Human-Rights Double-Standard, Cotler-Canadian Style By Hilmi Salem

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Commenting on appointing Prof. Erwin Cotler as the new Canadian Minister of Justice

When Prof. Erwin Cotler was asked by Ha'aretz (Israeli daily) about the discrimination against Israel, he showed a great deal of enthusiasm to defend Israel as 'being discriminated against', as he is a 'champion of human rights'. And when he was asked about the violations of the human rights of the Palestinian people, living under the Israeli Occupation in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, he expressed his opinion by saying that this is a 'foreign-policy' issue and, thus, it is the responsibility of the Canadian Foreign Ministry but not his responsibility as a Justice Minister. Keep in mind that the human rights issue is one of the major responsibilties of the Ministry of Justice in Canada.

By reading the article indicated below, one comes to the conclusion that Prof. Cotler is building (particularly when it comes to foreign policies) a Neo-Con (New Conservatives') block, as a lobbying force in the Canadian government and the Canadian politics, similar to that in the American government and the American politics.

After all, he is, according to the article below, a 'proud Zionist' and 'a strong supporter' of the state of Israel and the Israeli right-wing party (the Likud), which is led by Ariel Sharon (the present Israeli PM).

However, Prof. Cotler did not mention if he has a dual citizenship (Israeli & Canadian), but he said that his wife is an Israeli citizen and one of his daughters lives in Israel. In regard to this, I hope that Prof. Cotler would speak soon against the new Israeli law that prevents Arab Israelis from marrying Arab Palestinians from the Occupied Palestinian Territories, if they (the Israeli Arabs) wish to keep their Israeli citizenship. I wonder, however, if this issue is also one of the 'foreign-policy' responsibilities and, hence, it must be dealt with by the Foreign Ministry of Canada, and not by Mr. Cotler and his Ministry of Justice.

If one reads the interview with Prof. Cotler, at the Link given below, one can easily figure out what the Paul Martin's new government of Canada is about.

["....attend synagogue every Saturday. "The first cabinet session I participated in {in Canada}, which was held on Saturday, was planned especially so that I would have time to go to the synagogue first."]

Regarding this, I hope that the international human rights' champion, Prof. Cotler, would speak soon against the French government's decision of banning the headscarf "Hijab" that is used by Muslim girls and women in France, as it is used everywhere by Muslim girls and women, which is supposed to be one of the religious freedoms. Isn't this a human-rights issue?

I also hope that Prof. Cotler would speak out against the horrible violations of the human rights of the Palestinian people by the Israeli Occupiers in Occupied Palestine, and also against the horrible violations of the human rights of the Iraqi people by the Anglo-American Occupiers in Occupied Iraq. Sorry, I've forgot !! These issues in the opinion of Mr. Cotler must be dealt with by the Foreign Ministry of Canada !!!

According to Prof. Cotler, Human Rights' violations are not similar, as he classified them into two categories: (1) When it comes to Israel and the Jews around the world, HR's violations are then his responsibility, and (2) When it comes to the violations of the HR of the Palestinian people, then it is the responsibility of the Foreign Ministry of Canada. Isn't this the same kind of the bold double-standard policies that have been applied by the US in the Middle East for a long time?

I think we all know why the US has double-standard policies in the Middle East. It is the same reason why Canada has been applying and will strongly apply, from now on, the double-standard policies in the Middle East. Thanks to Mr. Cotler and his likes in the Canadian and American administrations and in the Zionist lobbying groups, as well as in many other Western administrations, who just love to apply the double-standard policies when it comes to the Middle East.

According to Ha'aretz, Prof. Edwin Cotler, the new Justice Minister of Canada, supports Israel, not as a Jew and a Zionist, but as an Attorney General and advocate of human rights.