We must stop the Silencing of Conservative Authors

Ronald Reagan said “Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction.”

How many Conservative publishing houses exist? Look around you. In Canada we have ONE courageous enough to fight against the main stream-like salmon going up river. Mantua: Illuminating the world of ideas, is the only home for Conservative thinkers and authors and it is made possible by the vision and work of one man, Howard Rotberg. Mr. Rotberg is a land developer providing affordable rental housing for low income working people and also saves heritage buildings. When he realized that there were no publishing houses accepting Conservative (classically liberal) thinkers, he started one 15 years ago.

He says he founded the company to disseminate important ideas meant to save the West, Israel and the Jewish people from ideological and physical assault perpetrated by the many international dictators, terrorists and propagandists in league with fundamentalist Islam. I refer to these people as part of the #IslamophobiaIndustry.

Today, Mantua, represents 14 authors: men and women, white and brown, Christian, Muslim and Jewish, who write about ideologies and values in contemporary political culture. The authors are experts in their field, and are professors, journalists. I am pleased to be one of his authors.

Despite the diversity of the authors, Mantua was prevented from participating in the Festival of Literary Diversity, in Brampton, Ontario, just outside Toronto, the most diverse city in the world.

The mission of the Festival of Literary Diversity:

To celebrate diversity in literature by promoting authors from marginalized communities in a unique and culturally diverse city.

To present a diverse range of stories (1) that are underrepresented in literary settings, (2) that reflect variations in geography, ethnicity, race, culture, gender, ability, sexual orientation, and religion, (3) employ different methods of story-telling.

To bring established and emerging writers, educators, and literary professionals together with readers from all walks of life to celebrate and expand Canada’s body of diverse literature.

He was told:

“We also do not support the views of people and movements who disenfranchise marginalized groups, but we cannot approach this from a perspective of viewing other cultures as inferior to Western democracies, regardless of whether we agree with their practices or not. As such, we celebrate the rights, complexities and humanity inherent in all cultures, understand that growth comes from meeting one another on common ground, and seek to elevate discussions where cross-cultural dialogues are respectful, mindful, and encourage us all to learn.”

This is moral and cultural relativism that makes it possible for a conversation to take place that equates ISIS with western culture or makes it possible to promote the Hindu Caste system that dehumanizes the Dalit– because we must be respectful of that culture.

As Mr. Rotberg responded:

“The fact that you cannot bring yourself to state the obvious – that some cultures like that of Nazi Germany or of ISIS – are culturally inferior, tells me, the son of a Holocaust survivor, that the effect of your sincere efforts is to dignify cultures that abuse women and gays and religious minorities; surely you would be hard-pressed to make the argument, say, to Yezedi women, victims of the evil culture of Syria which includes a culture of rape.”

But this Festival was not the only organization to refuse to air Conservative authors and their views. The venerable tax-payer supported CBC, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, turned down his documentary on Conservative authors.

The response to the request came from Kate Frendo-Cumbo who wrote that the documentary “does not meet current programming needs.”

Interesting as the CBC mandate states the programming provided by the Corporation should:

~be predominantly and distinctively Canadian, reflect Canada and its regions to national and regional audiences, while serving the special needs of those regions, ~actively contribute to the flow and exchange of cultural expression,

~be in English and in French, reflecting the different needs and circumstances of each official language community, including the particular needs and circumstances of English and French linguistic minorities,

~strive to be of equivalent quality in English and French, ~contribute to shared national consciousness and identity, ~be made available throughout Canada by the most appropriate and efficient means and as resources become available for the purpose, and

~reflect the multicultural and multiracial nature of Canada.

Ronald Reagan said “Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction.” These wise words are truer, today, than ever before. We are the free men and women of the West.

And we are giving up that freedom by succumbing to the idea that all cultures are equal and that we therefore must respect them. All cultures are not equal. But the most difficult culture to protect is one based on freedom that is now called upon to promote unfettered tolerance, inclusion, accommodation and diversity. .

Sadly it takes great courage, today, to speak with a different voice, a conservative voice. Whoever thought that the West would come to this?

Conservative publishing houses need to be applauded, all over the world.

From the Ethics of the Fathers: “Rabbi Tarfon used to say, it is not incumbent upon you to complete the task, but you are not exempt from undertaking it.”