By Vernon Daily Courier staff Friday, August 4, 2006, Okanagan-Shuswap MP Colin Mayes has expressed fears for his personal safety in his latest political column.The local MP, who declined to comment on his statements, made the remarks at the conclusion of a column about his personal opinions on the crisis between Israel and Lebanon.“It is interesting that in writing this article I felt that I was compromising my personal safety,” he said. In the column Mayes expressed the sentiment that although Israel retreated and returned lands to Palestine, the Israelis were still under attack. He said the source of the conflict are the terrorist groups Hezbollah and Hamas.“I do not understand war and prefer peace, but then we in Canada do not have someone trying to exterminate us,” he said in the column.Mayes also said that Israel’s military response has been to target Hezbollah positions and attempts have been made to minimize civilian casualties. He said the Israeli response has been measured and focused only on Hezbollah.Writing these statements and others in the column led Mayes to conclude that he was jeopardizing his security.“That thought scares me because in this world hate has no borders and no one is safe from terrorism – not even Canadians,” he said.Christine Csversko, assistant director of communications for the prime minister’s office said that Mayes’ comments were the first she’d heard of an MP expressing fear for their personal security over the Middle East conflict.“This is the first I’ve heard of this,” she said.Simon Fraser University political science professor Alexander Moens said that people should have little fear of repercussions from extremists in Canada. “For an MP to write on his take, from his perspective, I don’t think that endangers his personal security,” he said.In some countries, however, Moens said that people who have expressed their personal opinions on the Middle East have been threatened. He said that in Canada people can still feel free enough to speak their mind.
Don Quixote Note: Mayes Article can be found at http://www.vernonmorningstar.com/portals-code/list.cgi?paper=35&cat=48&id=702142&more=
http://www.saobserver.net/portals-code/list.cgi?paper=29&cat=48&id=706335&more=
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1 comment:
What an idiot! Does Mayes think that there is some Hezbollah agents just waiting for a chance to get an obscure politician who makes some ridiculous comment in a small town newspaper. Mayes is an embarrassment.
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