EvanL
06-09-2004, 02:45 PM
EDMONTON - An NDP candidate in Edmonton is facing allegations of anti-Semitism for comments he posted on the internet 10 years ago.
Malcolm Azania
At the time, Malcolm Azania was part of an e-mail debate about whether Jews were friends or enemies of black people.
The internet post said that European Jews – because of their skin colour – were part of the white supremacy, just as men would be part of a male supremacy because of their ***.
"The question on this discussion group was about white folks and Jewish people and whether or not they're part of white privilege," said Azania, a New Democrat candidate in the riding of Edmonton-Strathcona.
"And the term that was used at the time, that was the buzz phrase, was 'white supremacy.'"
Azania has since said those remarks were wrong and he has apologized.
"The internet is the most efficient technology in the universe to make a jackass out of yourself," he said.
Azania went further on his website, saying the remarks were "completely incorrect, over-generalizing, insensitive and hurtful" and that he was "horrified" he wrote those comments.
But his political rivals are still questioning his character.
"It sounds anti-Semitic to me," said Liberal candidate Debby Carlson. "It certainly sounds plain wrong.
"I think that's a very dangerous road to go down in these troubled times. And I guess the people of Edmonton-Strathcona will decide whether or not it merits attention," she said.
Conservative party candidate Rahim Jaffer said "that sort of language, that sort of tone, is not something that I think Canadians want to see in people that hold public office."
The Jewish organization B'nai Brith would not go so far as to call the comments anti-Semitic. However, it did say the remarks were unfortunate and inconsistent with a multicultural Canada.
Written by CBC News Online staff
Malcolm Azania
At the time, Malcolm Azania was part of an e-mail debate about whether Jews were friends or enemies of black people.
The internet post said that European Jews – because of their skin colour – were part of the white supremacy, just as men would be part of a male supremacy because of their ***.
"The question on this discussion group was about white folks and Jewish people and whether or not they're part of white privilege," said Azania, a New Democrat candidate in the riding of Edmonton-Strathcona.
"And the term that was used at the time, that was the buzz phrase, was 'white supremacy.'"
Azania has since said those remarks were wrong and he has apologized.
"The internet is the most efficient technology in the universe to make a jackass out of yourself," he said.
Azania went further on his website, saying the remarks were "completely incorrect, over-generalizing, insensitive and hurtful" and that he was "horrified" he wrote those comments.
But his political rivals are still questioning his character.
"It sounds anti-Semitic to me," said Liberal candidate Debby Carlson. "It certainly sounds plain wrong.
"I think that's a very dangerous road to go down in these troubled times. And I guess the people of Edmonton-Strathcona will decide whether or not it merits attention," she said.
Conservative party candidate Rahim Jaffer said "that sort of language, that sort of tone, is not something that I think Canadians want to see in people that hold public office."
The Jewish organization B'nai Brith would not go so far as to call the comments anti-Semitic. However, it did say the remarks were unfortunate and inconsistent with a multicultural Canada.
Written by CBC News Online staff