I'll be back in court in Toronto today for the fourth day of Ezra Levant's libel trial. The plaintiff Khurrum Awan testified yesterday that he didn't call me "Islamophobic" and "racist", only my writing. Likewise, he testified that, although he was the youth president of an anti-semitic organization, he wasn't anti-semitic himself. From BlogWrath:
The third day of Ezra Levant's trial attracted even more people than yesterday. The courtroom was already full shortly after they opened it. The clerks had to bring more chairs during the first break. The grumpy Mark Steyn spent the day in his corner, resigned to the fact that he had to spend his time listening to the charming Muslim guy, who tried to destroy him seven years ago.
But charm will only get you so far:
McKinnon continued: At the time of the press release were you aware that many countries in the world considered Hamas terrorist organization? And you were aware of the CIC position but didn't distance yourself?
I wasn't completely aware of all that, replied the Polish joke character.
Richard from Eye On A Crazy Planet was also in court:
Under cross-examination, Awan said that he agreed that support for the genocidal, Jew-hating organizations Hamas and Hezbollah could be interpreted as being antisemitic and that he agreed with the Canadian government's designation of them as terrorist groups.
However during the time Awan was the President of the youth division of the Canadian Islamic Congress, that organization issued a press release condemning the government's terror designation of Hamas and Hezbollah, effectively providing support to the two terror groups.
Awan said that he was not aware of the CIC's position on Hamas and Hezbollah when they issued their support and only became aware of it some time later... Under oath, Awan claimed his role as head of the Canadian Islamic Congress Youth was to encourage legal and political advocacy for Muslim youth. How exactly he could encourage political advocacy without actually being aware of the important political positions of his organization was not addressed during any of his testimony that I heard. But if true, it suggests the Canadian Islamic Congress had a grossly incompetent Youth President in the person of Mr. Awan.
One observer at the trial referred to Awan's position as the "Sergeant Shultz defense," invoking the bumbling character from the 1960's TV show Hogan's Heroes, best known for the catch-phrase, "I know nothing! I see nothing!"
Oddly enough, despite being entirely unaware of the CIC's position on terrorist groups, Khurrum Awan was flown all the way to London at the CIC's expense to testify to the House of Lords on ...terrorism! I guess that's what they call an inexpert witness.
See you in court.