community of Canada that is so unfairly targeted.
"With the awful history of the 20th century, we need the new century to be free of unacceptable attacks."
Federal Justice Minister Irwin Cotler, who joined community leaders at a news conference in the school gym, called it a "racist hate crime" linked to a rise in global anti-Semitism.
Coming after recent attacks in Toronto, he said, "this ratcheted it up a notch."
"Some of it is probably not unconnected to the hatred fanning the same flames in the Middle East," he said.
Conservative Leader Stephen Harper called the firebombing cowardly.
"Such reprehensible acts of hate have no place in our great country.
"My thoughts today are with our nation's Jewish community, and I expect that all the perpetrators of this attack will be brought to justice."
His words echoed those of Mr. Martin, who said people from around the world come to Canada to express themselves "without fear of persecution or harassment, without fear of hateful slurs being spray-painted on their front door."
History has shown, Mr. Martin said, "that there are perils to silence and consequences to indifference."
The Prime Minister made the remarks after meeting with multicultural leaders in this city between Toronto and Hamilton at the end of a day of pre-election campaigning through central Ontario.
The event had been planned ahead of time but the topic was certainly timely, given the events in Montreal.
Mr. Martin heard from both Jewish and Islamic leaders who preached tolerance and professed a desire to work together to stamp out the hatred that fuels such acts.
Alan Livingston, who represented the Jewish community, said his 11-year-old was terrified by the news of the bombing.
"Because she had just heard about the Montreal attacks, she said, 'Is there going to be a bomb here?'." Mr. Livingston said.
Mr. Martin asked whether it was inevitable that the hatred rooted in other countries would be imported to Canada and wondered aloud whether religious leaders are doing enough to preach tolerance to their own communities.
Rabbi Paul Sidlofsky of the Shaarei-Beth El Congregation in nearby Oakville responded by saying he has invited an Islamic leader to speak later in the month.
But he also said he recognizes the incident at the school was the work of extremists — and that people who are given to such crimes exist in every religion.
"It is the extremists that we are looking to eradicate from society," Rabbi Sidlofsky said, or "at least moderate their views."
Mohammed Ashraf, the secretary-general of the Canadian branch of the Islamic Society of North America, urged Mr. Martin to use Canada's position as a neutral body to tell the insurgents on both sides of religious battles to "stop fighting" and to tell them "come to your senses, the world should be safe for everybody."
No, but your Canada WILL oppress Christians by banning certain texts, but not saying a word about the texts in the Quran that tell Muslims to kill anyone who does not believe as they do.
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Moslems see this sort of behavior as weakness. It encourages them to increase their violence. They do not negotiate. They do not compromise. They do not give an inch. They simply lie. And maneuver. And plot their next attack when their enemy's defenses are down.
Mr. Martin is so silly -- he actually thinks Montreal is part of Canada. /sarcasm off/
The stupidity of such a policy has now shown itself.
Straight up, brother!
Sounds like they're getting
what makes them proud. They wanted
"diversity," now
they've got it -- they've got
peaceful, civilized people
mixed with monsters. Duh.
Don't their principles
demand they be "tolerant"
of attackers, too?
Just think how much it took to get the US on the offensive.
Montreal is French/Canada, this is the French, being French.
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