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I am pleased to report that if you search “Mohammedan legal titan” my posts about the marvelous - and I use the term advisedly - Faisal Joseph hit the top positions. Looking the man himself up suggests that Ezra and BlazinCatFur have been busy.
Written by jay on June 4th, 2008 with no comments.
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It was a long and wonderfully irrelevant day in the basement of the ‘Roos. Tyro scholars and really rather eminent scholars of Islam were paraded before the ‘Roos as the Mohammedan legal titan, Faisal Joseph, tried to recover from the fact his chief witness was proven a liar on cross examination.
Towards the end of the day Mohammedan legal titan, Faisal Joseph, decided he’d stop digging his own, private, hole and announced he would call no more witnesses. Which meant that the ostensible complainant in the case against Macleans would not take the stand. Julian Porter, QC - in so far as this is possible for a QC - went ballistic. He threatened to call the complainant himself and he pointed out to the ‘roos “How bad this looks” and then there was an adjournment and, when they came back, another adjournment. But not before Julian Porter, QC said according to the long suffering Andrew Coyne, “If Habib and Elmasry are afraid to testify I don’t want them as my witnesses. They’re a pair of scaredy-pants.”
This Hearing is over.
Oh sure, there may be final arguments and there might even be a bit more testimony; but, realistically, we’re done. We’re done because the Mohammedan legal titan, Faisal Joseph is so stupid, so marvelously out of his depth, that he does not realize just how ridiculous a Complaint without a complainant looks and is. Porter’s ritual slaughter of the Dead Sock scared the ostensible complainant so badly it is clear he is unwilling to subject himself to the same slice and dice. Without him, Mohammedan legal titan, Faisal Joseph has nothing but the evidence of a now self-confessed lying Sock and a good deal of entirely irrelevant academic testimony some of which cuts Steyn’s way.
Even the ‘roos are not dumb enough to find for the complainant on this thin legal gruel. The Fat Lady is in the wings, it is now a matter of exit strategy.
Which is grand news for Macleans, not so good news for those of us who want to see an end to the ‘roos’, federal and provincial, supervision of speech in Canada. If Macleans wins here there will be no appeal and no chance for the SCC to revisit and overturn the decision in Taylor which the HRC fascists cling to as allowing them to abridge free speech and freedom of the press.
Now, and here I am clutching at straws, it is possible that the ‘roos will ignore the fact that Mohammedan legal titan, Faisal Joseph has presented a pup of a case and that his chief witness is a liar and rule against Macleans because they feel like it and Barbara Hall has blazed a trail. And there is also the faint hope of the CHRC matter being decided against Macleans; but that seems unlikely based on the sheer stupidity, absence of preparation and willingness to lie the Socks have demonstrated in BC.
No, Julian Porter, QC has put the fear of Allah into the Socks and their supporters. He has earned every cent of his retainer and, I’m afraid, he is going to win and win big. If the ‘roos had any sense at all they would assess costs against the Socks and Mohammedan legal titan, Faisal Joseph as they threw this piece of crap into the Robson Street gutter.
Written by jay on June 4th, 2008 with 4 comments.
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We’re back. We only have Andrew Coyne in the room - Ezra had to go home - and I really do have to get some work done. But, as the wheels fall of the Socks’ case and the ‘Roos wonder how to get rid of this steaming heap, I will be following along. Putting the meta into live blogging.
Update 1: “Faiza Hirji, an expert in “analyzing stereotypes in the media with regard to minorites,” with a speciality in Muslim minorities.” coyne I am assuming that Ms. Hirji will try to explain that the Dead Sock is the major loser he is because of Mark Steyn’s article and Macleans magazine. Ms. Hirji apparently wrote her dissertation on identity construction and Brollywood - which would, perhaps, qualify her as an expert with respect to Steyn’s TV reviewing - but seems a little off the track here.
Not that it will matter, the ‘roos are past caring.
Unlike Dr. Rippin, yesterday’s witness on the Koran, Ms. Hirji is a baby PhD and apparently McConchie is making her lack of eminence very clear to the ‘roos. But it is not likely to matter as I suspect Ms. Hirji will rattle on about discourse in a fact free manner and generally confirm any existing thoughts the ‘roos might have.
“The panel retires to consider.” Poor Coyne. The fact is that Joseph and the Socks have no case left. They are going through the motions and trying to put in enough distractions and shiney objects that the ‘roos will wave them through. Coyne has to physically sit through this.
Update 2: I hope Macleans is paying Coyne well because the ‘roos have decided to hear Ms. Hirji’s “evidence”.
Update 3: Coyne reports “She reads a passage, says she sees a stereotype in it. Reads another, sees another. The cover is another stereotype, because it shows women wearing burkhas.” This is simply silly evidence. A stereotype or a symbol are not in themselves likely to engender hatred or contempt. Finding them proves exactly nothing.
“McConchie rises to say that he will be maintaining utter silence throughout this.” Which is a weird thing for a lawyer to say. I suspect his point is that the “expert” isn’t and he is not obligated to treat her as such.
Sidebar: If you feel the oxygen draining from the room it is largely because Faisal Joseph and the Socks have lost and they, and everyone else, know it. I am not saying they won’t win a decision from the BCHRT - that might well happen. But any decision in their favour will be appealled and almost any appeal will be successful.
But it is much worse than that for the Socks - in one hour of cross examination the Dead Sock was proven to be a liar and the Socks lawyer was shown to be clueless and unprepared. In short, as many of us expected would happen, the Socks and their masters have made fools of themselves with full national media attention.
Update 4: McConchie is cross examining. Apparently Faisal Joseph did not provide opposing counsel with Ms. Hirji’s terms of reference and, after so shuffling about, an incomplete file is produced. And so on. We’re running on vapours here. They break early for lunch. The Socks and the Mohammedan legal titan’s case is largely complete and we are really no further enlightened as to what that case actually is save that Macleans published the Steyn piece.
Over at the Covenant Zone truepeers has published a long and well considered reflection on what HRC are and what they might be replaced with. I don’t think they need to be replaced at all but truepeers is well worth reading.
Update 5: Now we have a Koran/Islam expert, Dr. Mahmoud Mustafa Ayoub. And, just in case you were wondering what the Socks’ goals are they told Dr. Ayoub in his retainer letter, “The letter, which Julian Porter, is quite bald in setting out the complainants’ objectives. “This case is very important to Muslim minorities who are consistently misrepresented in the media.” They cite approvingly the BC human rights legislation. “We anticipate that success in this case will provide the impetus for prohibiting discriminatory publications in the other provinces.” So there you have it.” Coyne
Anyone who was in any doubt as to the Socks anti-free speech agenda should reread “prohibiting discriminatory publications”. Given the insanely broad definition of “discriminatory” used by the HRCs the stakes could not be higher.
Update 6: Coyne reports “Julian Porter to cross-ex. Some Muslims, he acknowledges, especially in the 20th century, have emphasized the “jihad of the sword.” Islam, he notes in passing, does not have a concept of “holy war”: the phrase was invented by Pope Urban II when he was whipping up enthusiasm for the first Crusade.
Porter suggests that the Koran, like the Bible, has both peaceful and violent verses, and that “we have to choose.” Ayoub says the peaceful ones are more prevalent. Says Mohammed had to govern in times of both war and peace. Wonders if Christ had been in the same position, “probably Christians would have been less bloody than they have been.” ”
This is more than a little surreal. These are questions going to whether or not Steyn is right or wrong about Islam but, before the HRC, truth does not matter. Propose that Ayoub said that Steyn was absolutely correct. What would the legal consequence of that be if, in his correctness, he never the less caused offence?
Update 7: Coyne reports “I’ve just noticed Steyn is here.” Hmmm. Officially Mark is not the Respondent and the word has been that he would not be called by Macleans. So why is he in the room?? I wish he’d blog it.
Update 8: Fireworks at last reports Coyne “Faisal Joseph is announcing … they aren’t going to call any more witnesses! They’re not going to call their third and last expert witness, as it would merely repeat previous evidence, he sayd and they’re not going to call Meihir al Habib (I’ll check the spelling later), one of the complainants!
Julian Porter is furious. Then I’m calling al Habib! This is contemptuous of the process, he says, and disgraceful. He should be here to answer having laid the complaint. “I cannot believe” - he’s practically growling - “that they would have the audacity not to expose either one (meaning Elmasry, the other complainant) to cross-examination.”
Now this should be interesting. Pretty much impossible in a real court but, hey, it’s the ‘roos. Porter is taking five minutes to prep. Should be fun. But I wonder if it might not be wiser to simply leave this dog of a case hanging.
Sidebar: As we wait for the Tribunal to resume you have to wonder at the raw incompetence and sheer, brutal arrogance of the Socks and their lawyer. Here they are having jurisdiction shopped their way to BC and now they are refusing to call the witnesses they said they would call. If the ‘Roos had an ounce of self respect they would dismiss the complaint with costs to Macleans.
Update the Last: LOL “Wait! Porter in on his feet: “If Habib and Elmasry are arraid to testify i don’t want them as my witnesses. They’re a pair of scaredy-pants, and…” I swear to God that’s what he said. The proceedings dissolve in even more confusion than usual…”
Cue the Fat Lady….
This “Hearing” was over when Porter stood up to cross examine the Dead Sock. Up until then the Mohammedans could sort of kid themselves along content in the certainty that the ‘Roos would backstop even the worst prepared and presented matter. But Porter has put the fear of Allah into the Socks and the Mohammedan legal titan.
And now he is making fun of them. I wouldn’t be the least surprised if they scampered out to YVR and hopped the first plane back to TO.
Written by jay on June 4th, 2008 with 10 comments.
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It was also rhetorically more powerful than McCain - not by a small amount but by a mile. Put McCain’s speech against Obama’s - and this was a wipe-out. Not a victory. A wipe-out. Rhetorically, they are simply not in the same league. And if the contrast tonight between McCain and Obama holds for the rest of the campaign, McCain is facing a defeat of historic proportions. andrew sullivan
And the Lying Jackal likes him too!
I have to admit that were I American I would be very deeply tempted by Obama. Partialy for the symbol, partially because he would drag politics into the 21st century; mainly because I like the man from what I have seen.
No, I really don’t like his policies or his wife. So what? The American Presidency is a largely symbolic position and Barak may be the symbol America needs.
McCain is not all that real as a conservative. OK but not likely to be Regan.
I’ll watch the campaign like you will. But I will watch it praying that America can catch a break. Obama might just be that break. (Though he really is goofy on foreign policy.)
Written by jay on June 4th, 2008 with 10 comments.
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Real world…It’s getting colder.
Combined with no sunspots this is not good news.
Climate change - as opposed to the consensus about global warming - does not go in one direction. A warmer planet would not be grand but we could deal with it. A colder planet, on the other hand would mean millions of very marginal people would die.
Those freezing winters of our youth were years where the grain harvests in Saskatchewan were maybe 50% of what they are today.
I would love the warmists to be a little bit wrong…the shark has jumped after all. But I pray to God that they are not entirely insane. ‘Cause if they are we are in for a Little Ice Age and that will be fatal to millions.
Written by jay on June 4th, 2008 with 5 comments.
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Go read the vows.
[Ms. Kaminer is one of my favorite, clear eyed, writers.]
Written by jay on June 4th, 2008 with no comments.
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