Welllllllll, all I can say is holy smokes. Last time I wrote I told you about an incident at the University of Windsor concerning the cancellation of an airing of a movie called Occupation: 101. The outcome was that Osama and Dario, the Muslim and Jewish presidents of their Student Associations, were to come on my show, Boker Tov, the following week.
Sounds simple enough, right?
Wrong!
We had negative responses in so many newspapers across Ontario, that it made our heads spin. Osama was criticized for kowtowing to the Jewish neo-conservatives and I was condemned for belittling the Middle East situation and, according to some, I had no regard for the 'plight' of the Palestinian People.
University of Windsor was condemned all over the place, especially by Left-Wingers.
No regard? Believe me, nothing could be further from the truth than that little statement. My 'regard' for the plight of the people on both sides of that conflict is why I have had a radio show for so many years. My 'regard' is why I stick my neck out in situations like this. No good will would have come from anyone seeing the half-truths and distortions and blatant lies this film presented. No dialogue on how to come to an understanding between two peoples would have happened. The gap between Jewish students and Palestinian students would have widened so far that there would have been no way to bring the two groups closer to peace.
My 'regard' is why I have a website writing this for all of the world to see.
No regard indeed. Shame on those who said that.
I did have Osama and Dario on my show to discuss the situation. And for good measure I had Whalid Shoebat on the show right after them.
We discussed for an hour what happened and why I and several other good citizens protested the event. Osama understood what I was trying to say: Yes there is a freedom of speech in Canada. However, along with that freedom comes an even stronger responsibility to make sure you are not inciting hatred for anyone, and that you are telling the truth. All of it. The movie in question did not do that.
Two examples where the movie did not do this were pointed out on the show....First one: Yes there are more Palestinians being killed than Israelis...that is true, no one is denying it. BUT, why is that? And here is the rest of that truth...because Hamas is placing its terrorists and rocket launchers in the midst of the innocent Palestinians, using them as human shields. So, who is the real villain? Not Israel - it's Hamas. By the way, according to the Geneva Convention and the UN, that is a war crime. Has Hamas been charged, which would be the morally correct thing to do, by anyone with this crime? No, of course not. That might give some validity to Israel's complaints and her actions taken to thwarting these thugs.
Second example. There is a picture of a boy being escorted out of war territory by two Israeli soldiers and he has peed his pants. Tears roll down his cheeks. Big bad Israelis, right? Wrong. I was there the day that picture came out. This kid had been caught throwing stones etc. several times in the past especially when news people were around. It was a sport for him. His parents did not approve of this behaviour and the boy had been told many times not to engage in this activity. The soldiers, one a neighbour of the kid, had brought him home to his mama several times. This time he was being taken to his father whom the boy knew was going to beat the crap out of him. THAT was why he peed his pants and cried. Because he was terrified of his father! The truth is certainly not depicted in the picture.
Whalid Shoebat spoke passionately and with great authority about how Palestinian children are brainwashed, even in school, to hate Jews and Israel, and to want to be martyrs for 'the cause.' He could do that, he was born and raised in Bethlehem as a Palestinian Muslim. He condemned Islam, said it was a religion that caused terrorism and hate, and even said that Allah was no God.
Osama took offense to Shoebat saying that. When it was pointed out that the movie said basically the same thing about Jews Osama's eyes widened with sudden understanding.
Osama got the point. In every situation there is a truth. One has to present the whole truth, the entire truth...uhmmm, and nothing but the truth....if one is going to use his freedom of speech about that situation.
It's too bad all of those folks that wrote in and complained about 'Freedom of Speech' being usurped didn't get it. Life would be so much easier if they did. So would the attainability of Peace in the Middle East!

Windsor University’s multi-cultural population includes Muslims who are typical of other students – idealistic, zealous, and passionate.
Since September these students have regularly erected a table in the middle of the student centre and urged others to see Islam as the true faith.
Three weeks ago they held a vigil for the first Muslim martyr from 664 AD and all of the ‘Modern’ martyrs. (My definition of modern martyrs is suicide bombers.) They erected an enormous black tent inside the centre and lit hundreds of candles. Nearly everyone wore a Palestinian kaffiyeh around their necks with the Palestinian flag imprinted on it.
They dedicated last week to Islam awareness. A speaker spoke of Islam as the true religion.
I became alarmed when a poster went up on Friday – very dramatic picture of a Muslim child crying - the background a collage of violent scenes between Israeli soldiers and Palestinians. The caption read: “Crisis in Palestine…Say NO to these atrocities NOW and learn the FACTS.” A movie called “Occupation 101:Voices of the Silent Majority” was to be shown and then followed with an Arabic speaker.
I emailed Amanda Gellman, a university executive, expressing my fears. I told her that several students said they were so frightened by the activity, they would not be returning to the school.
I forwarded that same email to the Executive Director of the JCC, the CJC, the Windsor Star, local friends, and the Windsor Police.
That evening I headed for the university to see the spectacle, armed with a tape recorder. I met my friend, Herda Glatter, and her daughter, Erin, a university student.
Signs plastered the doors to the auditorium saying the event was cancelled. Hundreds of students, mostly Muslim had gathered. They were furious.
Dario David Hunter (president of the JSA) arrived and a Muslim approached him. “Thanks for stopping our event,” he said.
“No, no,” I said to the Muslim next to me. “I’m the one who emailed the school and complained. And I’ll be happy to tell you why.”
I was immediately surrounded. For several minutes I heard their diatribe about freedom of speech and how I stomped on their rights and Israel is an apartheid state and needs to be exposed.
“Do not insult the Africans who did suffer the Apartheid by comparing Israel and your problems to them,” I replied as they crowded closer. “Israel is a democracy.”
Then I asked the professor who was flaming the students’ anger with her remarks, “Have you seen this film? It is so virulent and hysterical and anti-Semitic. A Neo-Nazi blames the Jews, not Israel, but the Jews for all of the problems.”
She had no reply.
We talked for several more minutes and the students accused Israel of destroying hundreds of Palestinian homes and villages. One girl hysterically claimed her parents home had been destroyed twenty times. I asked for names of villages - she would not give me one.
Meanwhile, Dario and the president of the Muslim Student Association, Osama Iqbal, were deep in discussion. I joined the conversation along with Erin. The Windsor Star recorded the dialogue.
“Osama,” I said. “I’m the one who wrote the email and I want you to understand why I did that.”
“Okay,” said Osama.
I proceeded to explain that the increased Muslim activities on campus had scared people. The vigil and this event looked like the Muslims were escalating into what could become a militancy doing violence.
“We have 107 different ethnic groups in Windsor,” I said. “And you know what? We all get along.”
“One hundred and seven?” said Osama. “I had no idea. Our goal was in no way to intimidate or to scare or to make anyone uncomfortable.”
“Well, it did,” I returned. “You terrified us. You scared the crap out of me. We are a peaceful town and take great pride in getting along. So, here’s what I suggest. Rather than escalate the Muslim activity like at other universities, where everyone is terrified and those Muslim students get a reputation as rabble-rousers, why don’t we organize several joint events where we demonstrate what we have in common. Even better, you and Dario and the others involved, sit together and discuss solutions that everyone can live with, in peace. We’re in a safe haven surrounded by a community that gets along. We also have Professor Michael Bell, a man that the UN hires to moderate enemies, including the Iraqi Sunnis and Shiites. He’s been the Canadian Ambassador over there and has a plan we could use to start the talks.”
I smiled. “We could show all of the universities in North America how to effectively make dialogue and reach solutions. We could quite easily, with Professor Bell’s help, solve the Middle East crisis.”
Osama nodded. “Yes, this I would like.”
“Good, “ I replied. “So we’ve decided to solve the Middle East crisis and I feel confident that we can do that.”
Everyone laughed. “But Osama,” I said. “Please, please remember that you can have a dialogue with me any time. Don’t hold events like this. All it does is make people hate you. And if it isn’t me stopping you, rest assured that someone else from this community would. We really do all get along.”
The night did not end there. Osama left but Palestinians and the professor, who still claimed we had stopped free speech, surrounded us.
I took the boys aside while Dario, Erin, and Herda talked to this professor and the women. And we talked! For nearly four hours we talked. And we listened.
“I’m not allowed into Palestine,” said one boy. “I can’t step foot in my homeland.”
“So,” I said. “You’ve only got one little country you can’t go into. I’ve got over twenty-two!”
“But you’re Canadian,” said the boy.
“And a Jew,” I said. “You think I’d be welcome in Syria, Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia? More to the point, do you think I’d be safe? Think about it, twenty-two countries, at a minimum, and you’re complaining because you can’t go into one. Give me a frigging break.”
“But I’ve had people die, friends and family.”
“And so have I,” I replied. “I had friends killed in the Sbarro Pizza Café bombing. I had friends killed in Netanya’s Pesach bombing. What do you want to do? Go head to head, toe to toe in body parts? One hundred percent of the children in Sderot suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome. One hundred percent of the children of Gaza suffer from Post Traumatic Stress. They will never get over it. So congratulations, everyone. With all of this B/S going on we’ve screwed up another generation on both sides again! How insane is that? When do we say enough is enough? Well, I’m saying it, now.”
All of the young men nodded their heads in agreement.
“This is the first time I’ve talked to a Jew like this,” said one of the boys.
“And what do you think? Have I bitten you?”
“No.”
“Stabbed you? Pulled out an M-16 and shot you down?”
“No.”
“I’m offering you chicken soup and a kugel. What do you think of that?”
He had a stunned look on his face for a moment, then broke into a huge smile and opened his arms wide. “Mama!” he cried. “I love you!”
When the laughter died down I explained what I had discussed with Osama. “In all sincerity, can we do that? Can we accept that each side has suffered? Can we lay that acceptance down as the groundwork, with the acknowledgement that both sides hurt and want harmony? And then can we sit down, side by side, over chicken soup and kugel, and you bring the hummus and baklava, and we talk - calmly, quietly, and with respect for each other, and find our common ground so we can find peace?”
Everyone agreed. Some even gave me their email addresses and said they really wanted to do this with me. I’ve sent them emails, offering dinner, but none have replied so far. I’m hoping the reason is that they are in exams. I’m praying.