Political Hay
Protecting Free Speech
Legislation exists to prevent Islamists and international judges from denying Americans’ speech rights.
Last week, Rachel Ehrenfeld was honored at the American Jewish Historical Society for her work in exposing sources of terrorism and resisting attempts to silence her. Ehrenfeld is the author of Funding Evil: How Terrorism Is Financed — and How to Stop It, in which she exposes Saudi billionaire Khalid bin Mahfouz as a financer of terrorism. In response to the accusation, bin Mahfouz sued Ehrenfeld for libel in British courts — a tactic known as “libel tourism” — on the grounds that 23 copies of Funding Evil, which was only published in the U.S., had been purchased over the Internet and shipped to the UK. He obtained a default judgment and an award of $225,000.
Ehrenfeld chose not to appear in British courts, where libel laws are much more plaintiff friendly. Instead, she sought a declaratory judgment in New York courts holding bin Mahfouz’s judgment invalid. Both the New York Southern District Court and the New York Court of Appeals declined to assert jurisdiction over bin Mahfouz, leaving Ehrenfeld with the often proposed, but rarely successful, method of seeking passage of a new law in the state legislature. In this case, however, the New York Legislature quickly passed the Libel Terrorism Protection Act, which Governor David Paterson signed into law in April of this year. The act, nicknamed “Rachel’s Law,” grants New York courts jurisdiction over persons who obtain foreign libel judgments against New York writers or publishers and limits enforcement of foreign libel judgments to those rendered under legal systems that meet the standards of the U.S. First Amendment.
Passage of the New York law led U.S. Rep. Peter King to introduce the Free Speech Protection Act in Congress, co-sponsored by Democratic U.S. Rep. Anthony Weiner. The bill would protect U.S. residents from foreign libel judgments if the speech would not be libelous under U.S. law. Arlen Specter, Joseph Lieberman, and Charles Schumer have co-sponsored a Senate version. (There is a particular irony in Senator Schumer’s co-sponsoring legislation to protect free speech rights given his support for reviving the Fairness Doctrine, one of the great threats to free discourse in America.)
The legislation, along with the experience of Rachel Ehrenfeld, is a reminder of the threats that both terrorism and the erosion of free speech pose to our free society. Unfortunately, it is one to which much of the international community at large seems oblivious. The United Nations, in particular, has sanctified attempts to restrict free speech. Last month, the UN General Assembly’s Third Committee passed the “Combating Defamation of Religions” measure designed to criminalize “blasphemy” of religions. The 57 member Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) sponsored the resolution as an attempt to prevent criticism of Islam, and it is scheduled for a final vote soon.
If anyone still has doubts about the efficacy of the UN, this charade should resolve them. The free world faces a war against an extreme Islamofascist ideology whose advocates seek to destroy democracy and spread Islamic Shari’a law across the globe, and UN bureaucrats are more worried about offending the perpetrators. Furthermore, it is laughable that the OIC, along with Venezuela and Belarus, are seeking to pass worldwide legislation in the name of “tolerance,” although it is the kind of bad joke that observers of the UN should expect. Who could forget the UN’s 2001 World Conference Against Racism in Durban, South Africa, which quickly turned into an attack on the Jewish state of Israel and prompted Secretary of State Colin Powell to leave the conference?
The UN will be holding another World Conference Against Racism in 2009, with a new administration representing the U.S. It is crucial that President-elect Obama continue the Bush administration’s opposition — even if unpopular — to the OIC blasphemy resolution and other attempts by the UN to threaten freedom in the name of political correctness. America’s free speech tradition is not a partisan issue, nor should it be a point of negotiation with the international community. Free discourse represents an uncompromising American principle, and the world would be a better place if all nations shared it. That, however, would probably be asking too much. That Congress should quickly pass legislation guaranteeing the rights of all Americans to speak freely without fear of international harassment is not.
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Marc Jeric| 12.18.08 @ 11:07AM
Is there a way to countersue Khalid bin Mahfouz for his ridiculous suit in Great Britain? What kind of law should we enact so that such criminal suits can be punished to the tune of millions of dollars?
Anthony| 12.18.08 @ 5:00PM
But leftists like Obama and Jean-Francois Kerry keep telling us that we must look to Europe and the UN for enlightened guidance. Perhaps Obama will come to the UN and apologize for Ehrenfeld's comments. If this is what being a citizen of the world will do for us, count me out. I want to be a citizen of the good ole U.S.A. PERIOD. Hope Mr. Obama gets the message.
ArmyGirl| 12.18.08 @ 6:03PM
There are no English in England so I understand his outrage. The Muslims own London and they don't want any anti-Muslim propoganda to ruin their mission.
Tom| 12.18.08 @ 9:17PM
The UN wants to be the first world government. We need a constitutional amendment stating that no treat would supersed any article in the Constitution of the USA.
Luonne Dumak| 12.18.08 @ 9:37PM
I have a feeling Mr. B.O. and the Washington Post,N.Y TIMES, L.A. Times etc. would go along with the U.N. The wrong Pres. for the times.
Alan Brooks| 12.18.08 @ 10:36PM
im more worried about fifth columnists in America.
Jeremiah| 12.19.08 @ 2:06AM
Alan --
That's why they call where you dwell the whacko fringe.
Folks --
Liberate yourselves from paranoia and suspicions.
The elite forces at work against your interest have the same skin color as you, speak the same language as you, and probably even pay lip service to the same religion as you.
You think your stagnated wages have something to do with Islamists in Algeria or Barack Obama's middle name?
You're not that stupid, folks. Wake up!
Alan Brooks| 12.19.08 @ 2:53AM
alrighty, i AM a whack job.
but aren't YOU a little paranoid about Bush?
he's on his way out, you know.
Jeremiah| 12.19.08 @ 9:19AM
Alan --
Aren't I a little paranoid about Bush?
No. I don't think I've uttered a single syllable about Bush in this thread or any thread I've ever posted on here.
So -- the answer's no.
And I know he's on his way out. We newspaper readers tend to get ahold of information like this somehow.
Billy B. Hill Billy| 12.19.08 @ 9:36AM
Terrorism have been going on for years, and even centuries. What has changes is terrorism has become localised, because that is what the government wants.
If divide and rule, was being used on the world stage, why not introduce it on a more local level.
To take away people's rights you need a good argument to be able to acheive that.
Remove rights like freedom to protest. If people are not able to protest what the government is doing, they have won, because they can do what they want when they want.
If the government can control what you read, what you write, listen in on private conversation, you have lost, and the government wins again.
Terrorism is based on who is being terrorised, if Americans illegally invades Iraq, it's not terrorism it's called protecting American interest.
If Israeli tanks rolls into GAZA and kill 20 children 19 old women, and cut of humanitarian supplies, it's not called terrorism, but that is what it is, it's terrorism. We are told how to think and what to think. Depending on whose interest it serves.
If America gives Israel 200 thousand Urainium tipped bunker busters to Israel, it's not called funding terrorism, but that is what is is.
No body is alloud to speak about these anomalies.
Freedom of thought, and freedom of expression is very important. This is how to avoid onesided stories that raise more questions than it answers.
How can anyone say they want peace while arming one side against the other. All these acts of terrorism is serving some one's interest, people such as arms dealers, that is the only American interest. War Iraqi freedom, the freedom to die using American bombs, and bullets, and the freedom of American service men and women to die fighting for the American interest they serve the American Arms dealers.
JAZZ| 12.19.08 @ 9:42AM
Man was born FREE you don't need the governments permission to speak.
Marx| 12.19.08 @ 11:43AM
Man was born free but everywhere he is in chains.
W.T.O| 12.19.08 @ 3:53PM
The last paragraph of the article: The UN will be holding another world confrence against RACISM in 2009.
The American government ignored the United Nation and started an illegal war against Iraq. If the American government ignores the UN why should anybody else take any notice of them.
Hagge said in one of his sermons the United Nations is the United Nothing.
Racism is going on right now in the UN, if they were so effective how is it the Israelis don't have to take any notice of them either.
Whose interest does the UN serves, they are designed to serve the interest of the United States and Israel.
And everybody else can go to hell. Another onesided organisation exposed, they should all be exposed as Racist organisation designed to keep people in poverty.
They and their fellow organisations, fund WARS they destroy lives, and then go in under the pretex of helping. Africa can't develope, because the IMF, and the UN, and the World Bank has managed to cripple that continent for years crippled with debt. So they can't develope or feed their people.
Then they fund one TRIBE against another to keep people fighting to keep the ARMS industry turning over all the time. They watch and laugh as people die in the dirt.
These organisations needs to be exposed, all these organisations run by secret societies, for the interest of a small group, who only serve their own interest, while they rape murder and steal.
W.T.O| 12.19.08 @ 5:13PM
5th Paragraph, Ref: Islamofasist ideology who advocates seek to destroy democracy.
The American government is the one who is removing peoples right, and removing DEMOCRACY and blaming Islamist, and destroying their own constitutions.
And use the propaganda machines to promote terrorism, and acts of terror against their own people, and the Arab world to promote US and Israelis interest, in the Arab world.
The sole purpose to control and colonize, and spread American interest, such as their Hamberger joint's Coca cola, their fraudulent Insurance companies, and their crooked business dealings, in Banking to gain Arab oil wealth in their fraudulent Banking systems, which is controled by Israeli Merchant Bankers that run's Wall Street, and much of the United States.
These Arabs the most they want is to be left alone in their countries to get on with their lives and culture. But because of big business, and greed these people are under constant attacks, to change and adopt a western way of life, which they don't want.
The trick is always constant hide the truth behind a lie. The same happend to Africa with all it's mineral wealth these people are the poorest in the world because their vast resources have been stolen by the same American trick, but the last time it was the British who had destroyed the lives of millions of people on the continent of Africa, and left nothing but poverty and desease behind them. While they enjoyed a quality of life the rest was left in Shanti towns and squatter camps in their own country.
The UN 2001 mentioned in paragraph 5 of the article, speaks volumes. World Conference against Racism, it's almost laughable when these organisations has managed to use the colour of ones skin to make money and hold lavish conferences to discuss such a topic, in such a place as South Africa, the trouble is these people are several years too late, they should have held it while while Steve Biko, was alive and he could speak of what life was like under Botha .
Steve Biko, could have enlighten them on what it was like to live in a squatter camp in your own country. I do not think any of the people in the UN is equipped to speak about racism or anthing else to do with Black peoples lives. It's a place reserved for Black's, they know and understand the issue better.
It's even possible that people in Harlem in America could have more to say in relations to racism, and the consiquences of racial hatred.
And what it must have been like to have a member of your family LINCHED.
The people of Palestine could have a voice in that too, because the victims voice is seldom heard. No one understands what it means to live in poverty and disease than the victims of such crimes against humanity. People who profit from such distructive behavior, and criminal mentality and profit from these things needs to be damned to hell, if there is such a place.
The famine in Ethopia, which Unicef knew about, and the WTO, did nothing to help these people. This is after George W Bush used the Ethopian Army to attack the people in Somalia. The Ethopians streached out a hand of friendship to the United States, but in their hour of need they were ignored. The whole system is by design to keep people fighting, keep people in poverty, and keep people dying from disease.
Trick| 12.20.08 @ 8:28PM
Rachel Ehrenfeld, Jewish Historical Society. It never fails to amaze me, where ever you find Jewish interest TERRORISM is never far away.
Followed by some Arab, it seem as if the two is interconnected, or better explained as one of the same. If any one says Jewish suddenly they must be anti SEMETIC, I wonder why.
It sounds like a good way to prevent the WORLD from knowing who is behind the rise and fall of Banking, and the RICHES of Arms dealers, Diamond smugglers, and the trade in gold, and drugs dealers. HISTORY could tell a tale of two, but that kind of HISTOR is called Anti- SEMETIC, these days. People losing their CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS balme the Arabs when it is the people no one is allowed to speak about, it's pretty strange.
What if the MUSLIMS could claim the same rights?. These people know how to make money out of every type of events, a HISTORY of twisted stories to sell the public, because most of them are too STUPID to look for the truth.
How about a different story, insted of the Arab Billionaire, how about the JEWISH Billionaire. Like Larry Silverstein and Frank lowe and Lewis Eisenberg, who was involved in the profiting from their corrupt deal out of the WORLD trade centre, because of inside information.
The Groups who carried out the attacks on the people who died in the TRADE centre, who is profiting from their deaths. You find a whole trail of JEWISH people. Who are happy to write books blaming the wrong people, because it make millions.
It's a shame that people think every thing government tells them is true.
There are these people in the Banking Business like JP Morgan and others the family of people who funded Hitler, but instead of writing a book about these facts, we have allegations of Arabs, funding Terrorism. Organised government state terrorism against the people, designed to remove their right and liberty, and that is the truth. So the Bildenberg people and the Trylateral groups and these secret Bankers can keep screwing the people, so they can take controle, of our lives.
There is another Author called Eustice Mullins, look up his books and buy that and read it if anybody can find it. What people want is the truth.
People need to look up, Money and power the roots of all evil 1/5
H.I.M| 12.21.08 @ 11:09AM
The same thing that is going on with the Muslims, is exactly the same type of propaganda that went on in Germany regarding the Jews, this time they are using the Muslims. It's connected to the protocols of ZION.
No one is willing to face the facts there was never 6 Million Jews living in Germany before the 2nd WORLD WAR.
No one is allowed to look at the facts, the word HOLOCAUST was being bantered about before the 1st world war. Like the planned attack on Iraq before Sept 11th. These things in no accident but a planned, WORLD ORDER which is a part of the Protocol of ZION to take control of the entire world and ran by Zionist.
No one is allowed to speak about Zionizm, or Nazism, in it's propper contex because Zionizm and Nazism is exactly the same thing. Laws are being changed to prevent people voicing the concerns of what is going on in America and the rest of Europe. Any one that does is putting themselves at risk. The fact is the more people who speak out about these issues, is the only way to get at the truth.
What makes it obvious, the Muslims are the victims of Zionizm, and they are not speaking out about it, which raise the question of why, why are they not speaking up?. It was not untill Germany invaded Poland, that the real war really got started. The invasion of Iraq is one thing, but people will not truely wake up till America invades Iran, putting the globe at great risk of Nuclear war.
Iran has no Nuclear WMD or seeks to aquire it, because to monitor the Developement of Nuclear WMD is easy, because the components would be coming from outside countries, materials such as Uranium.
Anybody can write history, from research, but why is the Jews, preventing people from publishing their finding. It's simple because they would be found to have being telling lies. That is why they wish to silence the WORLD.
Their ideology of the Bible saying that god promised them Palestine, and cannot prove where it says so, or the deed for the land. If any man had three children and chose to leave his house to one of them they would be able to produce the will, signed and documented, to any court of law in the land.
These people are a very suspicious group of people and a very dangerious group, who have a long history of theft of money property, and countries. These people are no more than an historical group of BANDITS, and have been expelled from over 100 times out of Europe, because of their activities.
In order to cover up their HISTORY they have brought into law to prevent anyone speaking about their theft and crimes against the rest of the world.
The Book International Jew by Henry Ford should be read and brought into the class room of ever American school, in America.
Super Crooks| 12.21.08 @ 11:57AM
The Rothchilds have been in this game for 200 years or more. They Bankrupt countries, buy up all their assets cheap. The proceedure is always War followed by Depression, and the Crooks buy up all the stocks cheap, admit it or not, it's the Jews that has been doing it since Jesus was alive.
People don't want to talk about these things, any body that has an economy they want to be successfull, the first thing is to keep these people out of Banking but they come into countries change their names to to get into positions of confidence.
No body dares talk about these dam crooks, but they control the global economy now, the only way out at this stage is the Government has to print its own money and form their own banks, the only way in is the prove who you are by birth certificate, verified and backed up by more than a thousand people.
Google what famous people said about the JEWS 1/3.
An muc gorm| 1.13.09 @ 12:21PM
On CBC Radio today, a Belfast lawyer alleged that the Libel Terrorism Protection Act does not repeat the word 'terrrorism' in its entire text, suggesting that terrorism has very little to do with this law - don't know if that is true or not. I do know that you can't blame a plaintiff for suing in Britain if he is allowed to do so. Let's face it, what real chance would a Saudi prince have of defending himself in a New York courtroom against ANY allegation against him made by a journalist of Israeli origin? The alacrity with which this legislation was passed is evidence enough of how the field is tilted.
British libel laws need to be modified for Britain's sake, not America's. The rights of foreign nationals to sue there should be curtailed.
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Protecting Free Speech | links to this page.
DB | 1.20.10 @ 8:25AM
Interesting reading this article now, after 2009 in which Obama actually ENDORSED the UN resolution to restrict freedom of speech!
http://frontpagemag.com/2009/10/16/obama’s-resolution-to-stifle-free-speech-on-islam-by-deborah-weiss/