Is the Manitoba NDP preparing a public witch hunt, or at least a private spanking, of members who attended George Galloway’s Nov. 26 speech in Winnipeg? That certainly is the impression left by an article by Rhonda Spivak in the Winnipeg Jewish Review entitled BRANDON NDP WOMEN’S ASSOCIATION ENDORSES GALLOWAYS SPEECH IN WINNIPEG NOV 26.
In the article, Spivak trots out all the shop-worn distortions of Galloway’s anti-war and anti-Zionist activities and quotes Manitoba’s Water Stewardship Minister Christine Melnick as saying:
“It is important to know that this issue was not brought before Greg Selinger, the Leader of Manitoba the New Democratic Party nor the Manitoba NDP Provincial Council. This action is neither sanctioned nor endorsed by either the Premier or the Manitoba NDP. The NDP Brandon Women’s Association does not represent the Manitoba NDP on this issue . . .
“I want to ensure people that the Manitoba NDP is taking this incident very seriously and are already looking into the matter.”
For those unfamiliar with Manitoba NDP code, “taking this incident very seriously” is code for “someone’s gonna pay.” It’s the same language used by Education Minister Nancy Allan after B’nai Brith complained about a provincial high school examination question. The offending question — “Explain whether or not you think people in the entertainment industry have a responsibility for making the world a better place?” — was asked with reference to an essay entitled “Over the Rocks and Stones” by pop star Chantal Kreviazuk. Among many other things totally unrelated to questions of human suffering, Kreviazuk’s essay describes the struggle for life of a badly injured Palestinian boy and his family’s pain. An objective reader would be hard pressed to find evidence that hatred of Israel was being promoted.
Allan’s eagerness to roll over for B’nai Brith was widely ridiculed; even the Winnipeg Free Press editorial board, normally a perennial cheerleader for all things zionist, concluded that Allan had been too easily stampeded, that she should “respond rationally” in situations like this and “let the department do its work free of political meddling and public nitpicking.”
Back to the present. I’ve heard that functionaries in the Brandon Cabinet Office were not amused by the uppity women who endorsed Galloway’s event. Whether this goes farther remains to be seen. Surely if the NDP heavyweights start trying to muscle Seymour and others over their attendance at the Galloway meeting, it will be time for them to remove the word “Democratic” from their party’s name. Ditto for “New” which is really shop-worn after all these years.
Readers who share my outrage are encouraged to express themselves in a polite, but assertive reminder to Minister Melnick that Canada remains a free country where all, even NDP members, are entitled to the freedoms associated with a democracy. You can write to her at minwsd@leg.gov.mb.ca.
Paul S. Graham 
Why does the “Peace” Alliance support a fascist?
http://fullcomment.nationalpost.com/2010/11/23/terry-glavine-canada-in-palestine-fascists-on-campus/
Thank you for your comment, the silly shot at the Peace Alliance notwithstanding. And thank you for the link to Mr. Glavin’s article: it merits careful analysis.
George Galloway is not a fascist. His opposition to the sanctions and the invasion of Iraq – actions which resulted in millions of deaths – do not make him a fascist. Nor does his opposition to the ongoing war in Afghanistan and the blockade of Gaza.
Galloway has stated categorically that he is not a Hamas supporter. I invite you to review the video of his speech in Winnipeg where he makes his views very clear.
However you may choose to describe Hamas, it is the elected government of Gaza and legitimately a recipient of humanitarian aid – which is what Mr. Galloway has delivered to Gaza on several occasions.
Efforts to paint Galloway (and by extension, people who agree with him on the need to oppose imperialist wars and occupations) as antisemites, or fascists, or “useful idiots” (or in the case of Jews who criticize Israel as “self-hating Jews”) are pathetic attempts to divert people from addressing the real issues.
You certainly have the right to disagree with Galloway or anyone else on substantive issues. In a democracy you should state your views plainly and back them up with real substance. However, when the best you can do is resort to defamatory statements, you demonstrate that you have lost the battle of ideas.
@Brian. Your ‘silly’ shot hit home. Good on you.
@PSG. There are so many holes in your reply, where do I start?
“…the silly shot at the Peace Alliance…”
‘Peace’ Alliance, so-called. Someone on the left once complained about groups giving themselves misleading names. Look at the left, and permutate: peace/justice/independant/activist/social, to come up with a suitable name.
Then: Propagandize.
I looked briefly at PAW news (superb acronyn PAWN), and what DIDN’T I find among the tags? Answer: Sudan, Darfur, Tibet, Burma and North Korea. The reason? They are all client states of China, the biggest communist entity on the planet, and the second(?) most dangerous after the people’s paradise of North Korea. [Where millions die of starvation while the ‘bosses’ and military live in luxury.]
So the raison d’etre of leftard groups like PAW is bash the west (particularly the US, Canada, Israel) and support ANYONE like Galloway, China, DPRK, who does the same.
“…millions of deaths…” Again you are repeating leftard lies like a Goebels propagandist. One ‘study’ by The Lancet (assisted by partial (?) Iraqis) that 600,000 died, was shown to be flawed. And the popular figure, bandied about, that 500,000 children died during sanctions (half a million, or nearly a million sounds more impressive) should be coupled with Sadam’s secret income from Oil-for-Food, of $64,000,000,000, which would be more than enough for food and medication for those children.
Who is playing at politics if a figure of 1,000,001 is described as millionS? Fairly, millions should be two or more.
But PSG can publish his source for ‘millions’ and let readers check for themselves.
MAYBE Galloway is not an antisemite, but he most certainly ‘bats’ for Hamas, and PAW supports Galloway, without reservation. He can say that he abhors terrorism (does he?) but he hands Hamas wads of cash (see his videos), probably also without reservation as to its use (for war materiel?).
What does PAW know about Hamas? Take a look at their Charter:
Charter 0f Hamas 1988, Aug 18
“You are the best community that has been raised up for mankind.”…
[I.e. all other religions are inferior. That’s a good start.]
…”Israel will rise and will remain erect until Islam eliminates it as it had eliminated its predecessors.”…
[Send them back to Germany, Poland, a la Helen Thomas? See next]
Article 7:[end]
“O Muslim! there is a Jew hiding behind me, come on and kill him!…”
[That’s a bit more specific. And it DOESN’T say in Israel only.]
So Galloway supports antisemitic Hamas, and PAW supports Galloway. You do the arithmetic.
I apologise in advance for what PSG has labelled a pathetic attempt to enlighten those who proudly wear the badge ‘Useful Idiot.
So, Aesop, you are willing to concede that “maybe Galloway is not an antisemite”. Good for you. That’s progress.
Galloway is not “bats for Hamas” as you put it. Neither is Peace Alliance Winnipeg. Nor am I for that matter. However, Hamas was democratically elected by Palestinians in an election that was widely recognized as legitimate. And hence only a fool, or someone who wants to sabotage the prospects for peace in the Middle East would refuse to deal with them.
A lot of blood has been spilled since the Palestinians were expelled from their land in 1948. Opportunists and scoundrels around the world have exploited this situation in various ways ever since. Not surprisingly, there is considerable bitterness and mistrust between Israelis and Palestinians because of all the fighting and killing. A peaceful, just resolution seems as far away as ever. Two things are clear to me:
1. Israel cannot continue indefinitely to wall Palestinians up in ever smaller spaces and expect to be secure, much less at peace. Even some of their own leaders have referred to this situation as “apartheid” and they rightfully fear the world’s condemnation for this policy.
2. Conflicts in and around Israel have the potential for escalation into a world war. This would result not only in the destruction of Israel but in hundreds of millions of deaths world wide. So, even if you can’t find it in your heart to emphathize with the citizens of that open-air prison called Gaza, please consider the impact a world war could have on people you do care about.
You can continue to oppose people who work for peace; you can make ridiculous accusations about our motives. You can go on cheer-leading for Israeli policies that amount to apartheid. This will not help Israel. Nor will it bring peace in the Middle East or reduce the risk of world war.
Alternatively, you could step back for a moment and try to understand the arguments of people you so clearly despise. You could refrain from defamatory language and address the people with whom you disagree with civility. Even though you might not agree with everything you learn, you could contribute to the discussion and in doing so you could strengthen the efforts many are making to support justice and peace.
@PSG. Read what you wrote, then tell me it is not BIASSED towards palestinians and agaist israel.
You have not answered one of my substantive comments about lies from the left (repeated by PAW), or Hamas’s GENOCIDAL intent.
They have a further clause in their Charter which prohibits them from giving up the tiniest fragment of ‘Palestine’ (all territory whether held by israelis or palestinians), and another against negotiating. That is verboten to them. So how do you negotiate with someone who refuses to talk?
Have you or your followers read their Charter?
You really should. Then deny my substantive statements.
I would like to hear PAW’s answer to that.
“You can go on cheer-leading for Israeli policies that amount to apartheid.” Show where I did that. PLEASE.
“Galloway is not “bats for Hamas” as you put it.”
Read it again.
“…he most certainly ‘bats’ for Hamas,…”
Not the same thing.
“…you can make ridiculous accusations about our motives.”
Then you say:
“You could refrain from defamatory language and address the people with whom you disagree with civility.”
Chapter and verse?
“…open-air prison called Gaza,…”
Again, repeating a lie does not make it so.
Gazans have a higher standard of living than millions.
Better than Egyptians, Darfurians and North Koreans among others.
And the world’s largest prison is Burma.
But PAW seems reluctant to address that. Or anything else touched upon by the hand of Communist China. I didn’t read all 65 pages of ‘news’, because I don’t have that much time, and I think that just some of it might be propaganda.
Tell me: It’s ALL 100% proveable facts with nary an opinion by PAW or fellow travellers? There, that’s civil but not pleasant.
@aesop,
Sod off with your lies. You look pathetic by repeating already debunked lies of the hasbara project. You care about a statement of a charter but not ‘Jewish only’ roads? You care about a small group (Hamas) locked up in Gaza but care nothing of the apartheid wall in west bank?
I say this again, you are a hasbara troll and everywhere you go you leave your stench. You are a liar and a twister of facts.
You and Brian should take your scripted nonsense to Israeli firsters lovefest at frontpage.
Now sod off!!
@aesop
Is that the new instruction from hq? Deflect all criticism of Israel to ‘Dafur, North Korea and Egypt’? Pathetic and childish argument if I heard one. If legit every criminal will use it in court – ‘Your honour you cant sentence me to jail, look at the other criminal’.
@teezee11
OK, so we don’t talk about Darfur, Tibet, Burma and North Korea, because PAW only wants to talk about Israel/Palestine.
“You are a liar and a twister of facts.”
Now demonstrate your superiority by quoting what?
How about two each lies, and two twisted facts,
or if that’s too difficult, one each will do for the rest of the readers of PAW.
I’m sure they will delight in your destruction of me.
A belated Merry Christmas to you all,
and an in-time Happy New Year.