May 4, 2001

Mr. Paul Tuerr
German-Canadian Congress
455 Conestogo Rd.,
Waterloo, Ontario, N2L 4C9
Fax: (519) 746-7006

Dear Mr. Tuerr;

I wish to commend you for standing up to the Canadian Jewish Congress in defense of German-Canadian rights. As you may be aware, our organization, the Heritage Front is dedicated to the "Preservation, defense and promotion of Canadians of European Descent." And we join with you and the German-Canadian Congress in denouncing Immigration Minister Elinor Caplan's recommendation to Cabinet that Helmut Oberlander be deported.

The Canadian Jewish Congress is one of Canada's largest censorship organizations and on numerous occasions has used it's tax-payer supplemented resources to silence and co-persecute people of German descent. The most recent example of this, is the persecution through prosecution of German-Canadian Ernst Zundel at the hands of the "Human Rights" Commission. During that mad hatter's tea party, a.k.a. the "Human Rights" Tribunal, the Canadian Jewish Congress was given "intervenor" status - de facto co-prosecutor status.

The attempted censorship by the Canadian Jewish Congress is not limited solely to German-Canadians, but extends to the lawyers that defend them. Just like Ernst Zundel and his lawyer Douglas Christie who have been ritually defamed routinely, Oberlander's lawyer, Eric Hafemann, encountered the heavy hand of censorship in early 2000 after the Oberlander decision by Judge Andrew MacKay.

Mr. Hafemann maintained that a powerful lobby was attempting to sway public opinion and make the case political by petitioning politicians to strip Oberlander of his citizenship, stating that "the government is obviously catering to special interest groups." (Kitchener-Waterloo Record, February 29, 2000) Hafemann did not identify these groups.

On Thursday (March 2, 2000), Keith Landy, chairman of the Ontario Region of the Canadian Jewish Congress, wrote Waterloo Regional Police Chief Larry Gravill calling for an investigation into whether Hafemann should be charged with inciting violence under the Criminal Code. The CJC is claiming that Hafemann's comments were dangerous and inflammatory and views them as a potential threat to the Jewish community.

Landy asked the police department to "take any action which it deems appropriate" to ensure the safety of the Jewish community.

Bernie Farber declared Hafemann's comments "very disturbing. We know the code word [sic] 'special interest groups' refers to the Jewish community. Let's not be coy about it," Farber continued, stating that, even if Hafemann "is not consciously promoting violence, this kind of language could be picked up by those of ill will to do such a thing. It takes one kook or crackpot to read those words and feel somehow that permission is granted to do something against the law." (Kitchener-Waterloo Record, March 3, 2000).

How ironic! Year after year, groups like the CJC reopen the wounds of World War II and create fear among the German and East European communities that yet another one of their aged members will be put through the wringer. That, apparently, is fine. Yet, to merely note that Canada's servile politicians are knuckling under to such pressure is to promote "violence," in the CJC's self-serving view. [1]

The Canadian Jewish Congress also displays its hypocrisy complaining about so-called "war criminals", when you have Bernie Farber, the Executive Director (Ontario region) of the Canadian Jewish Congress being an apologist for the brutal torture of Palestinian prisoners in Israel. [2] The United Nations has repeatedly condemned the Shin Beth and Israeli security forces for violating international law in their actions against Palestinian detainees. Between 1955 and 1992 the United Nations passed an amazing sixty-nine resolutions against Israel for human rights violations, with the United States using it's security council veto on another twenty-nine resolutions [3]

Your comments on Ms. Caplan being motivated by vengeance, not justice is backed up by her own words to the Yad Vashem. During Elinor Caplan's acceptance speech for Yad Vashem's Woman of the Year, 1999, she said the following: "I can tell you that while I was happy to be named Minister of Citizenship and Immigration -- I was really happy when some of my first official duties included revoking the citizenship of two Nazi war criminals. As I signed, I silently said the Kaddish -- the prayer for the dead." [4]

It's very refreshing to finally have an organization in the German community standing up to the Canadian Jewish Congress. You're right on the money when you say that the Canadian Jewish Congress has access to see cabinet members on demand. It's funny to see Moshe Ronen trying to claim otherwise. His comments to the Globe and Mail on May 4, 2001 that "We don't have any special access any more than any other Canadian, either to Ms. Caplan or any other member of the government" is funny at best, when on the Canadian Jewish Congress's own Website, Ronen himself brags in a press release: "meetings with high-ranking political leaders are part of CJC's ongoing national advocacy." [5] A quick glance through their press release's shows constant meetings with Cabinet members and government leaders, whose doors are certainly not as open to any other ethnic groups in Canada, especially groups representing Germans or other European Canadians.

In terms of the Oberlander case, I think that Matt Lauder, director of the government sponsored "anti-racism" program at the Guelph and District Multicultural Centre sums it up best in an article he wrote for the Freedom-Site: "... in Oberlander's case, his only misdeed is that he is German. Was he ever convicted of a crime against humanity? Answer -- NO. Was it ever proven that he, in any way, aided or abetted the murder of civilians? Answer -- NO. Was it ever proven, beyond a reasonable doubt, that he lied to immigration officers about his involvement? Answer -- NO. Why does the persecution of a former army volunteer continue? Answer -- Because this world is motivated by greed and a political agenda supported by deeply financed lobby groups." [6]

Fifty six years after the end of the Second World War, it's time for Canadians of German descent to stand up, unify and say: "We will not be treated as second class citizens - Stop the German bashing!" [7]

Sincerely;

Marc Lemire