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Canada: Professor who said Israelis over 18 are legitimate targets for terror will not be punished
Maariv News Ticker ^ | 11/17/2004 | AP

Posted on 11/17/2004 4:57:54 PM PST by yonif

Translation from Hebrew to English by me

Mohamed El-Masry, a professor at a Canadian university and the president of the Canadian Islamic Congress will not be punished for his words against Israel, the university has said.

El-Masry said during a TV program that every Israeli over the age of 18 is a legitimate target for terror.

Prof and president of Islamic congress won't be disciplined: university

http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Canada/2004/11/17/718908-cp.html

WATERLOO, Ont. (CP) - A University of Waterloo professor who is also the president of the Canadian Islamic Congress won't be disciplined for controversial comments he made about Israelis, the university announced Wednesday.

Mohamed Elmasry was a panellist on Ontario current affairs program Michael Coren Live last month when he said any Israeli over the age of 18 could be attacked because they are all members of the country's army.

The university released a statement Wednesday announcing the results of its investigation into Elmasry's comments.

"Although the statements made are indeed abhorrent and unacceptable, I have taken into account the contents of the apology and retraction and your long years of distinguished service as a faculty member at this university as well as your assurance that there will be no repetition of any such statements in the future," dean of science George Dixon said.

Elmasry, who is a professor of computer engineering, wrote an apology letter to Dixon retracting his comments, calling them "totally unacceptable."

"The statements were an aberration," Elmasry wrote. "It has always been a core belief of mine that killing civilians - any civilians for any cause - is an immoral act."

Officials with B'nai Brith Canada said in a statement that the university's decision to not discipline Elmasry is "unacceptable."

"Surely, Israeli students cannot feel comforted in knowing that a professor considers them to be fair game - 'legitimate' targets for murder," said executive vice-president Frank Dimant.

"(The university) has effectively alienated its students, which clearly cannot look to Elmasry - as they can to other professors - to teach by moral example."

Elmasry has already apologized publicly for his comments. He also offered to step down as president of the Islamic congress, but its board of directors refused to accept his resignation.

Despite Elmasry's remorse over the incident, Halton regional police have launched an investigation into his televised comments as a possible hate crime.


TOPICS: Canada; Foreign Affairs; Front Page News; Israel; News/Current Events; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: axisofweasels; canada; canuckistan; dogfood; hatecrime; hatespeech; hngngs2good4thbstrd; israel; napalminthemorning; professor; quebec; waronterrorism; wot
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1 posted on 11/17/2004 4:57:54 PM PST by yonif
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To: SJackson; Yehuda; Nachum; Paved Paradise; Thinkin' Gal; adam_az; Alouette; IFly4Him; Salem; ...

Ping.


2 posted on 11/17/2004 4:58:21 PM PST by yonif ("So perish all Thine enemies, O the Lord" - Judges 5:31)
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To: yonif
Hey!, he said he was sorry.
/sarcasm off/
3 posted on 11/17/2004 5:01:11 PM PST by investigateworld (( ....Giving free traders the Willies since 2004....))
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To: yonif

What is the matter with Canada?

Oh, never mind, we don't have time to count the ways...


4 posted on 11/17/2004 5:01:30 PM PST by livius
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To: dennisw; Cachelot; Yehuda; Nix 2; veronica; Catspaw; knighthawk; Alouette; Optimist; weikel; ...
If you'd like to be on this middle east/political ping list, please FR mail me.

No reason he should be censured. He restrained himself, he didn't say you should kill all Jews, just Israelis.

Ohhhhhhhh, Canada!

5 posted on 11/17/2004 5:02:07 PM PST by SJackson ( Bush is as free as a bird, He is only accountable to history and God, Ra'anan Gissin)
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To: yonif

Canada supports terrorism. Clear as a bell.


6 posted on 11/17/2004 5:02:39 PM PST by Diogenesis ("Then I say unto you, send men to summon ... worms. And let us go to Fallujah to collect heads.")
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Comment #7 Removed by Moderator

To: yonif

see what happens when the hockey season is cancelled!


8 posted on 11/17/2004 5:04:21 PM PST by mlocher (america is a sovereign state)
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To: yonif

It's a good thing he didn't quote any Bible passages that offend the homosexual lobby, or he'd be in jail.


9 posted on 11/17/2004 5:04:46 PM PST by niteowl77 (No more NBC or MSNBC... ever.)
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To: investigateworld

What's the big deal? It's not like he was caught watching Fox
News or anything.


10 posted on 11/17/2004 5:05:12 PM PST by Mr. Lucky
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To: yonif

you would be violating his religious freedom if you punish him. if you dont recognize that islam is a religion of murder for non-muslims then you have to expect them to say these things and chop off the heads of non-muslims.


11 posted on 11/17/2004 5:05:49 PM PST by CaptainAwesome2
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Comment #12 Removed by Moderator

To: yonif

So much for Canadian laws against "hate speech."
I guess its OK to advocate killing Jews-- just don't advocate hating them.


13 posted on 11/17/2004 5:07:35 PM PST by hinckley buzzard
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To: yonif

"It has always been a core belief of mine that killing civilians - any civilians for any cause - is an immoral act."

So his apology was not really an apology. Neither did he retract his comments. He contends that all Israelis 18 and over are de-facto members of the military, therefore not civilians, therefore killing them is not immoral.

Am I missing something?


14 posted on 11/17/2004 5:08:02 PM PST by keat
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Comment #15 Removed by Moderator

Comment #16 Removed by Moderator

To: keat
So his apology was not really an apology. Neither did he retract his comments. He contends that all Israelis 18 and over are de-facto members of the military, therefore not civilians, therefore killing them is not immoral.

Yup, and take it further from that. The fact is Jews in the eyes of Islamists are not considered "civilians." Heck, they aren't even considered human.

17 posted on 11/17/2004 5:11:06 PM PST by yonif ("So perish all Thine enemies, O the Lord" - Judges 5:31)
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To: yonif
How it SHOULD have been...

18 posted on 11/17/2004 5:11:31 PM PST by MarineBrat
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To: yonif

You knew his name had to be either Mohammad or Jacques.


20 posted on 11/17/2004 5:16:29 PM PST by thoughtomator (The Era of Old Media is over! Long live the Pajamasphere!)
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