Just ahead of my live appearance in Toronto this Wednesday, I'm interviewed by Joseph Brean in this morning's National Post. The subject is free speech, from Rushdie to Charlie:
"Free speech has to include the right to insult Islam," Mr. Steyn said. "Not because necessarily anyone approves of insulting Islam, but simply because free speech by definition is for the stuff you don't approve of. And that is why it's important for deeply observant Catholics to recognize that a foul-mouthed beery comedian on open-mike night in Hamilton has the right to urinate all over the Catholic Church. Not because it's a good thing to do, and not because you approve of what he's saying, but because free speech is in the end for all the stuff you revile and that offends you. So when the CBC say they're not going to show these critical elements of a news story because it will offend people, they are on the wrong side.
"Extending special privilege to Islam corrodes free speech," he said.
You can read the whole thing here. Meanwhile, the "Official Jews" (as Ezra Levant calls them) get it completely wrong, as usual.
And on the broader question of freedom of expression see my Australia Day greeting.
~On Sunday afternoon I joined Tarek Fatah on 1010 CFRB Toronto to join the general lamentations and ululations for the late King Abdullah, and chew over a few other issues. Click below to listen. I turn up about halfway through - or approx 22 minutes in:
This was Tarek's last show, by the way, and you'll want to hang around for his closing monologue in which he sticks it to the Prince of Wales, House of Saud and other worthy targets.
~This evening I'll be with my fellow freespeecher Ezra Levant on Canada's Sun News Network. Details at top right.
~The Toronto event Tarek mentioned is at Indigo Books, at Bay & Bloor, this Wednesday at 7pm. More details here.
