It was only a matter of time. Some of us have reported for months now that Jewish students have been intimidated and threatened on campuses across Canada by Islamic thugs. Now Nick Bergamini has been attacked with a lethal weapon and, it seems, could easily have been killed. He happens not to be Jewish but a conservative, a Zionist and friendly with Jewish and Israeli students. First they came for the Jews, then they came for their friends, then … we have more Israeli Apartheid Week sessions. Here is how Nick explains what happened:
“Around 1:45am, as we were leaving the bar, and we heard the shout of ‘Zionist’ in Arabic. We stood our ground. Quickly we had three guys around us. We were able to push them away. As the cowards that they were, they retreated. Then I heard, shouts of “Open the trunk!” One of them opened the trunk and I saw glistening in the street light the reflection of a 12-inch machete. “Fucking Jew,” he shouted. I began to run for my life as he was only 5 or 6 feet away. I ran, and as I looked back, I saw the long shiny blade slicing through the air about 12 inches from my neck. I ran as fast I could and, thanks to my grade 9 track and field training, got away.
“People who were around the scene said the blade came within inches of my neck. Now, the debate on campuses has reached the next level. In this country, people are no longer safe if they support Israel. But you know what? I will never take back my beliefs. I support Israel 100%.”
The Ottawa police are investigating and Nick is determined to continue his work and not compromise on his politics. Welcome to the free exchange of ideas at our publicly-funded universities and the “safe spaces” that other Ottawa students screamed about when they prevented Ann Coulter from speaking last week.
UPDATE – NICK WILL BE ON MY TV SHOW AT 6.OO TUESDAY BY PHONE.
Joe Clark,
Quranic verses were revealed to the Prophet in Madinah that cancel out the peaceful ones revealed in Makkah as you claim because the Prophet and his companions were forced out of Makkah by idol worshipers. The Prophet asked Allah for a solution and Allah revealed the verses. Nothing cancels out anything.
Frankly, I cant reply to everyones argument about how Muslims are violent and that Islam gave them the incentive simply because those fools that call themselves Muslims, abuse the greatness of the religion to find a ‘safe haven’ to their shortfall in life and explain their anger towards better people. I complete oppose the killing of innocent people, regardless of the beliefs. It pains me more that you to see ‘Muslims’ do such things. They have tarnished the name and reputation of Islam and the blame should be dumped on the individuals that misinterpret the religion not the religion, (dont hate the game, hate the player). Jihad is no murdering innocent people because they are not Muslim, Jihad is retaliation against oppression. I am embarrassed that i am argueing with little knowledge of my own religion, and I am not afraid to admit it. But this is not about me or you, its about the on going bashing of Islam. And why do more non-Muslims convert to Islam than Muslims convert to other religions. Dont give me the ‘concequences of leaving Islam is execution’. Muslims are still Muslims weather it is in Saudi Arabia or Canada/US. Nobody will execute those who leave Islam in Canada or the US, so why dont they leave Islam if its so god damn terrible.. Honestly i couldnt care less of what non-Muslims thought of Islam, it wont free Palestine. But what i do care about is getting my point across to those Muslims who abuse Islam and claim their violence is subsidiesed by Allah and Islam.
485Italia,
Seems you won’t address rewriting ME history concerning Arabs and Jews in Israel either.
All religion is poison. This is yet more proof of that fact.
There have been cases of honour killings in North America regarding muslim children converting or not abiding by the unforgiving tenants of Islam.
Regardless, what Islam says isn’t as important as Canada welcoming immigrants for decades from countries where the people have an extremely myopic world view and dark ages mentality.
Far from appreciating the freedom, opportunity, tolerance and social safety nets; they resent what does not fit their political and religous beliefs in their new home.
Constantly self-pitying and playing the victim justifies any type of violence or vilification of those they see as their enemies – including entire religions, races and ethnicities. They can’t begin to feel (or inclined to try) any others pain, fear or resentment, not can they make tghe leap into the 21st century.
They may hold a passport, but are from from being Canadians or Americans, and they may never be.
Funny timing, Bergamini. It is very strange this thing “happens” when your unabashed “Israel-my country right or wrong” | attitude and dishonest tactics lands you in hot water at Carleton. I wonder to what extent the recent spate of antisemitic grafitti scrawled around campus is attributable to you? Yet another campus hate hoax, I’m afraid. Those responsible for it should be jailed.
Boy, some ugly comments here.
On a recent television panel, MC reasonably and thoughtfully criticized the frequently nasty, hyperbolic tone of bloggers; which is even more reason to question his contradictory decision to employ exactly the same sort of tactics on his own blog. First-hand victim statements and hearsay accounts filtered through nakedly biased sources may be compelling reading, and they’ve certainly whipped up “the base” (as it were) but they are hardly insurmountable proof of anything. This does not mean that the incident did not occur. Nor does it mean that the two gentleman have not provided a wholly accurate version of events. However, you’ll forgive me if the results of a police investigation is far more compelling that a pack of ideological bloggers howling for another Coulter-moment. And what exactly is so compelling about this particular alleged crime? Given that MC has regularly and passionately (and I’d say quite eloquently) argued that “hate” designations have little to no place in criminal or quasi-judicial proceedings, perhaps he could explain why this particular police complaint (yes, no one has been charged with anything) merits his attention and vitriol, whereas the dozens of other violent assaults committed in Ottawa or elsewhere do not? I’m not naive. I realize this is another attempt to provocatively link inherent violence with a particular religion–without directly saying as much (we have our lovely comments section for that) but wouldn’t actually having that discussion be a lot more interesting than yet another torturous round of filling in the blanks?
Bryan,
You provide leftard statements without substance which are basically innuendo; and if should debate what you posted about the Bergamini’s support for Israel which, as you say, “(landed him in) hot water”, why is your assumption that this was done using “dishonest tactics” defacto in your writ? Conclusion, no facts. Judgment: Fail.
Silva,
Lotta words deploring the comments bereft of substance pedantically playing on the obvious. Observation: “bloggers howling for a ‘Coulter-moment’” and comparing this event to “dozens of other violent assaults committed in Ottawa or elsewhere (sic – which) do not (merit attention)”? Conclusion, a tu quoque argument, and a poorly made one at that. You say you are not “naïve”, yet fail to qualify even that narcissistic assumption of your own words. For a poor circular augment, Judgment: Fail. For employing irrelevant deception: Double Fail. One more “Fail” and you qualify for a de-motivational poster.
Anyone else got facts or something to add to the discussion?
No Paul, just your religion is poison.
Atheism is actually worse than Islam—
Sometimes it is good to remind ourselves that ‘we’ brought more than the so-called ‘religion of peace’ to Canada when we invaded many years ago. Oh, I guess the word is ‘settled Canada.’
The following are some of the words of Chief Dan George in his ‘Lament for Confederation’ talk to us Canadians some years ago. I guess it was okay to take the land from those who were not ‘christian’……..as entitlement in the name of god.
Chief Dan said……..
“Oh Canada, I am sad for all the Indian people throughout the land.
For I have known you when your forests were mine; when they gave me my meat and my clothing. I have known you in your streams and rivers where your fish flashed and danced in the sun, where the waters said “come, come and eat of my abundance.” I have known you in the freedom of the winds. And my spirit, like the winds, once roamed your good lands. But in the long hundred years since the white man came, I have seen my freedom disappear like the salmon going mysteriously out to sea. The white man’s strange customs, which I could not understand, pressed down upon me until I could no longer breathe.
When I fought to protect my land and my home, I was called a savage.
When I neither understood nor welcomed his way of life, I was called lazy. When I tried to rule my people, I was stripped of my authority.
My nation was ignored in your history textbooks — they were little more important in the history of Canada than the buffalo that ranged the plains. I was ridiculed in your plays and motion pictures, and when I drank your fire-water, I got drunk — very, very drunk. And I forgot.
Oh Canada, how can I celebrate with you this Centenary, this hundred years? Shall I thank you for the reserves that are left to me of my beautiful forests? For the canned fish of my rivers? For the loss of my pride and authority, even among my own people? For the lack of my will to fight back?” (etc.)
Maybe we have never stopped trying to ‘convert’ the people in Canada to our own ‘faith’? Where is the so-called peace in trying to have it ‘the christian way’?
By the way, I sat and knelt next to Chief Dan in church, even got his autograph.
I realize this is another attempt to provocatively link inherent violence with a particular religion–without directly saying as much
-oh so beatific, Silva. Unfortunately you have no business criticizizing people when you don’t grasp some basic human realities: all people are violent, in some degree: all societies/religions pose a threat to outsiders. The serious questions involve exploring the means by which a group bonds itself – does that bonding require more or less of the group’s internal resentment and violence be focussed on outsiders? But such a question actually demands you do a little work and study groups with a realistic eye, instead of spouting off about someone marking a group as violent, as if you lived in some alternative universe of righeousness, as if you and your kind aren’t violent too. It’s the ones who deny the human condition and pretend to some superior Gnostic religion that trumps ordinary fallen humanness who are more violent than they need to be. Welcome to the club.
Never Was An Arrow II says:
April 8, 2010 at 1:23 am
“No Paul, just your religion is poison.
Atheism is actually worse than Islam—”
Well, that was some abject stupidity right there. Thanks. So, how many skyscrapers did atheists ram planes into?
I know, I know…the “nazis”, the “commies” blah blah. Never mind that nazism got it’s anti-semitism from centuries of christian Jew-bashing in Europe, never mind that the Stalinists etc wiped out people because they were in the way of power as opposed to you know, not being “atheistic” enough.
Something that no religious apologist has ever brought up as far as I know is the fact that during modern times, there are far more effective weapons and far more people than there where when religious gov’ts ruled.
As an illustration, the religously inspired Thirty Years War knocked off about 1/3 of the people in the German states. Not as many numerically as Stalin killed, BUT: What would that be in today’s numbers?
Dan:
“No. The point you make is not referring to an established fact. And I would think it quite obvious the cancellation was due to the actions of the students and activists. It was called off because public safety and that of the speakers was at issue. Not to mention the property damage that would no doubt ensue beyond what was done.
”
Baloney.
http://blogs.canoe.ca/corenscomment/uncategorized/your-tax-dollars-at-work/comment-page-1/#comment-11941
Never Was An Arrow II says:
April 8, 2010 at 1:23 am
No Paul, just your religion is poison.
Atheism is actually worse than Islam—
There is no point trying to debate you anymore. You are clearly insane.
Reynold.
You are wasting your time with Never Was An Arrow II.
What happened here is terrible but you cannot use the crimes of a very few to represent the fastest growing religion in the world: Islam. Why are they even called Islamic thugs? why can’t u just call them thugs or people why does their religion have to be included, if a christian committed a murder, does the paper call him a christian murderer? NO. So this is not a religious matter it is politically-motivated. Muslims do not hate Jews that is an awful misconception. in fact as Muslims we have to respect Judaism and Christianity because they came before Islam. Islam is the third monotheistic religion and therefore shares similar values to the two other monotheistic religions.
Islam is a cult – not a religion. There’s a difference.
ruba, why they are called islamic thugs? maybe bcz they wanted to kill for religious reasons….they called him ,, fucking jew,, they wanted to kill him just bcz he is a jew…..,,if a christian committed a murder, does the paper call him a christian murderer?,, no they dont call him a christian murderer, bcz christians dont kill muslims in canada just bcz they are muslims.
,,in fact as Muslims we have to respect Judaism and Christianity because they came before Islam,, if muslims have to respect judaism and christianity then why christians and jews are persecuted in islamic countries, and why nonmuslims dont have freedom and rights in islamic countries like muslims enjoy in Europe and USA?
I wonder why i lost few seconds from my life reading your comment…
ruba, Islam is different in as much as it is not just a religion but also a political ideoloy. In Judaism and CHristianity, the prophet is not a political figure. But Mohammed was a political and military leader. Thus your complaint against the label “Islamic murderer” is disingeuous.
I also think you misinterpret Islam. Islam does not teach that Judaism and Christianity came before Islam. Islam claims that it is the eternal and uncreated or original religion. It argues that the Jews and Christians only received partial revelation of the eternal truth and what they did receive has been corrupted in actual, historical Judaism and Christianity. Thus, for example, the hadiths claim that when Jesus returns it will be to put an end to historical Christianity, to destroy the church, and make possible an end times where there is a universal embrace of Islam.
“ruba, Islam is different in as much as it is not just a religion but also a political ideoloy. In Judaism and CHristianity, the prophet is not a political figure. But Mohammed was a political and military leader. Thus your complaint against the label “Islamic murderer” is disingeuous.”
trupeers, I really feel bad for you. Isaiah, one of the biblical prophets was one of the Jewish political prophets. He led a campaign against the Assyrians. Know your facts before you start ranting. Here we see that your analysis on Islam is not based on any form of rationality. It is simply a form of bias, which has you blinded from seeing anythign else;)
anonymous,
If that’s the best you can do with all the Jewish prophets to choose from, you only make my point. I suggest you actually read the book of Isaiah. Isaiah was not a king, but an adivsor to kings who often took the side of the common people and God against the king. A prophet demanding kings obey Yahweh and forego idolatry, or suffer His wrath, is hardly far from the Jewish norm, which typically poses a battle between prophet and king. You might have made a better case for, say, Moses, though his (political and religious) leadership was exemplary for being an exodus away from the world’s leading political power.
On a point of logic, if all you can say is some half-assed thing about Isaiah, you have hardly shown that my analysis of *Islam* is not based on any form of rationality. (Are you claiming Isaiah as an Islamic prophet?) And while I readily admit a bias – everyone has one – you have hardly shown that it blinds me from seeing “anything else”. (In fact, in order to see anything you have to have a bias – the attempt to live without bias is foolish because our bias is necessary to create a ground from which vision and knowledge become possible – we can’t see the world directly and omnisciently.) So I think you are grasping and ignorant, someone who doesn’t want to look too closely at things, lest you notice real differences which you might then have to value. Moral and cultural relativism = nihilism and ignorance.
It was very interesting for me to read the post. Thanks for it. I like such themes and everything that is connected to this matter. I definitely want to read more on that site soon. By the way, pretty nice design that site has, but what do you think about changing it every few months?
Jane Smith
reusable coffee filter
Not Jewish boy is not hurt.
Why the fuss?
The Israelis fired 1.3 million rounds of ammo into the west bank in the first intifida and no-one here gave a shit.
DaveGood
I wonder if this story is just going to fade away, never to be heard of again? “Investigations” certainly take a long time.
[Spied the following on the web just now - Trevor]
MIKEY WEINSTEIN, JESUS-BASHER
What kind of wine has Mikey Weinstein been drinking?
As an anti-Christian Jewish supremacist and as the president of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation, he’s doing all he can to create an anti-Jewish backlash and help bring about the predicted endtime Holocaust of Jews that’ll be worse than Hitler’s.
Neither Falwell, Hagee nor any other Christian initiated this prediction. But Weinstein’s ancient Hebrew prophets did.
In the 13th and 14th chapters of his Old Testament book, Zechariah predicted that after Israel’s rebirth ALL nations will eventually be against Israel and that TWO-THIRDS of all Jews will be killed!
Malachi revealed the reasons: “Judah hath dealt treacherously” and “the Lord will cut off the man that doeth this.”
Haven’t evangelicals generally been the best friends of Israel and persons perceived to be Jewish? Then please explain the hate-filled back-stabbing by David Letterman (and Sandra Bernhard, Kathy Griffin, Bill Maher etc.) against followers of Jesus such as Sarah Palin and Michele Bachmann.
Weinstein wouldn’t dare assert that citizens on government property don’t have freedom of speech or press freedom or freedom to assemble or to petition the government.
But God-hater Weinstein maliciously wants to eliminate from government property the “free exercise” of religion – especially by evangelicals – a freedom found in the same First Amendment. Significantly, this freedom was purposely listed FIRST by America’s founders!
And Weinstein wouldn’t try to foist “separation of church and state” on strongly-Jewish Israel, but he does try to foist this non-Constitution-mentioned phrase on strongly-Christian America.
In light of Weinstein’s Jewish protectionism and violently anti-Christian obsession, Christians in these endtimes should be reminded of Jesus’ warning in Mark 13:9 (see also Luke 21:12) that “in the synagogues ye shall be beaten.”
Maybe it’s time for some modern Paul Reveres to saddle up and shout “The Yiddish are Coming!”
PS – Some, like Weinstein, are so treacherously anti-Christian they will even join hands at times with enemies, including Muslims, in order to silence evangelicals. It was Weinstein, BTW, who put pressure on the Pentagon to dis-invite Franklin Graham from speaking there on the National Day of Prayer!
So…where are the arrests? It’s been 8 months, and nothing has been done. For a case where there were supposedly witnesses, and where both victims were able to recognize their attackers from the student body, something smells awfully fishy.