Iranium the Movie
Library forced to show anti-Iran film
20 Jan 2011, 2:23 pm
Toronto Sun – -
By LAURA PAYTON, PARLIAMENTARY BUREAU
January 19, 2011
January 19, 2011
OTTAWA – The heritage minister is slamming Library and Archives Canada for caving to pressure by the Iranian embassy to cancel a film screening, saying it’s ridiculous and inappropriate they let the regime dictate what Canadians can watch.
“This is one of those moments where we need to stand up and be very clear that we believe in free speech,” James Moore said the day after the institution called off the event.
“We’re not going to tolerate people who threaten violence and those who want to censure other people for showing a movie that we don’t like.”
The Free Thinking Film Society had rented the theatre at Library and Archives, near Parliament Hill, to screen a documentary called “Iranium.”
But after the Iranian Embassy complained, the library tried to cancel a day before the screening.
The society complained to Moore’s office and he intervened Monday evening.
The screening was back on until the library cancelled again, citing fear of protests, just hours before the film was due to start on Tuesday night.
The library also called in police and a hazardous materials team to investigate suspicious letters, which were later found not to be dangerous.
Free Thinking Film Society head Fred Litwin describes the film as an attack on Iran’s policies, including “their quest for nuclear weapons and … their funding of Hezbollah and Hamas and some of the terror-related things that emanate from the Iranian government.”
He says he wants it to be screened at the library “as soon as possible” and is looking at dates with them.
Moore says the library will show the movie, with whatever security is required, at a date convenient for the event’s organizers. A news release from the library said the new date would be some time in February.
Moore says he hasn’t seen the film, but it’s a free speech issue for him so he’s encouraging people to go see it.
Tory MP Pierre Poilievre has also reserved a room on Parliament Hill in case the library viewing can’t go ahead.
A spokeswoman for the embassy, who refused to give her name, said in an e-mail Tuesday that the film “is not a balanced exercise and gives a one-sided, distorted picture of the raised issues.”
This article was originally published here.
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