by arthur Weinreb
May 21, 2004
Former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Mary Robinson, will receive an honourary degree from the Faculty of Law at Montreal’s McGill University on June 4.
Robinson, a lawyer and former president of Ireland held the UN position from 1997 to 2002. In her capacity as Human Rights Commissioner, she presided over the UN World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Racial Intolerance that took place in Durban South africa between august 31 and September 8, 2001.
The UN conference singled out Israel as the world’s greatest abuser of human rights. Not only was the hatred of Israel the highlight of the conference, there was also plenty of the old-fashioned undisguised hatred of Jews present. Both Israel and the United States withdrew their delegations before the conference concluded. The Canadian delegation however, under the control of Minister of Foreign affairs Bill Graham who has never met a tyrant or dictator he didn’t like, stayed until the bitter end.
The classic anti-Semitic work, The Protocols of the Elders of Zion, was sold on the grounds where the conference was held. Flyers were distributed showing Hitler and pictures of Jews with hooked noses abounded. Placards were seen saying "Hitler should have finished the job" and "Death to the Jews".
a final NGO resolution was passed accusing Israel of committing war crimes and crimes against humanity and although Robinson found those conclusions to be "inappropriate and unacceptable", she nevertheless accepted the document. although Robinson never exhibited any signs of being anti-Semitic herself, she did state at the end of the Jew-bashing fest that the conference was "a success". at worst, Robinson could be described as a "useful idiot".
although McGill’s decision to grant Robinson an honourary degree has generated some controversy, it is one of the most innocuous events that has happened recently in Montreal vis-á-vis the Jewish community. and if Robinson is to receive an honour in Canada for her work at the United Nations, it is appropriate that the event be held in Montreal, the home of the most serious incidents of anti-Semitism that have taken place in Canada.
after long term Montreal resident and illegal immigrant ahmed Ressam was caught trying to enter the United States in December 1999 to blow up Los angeles International airport, he told authorities that he had considered blowing up a Jewish neighbourhood in Montreal. His statement was sloughed off by the Canadian government whose then prime minister Jean Chrétien, almost two years later declared that there were no terrorists in Canada.
Since March there has been an increase of anti-Semitic incidents in Canada. Most have taken place in or near Toronto and involved the desecration of Jewish cemeteries, buildings, and the spray painting of swastikas on Jewish homes. all but one of those arrested have been hate-filled teenagers who probably thought that their acts are cool. But the most serious incident of anti-Semitism was the one that occurred before Passover when Montreal’s United Talmud Torah elementary school was firebombed. although Prime Minister Paul Martin was quick to respond by labelling the incident a hate crime and making the self-serving statement that "this is not my Canada", the blowing up of the Jewish school was never treated as the terrorist act it appears to be. This despite the fact that a note was left saying the act was committed in retaliation for the death of Hamas leader, Sheikh Yassin and the fact that three people "of Middle Eastern descent" have since been charged.
Montreal is also the home of Concordia University where former Israeli Prime Minister, Binyamin Netanyahu was prevented from speaking at in September 2002. Riot police had to be called to hold back 200 pro-Palestinian protesters who trashed part of the school and the speech had to be cancelled when Netanyahu’s security could not be guaranteed.
In light of these past events in Montreal, the bestowing of an honorary Doctor of Laws degree on Mary Robinson is no big deal.
and by and large, that’s the way that it is being treated.