Tuesday, June 24, 2014

If Mohamed Fahmy was in an Iranian jail, would John Baird be "working behind the scenes", or would he reach for his bullhorn?

Foreign Minister John Baird's cowardly claim that Canada is "working behind the scenes" for the release of Mohamed Fahmy, as quoted in the National Post today, belies the truth behind Canada's efforts on behalf of citizens who run afoul of the law in foreign countries.

Can anyone have any doubt that Baird's bullhorn would be going off at full volume were Fahmy incarcerated in Iran or Russia? The denunciations and condemnations would be flying loudly and often. No "working behind the scenes" nonsense from Baird when he's got a quibble with those empires of evil.

But when al-Sisi overthrows a democratically elected government we applaud him for returning hope to the people of Egypt.

When he wins an election in which the main opposition party is banned from participating, we congratulate him on his triumph.

When hundreds of leaders in that opposition are sentenced to death in show trials, we say nothing...

Or is Baird "working behind the scenes" for them too?

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