Months before January’s earthquake in Haiti, Montreal researchers were planning an exhibit to pay homage to Haiti’s little-known campaign to help European Jews in the Second World War.

As that exhibit opened last night at the Fédération CJA, prominent members of Montreal’s Jewish and Haitian communities noted its special poignancy, with Haiti struggling to rebuild and Montreal’s Jewish community coming to its aid.

The exhibit was conceived as a way to celebrate Haiti’s efforts to provide asylum to Jewish refugees from Europe in the late 1930s. In the spring of 1939, as Hitler’s mobile extermination units were beginning to assassinate Jews and the first concentration camps were opening, Haitian President Sténio Vincent issued a decree that permitted Jewish refugees from Europe to obtain Haitian nationality.

The procedure, called “naturalization in absentia,” allowed hundreds of Jews – some of whom were already imprisoned in the camps – to immigrate to Haiti. In fact, Haiti had offered to welcome as many as 50,000 Jews, but United States scuttled that plan.

“In the grand scheme of things, Haiti’s efforts to save a few hundred persecuted Jews may seem insignificant,” the exhibit notes in its introduction. “But in those days, that this impoverished, almost invisible nation would dare take a stand against Nazi Germany was quite remarkable.”

Entitled Jews and Haitians: A Forgotten History, the exhibit is co-ordinated by the Quebec Jewish Congress and Montreal Holocaust Memorial Centre, in partnership with the Centre International de Documentation et d’Information Haïtienne, Caribéenne et Afro-canadienne and Images Interculturelles.

The exhibit can be viewed at the Fédération CJA, 5151 Côte Ste. Catherine Rd. until March 21. It is designed to be mobile, and its creators hope it can serve as an educational tool in schools, museums or libraries.

BUDAPEST, Hungary _ Hungarian President Laszlo Solyom has signed a law making Holocaust denial punishable by three years in prison.

The law was approved last month by Hungarian lawmakers, after more wide-ranging versions of the law had been rejected by courts for limiting free speech.

Spokesman Ferenc Kumin says President Solyom signed the bill because in his opinion the law is not unconstitutional.

Parliament had rejected an amendment put forward by the centre-right opposition adding to the bill crimes by Hungary’s pro-Nazi and communist regimes.

The governing Socialist Party and Hungary’s growing Jewish community welcomed the news Wednesday.

Some 550,000 Hungarian Jews and 50,000 Gypsies were killed in the Holocaust.

March 10, 2010

By Dan Verbin

York University has suspended a student being investigated by the OPP and Toronto Police Service for anti-Semitic online postings advocating genocide against Jews.

Salman Hossain has been barred by York officials from attending classes and the university has instructed him to appear before a disciplinary tribunal that is empowered with deciding what will happen to the student.

“In the meantime, we are basically applying the full extent of what we can with regards to discipline until that time,” said Keith Marnoch, York Media Relations Associate Director.

Marnoch said that York is sticking to “due process on campus (as) best we can” for the “benefit and safety of the community at large.”

He said that a face-to-face sit down with Hossain will happen in the near future, but for now, Hossain is “aware that this is the process that we’re doing.”

Posting to Arizona-based website filthyjewishterrorists.com, Hossain described Jews as “diseased and filthy”, “the scum of the earth,” “mass murderers” and “psychotic.” He further wrote that a “genocide should be perpetrated against the Jewish populations of North America and Europe.”

The website, which is now down, is being investigated by OPP and Toronto police hate crimes units.

Hossain first came to the attention of Canadian counter-terrorism investigators three years ago after authoring online posts supporting terrorist attacks in Canada and calling for the killing of Western soldiers so that “they think twice before entering foreign countries on behalf of their Jew masters.” He also claimed to know the leader of the Toronto 18 terrorist plot.

The OPP hate crimes and extremism unit began an investigation that only wound up last year, at which point Ontario’s attorney general declined to press charges. The reason: by that time, Hossain had removed the incriminating postings, had not made hateful postings for over a year and was in the middle of rehabilitation.

Jordan Kerbel, National Director of Public Affairs for Canadian Jewish Congress, said that CJC is satisfied with York’s suspension of the student, but feels the university should have acted faster in such an extreme case.

“We were relieved to hear that he has been suspended. We commend York for taking what was definitely the necessary and appropriate step,” Kerbel said. “We would like to see the process in the future expedited so matters of such great concern can be acted upon immediately and efficiently.”

Daniel Ferman, Hillel’s city wide chair for Greater Toronto and a past president of Hillel at York, said that York “acted appropriately in protecting students and ensuring someone who’s advocating genocide isn’t’ walking down the halls of York.”

However, he pointed out that York doesn’t have proper policies and procedures in place for severe situations.

“I think York needs to design an open and transparent process to deal with a situation like this,” he said.

“I think these types of cases need to be handled differently than other code of conduct cases where students acted not in the best of judgment. I think students need to be informed. We’re talking about an extreme case here.”

Kerbel said that CJC had received multiple calls from concerned parents and students since news of the student’s online hate writings first became public early last week.

The calls were from people “wanting to know that York was taking the safety and security of the student body seriously, that it was of paramount concern,” he said.

Kerbel added, “We believe that York eventually made absolutely the right decision. The CJC wishes that they had acted a little faster in this matter.”

By PAUL LUNGEN, Staff Reporter 

Thursday, 11 March 2010

The federal government will support legislation to create a national Holocaust memorial in Ottawa.

In the speech from the throne last week, the government announced: “It supports the establishment of a national monument to the victims of communism and it will support legislation to establish a national Holocaust memorial.”

The memorial will be created under terms of a private member’s bill that has already passed first reading and is heading for committee, said Thornhill MP Peter Kent, junior minister for foreign affairs.

“We have a variety of Holocaust memorials on a smaller scale,” Kent said. “A national memorial somewhere in the National Capital Region will be appropriate.”

The bill, now called An Act to Establish a National Holocaust Monument, was first proposed by former Thornhill MP Susan Kadis after it was suggested by Thornhill resident Laura Grossman. It is now being sponsored by Edmonton-area MP Tim Uppal, Kent said.

“It’s a wonderful gesture by the prime minister to include it in the speech from the throne,” he said.

Kent expects the bill to pass quickly, as it has all-party support. Once enacted, the National Capital Commission will designate a location and call for designs. “No federal money will go to it. It would be funded privately. That’s a minor challenge,” he said.

In another announcement, the throne speech said the government would take steps to streamline the process under which war criminals are brought to justice.

“Our government will also introduce legislation to speed up the revocation of citizenship of those who have concealed their war crimes,” the throne speech stated.

The legislation “will provide for an expedited consideration and decision process which will remove some of the legal foot-dragging and delay tactics,” Kent said, including the process in cabinet, where the revocation occurs.

The speech from the throne, in a section on immigration, said that “our government will introduce legislation to establish Pier 21 in Halifax – the site where so many began their Canadian journey – as Canada’s national museum of immigration.”

Jewish organizations are currently working on a memorial that will appear at the site documenting the policy that turned away Jewish refugees on board the St. Louis, sending them back to Europe where many were killed.

Canadian Jewish Congress lauded the throne speech’s announcements on immigrants.

“Today’s throne speech had a proper mixture of both justice and memory in dealing with past crimes, the need for justice to be done and the importance of remembrance,” said Congress CEO Bernie Farber.

“We are heartened by the government’s decision to introduce legislation that will speed up the revocation of citizenship of those who concealed their war crimes in order to gain Canadian citizenship. In particular, we hope that this legislation will finally bring to justice Nazi enabler Helmut Oberlander, a translator for a mobile killing unit during World War II that murdered tens of thousands of people, the majority of which were Jews. The Canadian Jewish community awaits the decision by cabinet in regard to Mr. Oberlander’s denaturalization and deportation. It is important that the words of the throne speech now be put into action,” Farber said.

“We are very encouraged by the government’s decision to establish a national Holocaust memorial. Congress has long advocated for such a memorial to help future generations recognize humanity’s capacity for evil. With such understanding comes hope for the future,” he added.

By PAUL LUNGEN, Staff Reporter

Thursday, 11 March 2010

York University is investigating a student who allegedly called for the mass murder of Jews, but at the same time, the student appears to be avoiding investigators.

Following reports in the National Post that Salman Hossain posted material on his website, “Filthy Jewish Terrorists,” calling for the genocide of Jews, York attempted to confirm Hossain’s authorship.

But calls and e-mails were unanswered, leading the university to dispatch someone from its security department to one of his classes for “a face-to-face meeting,” said Keith Marnoch, York’s associate director of media relations.

The university is concerned that Hossain may have breached the school’s Student Code of Conduct, and a tribunal hearing is pending, Marnoch said.

“The individual Salman Hossain, upon being confronted by us, did not respond to us and we’ve taken the appropriate disciplinary measures,” he said following security’s attempt to meet with Hossain.

Marnoch would not give details of the effort to confront Hossain at his class. He also declined to specify the “disciplinary measures” or whether Hossain has been barred from campus.

Bernie Farber, CEO of Canadian Jewish Congress, said

keeping Hossain away from the university is the least York could do.

“In our view, the safety and security of York University’s student body superceded anything else.

They’re [York administrators] going to have to find a way to deal appropriately with Mr. Hossain,” he said.

In a report published last week, the National Post quoted from Hossain’s website and noted he did not dispute that they were his views.

“No one in this world can take our history away from us. Especially not the cancerous group of people calling themselves Jews or Judeo-Christians who are going to be genocided in the near future,” he is quoted as writing.

The website also pictures a graphic stating, “Terrorism is A Jewish Passover Celebration,” and in a purported rebuttal of the National Post article, Hossain admits to advocating the genocide of Jews.

“Just like you are co-opting western nations to attack Muslim states and slaughter the populations over there. Most Jews in North America and Europe support the war against Islam and Muslims, which they instigated. They are happy to see Muslims get slaughtered. They enjoy the deaths of millions of Muslims, and the slaughter that they are undergoing. Thus they should also be at the receiving end of what they are perpetrating against others.”

Hossain’s alleged writings prompted a police investigation to determine whether he breached the Criminal Code’s hate promotion and advocacy of genocide provisions.

Farber said Congress had “been getting quite a number of calls from students and parents” concerned about safety on campus.

“There is an absolute necessity for the administration of York University to protect and defend the student body. We can’t get any information to confirm that is happening,” he said.

Farber noted that police investigated Hossain, but last year, Ontario Attorney General Chris Bentley decided not to prosecute. (The attorney general’s consent is required for a case to proceed.)

Bentley said at the time that Hossain had removed his offensive postings and was undergoing rehabilitation.

Marnoch said the university is concerned about following due process, but if investigators confirm Hossain authored the Web postings, a disciplinary tribunal could be convened.

MONTREAL - Under the auspices of Haiti’s Consul general to Montreal Pierre-Richard Casimir, the Montreal Jewish community will be paying tribute to the timeless courage of the Haitian people in its struggle for freedom and human dignity. Quebec Jewish Congress (QJC) and the Montreal Holocaust Memorial Centre (MHMC), together with their partners, will be launching a special exhibit unveiling the untold story of this small Caribbean Island who opened its doors and sheltered several hundred Jews fleeing Europe in the 1930’s.

- 30 -

BUDAPEST, Hungary _ Hungarian President Laszlo Solyom has signed a law making Holocaust denial punishable by three years in prison.

The law was approved last month by Hungarian lawmakers, after more wide-ranging versions of the law had been rejected by courts for limiting free speech.

Spokesman Ferenc Kumin says President Solyom signed the bill because in his opinion the law is not unconstitutional.

Parliament had rejected an amendment put forward by the centre-right opposition adding to the bill crimes by Hungary’s pro-Nazi and communist regimes.

The governing Socialist Party and Hungary’s growing Jewish community welcomed the news Wednesday.

Some 550,000 Hungarian Jews and 50,000 Gypsies were killed in the Holocaust.

York University is taking “appropriate disciplinary actions” against a student being investigated by hate crimes units of the Ontario Provincial Police and Toronto Police Service for anti-Semitic postings on a conspiracy-theory website that advocate genocide against Jews.

The National Post first reported in a Tuesday, March 2 article that only months after Ontario Attorney General Chris Bentley decided not to press ahead with hate crimes charges against Salman Hossain – a decision that Canadian Jewish Congress CEO Bernie Farber partly blamed on the length of time it took to conduct the investigation – the York student is back on police radar for new online hate writings.

Farber said that CJC has received phone calls and emails from worried York students and parents.

“Quite rightly, they ask, “Am I safe going to York University with this guy still walking around?’,” he said.

York had been unable to meet face-to-face with Hossain as of Friday, March 5, but Keith Marnoch, York Media Relations Associate Director, said that a formal meeting was imminent.

“The individual that we’re talking about here has not responded and we have taken the appropriate disciplinary actions within our student code of conduct,” said Marnoch. “We’re working towards meeting with him. That’s really got to happen before all else.”

He added that if the student flatly refused to meet with York officials, “other things will have to be considered.”

In a letter to York President Mamdouh Shoukri send on the morning of Wednesday, March 3, Canadian Jewish Congress wrote, “Your administration has a clear responsibility to protect the students of the university from potential harm that may be caused by Salman Hossain. He hates Jews, wishes them ill, and has observed in his postings that there are ‘tons of Jews on campus.’ We are not prepared to assume that this is mere rhetoric on the part of Mr. Hossain.”

CJC urged Shoukri to suspend the student and not allow him onto campus pending the outcome of the police investigation.

Marnoch said that York was not in a position to elaborate on what other actions were currently being taken besides attempting to meet with the student.

However, York told the National Post that if the investigation were sent to an internal tribunal, Hossain could be suspended pending a decision in his case.

Marnoch did tell Shalom Life that York had “taken appropriate disciplinary action that we can to this point” to ensure that students feel safe and comfortable on campus. But, he would not specify what that action was.

“In order to ensure that this individual does participate in this process that we’ve got to go through on campus, we’ve taken the necessary steps to focus his attention on this issue,” said Marnoch.

It was not clear from speaking to Marnoch if the student is still allowed onto York campus.

“Certainly part of our student code of conduct is that we take action on things that are brought to our attention or where there are complaints,” he said.

Farber called York’s response so far a “semi-response at best” and said the fact that York refuses to confirm if Hossain has been suspended is “deeply troubling.”

“It aught not to take more than two days to realize that a person who advocates the mass murder of Jews and is a student at York campus does not belong on that campus,” Farber told Shalom Life.

He also said that CJC has so far not received any word from York on what the university has decided to do. “It is unconscionable,” he said.

Posting to Arizona-based website filthyjewishterrorists.com, Hossain describes Jews as “diseased and filthy”, “the scum of the earth,” “mass murderers” and “psychotic.” He further says that a “genocide should be perpetrated against the Jewish populations of North America and Europe.”

The website was down for a time after the story of Hossain’s online writing first surfaced in the media, but it now appears to be back up.

On it, Hossain has additional vile words for Christians and moderate Canadian Muslims which he refers to as “traitors.”

He also refers to the Toronto 18 bomb plot, the work of Islamist extremists, which he blames on Jews whom he accuses of inventing terrorism.

Shortly after the story broke, Hossain confirmed to a National Post reporter via a website that the posts in question were his, then later added additional comments, reiterating his support for genocide against Jews.

In an email exchange with the National Post, Hossain was adamant that he would continue with his hate campaign.

“Your hate laws are only being used to stop the truth from being spoken,” he told the newspaper. “I don’t fear telling the truth and I don’t answer to racist genocidal Jews who want to call me a hater, when Jews hate all non-Jews. It’s not my fault you people rape babies, then cry foul when someone exposes it.”

He wrote, “No one in this world can take our history away from us. Especially not the cancerous group of people calling themselves Jews or Judeo-Christians who are going to be genocided in the future.”

Hossain first came to the attention of Canadian counter-terrorism investigators three years ago after authoring online posts supporting terrorist attacks in Canada and calling for the killing of Western soldiers so that “they think twice before entering foreign countries on behalf of their Jew masters.”

The OPP hate crimes and extremism unit began an investigation that only wound up last year, at which point Ontario’s attorney general declined to press charges. The reason: by that time, Hossain had removed the incriminating postings, had not made hateful postings for over a year and was in the middle of rehabilitation.

CJC disagreed with the decision. A meeting with Attorney General Bentley led to an “assurance that there would be a new set of protocols developed by the attorney general’s office to make sure similar matters like this in the future would speed along,” said Farber.

“As irony would have it, the first real test case on this comes with Salman Hossain yet again,” said Farber.

He described York’s apparent slowness to react to the situation as “process gone mad.”

“They have a process in place in which they have to speak with him and then they have to call a tribunal,” said Farber. “But they stick so much to the process that they can’t see the forest through the trees.”

According to Farber, this is a case where the victimizer has become the victim.

“The victimizer becomes more important than the student body itself and it’s frustrating and it’s breathtaking,” he said. “I don’t think any reasonable person can look at this and not understand that this is a man who has to be dealt with under the law.”