It certainly looks like CSIS Director Dick Fadden was bang on about foreign influence in Canada. The Iranian embassy in Ottawa provides a prime example and I’ll wager the intelligence service prompted the threats mentioned below. Terry Glavin tells the story, which is still developing (some links added):
The National Library capitulates to Iran’s bullies
When federal Cabinet Minister James Moore intervened Tuesday to protest the cancelled screening of the film Iranium at the National Library and Archives in Ottawa [now officially Library and Archives Canada; under the Liberals the word “national” was removed from several federal institutions, e.g the National Museum of Science and Technology, in order to avoid giving any possible offense to the Québécois I am sure], he said: “I am disappointed that Library & Archives Canada chose not to show the film tonight due to threats of violence. . . The Iranian Embassy will not dictate to the Government of Canada which films will or will not be shown in Canada.”
But the screening ended up cancelled anyway after a “suspicious package” shut down the Library. Ottawa police and a haz-mat team showed up late in the afternoon and the staff was sent home. In another version of events, most employees were already gone when suspicious letters were dropped off at the building, on Wellington Street, by a man who hurried away.
Altogether it’s been a busy couple of days for my pal Fred Litwin, who runs Ottawa’s Free-Thinking Film Society, the host of the event. Fred’s been keeping me posted – I’m a director of the society (and no, I’m neither “libertarian” nor “conservative”). Only two months ago I joined some Iranian comrades at the National Library to give a talk at a Film Society screening of another film about Iranian despotism, The Stoning of Soraya M.
The Iranian embassy confirms it was involved in the initial “complaints” about the Iranium event. The Library confirms the embassy lodged a formal request to cancel the screening. A “suspicious” package or a letter that turned out to be a false alarm – that’s something I can understand as a justification for cancelling the showing. But the National Library first cancelled the screening after merely having received “complaints.” It agreed not to back down to the protests, only after Moore’s office intervened. But then the Library apparently backed down again after “letters” and “threats” and “protests,” or something.
“I’m outraged that in the capital of Canada the Iranians have been able to shut down a movie,” Fred said. “Bad enough in Tehran, but in Ottawa?”
Apparently so. Something very nasty is going on here, and I am more than a little curious to discover what’s at the bottom of it, who was involved in these “protests,” and what the hell the National Library was thinking by cancelling the screening in the first place. The National Library is not the Bijou. It’s a venerable, national, public institution. Iranium is an important film, it’s a new film, and Clare Lopez, a Middle East strategic policy and intelligence expert was flown in from Washington D.C. for the planned screening. The National Library owes more than an apology and a lot more than full compensation for the Film Society’s costs. It owes every Canadian a complete explanation and full accounting of what the hell just happened.
I imagine it was Ms. Lopez the Iranians really wanted to muzzle seeing as the film will be widely available soon. Have a listen to her here at CFRA Ottawa’s website:
…
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Clare Lopez with Nick Vandergragt
As mentioned by Lowell Green, here is the program that originally aired Thursday January 6th with Nick at Night filling in for Lowell with special guest Clare M. Lopez, a strategic policy and intelligence expert with a focus on Middle East, national defense, WMD, and counterterrorism issues. They were discussing “Iranium”, a film that details the brutal nature of the Iranian regime to its own citizens, and the Iranian people’s desire to rejoin the international community.
The planned screening of Iranium was cancelled at the Library and Archives Canada building Tuesday night due to protest threats.
mp3 (click here to download)
…
Ironically, the Iranian Embassy itself has apparently rented the theatre at the Archives several times to show its own propaganda films.
The government has now responded pretty firmly, effectively it appears instructing the Archives to let the film be shown. From Giggles Taber of the Globe, who seems to see the story only in party political terms–missing herself as usual any bigger picture:
Top Tories bristle at Iranian [sic] film’s cancellation
…Tehran’s atomic ambition. Two senior Harper cabinet ministers are criticizing the cancellation of a documentary film that looks at Iran’s ability to build nuclear weapons, calling it “outrageous” and warning the Canadian government will not be bullied by Iran.
Immigration Minister Jason Kenney and Heritage Minister James Moore weighed in on the controversy via Twitter as news broke that the film, Iranium, would not be screened.
Calling the cancellation “outrageous,” Mr. Kenney said: “I hope that folks from across the political spectrum will help the Free Thinking Film Society to overcome intimidation & screen the film.”
The Free Thinking Film Society organized the event Tuesday at the National Archives of Canada. It was called off, according to reports, after threats of protests were made by phone and suspicious letters were dropped off at the venue. The Iranian embassy also filed a formal complaint, saying it wanted the showing stopped.
This did not impress the Heritage Minister. Mr. Moore cautioned the Iranian Embassy not to “dictate to the Government of Canada which films will or will not be shown in Canada.”
He added: “I am disappointed that Library & Archives Canada chose not to show the film tonight due to threats of violence,” wrote Mr. Moore…
Update Mr. Moore says the show will go on.
According the his press secretary, Mr. Moore started working on figuring out how the issue could be corrected as soon as heard the screening was in doubt. He has since instructed the Archives to honour its commitment to show the film while taking all appropriate steps to ensure security, Codie Taylor said.
“Canada does not accept attempts from the Iranian Embassy to dictate what films will and will not be shown in Canada,” the Heritage Minister said through Ms. Taylor. “The principle of free speech is one of the cornerstones of our democracy”
You can view the trailer for Iranium here…
Anyone who thinks it’s a good idea to strive to not offend the Iranian regime need go no further than the masthead on this very website:
Pleasing your enemies does not turn them into friends.
What an embarrassment to Canada! And it is all the more galling when you consider that the Archives is the repository of the service records of the million-plus Canadians who put their lives on the line to defend freedom in the World Wars and Korea.
We need a name and we need someone fired. There should be no place in the upper ranks of our government for anyone who does not understand that free speech is a basic tenet of a free society to be defended at all costs. The correct response to threatened disruption of a free speech event is beefed-up security, not cancellation of the event.
Not so fast:
Heritage Minister orders Library Archives Canada to show documentary: http://www.nationalpost.com/Heritage+Minister+orders+Library+Archives+Canada+show+documentary/4132876/story.html
Nice to see someone take a stand.
JMD says it well. Heads need to roll. Good for Kenny and Moore.
Giggles Tabor is sighing for the day that she can don a Hajib.
Sigh sadly I’m not shocked. Appease appease appease until Canada is no more…
Good for Minister Moore.
Shows he’s got a pair and the islamists don’t scare him/us off.
A good day for democracy in Canada.
Charles Adler is covering this story live right now.
*
We know where the Conservatives stand. What about
the Liberal (aka Welcome Back Khadr) Party?
‘Cos I coulda swore Iggy just finished blasting one of
those horrible totalitarian states… oh, right…
Ignatieff dismissed calls that Canada should have
followed Australia’s policy on refugees and
turned the Tamil refugee boat away.
“This is Canada, not Australia,” Ignatieff said.
“That means Canada has principles, the
Charter of Rights and Freedoms, our
international obligations.”
Iran? Iran who?
Friends don’t let friends vote Liberal.
*
The Violent Iranian government has lots of followers in Canada, especially at Academia where they wallow in the halls preaching what a wonderous man Ahjamadmonkey man is. Iran a nation that allows prison guards to rape virgins so they can excute them under Sharia Law. The Islamofacists might of won the battle but the war is on. Canadians are sick of foreign agent’s meddling in our country, this is a prime example of how bungling bureaucrats get protected for their ineptness.
Fatwa back.
Expulsion.
JDAM the embassy.
Turn it into a parking lot.
Message delivered.
So can we expect the self appointed foreign affairs minister bob rae to be knocking on the Iranian embassys doors to sort out this misunderstanding asap.
As for toady taber,once again she puts voice to the fact that politicking for her masters trumps any perceived threat to free speech.
Yeah, Conservatives!
neo – I’m sure you know that Ignatieff is saying what he’s saying..for political votes. He’s after the extremely large (and disruptive) Tamil populations in Toronto and Vancouver.
Good for our Conservative government – standing up for free speech. The Liberals, on the other hand, reject free speech; they support the HRCs.
we should throw a shoe at them
The person who shut down the showing of the film AFTER Minister Moore told them to show it should be relieved of her duties.In fact we who care about our rights AND this country should demand it.
Censorship is the name of the game in Canada. Sickening, yes, but not surprising.
If those involved had the fortitude, they would show the film and to hell with the bed-wetters. Iran has taken enough skin from Canada. We should give them no more.
I am not surpised after years of liberals allowing immigrants to set the agenda.
Props to Kenney and Moore…
This evenings screening a double feature: “Springtime for Hitler in Germany”
followed by Leni Reifenstahls “Triumph of the Will”
What I find even more ironic is that the Iranians used the National Library theatre screening their own propaganda films.
Evidently some speech is ‘freer’ than others…
Cheers
Hans-Christian Georg Rupprecht, Commander in Chief
1st Saint Nicolaas Army
Army Group “True North”
The guy who hurried away. * Wonder if in another life he delivered brown paper bags full of money to greedy liberals?
This is a black eye for Canada.
Again our self appointed censors have decided to defecate on the right of free speech.
Again Islamists or sympathizers use the “Security scam ” to do it. I mean it works so well for them.
Thankfully they overreached, is as their want from time immortal.
This is why Islam will ultimately fail. It can’t help but be the bully.
JMO
70-77% (exact latest figure escapes me) of federal employees meeting the bilingual requirement are of french descent. it is because they learn french out of heritage and english out of necessity.
the opposite is not true.
feel free to give thanks to brian mulruin for trading loyalty to HIS heritage in exchange for a springboard to power.
Are you sure it’s the Iranian Embassy? Not Liberal Party HQ?
Are you sure it’s the Iranian Embassy? Not Liberal Party HQ?
Beagle: unlike Conrad Black I don’t subscribe to the idea that bilingualism was, ‘ a small price to pay’ for peace with quebec. Mulrooney was/is a frenchman with an Irish surname. It is no surprise then that he sold out to quebec at every opportunity.
Lowell Green read an e-mail on his call in show this morning from someone claiming to be a human rights activist. He said the Iranian embassy recently rented the same theatre at the archives to screen an Iranian “Hate Filled” propoganda film. He called the archives to voice his objection to the film and was told, “Canada is a free country, if you don’t like the film, you have the right to protest!”
A review
// Anyone who has followed Clarion’s previous propaganda ventures, Obsession and Third Jihad, will know that their M.O. is to co-opt a “native” to denounce “radical Islam” in the case of those two films, and Iran in the case of this one. In the former case, it was rightist Republican Arizona cardiologist Zuhdi Jasser, who performed the requisite role of Muslim-bashing.
For Iranium, they have recruited a new “star” of the Green protest movement, Caspian Makan. //
Damn.. I didn’t have my glasses on when I turned on the computer, and I thought the headline read “Fartwar in Ottawa”. I was already for something funny, and instead it’s just more of the sad, depressing slide of Canada into a country without values, and without backbone.