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#house speaker anthony rota

zvaigzdelasas · 7 months

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During Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s visit to Canada last Friday, House Speaker Anthony Rota introduced Hunka as a Canadian-Ukrainian war hero, prompting a standing ovation from parliamentarians.[...]

In a letter to Poland’s Institute of National Remembrance, a body that researches and investigates past crimes against the Polish nation, Czarnek asked it to “urgently examine” whether Hunka is wanted for crimes against Polish people of Jewish origin, adding that “signs of such crimes are grounds to apply to Canada for his extradition.” Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told media the situation was “extremely upsetting” and “deeply embarrassing” for Canada.

26 Sep 23

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allthecanadianpolitics · 7 months

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Now that Canadian parliament has ignited an international conversation about the dark side of Ukrainian nationalism by giving a standing ovation to Waffen-SS veteran Yaroslav Hunka, it might be worth revisiting the role Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland’s grandfather played in recruiting young men like Hunka to the Nazi cause.

During Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky’s September 22 House of Commons visit, Freeland was one of hundreds of parliamentarians who stood to applaud after now-former speaker of the house Anthony Rota announced the presence of a “Ninety-eight-year-old Ukrainian Canadian who fought for Ukrainian independence against the Russians during the Second World War.”

The ensuing controversy must have created a sense of déjà vu for Freeland, who is long overdue for setting the record straight about the nationalist hagiography she’s constructed around her Ukrainian nationalist forebear — if only the media would ask her about it.

Michael Chomiak, Freeland’s maternal grandfather whom she’s repeatedly cited as a political inspiration, edited a Nazi newspaper for Ukrainian exiles in occupied Krakow called Krakivski Visti, which was printed on a press seized from a Jewish owner. [...]

Tagging: @politicsofcanada

#cdnpoli #Foreign Policy #Ukraine #nazism #holocaust #fascism #genocide #antisemitism #western imperialism

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newsfromstolenland · 7 months

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The speaker of Canada’s House of Commons resigned Tuesday for inviting a man who fought for a Nazi military unit during World War II to Parliament to attend a speech by the Ukrainian president.

Just after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy delivered an address in the House of Commons on Friday, Canadian lawmakers gave 98-year-old Yaroslav Hunka a standing ovation when Speaker Anthony Rota drew attention to him. Rota introduced Hunka as a war hero who fought for the First Ukrainian Division.

Observers over the weekend began to publicize the fact that the First Ukrainian Division also was known as the Waffen-SS Galicia Division, or the SS 14th Waffen Division, a voluntary unit that was under the command of the Nazis.

Full article

Tagging: @allthecanadianpolitics

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theculturedmarxist · 7 months

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If you were wondering where we're at in the discourse, it currently seems to be "actually some Nazis had good reasons for being Nazis, so, you know, maybe appreciate the nuance a bit 😌"

When the Second World War broke out, Ukraine was part of Soviet Russia. In his memoir post, Hunka describes the disappearance of friends and acquaintances to Siberia at the hands of the secret police.

Well, gee, I wonder why.

He recounts that Germany was reputed to be a highly civilised country; no one, he recalls, understood why so many Jews seemed to be fleeing this beacon of light.

You've got to be kidding me.

The world is often an ugly place, where sometimes there are no unambiguously good choices. The most measured way of understanding Hunka’s story would be in this light. And perhaps, whether national or international, contemporary political debates would also be less unhinged if we were willing to embrace this tragic dimension.

Guys you've got to understand that there is no such thing as good and evil okay just shades of gray alright look the workers' state that completely transformed an entire society and which was one of the most progressive forces on Earth at the time is just as bad as the fucking genocidal Nazi state alright and you're unhinged if you don't agree with me so maybe you could get off your high horse before you go judging a heroic war veteran that had to make some really really tough choices between the fucking Nazi regime that everyone knew exactly why the Jews were fucking fleeing it and the Soviet Union which instead of putting a bullet into the heads of people like Hunka like they should have fucking done sent them to labor camps because these two things are moral equivalents.

#ukraine conflict

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givemea-dam-break · 1 year

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ephemeral - chapter one

a/n: hello everyone!! finally had some inspiration, so this will be the first part of a lockwood x reader multipart series!! i hope you enjoy!!

warning: angst, mild language gn reader

full collection: here

It's a warm day out, and you can feel the heat of it even deep within the kitchen at Arif's, intensified by the humming ovens. Sunlight beams through the open window, and you can faintly hear singing birds within the bustling noise out in the front of the store. Summertime is always busy, and although not many people can actually sit in, queues are often out the door, bringing with them loud conversations and whispered gossip.

Soft music plays from a speaker as you roll out some dough, hands dusted in flour, and you find yourself quietly singing along. The smell of pastries of all kinds baking is soothing.

You're the only one working in the back. Arif is dealing with orders at the counter. Kate and Lana are off running deliveries. Jack is on holiday, revelling somewhere in the Scottish countryside. But you don't mind. Even with all the customers, the rush is something you've grown used to over the past few months, and you've found ways to manage it. The less you rush, the quicker the food gets done, as strange as it sounds.

When Arif appears in the kitchen doorway, your hands are buried in a fresh batch of dough you're in the middle of making.

Arif's a big guy, but he's got a sweet face and an incredible recipe book, so it's no wonder he's so popular in this part of London. Even though he's been working out front, he wears his trademark pink apron that had been a gift from you and the others for his birthday. He's smiling, rubbing his hands together enthusiastically. A habit, you've found, when he's about to start baking.

"Shift swap?" you say.

He nods. "A few customers sitting in, but the queue has died down for now. I'll wait out front while you clean up."

It doesn't take long to finish making the dough and clean your hands. Swiftly, you swap your flour-covered apron for your front-of-house one, which looks much more presentable, but Arif still has to dust flour from your hair as you pass him.

It's routine now. Come to the bakery in the morning, work the kitchen until lunch, and then swap into the front until closing. Surprisingly, it took only a few days for you to fall into the routine, despite the dozens of late nights you worked in your previous position, and you've found yourself enjoying it.

Even if you have to hear his voice almost every day.

He comes in around ten in the morning, so it's not like you have to see him or be the one to serve him. Usually, you're in the middle of making a fresh batch of pain au chocolat or scones, depending on what day it is and which regulars have arrived, and you know that that's down to Arif's rota. Unknowingly, he's saved you a lot of unease. You're not even sure that he's aware you work here now.

But today is the exception.

You're in the middle of refilling the display cases with doughnuts and croissants when he appears, framed with beautiful golden sunlight. His hair falls over his forehead, brushing just above his dark eyes, lined with thick lashes. The past few months of summer heat have not permitted him a tan, but there are a few very faint freckles on the bridge of his nose. And despite the temperature, he still wears that ridiculously long greatcoat.

"Surely you're melting in that," you say, closing the case and coming to stand by the till. "It's twenty-five degrees out."

It's now that you notice the frozen look of shock on his face. His eyebrows, barely visible under his hair, are almost comical in their position, raised halfway up his head, and his mouth hangs open slightly.

"(name)," he says after opening and closing his mouth a few times. "I didn't - um, where's Arif?"

"In the back making the goods." You keep your voice light, but it's easy to pick out the undertone of strain in it.

You haven't seen Anthony Lockwood in eight months. Yes, you've heard his voice frequently when he's come to place orders. Yes, you've even made his orders - and been tempted to replace the almond sauce he likes with lemon - but it's insanely different from standing in front of him now. Even though he's uncharacteristically quiet, all you can hear is your last conversation together and the horrible things you both said.

"What can I get you?" you ask, trying to shove down the awkward tension that's forming between you both. "Just the usual?"

"You know my order?"

"I've been making it for the past eight months. And I also used to be on the receiving end of the deliveries." Already, you're typing it into the register. "Two jam doughnuts, one glazed, half a dozen almond fingers, and three croissants, all for delivery, right?"

He looks even more shocked than when he first saw you. "Uh, yes, please... Oh, and -"

"Three teas to go?"

That part isn't memorised because of your job. That part you know from your time spent at Portland Row. You know exactly how much milk to put in each cup.

"Erm, yeah, if you wouldn't mind."

"I don't mind at all. In fact, I get paid for this."

He hands you the money for the total order, and you print out the delivery order, slipping it through a small window behind the counter that leads to the kitchen. Arif's hand, covered in chocolate chip cookie dough, snatches it away.

Lockwood stands as you fill the to-go cups with tea and milk, and he watches carefully as you squeeze a dollop of honey into one of them.

"You know," he says, "I've actually been looking for you. We need to talk."

You hand him the cookies, eyeing the bakery door. "Yes, well, you've found me, but talking will have to wait. I've got customers to serve."

As if on cue, a short old woman, one of your favourite regulars, clears her throat behind Lockwood. Next to him, she looks tiny, but the look on her face has him shuffling to the side and out of the way.

"Just the usual, Nancy?"

She nods, and you type in her order.

"When do you finish?" Lockwood asks as you step back over to the coffee machine and begin making the order. You take a few cookies out of the case as you wait.

"That's for me to know," you say. Then, plastering on your customer service smile, "Thank you for popping in. See you around."

But he doesn't leave yet. He watches as you serve the next few customers, only hesitating when the queue begins building up again for the lunchtime rush. Relief overtakes you when he does leave, finally free from the weight of his gaze, and you can breathe again.

You're not very lucky, though.

An hour later, he reappears just shortly after the rush has died down and there are only a couple of customers left, sitting and chatting at the tables. He saunters up to the counter, filled with the confidence he lacked earlier.

But you know him. You can see that it's not entirely genuine from the way his fingers discreetly tug on his pocket zip and fiddle with the hilt of his gleaming rapier.

"Hello. What can I get for you?"

"A few minutes of your time."

Resisting the urge to roll your eyes, you say, "I'm afraid that'll be quite expensive. And, unless you're going to order any food or drinks, it's also quite improbable that you'll get that order."

"Fine. I'll have one of those."

Your eyes follow his pointed finger and you raise your brows. "Apricot Danish? Lockwood, you don't like apricot."

"Lovely of you to remember. I'll have one anyways."

Begrudgingly, you pluck one out of the case and place it in a little box once he's handed you the money owed. The whole time, his eyes follow you.

"Now, how about those few minutes of your time?"

You almost smile, ready to tell him that you've no time to spare, and another customer is entering the bakery, but Kate, one of your coworkers, appears, smiling.

"I've finished deliveries," she says, brushing her dark hair into a ponytail. "Arif says you're on break."

The look you give her is murderous, but she only grins, nudging you out of the way as she pulls on a pair of gloves and greets the next customer. Lockwood looks slightly too happy.

"Go sit somewhere," you grumble. "Give me a minute."

He disappears, and you huff as you tear off your gloves and apron.

Although it's been over half a year since your fight, seeing Lockwood brings it all up to the surface, bubbling and boiling. Your skin feels hot with anger and sorrow you haven't felt for a good while, fresh as if you've been transported back to the day it all happened.

Lockwood is sitting at one of the corner tables, far from the other customers, nudging the box holding his purchase. At the sight of your approach, he perks up, donning that infamous white-toothed smile of his.

"Here you go." He pushes the box over as you sit.

You stare at him. "What?"

"For you. You used to get them all the time."

Part of you wants to leap with joy at the fact that he remembers a small detail like that, but it's squashed almost instantaneously by your anger and confusion. You don't touch the box as if it is contaminated. It hurts that someone so distant from you now remembers such a thing.

"What do you want?"

"We need to talk."

"Yes, you've mentioned. We're currently talking."

He shoots you a look, but there's no anger behind it. Not even frustration. "I need your help. We need your help."

"We being you, Lucy, and George?"

"Yes."

"And what makes you think I'll help you?"

The question stumps him, but he recovers quickly, brushing imaginary dust off his pristine white shirt. It's infuriating how the sunlight hits his face, emphasising all of his perfect features. His eyes sparkle like molten bronze.

"It's a big case, a lot of money involved, and you could get a decent cut of it. There are some things we need, but that involves -" He lowers his voice, leaning close to you - "stealing." Sitting back again, he speaks normally once more. "Now, if this were any normal case, we'd be fine on our own. But it's not a normal case. The documents we need are at the Rotwell building, and nobody knows that building like you do."

You cross your arms. "You're telling me all of this as if I'd accept. Judging from the fact that you want me to steal from the second-largest agency in the country, it'll most likely be a pretty dangerous job and, while that would rack up a lot of money, I'm sure you can tell that I'm not an agent anymore. I'm rusty."

"(name), you know I wouldn't be here asking you for help unless we really needed it."

"The last time we saw each other, you called me a hindrance to the team and demanded I leave lest I kill myself or the others."

He winces. "And if I remember correctly, you called me, and I quote, 'a massively conceited asshole who cares more about his company's status than the lives of his agents'."

"And I'd say it again. But if I'm such a problem, why come to try and hire me again?"

"It's temporary," Lockwood says. "And, like I said, you know Rotwell's just as well as George knew Fittes', if not better. We need this information."

"What do I get out of it? Peace from you? A written apology?"

"A cut of the money."

"Yes, you said, but do you really think that a sum of money is going to console me when I'm working with the guy who fired me because of a small slip-up?"

"It wasn't small -"

"It most certainly was. Do you think I meant to trip over Lucy? The iron circle had been fixed immediately, and no one other than me was hurt. My arm was in full working order a week after it happened, thank you for asking."

He's quiet for a minute, pondering, but his eyes are unnerving. They follow your every move as if waiting for you to pounce. You don't miss the way his fingers tap on the table, a tell-tale sign of his nerves.

"You won't see me again."

"What?"

"You heard me." He finally looks away, finding the Apricot Danish more interesting than you. "I'll make sure you don't see me again. Things ended badly, worse than they should've, and there's obviously still a lot of animosity on your part, so I'll stay away until you're ready to speak to me again, or forever if I have to."

Forever...

A small part of you, the same part that enjoyed the feeling of being known, is screaming, begging you not to accept. But, at the same time, it's painful merely sitting in front of him right now, and, if he's offering you peace from that, you should take it. It won't take long to get this job out of the way, and then you can be free of him.

"You don't have to decide right now," he clarifies. "But, if you accept the offer, come to the house once your shift finishes. We can discuss things then."

As he stands, he pushes the box holding the Danish closer to you.

Then, with a swift brush of air, he's gone, leaving nothing but a sense of... confusion, anger, and a little lingering absence, in his wake.

<- full collection part 2 ->

#lockwood x reader #anthony lockwood x reader #lockwood and co x reader #lockwood and co fanficiton #lockwood and co #lockwood and co netflix #anthony lockwood #lucy carlyle #george karim #x reader #fanfiction #givemea-dam-break

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1americanconservative · 7 months

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https://x.com/simonateba/status/1706099006953202034?s=20

The villain lived long enough to become a hero. MASSIVE OUTRAGE after Canada’s parliament gave a standing ovation during Zelensky joint address Friday to Yaroslav Hunka, a 98-year-old Ukrainian Nazi collaborator who served in a Nazi military unit during the Second World War implicated in the mass murder of Jews and others. Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center (FSWC) said in a strongly worded statement that it "is deeply disturbed over the Canadian Parliament’s recognition of a Ukrainian veteran who served in a Nazi military unit during the Second World War implicated in the mass murder of Jews and others. FSWC is further outraged that parliamentarians in the House of Commons gave a standing ovation to the former soldier on Friday." It added, "Yaroslav Hunka, a 98-year-old immigrant from Ukraine, was introduced by Anthony Rota, Speaker of the House of Commons, as “a Ukrainian Canadian war veteran from the Second World War who fought for Ukrainian independence against the Russians” and “a Ukrainian hero and a Canadian hero,” ignoring the horrific fact that Hunka served in the 14th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS, a Nazi military unit whose crimes against humanity during the Holocaust are well-documented." You can watch the ovation here: https://twitter.com/simonateba/status/1706022339849150511

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the-garbanzo-annex-jr · 7 months

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By Lev Golinkin

The Canadian Parliament gave a standing ovation on Friday to a 98-year-old immigrant from Ukraine who fought in a Third Reich military formation accused of war crimes. The elderly veteran, Yaroslav Hunka was honored during a session in which President Volodomyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine addressed the lawmakers to thank them for their support since Russia invaded his country, saying Canada has always been on “the bright side of history.” The Speaker of the House of Commons, Anthony Rota — who had compared Zelenskyy to Winston Churchill — recognized a “veteran from the Second World War who fought for Ukrainian independence against the Russians and continues to support the troops today even at his age of 98.” The assembly then rose to applaud a man in a khaki uniform standing on the balcony, who saluted, according to this screenshot from Canadian television.

The man was identified as Hunka by the Associated Press, which published a photograph showing Zelenskyy smiling and raising a fist during the ovation.

The AP caption described Hunka as having “fought with the First Ukrainian Division in World War II before later immigrating to Canada.” The First Ukrainian Division is another name for the 14th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS, the military wing of the Nazi Party; the unit was also called SS Galichina. This is the same unit that is honored by controversial monuments in Canada, Australia, and, as the Forward recently exposed, the suburbs of Philadelphia and Detroit. Jewish groups have called for their removal. After a Forward article in August that was followed by coverage in the Philadelphia Inquirer, local television stations and other news outlets, the Ukrainian Catholic Archeparchy of Philadelphia temporarily covered the monument located in a cemetery in Elkins Park, Pennsylvania, pending discussions with local Jewish leaders. The Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia and regional branches of the American Jewish Committee and the Anti-Defamation League had expressed outrage about the monument. Formed in 1943, SS Galichina was composed of recruits from the Galicia region in western Ukraine. The unit was armed and trained by the Nazis and commanded by German officers. In 1944, the division was visited by SS head Heinrich Himmler, who spoke of the soldiers’ willingness to slaughter Poles.” Three months earlier, SS Galichina subunits perpetrated what is known as the Huta Pieniacka massacre, burning 500 to 1,000 Polish villagers alive.

There is more to the article. Read it. We should be hearing more about this over the next few days.

And according to this article, Canada also imported 2,000 of Hunka's SS Nazi friends at the end of WWII to live out the rest of their lives in comfort, untroubled by the atrocities they committed.

#ss #14th waffen grenadier division #nazis #yaroslav hunka #ukrainians #ukraine

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ts1989fanatic · 10 months

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MP files 'official grievance' with Speaker over Taylor Swift snubbing Canada on tour

The bad blood over superstar Taylor Swift snubbing Canada on her latest tour has reached the House of Commons.

Conservative MP Matt Jeneroux says he's filing an "official" grievance "on behalf of all Swifties" in the country after the singer-songwriter announced nearly 40 new dates for her Eras Tour.

Fans of Taylor Swift were left disappointed on Tuesday when they discovered the new dates didn't include any stops in Canada.

Jeneroux says in a letter addressed to Speaker Anthony Rota that not only will Canadian fans miss out on seeing her perform, but local communities will also miss out on the economic opportunity her shows generate.

Conservative MP Melissa Lantsman chimed in on Twitter saying that although she didn't know how it would work, she would "second" the grievance.

The letter is getting cross-party support, with Liberal MP Ya'ara Saks also tweeting that she is "seconding" the effort to get Swift to Canada.

ts1989fanatic: Don’t often agree with our politicians but this is something that gets my full support, not that I expect it to make a difference.

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kramlabs · 7 months

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A UkroNazi story…

Then this happened…

There’s also these tidbits in the script archives:

https://ottawacitizen.com/news/national/defence-watch/canada-failed-when-it-trained-ukrainian-troops-linked-to-the-far-right-says-nazi-hunter

#denazification #ukronazis #ukraine #everything is fucking managed

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dertaglichedan · 7 months

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Zelensky and Trudeau Give Soldier Who Reportedly Fought for Nazi Germany a Standing Ovation

The Canadian parliament, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky have been reported to have given a standing ovation to a reported former member of a Nazi military division.

Following addresses to the parliament in Ottowa on Friday from both Trudeau and Zelensky, the Speaker of the House of Commons Anthony Rota prompted a standing ovation as he honoured a “veteran from the Second World War who fought for Ukrainian independence against the Russians and continues to support the troops today even at his age of 98.”

“His name is Yaroslav Hunka… he is a Ukrainian hero, a Canadian hero, and we thank him for all his service,” Rota continued before a second round of applause.

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zvaigzdelasas · 7 months

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[CBC is State Funded Media]

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has called the decision to invite an elderly Ukrainian Second World War veteran who fought for Nazi Germany an "egregious error" that "deeply embarrassed Parliament and Canada." On Wednesday, he offered what he called "unreserved apologies" on Canada's behalf for the hurt it caused. Many experts say they're skeptical about the prospect of Canada's political leaders and institutions learning something from the now-infamous episode that capped President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's trip to Canada. Many historians will tell you that what we've witnessed over the last several days is history coming back to bite Canada — specifically over its refusal down the decades to acknowledge or own up to the decisions that allowed Yaroslav Hunka, who served with the 14th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS (1st Galician), to immigrate to Canada in the 1950s.[...]

There was a reckoning of sorts in Canada during the 1980s. A public inquiry, headed by Justice Jules Deschênes, attempted to determine if Nazi war criminals and sympathizers ended up making this country their home and, if so, how many there were. The Galician division featured prominently in that investigation. Jewish groups, notably the Nazi-hunting Simon Wiesenthal Center, gave the inquiry a list of 217 former members of the unit who apparently had immigrated to Canada. (The Deschênes commission concluded that 86 per cent of those named never landed in Canada and "no prima facie case has been established against" the 16 under suspicion.)[...]

Trudeau, in his apology, said everyone in the House of Commons regretted "deeply having stood and clapped even though we did so unaware of the context." The old phrase "ignorance is no excuse under the law" might be modified in this instance to include the word "history." After almost eight decades, it would be easy to chalk this up to a history-challenged staffer working somewhere within the labyrinth of the House of Commons, or to failure on the part the now-former speaker Anthony Rota — someone simply ignorant of the complexities and grievances. That may well be part of the political calculation. With Rota gone and with the prime minister having apologized, the reflex may be to rebury the past and carry on to the next political crisis.

But one war crimes researcher and historian says the international stakes, given Russia's use of the event for propaganda, make a thorough investigation — and public airing — indispensable. "I think the Canadian government owes it to itself to determine how on earth this thing happened," said Efraim Zuroff, a director at the Simon Wiesenthal Center's Israel office and a specialist in Nazi war crimes in Eastern Europe.

It's not just about how such an invitation was extended. It's also about the airbrushing of history — Rota's carefully worded tribute mentioned Hunka having fought against Russia, as though Moscow had been the enemy at the time. "People are so ignorant [of] that history, it's pathetic," said Zuroff. "People suffer from such ignorance when it comes to the Holocaust and other things as well ... And it's a complicated subject. It took place in many different countries and played out to a certain extent in different ways."

Aside from the list involving the Galicia division, Zuroff has personally submitted to the Canadian government another 252 names of other suspected Nazis — or Nazi collaborators — from Eastern European countries other than Ukraine who are believed to have come to Canada. Out of that entire list, only one individual was ever charged. Following the Deschênes commission's report, the Criminal Code of Canada was amended to make it easier to go after suspected Nazi war criminals. Much of that work came to a screeching halt with the failed prosecution of Imre Finta, a former Hungarian police commander who was accused of organizing the deportation of over 8,000 Jews to Nazi death camps. He was acquitted on the defence that he was following the orders of a superior. Zuroff said the Canadian courts that accepted that verdict are the only ones in the world that recognize that legal defence — and consequently, no one else has been prosecuted. Since that case was tried in 1990, Canada opted to go after war criminals through the immigration system.

Any meaningful reflection on the Hunka tribute must include an examination of how Canada has dealt with these cases, Zuroff added.

Beyond the legal context, a leading scholar at the University of Ottawa, history professor Jan Grabowski, said the country needs to acknowledge how people like Hunka — who fought with the Nazis for what he hoped would be Ukrainian independence — got into Canada in the first place. Britain and countries like Italy, where some members of the Galicia division ended up, were eager in the late 1940s to be rid of refugees and surrendered soldiers. Canada willingly accepted them and by 1950 had made a special accommodation for Ukrainians. According to the Deschênes report, the prevailing feeling in the government at the time was that these former soldiers "should be subject to special security screening, but should not be rejected on the grounds of their service in the German army."

The context of the time, said Grabokski, is crucial, because when the Cold War began, Canadians shifted to a totally different "frame of mind."

"Anti-communists were prized above everything else," he said. "So we need to understand that this was a totally different political situation and most of the time, the Canadian authorities knew that they were letting in people who were allies of Hitler. But it was not enough, let's say, to make them hesitate." The B'nai Brith demanded this week that Ottawa take this opportunity to finally open all Holocaust-related records to the public, including the second part of the Deschênes commission's report, which has been kept secret for almost 40 years. Instead of reflection, though, Canadians might be in line for more political theatre.

28 Sep 23

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allthecanadianpolitics · 7 months

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The Canadian Parliament gave a standing ovation on Friday to a 98-year-old immigrant from Ukraine who fought in a Third Reich military formation accused of war crimes.

The elderly veteran, Yaroslav Hunka was honored during a session in which President Volodomyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine addressed the lawmakers to thank them for their support since Russia invaded his country, saying Canada has always been on “the bright side of history.” The Speaker of the House of Commons, Anthony Rota — who had compared Zelenskyy to Winston Churchill — recognized a “veteran from the Second World War who fought for Ukrainian independence against the Russians and continues to support the troops today even at his age of 98.”

The assembly then rose to applaud a man in a khaki uniform standing on the balcony, who saluted, according to this screenshot from Canadian television. [...]

Note from the poster @el-shab-hussein: What's truly insane to me is that Zelenskyy is a Ukrainian Jew himself, and his great-grandfather and several of his grandfather's brothers were killed during the Holocaust. I'm just really truly shocked.

Tagging: @politicsofcanada, @vague-humanoid

#cdnpoli #Foreign Policy #Ukraine #nazism #Holocaust

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healthstyle101 · 6 months

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Russia Requests Extradition of Celebrated Ukrainian SS Member in Canadian Parliament

Russia Seeks Extradition of Ukrainian Citizen from Canada Over WWII Service to German SS In a move that underscores Russia's uncompromising stance on addressing historical crimes, Russia's Defense Minister, Sergei Shoigu, has initiated legal proceedings aimed at extraditing Yaroslav Hunka, a 98-year-old Ukrainian citizen living in Canada. The extradition request is grounded in Hunka's past association with the German SS during World War II, an affiliation deemed deeply troubling by Russian authorities. Hunka's involvement with the 14th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS, a unit primarily composed of Ukrainian volunteers that fought against the Soviet Union, has come under intense scrutiny. Last month, during a visit by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Speaker Anthony Rota invited Hunka to Canada's House of Commons. Hunka was introduced to the assembly as a war hero, which led to a standing ovation from lawmakers who were unaware of his wartime activities. Rota, in the face of widespread public criticism, subsequently resigned from his position, accepting full responsibility for the controversial invite. He stated, "No one in this House is above any of us. Therefore, I must step down as your speaker. I reiterate my profound regret for my error in recognizing an individual in the House during the joint address to Parliament of President Zelenskyy." Defense Minister Shoigu has now taken steps to enlist the support of agencies in Russia and Belarus to pursue Hunka's extradition. The move underscores Russia's unwavering determination to hold those with alleged ties to Nazi Germany accountable for their actions. Shoigu commented, "Hunka must be held fully accountable for his bloody crimes. Such crimes against humanity have no statute of limitations." While the likelihood of Hunka's extradition is uncertain, this demand reiterates Russia's war narratives, which have often invoked Ukraine's historical connection to Nazi Germany's occupation as a justification for its ongoing military actions since 2022. The diplomatic and legal processes that will follow remain to be seen. However, the case of Yaroslav Hunka underscores the profound and lasting impact of historical events, and the responsibility that nations bear in addressing their complex legacies. Read the full article

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