See the Wiesenthalers pulling the strings below.
- Hannover
March, 2003
The Honourable Martin Cauchon
Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada
284 Wellington Street
Ottawa, ON
K1A 0H8
The Honourable Denis Coderre, P.C., M.P.
Citizenship and Immigration Canada
K1A 1L1
Dear Ministers;
On February 20, 2003 I sent you a letter in which I emphasized that
Mr. Zundel not be given the opportunity to cause racial discord in
Canada.
However, before he could be sent out of Canada, Mr. Zundel was able
to file an application, seeking asylum from German justice. This was
most unfortunate, as we all know the legal manoeuvring which could
result in a protracted stay in Canada by Mr. Zundel.
Even the attempt to have him declared a security risk carries with it
the possibility of lengthy court battles.
Each of these options; whether it be an asylum hearing or a security
enquiry, increases the likelihood of him arguing that his "political
/ social" views and freedom of expression are being stunted. Media
coverage will be intense and will give Mr. Zundel a golden
opportunity to further expound his beliefs, thereby allowing him to
commit the very effrontery that Canada and Germany are hoping to
prevent.
With that in mind, I wrote to the German Ambassador to Canada (see
attached letter), suggesting that Germany suspend any legal action
against Mr. Zundel for his past misdeeds. The end result is that
there would be no legal basis for a refugee / asylum hearing and no
necessity for a national security court case. Indeed, he wouldn't
even qualify to stay in Canada upon humanitarian grounds.
Mr. Zundel, being otherwise ineligible to enter Canada, could easily
then be expelled to wherever he would be legally admitted, whether
that be Germany or elsewhere.
After writing to the German Ambassador, I was able to secure a
meeting with a top official in the Embassy. I was advised that our
proposal had already been sent to the proper authorities in Berlin.
Furthermore, after discussing the matter at length and explaining the
reasoning behind it, I was assured that this would be given serious
consideration. As well, it was believed that a similar request from
Canada would give this suggestion much-needed impetus.
Mr. Ministers, the last thing that anybody (except Mr. Zundel) wants
is a protracted, media-hyped series of court appearances which serve
to publicize Mr. Zundel. Neither Canada nor Germany ought to squander
precious resources on Mr. Zundel. I believe that the same result (the
expulsion of Mr. Zundel from Canada) can be achieved in the manner I
suggested in my letter to the German Ambassador.
As I pointed out, the sweetest justice would be to show Mr. Zundel a
form of mercy that leaves his future in his hands, rather than
allowing him to become a self-styled martyr for his cause.
I look forward to hearing from you as soon as possible. Delay only
plays into Mr. Zundel's hands.
Yours truly,
Leo Adler
Director of National Affairs
Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center for Holocaust Studies
=====
February 26, 2003
His Excellency, Dr. Christian Pauls,
Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany to Canada,
1 Waverley Street,
Ottawa, Ontario
K2P 0T8
Dear Mr. Ambassador;
I am certain that the name Ernst Zundel is quite familiar to you.
I am equally certain that you are aware of Mr. Zundel s claim that he
ought to be granted asylum in Canada because of (now quite old)
allegations that are outstanding against him in Germany.
Needless to say, Mr. Zundel s arguments are patently specious and we
are confident that they will be shown to be so at any refugee or
asylum hearing that he may have before Canada's Tribunals.
That, though, is precisely the problem.
Mr. Zundel aims to use our judicial system to thwart Germany s
judicial system. The fact that (we believe) he will ultimately fail
does not, however, solve this quandary.
The issue, as we see it, is, how do we prevent Mr. Zundel from
abusing our courts and how can we stop him from using them as a
platform to spew his philosophy and thereby attract even more
attention to him and his cause?
The answer, I believe, rests within your nation's grasp.
If Germany were to announce that they would suspend any legal
prosecutions or actions that Mr. Zundel currently faces for his past
activities, then there would be no foundation for his claim for
asylum and he would be obliged to go to Germany.
Mr. Ambassador, Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center for Holocaust
Studies and all Canadians have a deep regard for Germany s legal
system. But we also believe that German justice has the ability to be
not only just and compassionate, but also innovative and inventive.
Therefore, while Germany s decision would open the way for Mr. Zundel
s return to Germany, we are confident that your country can easily
enforce your laws, if need be. Once there, as long as Mr. Zundel
obeys the law, he would remain a free man. If he chooses to break the
law then, of course, like anyone else, he could be prosecuted for
what he now does. Thus, Mr. Zundel would be completely responsible
for whatever happens to him in the future.
We are asking you to forward this letter to the Federal Minister of
Justice. Her quick announcement that Germany will not prosecute Mr.
Zundel for past misdeeds will succeed in simultaneously depriving Mr.
Zundel of an opportunity to exploit the present situation, while
highlighting the ingenuity and flexibility of Germany s justice
system.
Mr. Ambassador, I will call you shortly to discuss this matter
further. I also look forward to the opportunity to meet with you in
order to assure you that our 40,000 members believe that the sweetest
justice would be to show Mr. Zundel a form of mercy that leaves his
future in his hands, rather than allowing him to become a self-styled
martyr for his cause.
Yours truly,
Leo Adler
Director of National Affairs
Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center for Holocaust Studies
====
(Source: http://www.wiesenthal.com/social/press/ ... m?petid=61)
