Posts
Tolerance
and “liberal” values only go skin- deep.
What
ever happened to: “I disagree with you (even strongly) but I will
defend your right to say it”
I
don’t find very much to agree with in eiher Steven Molyneux or
Laura Southern but they are hardly KKK or nazis – and certainly not
“hard-right”.
They
and their followers deserve a hearing.
We
live in a world where one musn’t be upset by anyone -unless one is
Russian or anyone else who is on the wrong side of political
correctness.
Far-right pair banned from speaking at Auckland Council venues - Phil Goff
6
July, 2018
A
public talk by two controversial Canadians accused of hate speech has
been cancelled after Auckland's mayor Phil Goff banned them from all
council venues.
Lauren
Southern and Stefan Molyneux, who are best known for their far-right
alternative views on everything from feminism, gender and immigration
to Islam, were set to perform at the Bruce Mason Centre on 3 August.
However,
Auckland Mayor Phil Goff tweeted that venues should not be used to
stir up ethnic or religious tensions and that Ms Southern and Mr
Molyneux would not be speaking at any council venues.
.@AklCouncil venues shouldn't be used to stir up ethnic or religious tensions. Views that divide rather than unite are repugnant and I have made my views on this very clear. Lauren Southern and Stefan Molyneux will not be speaking at any Council venues.
Cancellation: Stefan Molyneux and Lauren Southern Live at Bruce Mason Centre.
For all further enquiries, please contact Axiomatic Events.
The
event organiser said the decision was disappointing and a blow for
democracy.
David
Pellowe from Axoimatic said Mr Goff had the wrong idea about what the
pair wanted to talk about.
"He's
misrepresented the purpose of the events as to stir up ethnic and
religious tensions. He's misrepresented them as views that divide
rather than unite," he said.
"It's
very sad for democracy and for debate."
'It
doesn't mean that we should ban them'
However,
human rights criminal law barrister Craig Tuck said the pair should
be allowed to come to New Zealand and talk about their ideas.
"There's
a lot of their sort of talk worldwide at the moment and that's
attracting debate, people are getting educated on the issues and
that's probably a good thing.
"This
sort of discussion is alive whether we like it or not."
Mr
Tuck said dangerous ideas were not the same as dangerous people.
"You've
got people annunciating political and social views but they're not
specifically coming to New Zealand to commit crimes, they're coming
to New Zealand to spread ideas - however hateful they may be.
"They're
undeniably racist but it doesn't mean that we should ban them."
He
said debate needed to happen in an educated and thoughtful way.
Mr
Pellowe said it was too late to try and organise a new venue but they
hoped to still host a evening with Ms Southern and Mr Molyneuax for
New Zealanders via the internet.
He
said those who had purchased tickets for the event at the Bruce Mason
Centre would get a full refund.
Earlier
this year, Ms Southern was banned from entering the UK on the grounds
of her involvement "in the distribution of racist material in
Luton", according to the BBC.
'She's
just going to insult all of us'
The
Islamic community voiced their opposition to the visit last month.
New
Zealand Federation of Islam Associations president Hazim Arafeh said
it had written letters to the Immigration Minister, Minister for
Ethnic Communities and the Human Rights Commission asking for Lauren
Southern to be denied entry.
"[She]
abuses her right of freedom of speech. She's just going to give a
talk in which she's just going to insult all of us," Mr Arafeh
said.
"I
don't think insulting Muslims comes under free speech, that's an
abuse of freedom of speech.
"I'm
talking on behalf of 50,000 to 60,000 Muslims in New Zealand who are
going to face a very hard time by all the comments she is going to
make."
A
petition with more than 1500 signatures has also been launched on
change.org appealing to the Immigration Minister to deny Lauren
Southern entry.
However,
Ms Southern, who is a journalist, activist and film-maker, said she
should be allowed in.
"As
soon as there are people who want to shut down free speech and
freedom to come and even visit your nation just because of a
differing opinion you can tell you've got the bug of progressivism,"
Ms Southern said.
"The
bug of this almost very totalitarian left-wing ideology which will
not end well for you."
She
said herself and Mr Molyneux would talk about a range of issues
affecting New Zealand.
"Immigration,
western culture, the preservation of western culture and largely the
infectious liberal or far-left ideologies that are coming and working
their way into our media and why they will lead to the economic,
social and political fall of our nations."
Ms
Southern said what she had to say was not hate speech.
"[Hate
speech] is just a fancy word to describe speech that is unpopular
during that day and age," she said.
"A
few hundred years ago, I wouldn't be able to question the divine rule
of whatever god is in my land, I wouldn't be allowed to be pro-gay or
pro-mixed race marriages, today it's you're not allowed to be
anti-mass migration, you're not allowed to question crazy LGBTQ
politics."
'Anti-immigrant,
anti-refugees... anti-feminist'
Massey
University far-right expert and pro vice chancellor Paul Spoonley
said some of what the pair say was considered hate speech.
"Some
of the things that Molyneux has said about apartheid being a white
survival policy and not a racial supremacist policy and then
attacking some of the people who say it is something else … some of
the things they say are really quite direct and would be very hateful
to a number of communities," Mr Spoonley said.
"They're
part of a broad coalition of people who at their soft end would be
pro-Trump but at the hard end - which I regard both of these being -
very white supremacist or believe in the racial superiority of white
people, they believe that immigration undermines countries.
"They're
very anti-immigrant, anti-refugees and they're anti-feminist."
Mr
Spoonley said there was an alt-right community within New Zealand but
it was small.
He
said banning people entry to New Zealand would need to meet a high
threshold and the decision warranted a public discussion.
An
Immigration New Zealand spokesperson said they were aware of the two
Canadian nationals and was assessing whether any action needed to be
taken under the Immigration Act and Immigration Instructions.
Mr
Molyneux heads the organisation Freedomain Radio, an online group
that was described as a cult.
Mr
Molyneux has been contacted for comment.
I don't really have that much sympathy for Marama Davidson in this case. What did she expect?
Green Party co-leader receives rape and death threats on social media
Green
Party co-leader Marama Davidson says death and rape threats have been
directed at her after comments she made on social media.
The
MP posted on Facebook yesterday morning, supporting Auckland mayor
Phil Goff's decision to ban two controversial Canadian speakers from
Auckland Council venues.
For these people selective tolerance is much more imprtant than the truth.
“That there needs to be a debate on Islam in New Zealand is itself a ridiculous proposition because when was the last time we needed a national debate on any other religion”
We always need debate. About everything.
For these people selective tolerance is much more imprtant than the truth.
A
far-right pair banned from speaking at Auckland Council venues claim
they aren't pushing hate speech, but nobody needs a debate that risks
the safety of an entire community, writes Saziah Bashir*.
I disagree with the way in which they present things (as a kind of civilisational war) but there is lots of inconvenient truth in what they both say
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