Sikh organisation sues Canadian broadcaster

[Jacaylbaro]

hadhwanaag 2007-08-26 (Hadhwanaagnews) A Sikh organisation has filed a $110 million lawsuit against the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) for allegedly linking it to terrorism or mistaking to Arabs and damaging the reputation of the Sikh community.

 

The lawsuit filed by the World Sikh Organisation (WSO) on Tuesday also named CBC reporter Terry Milewski and Legislator Ujjal Dosanjh for comments they made in the June 28, 2007 documentary titled Samosa Politics that was aired on television.

 

The organisation alleged that the documentary contained several factual misrepresentations, The Star reported.

 

"It is the WSO's view that the CBC documentary contained significant and numerous factual misrepresentations," said Gian Singh Sandhu, a policy advisor with the group's Canadian body.

 

"The WSO's lawsuit for defamation, libel and slander arises from the airing of the documentary," he added.

 

WSO, founded in 1984, works with a number of Sikh societies and organisations that represent Canada's entire Sikh community of about 400,000.

 

Sandhu said the CBC's attempt to link the WSO to violence and extremism is dishonest and highly offensive.

 

"I was totally awed, shocked and flabbergasted when I saw the documentary. Nor was the organisation ever contacted to comment for the documentary," he added.

 

"They should have had the courtesy of calling."

 

Meanwhile, Jeff Keay, a spokesman for CBC, said the public broadcaster was unaware of the lawsuit and was standing behind its story.

 

"If and when we receive a lawsuit from the WSO, we'll give it appropriate consideration," Keay said. "Beyond that, we have no further comment at this time."

 

 

Hindu Times

[Ariadne]

I remember the documentary I watched it before I chucked my t.v. ( they have nothing to do with one another btw)

Here's what I remember:

 

In the documentary they talked about the Sikh parades in Vancouver and Surrey. The one in Vancouver was fine but the one is Surrey had the pictures of "Sikh Martyrs" on a float and one of them was the man behind the Air India attacks.

They had free Khalistan banners everywhere. And teenagers were wearing the Khalsa Khan logos on their jackets ( Sikh ist Organization).

But the biggest faux pas came from the members of parliamnet that were present. The B.C Premier and the Richmond MP as well as the Leader of the opposition Stephane Dion. Their presence there was what baffaled a lot of politcial anaylists.

 

They touched on this Political Cartoon that showed Indira Ghandi being shot down by two Sikh men. When they interviewed the man who drew it he said "it was all just fun."

 

They interviewed other Inidans from Punjub province that were Sikh and Hindu and asked them about the Khalistan and how they felt about free Khalistan banners in Surrey and Members of Parliament showing their support unknowingly.

 

One of them said to the effect of

when courting the vote of a group of people you must be very carefull who you allign yourself with."

 

I thought it was a good documentary...and I didn't feel like they were branding Sikhs as ists, just the Khalistan separtists and their spin off groups.

 

[ August 27, 2007, 02:28 PM: Message edited by: Ariadne ]