Ahenakew is confused about justice...

David Ahenakew was found guilty of a hate crime and fined $1,000 for his anti-semitic statements.

Ahenakew reacted angrily to the verdict, calling it a product of a judicial and larger political system that has been racist itself against First Nations peoples for the past 400 years and controlled by lobbyists – an apparent barb at a campaign by Jewish organizations to strip him of membership in the Order of Canada.

"My case was as much about racism against First Nations as it was about alleged racism against Jewish people," said Ahenakew, wearing his controversial Order of Canada pin. He called the charges "ridiculous."

The judge also rejected Ahenakew's claim that the conversation with the reporter was private, saying the former aboriginal leader did not dispute the comments and knew that he was speaking with a reporter, who had a duty to report them.

Ahenakew shook his head a few times while Irwin read his verdict in a courtroom packed with members of Jewish organizations, First Nations and the media.

Ahenakew told the court that he was puzzled by the Canadian justice system for its "unfair" verdict of racism, a scourge he said he has spent his life fighting against and suffers from almost every day as an aboriginal.

"I am of course disappointed and at the same time very confused at what is justice and freedom in this country," he said.

As I have blogged earlier, I am happy that Ahenakew will lose his Order of Canada, but I don't feel he committed any crime. What's really sad is that he blamed his anti-semitic statements on high blood sugar, and has tried to hide behind a claim that his statements were not meant for the public. He has never shown any remorse for what he has said (calling the Jews a "disease", etc) and now just seems to think that everybody is biased against him. A very sad, sad case.