David Menzies examines Ireland’s jailing of teacher Enoch Burke for refusing gender-neutral pronouns, framing it as a case of compelled speech and ideological tyranny. Burke’s parents and school officials clash over religious freedom vs. institutional compliance, while critics like Rahel Raza—targeted in a 240-page Canadian report labeling her an Islamophobia enabler—deny such accusations, distinguishing faith from extremism tied to groups like the Muslim Brotherhood. Raza highlights China’s Uyghur persecution and questions why global Muslim oppression is ignored while dissent in Canada is silenced, calling out reports like Zine’s for methodological bias. The episode ties Burke’s and Raza’s struggles to broader critiques of woke culture, cancelation, and propaganda-driven studies, like Sunnybrook’s flawed vaccine-fault research, arguing these trends suppress truth under ideological enforcement. [Automatically generated summary]
Tonight, can you be imprisoned for using the wrong pronouns?
Just wait till you hear the story of Irish teacher Enoch Burke.
It's Friday, December 16th, 2022.
I'm David Menzies, and this is the Ezra Leventro.
Shame on you, you censorious wubug.
My colleague, Ian Miles Chong, posted a story the other day regarding the sentencing and imprisonment of a teacher in Ireland.
And I'll tell you, folks, I had to read the lead paragraph some three times over.
I did so because I thought Ian might have uncharacteristically made a mistake in his reporting, or maybe what had appeared on my screen was a preposterous, albeit premature, April Fool's Day joke.
Now, allow me to cut to the chase.
Ian's opening paragraph states the following, quote, in a courtroom in Dublin, Enoch Burke, a teacher jailed for refusing to use gender-neutral pronouns, pleaded with the judge to be released for the Christmas period, end quote.
Astonishing.
For this isn't a story about some member of the LGBTQ XYZ123 ⁇ , etc. community freaking out over some alleged misgendering incident.
And really, when did misgendering become akin to a capital crime?
Religious Beliefs vs. School Policy00:05:15
Nor is this some story about some he, she, or she male going to a human rights tribunal and lodging a petty grievance due to hurt feelings.
I mean, when you are a biological male and you come across as Herman Munster in a mini skirt during your so-called transitioning, yet maybe one might think that the dude is a mister rather than a sister.
And besides, human rights tribunals tend to be kangaroo courts.
And it should be noted that these uber woke wackadoodle tribunals issue fines, not prison sentences.
Well, at least not yet.
No, Mr. Burke was charged and convicted in a real court by a real judge and locked up in a real jail with hardened criminals who have committed, you know, real crimes like assault, robbery, etc., as opposed to thought crimes.
In any event, Ian further notes, quote, Burke has been suspended from Wilson's Hospital School in County Westmeath, Ireland, after he refused to address a transitioning student as they rather than he on the basis of his devout Christian beliefs.
Despite being ordered by the school to stay away, Burke continued to attend and was subsequently arrested and jailed in September.
Burke argued that he was not a criminal and asked the court to free me for Christmas, citing his religious beliefs as justification for his refusal of the court order.
His parents, Sean and Martina, were present at the hearing and expressed their fury over their son's imprisonment.
Sean Burke said that his son had simply been brought up in a Christian family, while Martina Burke declared that her son was being denied his constitutional right to express his Christian beliefs.
The judge refused Mr. Burke's plea, but noted that he could be released at any point if he purged his contempt before the court.
However, Mr. Burke maintained that this would be reneging on his duty to God and thus refused again.
He will remain in custody until further notice, unless he agrees to abide by the order not to attend school.
End quote.
Wow.
Remain in custody until further notice, eh?
Is that a kinder, gentler term for, oh, you know, throwing away the key?
Now, a representative of the school made an appearance.
She was no ally.
Quote, Rosemary Milan, who represented the school before the court, said that if Mr. Burke had been successful in getting his suspension overturned, he would return to the classroom, end quote.
Well, isn't that so very sweet of Miss Milan?
All Burke has to do is, well, renounce his beliefs and assimilate into the creepy cult of wokeness.
And then and only then can Mr. Burke resume teaching again.
It essentially comes down to this: Burke must agree to accept fiction as fact or else.
For example, he must consent to calling a singular person by the plural pronoun they.
If not, well, Mr. Burke, he can rot in jail.
You know, it's a jolly good thing I don't have a teaching position at Wilson's Hospital School because I'd be Burke's cellmate right now and it would have nothing to do with religious beliefs, but rather adhering to truth and not bending the knee to a bully boy cancel culture mob that is increasingly out of control.
Indeed, religious beliefs aside, it is science and common sense that back up, Mr. Burke.
If you are an individual, simply put, you are not a they.
They refers to more than one person, even if that person is suffering from multiple personality disorder or some other kind of mental illness.
You know that.
I know that.
Burke knows that.
Even the bullies persecuting Burke know that.
And yet, for fear of, oh, I don't know, being called out as transphobic, these ideological thugs in both academia and now even the justice system cling to some rancid ideology in which science is an afterthought and the prime directive is not the pursuit of knowledge, but rather the prevention of hurt feelings for those who are most likely mentally ill.
And in the baffling case of Mr. Burke, what we have here is the state coercing Burke to denounce the bona fide truth that a solitary individual is not a he or a she, but they are a they or a them.
Sybil's Truth00:03:03
And if you don't reject truth in favor of fantasy, well, it's also eerily reminiscent of the torture scene from 1984, isn't it?
Do you remember writing in your diary?
Freedom is the freedom to say two plus two equals four.
How many fingers am I holding up, Miss?
And if the party says there are not four, but five, then how many?
That's no use.
You're lying.
How many fingers, please?
What else could I say?
If I fall, anything you like, only please stop it.
Stop the pain.
Indeed, anything you like.
And so it is.
A man is a woman and a woman is a man and a dog is a horse and a pussycat is a blue jay.
And again, a singular entity is a they.
Biology and medical science and basic grammar be damned.
This is the tyranny of the minority.
This is all about the inmates running the asylum and embracing the views of those who are unhinged.
And no, I do not exaggerate.
Let's go back to yesterday, the 1970s to be precise.
I speak of Shirley Mason, the psychiatric patient whose life was portrayed in the 1973 book Sybil, which was then made into a made-for-TV movie in 1976.
Mason, a.k.a. Sybil, suffered from multiple personality disorder.
Her alter egos included Peggy, a nine-year-old girl who believes she is still in the small town in which Sybil grew up.
And Vicki, a very sophisticated and mature 18-year-old girl, and Mike, a brash young boy who likes to build and do carpentry, and so on and so forth.
16 different personalities in all.
But here's the rub.
In the 1970s, no one thought that a young woman suffering from multiple personality disorder was something to celebrate.
And certainly nobody back then called Sybil a they, nor did they gush over her newfound and so-called gender identity.
Rather, psychiatric treatment for Sybil was the order of the day.
Yet in the here and now, based on what Mr. Burke in Ireland is going through, I would hazard a guess that someone rightfully referring to a they as a he or she, depending on the sex of the individual, well, that person would be the one hauled before a psychiatrist for speaking the truth.
The disorder, being insensitive.
Speculations and Sensitivity00:10:11
The cure, needing reprogramming.
It's not about acceptance and tolerance anymore, folks.
It's now about affirmation.
And if you have a contrary opinion, you are obviously a bigot.
Oh, P.S. Shirley Mason, the real-life inspiration for Sybil, later admitted that she had faked her multiple personalities.
It was all a ruse.
What does that tell you?
By the way, what percentage of the world is transgender?
What percentage of the world goes by the pronouns they, them?
Oh, and here's a whopper of Aquari.
If he or she does identify as a they or them, the question arises, do they have to pay two fares when they get on a bus?
No, seriously.
Or maybe for self-serving economic reasons when it comes to reaching into the purse or wallet, does a plural person suddenly become a singular person?
Oh, I bet they do, those cheap, non-binary bastards.
Or is it bitches?
It's so complicated, isn't it, folks?
I mean, forgive me, but I come from a day and age when tranny trouble meant that the gear shift was slipping from drive into neutral, not the rubbish we have to deal with on an ongoing basis today.
And it is only getting worse.
Remember, this slice of trans sanity from four years ago?
Excuse me, sir.
There's a young man in here.
Excuse me, it's ma'am.
It is ma'am.
I can call the police if you'd like me to.
You need to settle down.
You need to settle down and mind your business.
Okay.
Ma'am.
Once again, ma'am.
I said both of you.
No, you said sir.
Once again, it's ma'am.
I actually said both of you guys.
Right beforehand, you fucking said sir.
Sir, motherfucker, take it outside.
If you want to call me sir again, I will show your fucking sir.
I apologize.
Motherfucker.
I apologize now.
I need your corporate number because I'm going to talk, call them, and talk about how I was misgendered several times in this store.
I apologize for that.
I need your corporate number now.
Get it for me now.
I'm going to ask you to calm down and stop cussing.
Give me your corporate number.
Well, I'm going to ask you for the fifth time to stop calling me a man because quite clearly I am not.
Oh, quite clearly you are, actually.
You know, that video is so telling, is it not?
For here we have a member of the alphabet soup community who is allegedly all about love and tolerance and reasonable accommodation.
And yet, look how this thug treats that poor clerk who is simply trying to do his job.
And then Macho Ma'am vandalizes some merchandise.
Wonderful.
And he, she, it is the victim here?
Oh, you better believe it.
Misgendering a mental case these days is perhaps the most egregious thought crime there is.
Indeed, the way the media covered this story was gross, given that Mr. Moore was portrayed as the victim.
Just check out this appalling Yahoo News article entitled, quote, Trans Woman Explains Why She Cursed at GameStop Cashier in Viral Video.
It was blatant and malicious hate, end quote.
Really?
A clerk dealing with a male customer, not only a biological male, but someone who appears male, that person is guilty of blatant and malicious hate.
You're kidding me.
Now, missing from the reportage is the backstory of Moore.
He's not a victim.
He's a victimizer.
He is a hardened criminal, actually.
He is someone known for gaming the system as well.
Indeed, check out this story from the post-millennial.
Quote, Moore's criminal record is quite long, including arrest for armed robbery.
His plethora of mugshots can be seen across the internet, all of which were taken before his alleged transition and GameStop freakout.
The mother of Moore's child doesn't appear to be much more of a fit parent either, having no custody over their son and allegedly struggling with meth and a lengthy criminal record herself.
Some are even questioning the validity of Moore's transition entirely, with many citing that there is little to no physical change between before and after photos.
Speculations are going around that being trans is more so a fetish for Moore, keeping in mind the fetish color and repeated social media posts referring to his own genitals as a girl dick.
This is a common phrase used by cross-dressers and fetishists.
While there is nothing wrong with a person safely engaging in their own sexual interests, it is highly problematic to play those fetishes out in public or near a child, end quote.
And yet, we are supposed to weep for this human trash for being misgendered at a GameStop store.
Give me a break.
This is how quickly the Orwellian-like agenda is advancing.
We must treat the pronoun people with outright reverence today.
And don't you dare even attempt to make a joke when it comes to pronouns.
Indeed, recently Twitter CEO Elon Musk sent out a tweet in which he proclaimed that his preferred pronouns are prosecute Fauci, as in Chief White House advisor Dr. Anthony Fauci.
Oh, the left had a meltdown, all right.
Check out this response from astronaut Scott Kelly.
He's the twin brother of Arizona Senator Mark Kelly.
Quote, Elon, please don't mock and promote hate toward already marginalized and at-risk of violence members of the hashtag LGBTQ plus community.
They are real people with real feelings.
Furthermore, Dr. Fauci is a dedicated public servant whose sole motivation was saving lives, end quote.
Do you think maybe astronaut Kelly is currently orbiting Uranus right now?
I mean, if he thinks that Dr. Frankenstein, or I mean, Dr. Fauci is someone who should be lauded for public service as opposed to languishing behind bars right now, well, he's got another thing coming.
But for space cadet Kelly to also liken Elon's tweet to a promotion of hatred?
Seriously?
Indeed, why should the pronoun people be off limits these days when it comes to comedy?
Hey, just ask Dave Chappelle about that.
How are they such sacred cows?
I mean, if they're all about striving for full equality, well, doesn't that sometimes mean being the punchline of a joke?
Or is that a thought crime in our not-so-brave new world?
Indeed, it used to be that sexuality, be it sexual orientation or gender expression, was something you could indeed poke fun at.
Hey, folks, you need some evidence?
Well, then check out this movie trailer from a flick going back to 1994.
It's peculiar.
Yes, and yet wondrously provocative.
A cultural event of apocalyptic significance.
It's almost as if it may disturb you.
It may even shock you.
Just leave me alone.
Oh, God, what the hell are you?
Who do you think?
Freak out!
Are you a brother or a sister?
Freak out!
Well, I'm an only child.
As God is my witness, I will uncover the mystery.
That is Pat.
Pretty creepy, huh?
Pleased to meet you.
Freak out!
Gorgeous.
Do you have a photo of you in the nude?
Yes, I do, sir.
I need some fountain napkins.
I'm in hell now.
You never know when Aunt Wilma's going to stop by for lunch.
That's a word for what you are.
Charismatic?
This summer, if you think it's a man.
Pat, I'm in a towel.
Should I be embarrassed?
Ouch!
If you're positive, it's a woman.
Oh, this is something we'll destroy.
Then there's one thing for sure.
What's Pat's laundry like?
It was, you know, bras, panties, bots, shorts, jockstraps.
It's Pat.
The movie.
Oh, Pat.
Is that a banana in your pocket?
Or are you just happy to see me?
Oh, it's a banana.
You know, could that movie script even be pitched today in Uber woke Hollyweird?
Indeed, this is the world in which we live.
And if there is something worse than banned speech, aka censorship, it is compelled speech.
So, what is the solution here?
Well, how about this?
How about brave men and brave women who aren't concerned about pronoun bullshite?
In other words, approximately 99.999999% of the planet's population.
How about we all take a stand against wokeness, cancel culture, political correctness, and, well, downright insanity.
That's what I'm doing here recording this commentary, something you would never, ever see aired on government-funded media such as CBC or CTV or global news.
Stand Against Wokeness00:04:35
First Amendment champion Elon Musk is certainly a hero in this fight to reclaim normalcy.
Responding to Scott Kelly, a guy who really puts ass into astronaut, Musk tweeted, quote, I strongly disagree.
Forcing your pronouns upon others when they didn't ask and implicitly ostracizing those who don't is neither good nor kind to anyone.
As for Fauci, he lied to Congress and funded gain of function research that killed millions of people.
Not awesome IMO, end quote.
Oh, and how refreshingly savage is that, folks, eh?
And of course, we must not forget the brilliant Dr. Jordan Peterson, who first came to prominence in 2016 when, as a University of Toronto professor, he refused to refer to transgender students by their made-up and preferred pronouns.
Speaking truth to political correctness caused the various soy boys and Karens on campus to experience a meltdown.
Yet, despite pressure from the usual suspects ranging from fellow academics to the state-sponsored stenographers toiling in the mainstream media, Dr. Peterson never waved the white flag of surrender.
And talk about the Barbara Streisand effect, thanks to the hysterical outcry by the assorted Z's and Zems and Vs and Vems and PERS and Ms. And by the way, folks, all of the aforementioned, those are indeed new age gender pronouns.
Well, Dr. Peterson has gone on to fame and fortune, penning a couple of best-selling books and being a very much in demand speaker the world over.
Success is the best revenge, wouldn't you say?
Which brings us back to Enoch Burke in Ireland.
Unfortunately, he won't be coming home for Christmas, his pronoun thought crime being judged far too egregious.
But in a way, Mr. Burke has given us all a Christmas gift.
He is, after all, standing up for truth and common sense and being true to his beliefs.
In my book, that puts Burke on the right side of history.
Figuratively speaking, when his tormentor, be it a woke educrat or an unfit judge, asks him how many fingers are on display, and the correct answer is four, not five, well, then there is zero doubt in my mind that Burke is going to answer four every time.
He is, as the saying goes, as honest as the day is long.
And if the state chooses to lock him up forever and a day, it is the state, not Burke, who is the villain in this sordid saga.
I'm not sure about you folks, but I believe that those who are mentally ill, i.e., men who inexplicably think they are women and vice versa, and then demand to be addressed with make-belief pronouns, I think they need psychiatric treatment.
I do not believe that society must conform to their psychosis so that we don't hurt the feelings of the great unhinged.
I also do not want to live in a society in which it is a criminal matter if one disobeys compelled speech.
Bottom line, when it comes to the lunatic fringe, there are far, far more normal people on the planet than those lunatics who are telling us what to do and even what to think.
We need only take a stand to reverse this odious tide.
In a nutshell, when it comes to the immoral incarceration of Enoch Burke, I think of a profound quote that is often attributed to another Irishman who bears the same surname as Enoch, namely Edmund Burke, which is to say, quote, the only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing, end quote.
Islamophobia's Enablers00:14:15
Well, folks, recently a 240-page report regarding Islamophobia in Canada was recently published.
It's by Jasmine Zine.
And you might be surprised to hear that in addition to examples of Islamophobia, she condemns those who are enablers of Islamophobia, including my dear guest here, Rahel Raza.
And I say you might be surprised to hear that because, of course, Ms. Raza is a practicing Muslim.
Well, first of all, Rahil, thank you for coming down to Rebel News headquarters.
Always appreciate your time.
This is baffling.
Somehow, you, as a practicing Muslim, you are an enabler of Islamophobia, according to Ms. Zine.
How?
Thank you, David.
Thank you so much for having me.
But before I answer your question, I want to wish all our viewers a very Merry Christmas.
Oh, goodness gracious.
That would make me an Islamophobe.
Not happy holidays, not a wishy-washy, anything else, but actually distinctly a Merry Christmas, recognizing the birth of Jesus Christ.
Now, you'll be surprised to know, David, and maybe the viewers, that as a Muslim, I'm directed by my faith to love Jesus Christ.
He is mentioned, Jesus is mentioned more times in the Quran than Prophet Muhammad.
Oh, I did not know that.
Yes.
Okay, then.
And so whether it makes me an Islamophobe or not, I really love the Christmas season and I want to wish everyone.
They call me the Merry Muslim.
Oh, geez.
Well, thank you so much for that, Rahil.
I hope nobody is triggered out there and files an Ontario Human Rights Tribunal against you for mentioning Christmas and Christ.
That's kind of third rail talk in this day and age of happy holidays and calling Christmas trees remembrance trees.
Right.
Well, I'm not at all in favor of that.
This is where the woke culture and political correctness have got us.
And as you know from a long time, I am not politically correct.
So, Islamophobia.
Yeah.
How do you know an enabler?
That's what I want to know, Rahil.
First of all, for our viewers, let me mention that the term Islamophobia does not have a clear definition.
It's very murky.
And therefore, you know, it's picked up and used by anyone.
It was actually coined.
The term Islamophobia was coined after 9-11 to stop and stifle any debate and discussion about Islam or Muslims.
I did not know it was that recently coined.
But just the term, Islamophobia.
So the people who are supporting this, the supporters and enablers and promoters of this idea, say that it is a critique of Islam.
But where is the critique of where is the Judeophobia or the Christianophobia or Hindu-phobia?
When we look at the actual statistics, let's look at the facts.
The statistics say that hate crimes have been the highest against the Jewish community.
That's correct.
The LGBTQ community, the minorities, the black community.
So, yes, there is xenophobia, bigotry, and racism against all communities.
But to single out this idea that it is just Muslims who are victims of some kind of terrible racism and bigotry all over Canada is naive, to say the least.
So is that what Ms. Zion is getting to, Rahil, when she calls you an enabler of Islamophobia for the mere fact that what you just said was the truth?
I mean, I think the number one victims of hate crimes in Canada for the last several years has been the Jewish community.
So the fact that you would just tell the truth according to the statistics that the police receive, that makes you an enabler of Islamophobia?
I'm not sure I get it.
Well, the Islamophobia industry, it's a very well-funded industry.
And those who get funded by this so-called industry, and it's huge, it's global and it has grown because it gets traction.
So they need some scapegoats, right?
Especially if they're going to get funding from the government or from anyone else, an organization, to produce a report.
They have to mention some names.
So who do they choose?
A 72-year-old grandmother who is on dialysis?
Unbelievable.
Who they choose.
So when I criticize Muslims who are behaving badly, and I will continue to do so always, and that has been something that, you know, my viewers have heard time and again.
How does that make me Islamophobic?
For the record, I have never criticized my faith, the faith of Islam.
I differentiate between Islam as a faith and Islam as a political tool.
And people, organizations like the Muslim Brotherhood and Al-Qaeda, and we've seen these are not just things that I'm conjuring up through my imagination.
We know that there has been violence, radicalization, extremism in the Muslim community.
And so when I criticize that, because I am a Muslim and I need to work from within the faith, how does that make me an Islamophobia?
How does that make me an enabler?
So in my perspective, what Professor Zain has done is slander, defamation, demonization, and she has essentially put a target on my back.
There was a report in the Toronto Star on December 10th by Shri Paradkar on Jasmine Zain's report.
You know, that how wonderful that this woman has, you know, done this fantastic report and, you know, Islamophobia is rampant in Canada.
And of course, my name was mentioned in that article.
So on a serious note, let's look back at what happened to Salman Rushdie.
Yes.
I wonder what they would call him.
You know what?
Actually, that's a great question.
What would be her assessment of Salman Rushdie?
Is he an enabler of Islamophobia because he dared to write something that in some circles of Islam is deemed uber-offensive?
I suppose so, but this is the point.
Anyone who speaks out or says anything that's outside the box or questions, which is our right as human beings to question.
See, now I have been put into the category of a dissident or an ex-Muslim.
I've never been an ex-Muslim.
I'm a proud Muslim.
I do myself.
So she doesn't even have her facts right there.
She obviously doesn't have her facts right.
But coming back to what happened to Salman Rushdie, there was a fatwa put on him.
And 20 years later, some Yahoo decided that Salman Rushdie needs to be hurt.
So he attacked him in a public forum.
And today, Salman Rushdie is seriously wounded.
That's right.
And Rahil, we spoke about this earlier this year.
To me, the most disturbing aspect of that story, and it happened in New York State, was that his would-be assassin was born after the publication of the Satanic Verses.
He wasn't even around on the planet, and yet he had been indoctrinated with propaganda that you have to kill this individual is a good thing.
So this is what happens.
You see, when the seed is sown that this person is labeled as a dissident or an ex-Muslim or an enabler of Islamophobia, per se, then some person decides that, okay, it is justified and all right for me to harm this person.
You know, this is what the blasphemy laws are all about, that this person has committed blasphemy.
But when the information is incorrect, and this is, you know, what my dilemma is: who allows someone like Ms. Zain to be the judge, jury, and the executioner?
Has she been given divine sanction by God to become the judge on whether another person is a Muslim or not?
So, hey, move over Jesus Christ.
Jasmine Zain is the new Messiah.
And you know, it should be noted, Rahil, that another prominent Canadian Muslim personality, that would be Tarek Fatah.
That was also a target of Ms. Zain, too.
Yes, he's been mentioned.
And I mean, and listen, I love Tarek.
I don't agree with everything that he says and writes, of course, but he is a champion for free speech and human rights.
Where's his connection in this case?
And most importantly, once again, he has never declared himself to be an ex-Muslim.
So, you see, that is my decision.
If I say I am a Muslim or not, it's not for anyone else to judge.
This is between me and my Creator.
I pray five times a day.
I've been for the Hajj.
I fast.
Do I have to get a certificate from Ms. Zain saying that I am a Muslim or not?
And who gives her the right?
Where is this coming from?
And I would say this, Rahil.
I think a big question here is: what is the unspoken strategy behind this report?
As we mentioned, four years in the making, 240 pages.
She's naming names and getting a lot of that wrong by the sounds of things.
So, what is the goal of this report in the first place?
Well, when I connect the dots, as I said, first of all, they need scapegoats.
You know, when you get funding, you have to produce a report.
So, let's find some scapegoats to mention in this.
You know, thank God Canada is a nation full of trees because we have the resources to print off these bureaucratic tomes.
But, anyway, go ahead, Rahil.
So, when I connect the dots, I see that the direction is coming from the ayatollahs in Ottawa.
And we go back to motion M103.
I stood in the Parliament of Canada in Ottawa and said M103 is going to make things really difficult because anyone then who wants to label another person an Islamophobe, because this is about Islamophobia, can do that at will.
And there's nobody who will stop that person from saying so.
Yeah, it was almost Orwellian that bill I found because it was like Bill M103 was all about racism is bad, but Islamophobia is especially bad.
It's kind of like all animals are created equal.
Some animals are more equal than others.
And again, that was a liberal MP that came out with that proclamation.
It was a Muslim MP who brought this forward.
And it was that time I specifically said this is going to be dangerous.
And lo and behold, this is exactly what it brings us to, that someone stands up and accuses other Muslims of being dissidents and enablers of Islamophobia.
How dare they?
Oh, and some of the people that were the most disturbed were from the Islamic community.
Another example, many years before that, as you know, Rahil member Premier McGuinty was going to bring in Sharia law for family court issues.
And I spoke to Muslims at the time that said, holy smokes, this is why we crossed the pond to get away from this nonsense.
And it's following us.
What are your?
I was among the people who lobbied against that very, very heavily.
So that makes me an Islamophobe.
I guess, according to Ms. Zion, it does.
It makes you an enabler.
Absolutely.
So, you know, this is, I mean, I follow my faith thoroughly.
You know, I don't have to give an explanation.
It's between me and my Creator.
No one is there to judge whether I'm a good Muslim or a bad Muslim or a Muslim or not.
We are talking here about human rights.
The issues that I critique, which is extremism, violence, radicalization, affect all of humanity.
They are a human rights issue.
And I will continue to speak out against them.
The reason I speak about Muslim extremism is because I am a Muslim.
You as a Christian have the right to speak about what's happening in Christianity.
The Jews need to address what's happening in Judaism.
But it's my ethical and moral responsibility when I see Muslims behaving badly to say this is not right.
This is not what the faith is accepting.
This is political.
Now, I'll give you an example.
There is terrible things happening in Iran where the regime is cruel.
They're killing people.
They're torturing them.
Now, globally, thousands of people have come out on the streets to lobby against the regime in Islam.
And these are ayatollahs who, according to the Shia faith, are the leading clergy in Iran.
Now, the people who come out are Muslims.
Are they all Islamophobes because they are speaking out against the cruelty of the regime in Iran and they want to regime change?
And this is a human rights issue.
Well, you know what, Rahil?
I mean, that's a great question to pose to Jasmine Zain, I would say.
You know, because what I noticed, you're right, there's been worldwide protests.
There have been Iranians paying with their lives for taking a courageous stance in these protests.
But I'll tell you one group that the silence is deafening, so to speak.
Where are the feminist groups when it comes to this?
Because, and I spell out feminist groups because the biggest victims and what started this snowball rolling are the women in Iran, where there's a different standard applied to them when it comes to, for example, dress codes.
Well, of course, where are the feminist groups?
But more than that, where are the Muslims?
I'd like to ask Ms. Zyne if she has addressed to her class and her students issues of anti-Semitism, issues of what is happening in Iran to the women, issues of minorities like Christians being persecuted in Muslim lands.
Silence In Deafening00:06:46
And they are.
Has she ever addressed these issues?
Muslim upon Muslim violence.
I've spoken out about that as well.
So in a way, I feel very sorry for her students because the kind of bigotry and misinformation that she is passing on to them is going to make it very difficult for them to, in the future, deal with issues that we are all faced with.
And you know, Rahil, and we're running out of time, but I wonder, did she address in her report, I would say, the most prominent and most disturbing act of Islamophobia going on in the world right now, and that is China's treatment of the Uyghur Muslims literally being put into camps, some being executed.
They are disenfranchised.
I don't see anyone speaking out about this.
The likes of the NBA, Apple, oh, it's business as usual in China, nothing to see here, folks.
I think this is appalling.
And why is it that there is a lack of outrage about true hatred, cruelty, even execution of Muslims in China?
Well, you're absolutely right.
You never hear there should have been a 250-page report on the persecution of Muslims in China and in other places, because that is an important issue.
We are talking about racism and bigotry.
Let's talk about real racism and bigotry.
And so, you know, there are isolated incidents of violence against Muslims.
It happens everywhere in the world, and we have to condemn them very strongly.
And we do.
It should not take place anywhere.
But, you know, this idea that Muslims are the only victims and they are the ones who are facing racism.
I mean, Muslims are thriving in Canada.
There are Muslims in the Canadian government.
They have businesses.
They are doing so well.
Canada is the safest place where Muslims live free lives.
Ask those who are persecuted in their own homelands.
Ask the Iranians who can't live ordinary lives.
This is a welcome and wonderful country.
But we need to understand that we just can't go about labeling and targeting specific people because we don't like what they say.
And because maybe they're speaking the truth.
Well, Rahil, I know you're not going to let this stand.
You've given me a letter that you're sending out to the media clarifying the record, and good for you, because I guess Ms. Zain is entitled to her own opinions, but she's certainly not entitled to her own facts.
And that's the biggest issue I find with her report.
It is factually flawed.
One quick thing I'll point out, and you're a journalist and you know that when you mention someone in an article or a report, you give them the respect and the benefit of the doubt by calling them and asking for their opinion.
Neither did the reporter from the Toronto Star, Ms. Paradkar, take the time, and she knows who I am.
She didn't take the time to call me and say, Rahil, your name is mentioned here.
What is your opinion?
And neither did Ms. Zain.
So what is the authenticity of someone who just labels another person, slanders them, and then sits back to watch it fall into place?
It's one of two things, Rahil.
It's either that they have a political agenda to silence you or that they're just bloody lazy.
They just can't be bothered.
Rahil, thank you so much for coming to the studio.
I greatly appreciate it.
And Merry Christmas to you.
Well, and as to you, or actually, what are you celebrating around this?
Merry Christmas.
Okay, then.
I don't want to offend anyone.
And I'll tell you, Ms. Zion, if you happen to be watching this, really get your facts straight.
The likes of Rahil Raza, the likes of Tarek Fatah, Salman Rushdie, these aren't the problems.
These aren't enablers of Islamophobia.
Rather, these are the voices of reason.
You should realize that.
Folks, keep it here.
More of the Ezra Levin show to come right after this.
Well, folks, a ton of feedback about my monologue yesterday on the Ezra Levin show regarding that crackpot study from Sunnybrook, which suggested that if you did not get your COVID-19 vaccination shots, well, then you're probably a very bad driver too.
No, I swear that's what it said.
In any event, let's get to some of your feedback.
Les Blataniak writes, how about a study of all the outpatient services denied that destroyed people's well-being or how many more health bureaucrats were hired during COVID?
Yeah, no, really, I would love to see a study on that.
Of course, that study is not going to happen.
And you know, my friend, that going into this study, i.e., the unvaxed are bad car drivers, that was the premise to begin with.
And they cooked up a bunch of data and pseudo facts to prove their premise.
That ain't science.
That ain't even weird science.
That's just outrageous propaganda.
Aya Pamphle writes, there are already studies coming out that show a link between psychosis and the jab.
How this helps improve your driving is beyond me.
Perhaps the doctor is already jabbed and falsifying data without any conscience.
Well, I don't know about that.
My big concern is what if, well, you know, the insurance industry falls back on that study.
So you get a call in the future and, oh, hello, Mr. Jones.
We noticed that you're not vaccinated.
So sorry, we're going to have to increase your premium by 10%.
You understand, according to studies, you're a bad driver because of your vaccination choices.
Give me a break.
Scapegoat writes, there's a difference between getting involved in an accident and being the one at fault for an accident.
Wonder if that fact was part of the study.
That, my friend, is an excellent question.
Of course, let's not let the facts interfere with a good premise when it comes to the ongoing vilification and demonization of the unvaccinated.
How shameful.
Physician, heal thyself.
Well, folks, that wraps up tonight's edition of the Ezra Levent Show.
Thanks so much for watching.
Hey, the big boss man, Ezra, he'll be back in this chair come Monday.