Excerpt:
Human rights proceedings against Maclean's magazine began to wind down yesterday. Lawyers complained of fatigue. Spectators slumped. Then suddenly, a surprise.
One of the B. C. Human Rights Tribunal hearing's two complainants moved toward the witness stand.
Naiyer Habib, a 67-year-old cardiologist and Muslim activist, had indicated earlier this week that he would not testify. Something -- or someone -- changed his mind. He straightened his tie yesterday morning and took the oath.
Somebody had to. Dr. Habib's fellow activist, Mohamed Elmasry, is the only other complainant in this matter, but he stayed home in Ontario, where he works as an electrical engineer. Both men allege Maclean's magazine exposed them to hatred or contempt, by publishing an excerpt from a book written by journalist Mark Steyn. The excerpt argued bluntly that the growing influence of Islam poses a threat to the West.
Dr. Habib first described his long involvement with Islam-based activism, and the efforts he has made to foster peace and understanding between people of his faith and others. He told of his long association with Mr. Elmasry. Both men are senior members of the Canadian Islamic Congress, an Ontariobased organization that typically rails against "Zionists" in its newsletters and on the Internet. Its latest missive, published this week by Mr. Elmasry, takes aim at "Zionists the world over" who "will celebrate the 60th anniversary of the establishment of a state-for-Jews-only in Palestine."
But Dr. Habib was not asked about the CIC. Instead, lawyer Faisal Joseph asked his client how he had reacted to anonymous comments about the Steyn excerpt, items posted on foreign Internet "blog" sites, which Dr. Habib had himself discovered in late 2006.
All week, over objections of lawyers for Maclean's, tribunal chairwoman Heather McNaughton has allowed as evidence anonymous postings to Internet sites, even those registered outside Canada.