Dishonesty of the day/Harper's racist breakfasts?

The Ottawa Sun reports today that

Prime Minister Stephen Harper should have checked his facts before blasting Iran over a law that doesn't exist, says one of Ottawa's leading Muslim intellectuals.

Harper seized on a story published in the National Post on Friday [May 19] that claimed the Iranian government was planning to force Jews, Christians and Zoroastrians to wear ID badges.

That is simply false. PM Harper did not "seize" on the story; he did not himself raise the issue. Rather he made his remarks in response to a question by Robert Fife of CTV at the joint press conference with Australian PM Howard (I was watching). Fife specifically mentioned the Post story and asked for the PMs' reaction. Both were careful in answering to say "if the story is true".

Terrible, slanted journalism aimed yet again at making PM Harper look bad.

Along with this utterly silly piece on his "American-style" security.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper's motorcade has acquired a presidential look.

But one MP says the big black SUV now cruising at the rear of the prime ministerial entourage are a bit too remindful of President George W. Bush...

I suppose if the prime minister has pancakes in the morning he will be eating a "Bush-style breakfast" and questions will be put in the House. And if he uses Aunt Jemima syrup (instead of the maple sort) he will be accused, not only of "American-style sweetening", but also of racism.

Update: Liberal MPs were really "seizing" the Iran story in Question Period Friday morning; that is not being reported--or protested by the usual suspects.

1) Hon. Karen Redman (Kitchener Centre, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, Canadians are shocked and appalled to hear reports today that indicate Iran is about to pass a law requiring non-Muslims to wear coloured badges identifying their religious beliefs. Jews would have to sew yellow strips of cloth on the front of their clothes, while Christians would wear red badges. This kind of state-run bigotry is both disgusting and frightening to Canadians and all citizens of the world who believe in tolerance and religious freedom.

What steps is the government taking to protest the actions of this rogue state?

2) Hon. Keith Martin (Esquimalt—Juan de Fuca, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the comments from the Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister, but he must also recognize that this is Hitler's shadow stalking the earth, that this is the same regime in Iran that has denied the Holocaust and has state sponsored persecution of members of the Baha'i faith. Quite frankly, words are not enough.

I ask the Minister of Foreign Affairs if, at the very least, he has called in the Iranian ambassador to Canada to express Canada's disgust over these actions in Iran.

And this is what CP reported on Friday:

OTTAWA (CP) - Prime Minister Stephen Harper was quick to condemn Iran on Friday for an anti-Semitic law that appears not to exist.

Harper seized on a newspaper report that said Iran's hardline government would require Jews and Christians to wear coloured labels in public...

This is only mentioned far into the story:

He made the remarks during a news conference in Gatineau, Que., with the visiting Australian Prime Minister John Howard...

That he was responding to a direct question from a reporter is not mentioned. Slimy journalism, to be polite.

Mark C.

Posted by markc at May 22, 2006 11:45 AM