Pubdate: Sat, 27 Aug 2005
Source: Windsor Star (CN ON)
Copyright: The Windsor Star 2005
Contact:  http://www.canada.com/windsor/windsorstar/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/501
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/pot.htm (Cannabis)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?196 (Emery, Marc)

NAZI RHETORIC HAUNTS ACTIVIST

Even Supporters Of 'Prince Of Pot' Disturbed By Content Of Websites

OTTAWA (CNS) -- Marijuana crusader Marc Emery has unexpectedly found 
himself under fire this week as web-loggers scrutinize the content of his 
websites, including a posting from his "jail blog" last summer in which he 
called federal Justice Minister Irwin Cotler a "Nazi-Jew."

With the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration after him, the case of Emery, 
British Columbia's "Prince of Pot," has become a cause celebre. Since his 
arrest a month ago, he has been facing possible extradition to the United 
States for selling marijuana seeds to American customers.

Supporters of Emery, who calls himself "the leader of the marijuana people 
around the world," include federal NDP Leader Jack Layton, who has argued 
against the extradition.

Emery, 47, was serving a three-month sentence in Saskatoon last summer for 
passing a joint at a pot rally when he wrote the "jail blog," which he 
dictated to associates over the phone, who then posted it on the Internet.

In it, he complained that Cotler went from being a human rights advocate to 
a justice minister who, as attorney general, allows for the prosecution of 
cannabis users.

"I thought the term Jewish-Nazi, or Nazi-Jew, was an oxymoron until Cotler 
became the Injustice Minister," Emery's posting said. "What a disgrace he 
is to his Jewish roots. He should -- so much -- know better."

In June, the content on his main website -- cannabisculture.com, which he 
edits, publishes and uses to help sell millions of dollars worth of 
marijuana seeds -- prompted NDP House leader Libby Davies to write to one 
of Emery's employees, Chris Bennett.

"I have been extremely disturbed by the tone and characterization of the 
minister of Justice, Mr. Cotler, as a Nazi Jew and the Gestapo," wrote 
Davies, who has tried to help one of Emery's associates, Renee Boje, who 
also faces potential extradition to the U.S.

"I have been advocating for Renee against the extradition and will continue 
to do so, but find the anti-Semitic characterization of Mr. Cotler based on 
his religious beliefs to be very offensive and completely counterproductive."

Four days after Davies' letter was posted to the site by Bennett, Emery -- 
temporarily taking a view that the Nazi metaphor "disengages almost 
everyone" -- said he had a better word for Cotler: "capo."

"If you're going to make comparisons," he advised, "the term for Irwin 
Cotler might be 'capo.' These were the Jews during the Holocaust who were 
fated to deliver their fellow Jews to their death..."

In this case, Cotler would deliver his fellow Canadians to his American 
"masters," Emery's posting explained.

Earlier this month, a doctored picture of Cotler in a Nazi uniform, with a 
caption calling him a "neocon-kapo," was removed by one of the site's 
administrators after it had been posted by one of the regular participants 
of the site's discussion groups. Several weblogs, including 
smalldeadanimals.com, later began to draw attention to that posting and to 
Emery's "capo" comment.

On Monday, the same regular member on the cannabisculture website posted a 
cartoon which depicted an Israeli soldier shooting a Palestinian in the 
back. An Orthodox Jew with an exaggeratedly large nose then says to the 
soldier "Hush ...We Don't Want to Wake Him Up" while gesturing toward a 
large, dozing, globe-headed figure labelled "world opinion."

A man in a kaffiyeh, checking the pulse of the sleeping figure says "Wake 
Him Up? He's Dead..."

When Emery, who is out on bail, was asked by the Ottawa Citizen about this 
cartoon in an interview on Tuesday, he said that while he didn't endorse 
it, it was "probably legitimate political commentary."

On Wednesday, Emery changed his view, posting a statement above the cartoon 
saying: "This illustration is offensive to our Jewish friends and cannot 
possibly help our cause ... "

An administrator banned the person who posted the cartoon from the site.

Emery said when he originally used the term "Nazi-Jew" he was in a very 
emotional state.

"When you're in jail, you can be seized by despair," he said.

Yet, he said that while he did not wish to be "insulting" to Cotler, 
ultimately he believes the Nazi metaphor is fair.

"To me a Nazi is a person who would inflict pain, punishment, incarceration 
or death on anyone who's acting peacefully and honestly," he said. Cotler, 
he said, fits into the category.

Cotler declined to be interviewed for this story.

A spokesperson said because Emery is facing possible extradition, Cotler 
does not want to risk prejudicing the case.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom