Complaint Against Radical Press Moves to Tribunal [Show Trial]

by Arthur Topham

The case first came to light one year ago when Harry Abrams, B.C. representative for the League for Human Rights of B’nai Brith Canada filed a complaint with the Canadian Human Rights Commission (CHRC) alleging that Topham, Owner, Publisher and Editor of RadicalPress.com was promoting “hatred toward Jews and citizens of Israel” because of articles on his website critical of political Zionism, the Jewish state of Israel and other Jewish dominated institutions like Canada’s mainstream media and the International financial cartel.

 

Topham claims in his writings that Israel is an undemocratic, racist, apartheid nation that has discriminated against the Palestinian people since its inception in 1948 causing untold death, suffering and dislocation to the original inhabitants and owners of the land.

 

 

Arthur Topham, Owner, Publisher  and Editor of the [website] http://www.RadicalPress.com, says he received confirmation November 21, 2008 of the Canadian Human Rights Commission’s decision to move the CHRC complaint case (#20071016) filed by Harry Abrams and the League for Human Rights of B’nai Brith Canada against both himself and his website www.radicalpress.com to the next stage of the complaint process.

In a pithy letter send by Lucie Veillette, Secretary to the Commission, Ms. Veillette advised Topham:

“I am writing to inform you of the decision taken by the Canadian Human Rights Commission in the complaint (20071016) of Harry Abrams and the League for Human Rights of B’nai Brith Canada against you."

Before rendering their decision, the members of the Commission reviewed the report disclosed to you previously and any submission(s) filed in response to the report. After examining this information, the Commission decided, pursuant to paragraph 44(3)(a) of the Canadian Human Rights Act, that the Commission request the Chairperson of the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal institute an inquiry into the complaint because:

"...the material appears to meet the criteria for hatred and contempt as outlined in the case law and therefore appears to be likely to expose Jewish persons to hatred and contempt. Further information will be provided to you by the Tribunal regarding the conduct of proceedings.”

Topham was not surprised by the decision of the CHRC. “It’s par for the course in terms of recent actions by this partisan board of quasi-judicial government bureaucrats.”

The case first came to light one year ago when Harry Abrams, B.C. representative for the League for Human Rights of B’nai Brith Canada filed a complaint with the Canadian Human Rights Commission (CHRC) alleging that Topham, Owner, Publisher and Editor of RadicalPress.com was promoting “hatred toward Jews and citizens of Israel” because of articles on his website critical of political Zionism, the Jewish state of Israel and other Jewish dominated institutions like Canada’s mainstream media and the International financial cartel. Topham claims in his writings that Israel is an undemocratic, racist, apartheid nation that has discriminated against the Palestinian people since its inception in 1948 causing untold death, suffering and dislocation to the original inhabitants and owners of the land.

Topham, who has publishing both a hard copy newspaper and an online news site since 1998, said after receiving the complaint back in November of 2007 he filed a detailed and thoroughly documented 13-page Response which he sent to CHRC “hate-team” investigator Sandy Kozak on January 3, 2008.

It wasn’t until September 5, 2008 that Topham received the Investigation Report from Ms. Natalie Dagenais, Director, Investigations Division. In it Dagenais stated;

“The complaint form, the investigation report and submissions which we receive from the parties will be submitted to the Commission at one of its upcoming meetings. After reviewing these documents, the Commission will make a decision on the disposition of the case. The Commission can accept or reject the recommendation in the report. You will be advised of the Commission’s decision as soon as it is rendered.”

Topham says he waited for 8 months for the Investigation to conclude and then was given an ultimatum by Ms. Natalie Dagenais in her August 27th, 2008 letter to send any additional “comments” on it to the Investigator by September 17, 2008 and that said comments could not exceed ten pages in length.


Following on the heels of two recent, high profile cases of similar HRC complaints brought against Ezra Levant http://www.ezralevant.com and Mark Steyn, http://www.freemarksteyn.com feature contributor for MacLeans Magazine, http://www.macleans.ca plus the precedent setting case of Marc Lemire’s constitutional challenge to the infamous Section 13 of the Canadian Human Rights Act which Topham claims is the root cause of all the internet censorship complaints being brought against writers and publishers in Canada, the RadicalPress.com publisher feels his case will not likely follow those of Levant and Steyn mainly due the fact that he is not Jewish and/or crypto-Zionist like the two other writers and will therefore be treated by the Tribunal in the same fashion as former victims like Malcolm Ross, Doug Collins, Ernst Zundel, Paul Fromm and others, all entrapped by the highly contentious Section 13 provisions of the CHR Act.

“The manner in which Section 13 is written provides that neither truth nor intent are a defense under this notorious, draconian piece of censor-driven legislation.” states Topham, “And whether or not the recent near-unanimous passing by the Conservative Party of Canada of Resolution P-203 at their policy convention in Winnipeg this November will actually alter the process now in effect prior to the Tribunal holding their one-sided, undemocratic inquiry, waits to be seen.”

In the interim time period, while Topham awaits further word from the CHR Tribunal, he states that he will “continue publishing materials related to his overall thesis that an inordinate amount of influence is being put upon Canadian jurisprudence and the mainstream media by vested interest groups such as B’nai Brith Canada, the Canadian Jewish Congress and the Simon Weisenthal Center to censor any and all criticism of the Jewish Lobby here in Canada and the racist, apartheid practises of the Jewish state of Israel.”

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Dear Editor Chris,

Your site states “Support Independent Media We need your help!”.  Possibly you could help out other sites by giving some coverage to the following News Release?

For Peace & Justice for All,

Arthur Topham
Pub/Ed
The Radical Press
Canada’s Radical News Network
radical@radicalpress.com
http://www.radicalpress.com
“Digging to the root of the issues since 1998”
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CONTACT: Arthur Topham

Email: radical@radicalpress.com

Website: http://www.radicalpress.com

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News Release url: http://www.radicalpress.com/?p=815