Landlord and Tenant Forums: By Landlords For Landlords

There's a word for what the OHRC allows: Bigotry

10:59 pm, October 7th, 2011

EZRA LEVANT | QMI AGENCY


Ezra Levant points out the hypocrisy of the OHRC on The Source, October 7, 2011.

The Ontario Human Rights Commission says it’s illegal to advertise an apartment for “students” or “seniors” only — that’s age discrimination.

But when the OHRC was asked about dozens of “Muslims-only” apartment-for-rent ads in the Toronto area, they said it’s out of their hands.

Earlier this summer, the OHRC was clearly short of real work to do, so it started creeping through apartment rental ads online — cyberstalking is what some people might call it. It was appalled by severely normal things landlords were saying.

They came up with an official list of illegal words to use in apartment ads. “Perfect apartment for a student” is illegal. Seriously — that’s one of the examples from the OHRC website. It said that’s age discrimination. Calling your apartment an “adult building?” Illegal.

“Perfect for female student”. Illegal.

This summer, the OHRC threatened landlords and even the websites that advertised these “discriminatory” words. But reporter Sarah Boesveld was poking around the website Kijiji.ca and found 32 apartments that say “only Muslims need apply.” She called up the human rights commission … which said it’s out of its hands.

Now, a part of private property is the right to choose who gets to come on it — no matter what your reason is. Think of the middle-aged male who wants to move into a sorority house. But that right goes further — including the right to exclude people for any reason at all.

If you don’t like their personality, their annoying laugh, the colour of their eyes. And even the colour of their skin. That’s the point about private property: You have the right to be wrong — you even have the right to be racist.

We don’t like the idea of people being racist. “Muslims only” is another way of saying “no Jews allowed” or “no Christians allowed.”

But it’s their property, not ours. If people don’t like it, they can have a little picket outside the property, on the street. A restaurant that discriminated that way might soon lose the business of fair-minded customers. But there is a market for some kinds of discrimination.

Take women-only fitness clubs. Surely they have the right to discriminate against men. Surely the Black Students Society can only allow blacks in. Surely a movie theatre can charge kids less than adults.Discrimination is something we do every day — it’s really another word for choosing. Sometimes people make choices for odious reasons. That’s the price of freedom — and it’s a far lower price to pay than the costs of having a government so invasive that it can barge its way into every wrinkle of our lives, including our own homes.

I’m not for prosecuting these 32 Muslims-only landlords. If they want someone who follows their religion — for example, who won’t bring pork or alcohol into the house, and who will respect their religious traditions — that’s fine.

But the Ontario Human Rights Commission doesn’t believe in property rights or freedom of association. They believe in counterfeit rights — like the right not to be offended. Except, of course, if the person doing the offending is Muslim, and the people being offended are Jews and Christians and Sikhs and Hindus and atheists.

There’s a word for people like those at the OHRC who have different standards for different religions: Bigots.

http://www.sunnewsnetwork.ca/sunnews/op ... 25918.html

Great article and great points. The OHRC would be laughable if it weren't for real.

The OHRC is a pathetic joke but still there is humour in this situation. In my opinion they truly are laughable.
What is humorous about this situation is the OHRC went out of there way to create headlines for themselves and it backfired.
The OHRC shot themselves in the foot. That is humorous.

Those in charge are clearly incompetent unqualified bureaucrats and most likely we will see even more stupidity in the future. They are all about PR and at this point in time they are very poor at it.

It's not just Ontario that has lost all common sense. Ever since the entire "politically correct" movement began back in the late 80s it's been a down hill slide in all of North America. Socialist crap in my opinion.

Sickening does not adequately describe the situation.

Allowing people of the Muslim faith rent to those who share their faith is nothing like local people refusing to rent to single moms, new immigrants and people on government assistance.

So, if that is the way things ought to be, I guess that I advertise Christians only

Christians are the majority. Muslims are a minority.

This is nothing more than another sloppy attack against Human Rights by Levant.

You can't have it both ways, it is either discrimination or it is not. It is very simple, black and white. Even the majority has rights, and by trying to explain it away you weaken your position.

That is not equality

So, if Muslim (or Blacks, or Italians or whatever) become a MAJORITY in any neighborhood, by your definition, we can then start discriminating against them!!!! But while they are in the minority it is "hands off".

Guess a Landlord is okay then saying "Christians need not apply" or "whites need not apply"...because IF those groups are the majority in that region, they don't qualify as being picked on by bigots. It is not racisim. It's "what???"

So in 20 years when Christians are the minority in the GTA, I suppose I can advertise "Christians only need apply"?

So, it's OK that they rent to people only like them?
Funny, that's what I do, too. Glad I have your seal of approval.

Wow great article!! Way to shoot themselves in the foot. Typical uneducated Liberal cronies on the sunshine list making rules and more red tape to destroy the small rental market. Are they that flaking bored that they have to dwell in the private rental advertising market? I can see Hudak making this beuracaucy a bullseye on his agenda. Lets hope the NDP back the PC's up on this. Dismantling this useless regime is the best for Ontario, and use the bloated pays to fund more housing. Like wishfull thinking on my part.

The OHRC would have been changed. Except the PCs lost the election 3 days ago. Now we're still stuck with them.

the OHRC is an embarassment.

When it suits them, they follow the rules, when it doesnt, they ignore them and use flimsy excuses.

the OHRC ALLOWS retirement homes based on ethnicity................

Imagine if a landlord only allowed Italians, or Portuguese ect to live in an apt building! There would be a rightful outcry, but the OHRC doesnt follow its own rules! shame.