For Immediate Release
Toronto, Friday, October 4, 2002 — B’nai Brith Canada has learned today that the Canada Customs and Revenue Agency has released newsletters published by the Ayn Rand Institute In Moral Defense of Israel it had detained earlier this week to determine whether they constituted hate propaganda.
Rochelle Wilner, National President of B’nai Brith Canada, stated. “The Minister of Revenue’s office has confirmed to B’nai Brith Canada that the material supportive of Israel’s right of self-defense confiscated by CCRA has been found not to be hate material. Hopefully, the Federal Government will train its agents to recognize the difference between literature supporting the democratic fight against terrorism and material promoting terrorism and the destruction of the democratic values we hold so dearly in Canada.”
Frank Dimant, Executive Vice-President of B’nai Brith Canada, commented: “We are pleased to learn that the pro-Israel material has been released. It must be asked why the materials were held in the first place. Perhaps it should not be surprising that such actions would be taken in a country where groups such as Hamas and Hezbollah are not listed as terrorists under criminal law provisions. We can only hope that CCRA officials will direct their attention and vigilance to actual hate material coming into Canada.”
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For additional information contact:
Anita Bromberg, Human Rights Coordinator of B’nai Brith Canada at (416) 919-5096
B’nai Brith has been active in Canada since 1875 as the community’s foremost advocacy and volunteer organization.
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