Ezra Levant
👤 PersonAppearances Over Time
Podcast Appearances
The asymmetry. There were more than a dozen bureaucrats and lawyers for the Alberta Human Rights Commission coming for me. And the complainant, this radical imam, didn't have to pay a cent. And his complaint was so laughable, he cited as legal basis, he was citing passages from the Quran. He said he personally was a descendant of Muhammad and I had offended him.
The asymmetry. There were more than a dozen bureaucrats and lawyers for the Alberta Human Rights Commission coming for me. And the complainant, this radical imam, didn't have to pay a cent. And his complaint was so laughable, he cited as legal basis, he was citing passages from the Quran. He said he personally was a descendant of Muhammad and I had offended him.
The asymmetry. There were more than a dozen bureaucrats and lawyers for the Alberta Human Rights Commission coming for me. And the complainant, this radical imam, didn't have to pay a cent. And his complaint was so laughable, he cited as legal basis, he was citing passages from the Quran. He said he personally was a descendant of Muhammad and I had offended him.
And I thought, oh, for sure this is going to be thrown out. No, it was not. A dozen people, I mean, human rights is the middle name of the Alberta Human Rights Commission. They were anything but. I would have been flattened. I would have been flattened. But the internet saved me. Blogging was a thing back then. And PayPal was new. So that's how I funded my lawyer.
And I thought, oh, for sure this is going to be thrown out. No, it was not. A dozen people, I mean, human rights is the middle name of the Alberta Human Rights Commission. They were anything but. I would have been flattened. I would have been flattened. But the internet saved me. Blogging was a thing back then. And PayPal was new. So that's how I funded my lawyer.
And I thought, oh, for sure this is going to be thrown out. No, it was not. A dozen people, I mean, human rights is the middle name of the Alberta Human Rights Commission. They were anything but. I would have been flattened. I would have been flattened. But the internet saved me. Blogging was a thing back then. And PayPal was new. So that's how I funded my lawyer.
The Western Standard Magazine came to an end, as all magazines sort of did around then. So I didn't have the dough to fight this. Do you know what it cost you? You know what? It was close to $100,000. And that's in 2008.
The Western Standard Magazine came to an end, as all magazines sort of did around then. So I didn't have the dough to fight this. Do you know what it cost you? You know what? It was close to $100,000. And that's in 2008.
The Western Standard Magazine came to an end, as all magazines sort of did around then. So I didn't have the dough to fight this. Do you know what it cost you? You know what? It was close to $100,000. And that's in 2008.
It was fascinating to deal with them. They are so used to making deals with rational business people who say, there's no way I'm going to win here. Just pay it out and get it over. They offered me, they said, if you pay that imam, I think it was like eight grand, and give him a page in the magazine to write whatever he wants, we'll let you go. And they assumed I would take it.
It was fascinating to deal with them. They are so used to making deals with rational business people who say, there's no way I'm going to win here. Just pay it out and get it over. They offered me, they said, if you pay that imam, I think it was like eight grand, and give him a page in the magazine to write whatever he wants, we'll let you go. And they assumed I would take it.
It was fascinating to deal with them. They are so used to making deals with rational business people who say, there's no way I'm going to win here. Just pay it out and get it over. They offered me, they said, if you pay that imam, I think it was like eight grand, and give him a page in the magazine to write whatever he wants, we'll let you go. And they assumed I would take it.
And any rational decision maker would have taken that deal. Instead of fighting, you're not going to win. Look at the law. It depends on what you mean by win. Well, that's right. And we can talk a little bit more about my friend Tommy Robinson and how, in a way, he is irrational, too, if the idea is to save yourself. Like, he was in court in the UK.
And any rational decision maker would have taken that deal. Instead of fighting, you're not going to win. Look at the law. It depends on what you mean by win. Well, that's right. And we can talk a little bit more about my friend Tommy Robinson and how, in a way, he is irrational, too, if the idea is to save yourself. Like, he was in court in the UK.
And any rational decision maker would have taken that deal. Instead of fighting, you're not going to win. Look at the law. It depends on what you mean by win. Well, that's right. And we can talk a little bit more about my friend Tommy Robinson and how, in a way, he is irrational, too, if the idea is to save yourself. Like, he was in court in the UK.
I sat there and I watched the judge say to him, will you take down that video? Shortly after you interviewed him, he put up a video on Twitter. A judge said, don't do it. Don't do it. He did it. He was brought before the judge. I'm switching gears now. And he was in the dock. And the judge said, I'm going to give you the maximum sentence.
I sat there and I watched the judge say to him, will you take down that video? Shortly after you interviewed him, he put up a video on Twitter. A judge said, don't do it. Don't do it. He did it. He was brought before the judge. I'm switching gears now. And he was in the dock. And the judge said, I'm going to give you the maximum sentence.
I sat there and I watched the judge say to him, will you take down that video? Shortly after you interviewed him, he put up a video on Twitter. A judge said, don't do it. Don't do it. He did it. He was brought before the judge. I'm switching gears now. And he was in the dock. And the judge said, I'm going to give you the maximum sentence.
million times, the judge said, you take it down now, I'm going to lop months of... Silenced? That's right. And Tommy wouldn't bend the knee.
million times, the judge said, you take it down now, I'm going to lop months of... Silenced? That's right. And Tommy wouldn't bend the knee.