Kasra Nejatian vs. Michael Moore
Normally I wouldn’t get involved in this sort of banditry, but I just can’t help myself…
Kasra Nejatian — Queen’s University student and president of an organization called “Campus Conservatives“, has decided to file a complaint with Elections Canada. Given Nejatian’s remarkable distaste for all-things Liberal, I would have expected the complaint to directly implicate Paul Martin or Dalton McGuinty (I may have signed-on for something like that…) Instead, Nejatian is pulling a clich� conservative stunt by focusing his frustrations on Michael Moore.
Nejatian contends that Michael Moore knowingly attempted to interfere with and influence a Canadian election in violation of The Canada Elections Act, Section 331:
No person who does not reside in Canada shall, during an election period, in any way induce electors to vote or refrain from voting or vote or refrain from voting for a particular candidate unless the person is
(a) a Canadian citizen; or
(b) a permanent resident within the meaning of subsection 2(1) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act.
Further, a recent article published at anti-liberal website canadafreepress.com reveals the following about Nejatian’s motives:
“While he doesn’t expect Pooh-Bah Moore to spend a single night in the slammer, he is anticipating that such a charge would all but bar the Michigan-native film maker from ever entering Canada again, a point he sees as a bonus as bright as any star … There’s no excuse for a foreign socialist millionaire to show up in our country and try to spread his propaganda.”
Moore did weigh-in heavily several days before the election which happened to coincide with his Canadian publicity sweep for Fahrenheit 9/11. He warned that a Steven Harper government would quickly move Canada’s political policies to the right. Using a strict (and naive) interpretation, one could argue that Moore actually did violate a law.
In a bid to nullify assertions that Moore acted improperly, Sarnia, Ontario Mayor Mike Bradley (featured in Bowling for Columbine) is trying to make Moore an ‘honourary Canadian’. The following is an excerpt of a letter he wrote to Chief Electoral Officer Jean-Pierre Kingsley:
“Making him a honorary Canadian will give him the right to whine, bitch, moan, complain about taxation and the high level of taxes and then move forward and pay his tax bill and vote for the government in power. While we do not have equality with the value of our dollar with the United States, we certainly have equality with the right wing and their stupidity. It was always amazing to me that a group of individuals who promoted and believed in free trade do not believe in the freedom of ideas and political opinion.”
I suggest to Kasra Nejatian that the fundamental flaw with his argument is simple: this is Canada. We generally try to avoid interpreting laws in such a way as to curtail constitutional rights and freedom of speech. If I were a certain type of American, this is the point at which I’d bark “love it or leave it,” but I wish you’d stay — I can’t wait to write up another post like this.
Scare yourself by reading more about Nejatian in the extended entry… Photo unscrupulously lifted from cbc.ca.
# [yorkregion.com] MARTIN ATTRACTS HOORAYS, BOOS: Protesters questioned by police as Martin delivers speech
# [rightwing.ca] What? No pepper spray?
# [cbc.ca] Student Vote 2004
# [recorder.ca] National Citizens Coalition weighs in on young Tory’s anti-Moore campaign
# [freethought.ca] Is this the future of the party?
# [canadafreepress.com] Ramblings of a Raconteur
# [University of Guelph] McGuinty and Fiberals Proven Wrong. Again:
Liberal attacks on Education Tax Credits were nothing but ideological rants
# [Society for Academic Freedom and Scholarship] Lowering the Bar: Queen’s Lowers Admission Standards to Boost Aboriginal Attendance
# [Toronto Sun] Anger stirs taxpayers
# [Halifax Chronicle Herald] Never too young to take a seat
# [Campus Conservatives] Recall Dalton
# [Queen’s University] Queen’s Faculty of Arts and Science, Minutes of February 13, 2004
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Just a quick tidbit you might want to know. I’m a recent Queen’s University graduate who went to high school with Kasra Nejatian. In 2003, he ran in the election for rector, a student-elected position based on a position in Scottish universities. The rector acts as a liason between the students and the administration. Of the six candidates, Kasra came dead last and was in fact the only candidate who did not get enough votes to have his publicity costs reimbursed by the university.
I also remember when Kasra had jaw surgery in Grade Twelve. He had to have his mouth wired shut. It was the most peace we ever got in Latin class.
“If I were a certain type of American, this is the point at which I�d bark ‘love it or leave it,’”
As a “certain type of American” I must say that I have a great desire to shout “love it or leave it” to certain people. Unfortunately, the White House is guarded very well ;-)