M-T
The Canadian Jewish News, Thursday, August 13, 1987-Page 5
-National
But NB education minister still looking at Ross case
changed to deal with racist teachers
By
WENDY ROSEN
FREDERICTON -
While New Brunswick Education Minister Jean-Pierre Ouellet Considers a legal opinion he sought from the Atlantic Jewish Council on decertifying alleged hatemonger Malcolm Ross, his department has taken steps to ainend the Schools Act to deal with teachers with racist views in the school system.
In an interview, Hugh Duplisea, coordinator of high school education, said that Ouellet is seeking the amendments to strengthen the public school teacher's responsibilities inside and outside the school particularly with regard to human rights. Teachers should be positive role models in and Out of school, he said, adding the changes will enforce this philosophy.
Although the Atlantic Jewish Council says there is evidence that Ross, a Moncton teacher who has written pamphlets that contend the Holocaust was a hoax, could be decertified under existing regulations, the government hasn't been able to determine he actually violated the regulations.
As recently as last month, Dr. Julius Israeli the man who made the complaint that prompted
the government to look into the possibility of hatemongering charges — the province decided hot to press charges in April — sent a registered letter to Ouellet in which he outlined the evidence against Ross which, he claimed, warranted his decertification.
Ouellet, who was unavailable for. comment as were his deputy ministers; is quoted in various Atlantic publications as saying the amendments would be approved by the cabinet before October when an election is expected. Although the changes would have no effect on what Ross has done in the past, Duplisea said that in the future such controversy would be prevented as the language would be more cut-and-dried.
AJC president Lee Cohen,.§ Halifax lawyer, said that Ouellet asked him to prepare the legal brief in meetings with justice and education department officials last spring. The legal research was completed the end of July.
He said that when Justice Minister Dave Clark refused to prosecute Ross, the AJC began promoting decertification as "an available remedy." However, Ouellet's advisors said there were no grounds.
"ITiey haven't changed their minds but they said they would entertain my research. The government will examine it and get its own opinion. LxgdX opinion is just that ... it may not be shared by whomever receives the report. Hopefully, it will be persuasive enough to sway them."
Ouellet has been quoted in the Saint John Tele-graph-Journial as saying, "If we had legal proof that, he was teaching anti-semitism I would aclon it, because I believe we should teach fundamental human rights."
As for changes to the Schools Act, Cohen says,"I'm all for any amendment to any legislation thiat people don't have the opportunity to promote anti-semitism or any prejudices."
In a 3-page letter signed by Cohen and mailed to Atlantic Jewish households, the AJC outlines its dis-satisfactibn with the way the Ross inyestigatiph was carried out but states it would not be wise to take a public stand on advocating prosecution but maintains there is grounds for decertification. A brief was prepared and submitted to Monctbn's District 15 School Board but a 3-person committee determined that there was no evidence that Ross had
TORONTO -
Holocaust denier Ernst Zundel will be retried Jan. 4 on a charge of spreiiding false news.
It is possible the trial ; could last six months.
The new trial was ordered in June by Ontario Attorney-General Ian Scott after the Supreme Court of Cainada refused to hear an appeal by the
province to restore Zuh-del's 1985 conviction oh the sam^ charge.
Zundel was cbnvicted in March 1985 after a controversial and well-publicized 7-week trial and sentenced to 15 months in jail.
In January, the Ontario Court of Appeal overturned ZiindePs conviction on one count of
spreading false news because of "errors during the course of the trial and in (the trial judge's) charge to the jury."
In a separate hearings a jiistice of the Ontario Court of Appeal rescinded a bail requirement whereby Zundel had to seek the permission from the attorney-general before leaving the provmce.
reco
MONTREAL -
Canadian Jewish Cpn-gress president Dbrothy Reitman has reiterated her concern to-the Canadian gbvernmerit. that "even faint diplomatic recognition of KiirtWaldheim should cease." .
In a letter to External Affairs Minister Joe Clark, Reitman wrote that in spite of the government's posi-tibii that Waldheim would not be welcome in Canada, Canadian diplomatic representatives accredited to the Vatican and Jordan were present at ^ liinctions in honor of Waldheim during the Austrian president's recent visits.
"May we have your as-suranbe that Canadian diplomatic representaitives will not be present at func-
tions attended by Waldheim. We believe this would be consistent with your government's stated policy.
"Canada must reiterate cleariy and publicly that Waldheim's Nazi past is repugnant to all Canadians."
crimes witnesses
MONTREAL -
As part of its efforts to identify suspected Nazi war criminals, Canadian Jewish Congress is seeking witnesses to events inGalicia, primarily those which took place in Brezezany, Pod-hajce, Stryj and Wis-niowozyk.
In particular, witnesses
to the persecution of the Jews in these places and the role played by the police in these activities are needed. - Anyone with such information is jsl&ed to contact the Holocaust Remembrance Committee of Canadian Jewish Congress at 1590 Docteur Penfield Ave., Montreal, Que. H3G ICS. \
taught his views to his students.
In the letter, it was announced that Ouellet had appointed the AJC to a special education advisory committee that is developing a Holocaust/human rights program.
DupUsea, who six years ago wrote a publication for teachers on how to teach this material, said that the Holocaust is currently taught in Grade 11 history as part of the study of Nazi Germany. A course in global education at the Grade 9 level deals with different cul-tures around the world with a goal of having the children "learn to understand and appreciate other cultures so when they take Holocaust studies they can respond ... when they see hate literature, they can recognize it for what it is."
Duplisea said the goal of the committee, which will have its initial meeting next week, is to look at the teaching of the Holocaust and the methodology.
"Some people say 'Why isolate Jews. The Nazis didn't just kill Jews.' Our response to that is while not every victim was a Jew, all Jews were potential victims," Duplisea said.
"We want to put Jewish resistance in perspective ... to look at anti-semitism before and during the Holocaust. We want to get beyond the facts and teach them how it affected people then and now. Not so much to stress the horror on young minds... but the whole loss of human rights."
Duplisea said then they can relate the past to the present "to show that anti-semitism still exists and the Holocaust wasn't an isolated event but rather the epitome of anti-semitism. In my opinion it could be seen as the turning point in
man's humanity to man."
In saying that teaching students about different cultures at an earlier age gives them a frame of reference, Duplisea said the human rights theme has to run through the curriculum so there's continuity.
"They'll handle the Keegstras, Rosses, Zundels by turning them off ... that's how we'll defeat them."
Duplisea said that inser-vice for teachers would also be developed so they can explain and react to these concerns.
Although it takes about
two years to fully implement a course, the inser-vice fwrtion can hit the system in three months. He explained that it would take about a year to develop textbooks and then another year to conduct field testing.
"Essentially the changes are starting now."
rats
By
MARK DODICK
TORONTO -
James Keegstra won the election but may not get to keep the job.
Keegstra, who Is appealing his conviction for inciting hatred against Jews, was elected interim leader of the federal Social Criedit Party during The CJN holiday period.
Shortly after, the former leader whom Keegstra was to replace, announced from his home in Listowel, Ont. that he refused to give up his position.
Rev. Harvey Lainson also demanded that Keegstra, who had been on probation, be banished from the party. Lainson was dumped from his job after advocating the party name be changed to Christian Freedom.
National party president Ben Bissett (beaten for the job by one vote), said that since Lainson is unwilling to submit his resignation, Keegstra cannot officially assume the leadership.
; Even if Keegstra should take his post, it leaves officials of Canadian Jewish Congress and the League for Human Rights unim-
James Keegstra
Keegstra's appointment "evokes bitter memories of Social Credit bigotry in the 1930s," CJC President Dorothy Reitman said in a release. She added that "there is no role in Canadian political life for convicted hate-mongers.''
"The Social Credit Party is hardly a force in Canadian politics,'' said Joel Wilder (by phone from Winnipeg), national co-chairman (with Victor Goldbloom) of CJC's Joint Community Relations Com-, mittee.
' * I understand there was something like 28 people at its so-called national meeting. I'm told that approximately half that number elected a so-called national leader. Those facts speak
for themselves."
Alan Shefman, national director of the League for Human Rights, described himself as "not terribly impressed," with the choice
of Keegstra. He noted that Keegstra had come in second for the position at the last Socred convention.
A meeting of the party's natipnal council is sched-. uled for Nov. 28 to arrange a leadership convention in early 1988.
Congress and League ofTicalis have also reacted with indifference to reports of a poorly attended meeting of the international Ku Klux Klan, also held during The CJN vacation.
The gathering at a farm northwest Of Calgary, was reported to have drawn seven members, two from Canada.
"It shows the weakness of the Ku Klux Klan at this time — it just doesn't exist," said Shefman.
Calling the KKK in.Can-ada a joke, Bemie Farber, CJC's assistant national director.for community relations, said the poor turnout ''speaks well for Canadians who totally reject the concepts the KKK stands for."
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