How much freedom are you willing to give up?

Centre refuses to host Steyn lecture on free speech

Organizers of an upcoming talk by conservative writer Mark Steyn planned for London, Ont., say they were muzzled by a local city-owned convention centre.

A trio of bloggers who run the site StrictlyRight.com inquired on Monday about booking a Nov. 1 speech for Mr. Steyn at the London Convention Centre. The group announced on Thursday that it had received a phone call from the centre saying it would not be allowed to make the booking. The Convention Centre said it was a business decision, but organizers of the speech said they were told otherwise.

"The reason offered by the LCC [in a Tuesday morning phone call] was that they had received pressure from local Islamic groups, and they didn't want to alienate their Muslim clients. It's interesting to note that the LCC is owned by the City of London, and is therefore a government operation," wrote Strictly Right's Andrew Lawton at the website.

Ironically, Mr. Lawton said, Mr. Steyn's talk will explore his familiar themes of Muslims and free speech. London Convention Centre general manager Lori Da Silva said denying next month's Mark Steyn speech was a "business decision" in part due to concerns for security, and fairness for the centre's other clients who might not enjoy a "rowdy" crowd at the same time. Asked if the content of Mr. Steyn's work had anything to do with the Convention Centre's decision, general manager replied, "No, we're looking at the security risk."

Speaking with The London Free Press, Ms. Da Silva implied the Convention Centre did factor Mr. Steyn's potential to create controversy into its denial of a booking. "We read the article in The London Free Press about who the speaker was ... and we thought that perhaps this event was more high-risk than we originally thought," she was quoted as saying.

In 2007, the Canadian Islamic Congress filed complaints about articles about Muslims by Mr. Steyn in Maclean's magazine with the human rights commissions of Canada, Ontario and British Columbia. In a story in The London Free Press on Tuesday, the Congress's lawyer, Faisal Joseph, said local Muslims would respond to Mr. Steyn's speech by showing their true colours through charitable works in the community.

Mr. Steyn's best-seller, America Alone: The End of the World As We Know It, warns of potential threats from growing Muslim minorities to Western liberal democracy.

Mr. Steyn's speech was originally scheduled for the University of Western Ontario, but Mr. Lawton said the demand for tickets soon outgrew the venue. Seeking a bigger one, he phoned the Convention Centre late Monday and had what he characterized as a promising conversation, only to be called back on Tuesday morning to be told that the facility would not accept the booking.

Mr. Lawton said on Thursday night that the Convention Centre told him "they would no longer be able to honour our request because of pressure from local

Islamic groups, and the board of directors decided they didn't want to alienate their Muslim clients by allowing Mark Steyn to speak there." He views the denial as a breach of freedom of expression.

The people behind Mr. Steyn's visit also helped organize a Canadian tour by American right-wing commentator Ann Coulter. Ms. Coulter was warned by a University of Ottawa provost of the "somewhat different" limits of free speech in this country. Her March 23 talk at that university was cancelled over security concerns.

Ms. Da Silva said the Convention Centre had not received any phone calls from Muslim groups opposed to Mr. Steyn speaking at the facility.

Strictly Right have found a larger — and more expensive — venue. Mr. Steyn will speak on Nov. 1 at London's 1,600-seat Centennial Hall.