Pubdate: Thu, 01 Sep 2005
Source: Ottawa Citizen (CN ON)
4a4b-9759-f079b7acd8ac
Copyright: 2005 The Ottawa Citizen
Contact:  http://www.canada.com/ottawa/ottawacitizen/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/326
Author: Zev Singer
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?196 (Emery, Marc)

'PRINCE OF POT' SAYS SORRY FOR CALLING COTLER A 'NAZI-JEW'

British Columbia marijuana crusader Marc Emery apologized yesterday for
referring to federal Justice Minister Irwin Cotler as a "Nazi."

Mr. Emery, the 47-year-old "Prince of Pot" who faces potential extradition
to the U.S. for selling marijuana seeds, has compared the persecution of
people involved in marijuana cultivation to that experienced by Jews under
the Nazi regime.

"I feel ashamed when my Jewish friends tell me they are ill at ease by my
using the terms Nazi or Holocaust when referring to this issue or incident,"
Mr. Emery, who once wrote a biography of a Holocaust survivor, wrote
yesterday on his web site, cannabis.com.

It was in the "jail blog" that he wrote from a Saskatoon cell last summer
that he called Mr. Cotler a "Nazi-Jew." In an interview last week, he
reiterated that he thought Mr. Cotler was acting like a Nazi, although he
explained that his use of the term "Nazi-Jew" was reflective of the high
regard he has for Jews and his expectation that they, after enduring
persecution, would have sympathy for what he calls the systematic
persecution of marijuana smokers.

Yesterday, he wrote that his view has now been turned around and he believes
the Nazi vocabulary is not appropriate.

"I apologize to the Honourable Minister, Mr. Cotler," he wrote, adding "I'm
going to stop using the term Nazi or Holocaust in any future discussions in
print or interview because it does really offend some people, and making new
enemies or offending ordinary, thoughtful Canadians is not useful to anyone
or any legitimate ideas."

Yet, later in the day, Mr. Emery posted another comment on his website
comparing the experiences of Jews and "marijuana people."

"In Germany ... it eventually became a job requirement and career booster to
murder Jewish people. Now its becoming a job requirement and career booster
here in Canada and the U.S.A. to abuse and jail marijuana people, with new
laws coming all the time; just following orders."

In a telephone interview, he explained "I'm not saying ours is a holocaust
like their Holocaust. I'm saying that specific instance is a parallel.
Because there are parallels."

B'nai Brith legal counsel David Matas said last week that despite Mr.
Emery's "totally inappropriate" and "wildly over the top" language, he did
not believe Mr. Emery was an anti-Semite.

"I don't think this guy is in that business," Mr. Matas said.
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MAP posted-by: Josh