HANNAFORD: Was it the Western Standard's video that was a terrorist entity's undoing?

That the Government of Canada has declared the Samidoun organization a terrorist entity is welcome news. But one has to ask, what took them so long? And how did they pluck up the courage to do it?After all, it wasn’t exactly a secret that Vancouver-based Samidoun is an international fundraiser for the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine. Along with a plethora of fist-raised anger articles, they’ve had it on their website for at least three years and as we pointed out on Monday, the PLF itself has been designated as a terrorist entity in Canada since 2003.Terrorist, fundraiser for terrorists, same thing really. Only a quibbler would quibble.Or a Liberal. It is hard to escape the conclusion that the Trudeau Liberals have until now had no wish to antagonize what they treat as a significant Muslim voting bloc. For example, while the Trudeau government doubtless regards the past year’s vicious antisemitic street demonstrations as regrettable, they have done little to condemn them and less yet to restrain them. Such condemnation as they have uttered springs from fear of boat-rocking I suspect, rather than the conviction that it really is unspeakably evil for violent mobs to trespass on Jewish-owned property and harass Jewish-looking people as they go about their business. And, when the Liberals finally took action, they did so with it an air of regret, as though they were pushed into it... The Government of Canada statement in which Samidoun was officially listed, speaks of “acting in concert with the US Treasury Deparment.”Ah there it is, the alibi. “Sorry, the Yanks made us do it. Uncle Sam. No choice, you see.”It was weak and cowardly and about eight days late. What Canadians needed instead from our government was a fierce and patriotic response, something like, "There's going to be hell to pay. Nobody gets to run around Vancouver burning the flag and chanting 'death to Canada.' The police are on it and when we get our hands on them, anybody we can deport, we'll deport. The rest are going to wish they were going with them."No government talks like that of course. But that's the spirit that needs to animate their words.As for the voting bloc they're afraid of losing, the Liberals seem to forget that not every Canadian Muslim supports terrorism in general, or Hamas/Hezbollah in particular. Many came here to get away from that sort of thing. Not to put too fine a point on it then, as much as the Jews of Toronto have a legitimate claim on the government's protection, so do Canadian Muslims who are committed to this country and the hope-filled vision that drew them here. As Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc's staff said in an official statement, "Violent extremism, acts of terrorism or terrorist financing have no place in Canadian society or abroad. The listing of Samidoun as a terrorist entity under the Criminal Code sends a strong message that Canada will not tolerate this type of activity, and will do everything in its power to counter the ongoing threat to Canada's national security and all people in Canada."Brave words, and the opposition takes credit for wringing them out of a reluctant government.But here's the thing. How did this come to their attention?I have checked the news feeds. The first reports and the only pictures of these events came from a Western Standard reporter who enterprisingly (and not without some personal risk) got up close and started running his camera. The video evidence of Jarryd Jäeger may be examined here. And so far as we know, that's all there is from any news source. That is to say, not taking a cheap shot or anything, but if the CBC uses Western Standard video footage, it's likely that there was no other available. And frankly, given the national importance of the event and the consequences we now see — the banning of Samidoun — we're happy to be of assistance to the CBC. (And to the National Post and a dozen other outlets that picked up our story, from one of which the thought leaders in Ottawa discovered what was going on in Vancouver.)So, a golden attaboy to Western Standard Vancouver reporter Jarryd Jäeger. It's not the first time that good reporting has led to prompt, effective actions out of government. Dedicated as we are to the public good, we don't intend it to be the last.

HANNAFORD: Was it the Western Standard's video that was a terrorist entity's undoing?

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