POSTS ARE IN ASCENDING ORDER with the latest at the top and the oldest from two years ago, on the bottom.

The Latest:

POST 10

ON AUGUST 29th, 2016 THE DELTA SCHOOL BOARD FIRED BRIAN RUHE FROM TEACHING MINDFULNESS MEDITATION IN ADULT ED. AFTER 15 YEARS OF EMPLOYMENT

This post is copied from

http://cafe.nfshost.com/

Brian Ruhe, a gentle Buddhist instructor and lecturer on meditation in Vancouver, now turned prolific revisionist videographer has, over the past year, lost a number of part-time lecturing positions at Vancouver area universities, colleges and school boards. He has been the victim of a campaign headed by B’nai Brith’s Harry Abrams who publicly proclaimed his desire effectively  to impoverish Mr. Ruhe and deny him an income. Abrams wrote to Georgia Straight (September 2, 2015): “I have written to the Vancouver parks Board and have asked them to replace this unsavory fellow ASAP. According to Ruhe’s own postings, his Capilano teaching gig was discontinued soon after an important local [Jew] o complained to them too. Also worrying are his associations with white supremacist leaders like Paul Fromm, who himself was disqualified from teaching in Ontario for neo-Nazi racial activism.”  The price for dissenting from political correctness would seem to be penury. As we go to press, Brian has been  fired by the Delta School District.  Reasons provided by the Board state: “ The YouTube videos compiled under your name present a very public expression of conduct that runs contrary to the policies and values of Delta School District. … As well, Delta School District’s Values statement, part of its overall Vision statement, is ‘Caring, Respect, Responsibility, Community, and Excellence’, with ‘acceptance’, ‘equality’, and ‘inclusion’ key terms within that statement.” Apparently, acceptance and inclusion do not apply to accepting and continuing to include Brian, despite a successful 15-year track record with the Board.

CAFE’S RESPONSE: CAFE has written numerous letters of support for Brian through his long battle. We have offered advice and have co-produced numerous You Tube videos with this personable and talented videographer.

To seven Delta School District trustees:

The Brian Ruhe Show #104 – 1960 West 7th Ave., Vancouver, BC V6J 1T1 Tel. 604-738-8475

facebook.com/BrianRuhe brianruhe.ca email: brian@brianruhe.ca youtube.com/user/BrianRuhe

Skype: brianaruhe meetup.com/UFO-Conspiracy-Meetup-Group tjgs.ca

Sept. 12, 2016

To Chairperson Laura Dixon at: ldixon@deltasd.bc.ca and the rest…

RE: Delta School Board firing Continuing Ed. teacher Brian Ruhe

I am forwarding my message to Joe Strain on to you, as I wrote to Joe that I would. You can learn more about my disagreement with your trustees’ decision below. I assume that you personally may openly or secretly support me but I don’t have any particular feelings towards you that I care to share. What I am suggesting is that you still have time to change your decision.

Thank you kindly,

Brian Ruhe…

Joe Strain jstrain@deltasd.bc.ca

Joe Strain Sept. 12, 2016

Secretary Treasurer

Delta School District

Hi Joe,

I haven’t heard back from you since my email to you last week. Perhaps you don’t want to write to me. I feel that you and the other trustees should know more about this decision that you and all of the individual Delta School Board trustees are upholding so I’m forwarding this letter to the seven of them as well. The issues are clear. I have a Charter right to freedom of speech and freedom of belief. I have exercised these rights on my own time off Board property. I have been a faithful and effective teacher, as 15 years of satisfactory employment would indicate. I also have a contract with you which has arbitrarily been violated.

It was the Jewish organization B’nai Brith who publicly admitted on two websites that it was their request which got me fired from Capilano University, the Burnaby School Board and four Vancouver community centres in the summer of 2015. Each institution lied about the reason, not admitting that it was Jewish power behind it. That’s what makes this a powerful international story which will only get bigger. Ray Weremczuk quoted the lie from Karmen Blackwood, Director of Continuing Studies at Capilano that they chose to change instructors from time to time. You can contact her and hear her experience about how this is affecting her.

The Delta School Board and yourself would be better off changing your mind. Capilano and other places have been criticized on YouTube and The Daily Stormer website and on international radio programs, etc. but I have protected the Delta School Board as the good guys, the only one who didn’t fire me. I have liked Ray and worked with Ray for 15 years and he have kept me on over this past year even after I told him about this problem.
Are you getting any problems from the public by keeping my courses? Who has complained? The Delta School Boards’ problems will get worse if they turn against me, in this way. A year ago I was disturbed by getting dropped by six institutions so I didn’t know what to do at the time and I didn’t react that much. I was still hoping to get my jobs back. Now, a year later I have grown stronger and have more allies in Canada, the US and elsewhere. I am planning on working with my allies to make a more public protest to the previous six institutions that cancelled my contracts. We’re planning a documentary. It would be better for the Delta School Board to protect itself from this by not taking this unfair action, dropping my courses. The Daily Stormer at www.dailystormer.com has their “Twitter Army” which they can use in protest and my connections include Paul Fromm, Director of the Canadian Association for Freedom of Expression, and they go up to David Duke in the US.

I would rather have a good relationship with you and the Delta School Board but if you do this I will respond. Since 2001 I have collected an email list of hundreds of people who have taken my courses in Delta and I can email them and ask them to contact your school board in protest of your decision and request an explanation from you. Your decision is wrong, illogical and unethical. I am not discriminating against Jews but I am using free speech to criticize the conduct of Jewish supremacists such as the Rothschilds and George Soros and others. You are opposed to discrimination against race or religion but not against immoral actions. I have a higher standard of virtue. The guidelines you state in your email don’t fairly apply to me so your decision will be very publicly scrutinized and commented upon for years and decades to come, as being wrong and unjust. Dianne Turner, the Superintendent of the Delta School District has made a Vimeo video which we have already downloaded and saved for future use on our videos. It is at:

https://vimeo.com/133568787

In her video Dianne says how Delta is being watched by people all over the world. We will add to the message that they see and hear about Delta. You can consult with your school board and get back to me. Now is your opportunity to keep this as quiet as you can to reduce negative publicity for the Delta School Board in the future. Ray Weremczuk has been very kind to me over the years and I can’t control my supporters as I have no authority over them. I don’t want him nor the other trustees to be annoyed by emails from people on my side.

The links below are just a few of the media outlets which brought bad press to Capilano University, the Burnaby School Board and four Vancouver community centres and this will continue on and on. I am getting more noticed as well with over a million views on YouTube. I have been on Red Ice Radio out of Sweden and other radio programs in the United States talking about the details and naming the names. The Daily Stormer is one of the most popular Alt Right websites in America and their editor, Andrew Anglin promised me he would publish another article about my case when I gave him some new developments.

Here are some links:

Some short careers of recent heroes, by John Kaminski with Brian Ruhe

at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dN5usAtH8BA

Capilano University Instructor Fired for Free Speech Videos

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3iUm9HUTP3A

Capilano University Free Speech Censored, Another Job Lost

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6N8TZKE7vWo

IN THE NEWS! Ruhe’s Hitler Views

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NRWluENiP1w

Brian Ruhe

Joe Strain jstrain@deltasd.bc.ca

Joe Strain Sept. 8, 2016

Secretary Treasurer

Delta School District

Dear Mr. Strain,

I appreciate you contacting me as I didn’t know who to deal with among the Delta School Board Trustees. Thanks for getting back to me. After I got the original email from Ray Weremczuk I passed it on to Paul Fromm for his advice about how to respond. I didn’t realize that he would send out an email to his group in defense of me. So I didn’t go public with this. That wasn’t my choice. I didn’t want that to happen as I want to get my job back. I’m sorry about that and I hope you can still respond to this email.

The important thing I wanted to write is that the Delta School Board’s decision to terminate me because of your policies regarding “race and religion” are not valid. In my YouTube videos that you object to, you are referring to my criticism of the International Jews. But I criticize the Jewish supremacists, the International Jews and the elite Jews based upon their conduct, not their religion nor race or ethnicity. I even state countless times that I do not condemn ordinary Jewish people and that I even regard them as victims of the International Jews. The Delta School Board policies do not reject criticism based upon people’s misconduct.

Therefore, I think that you have made a mistake and I ask that you reinstate my position. The fall term is already advertised and there’s still plenty of time for my October course to still go ahead.

Please do let me know, if you will.

Thank you Joe,

Brian Ruhe

Email: jstrain@deltasd.bc.ca  On 2016-09-07 10:54 AM, Joe Strain wrote:

Good morning Mr. Ruhe.
Your various emails to Board of Education members regarding the cancellation of your meditation sessions have been referred to me for response.  The Board of Education is aware of the circumstances involved and supports the decision made.  The Board of Education treats personnel related matters confidentially.  Given your decision to publicize previous communications in this regard on the internet, further correspondence from you to the District will only be responded to as required by law.
Joe Strain Secretary Treasurer Delta School District t. 604-952-5359
Confidentiality Note:  This e-mail is confidential and may be privileged.  It is intended only for the person(s) or entity(s) to which it is addressed.  If you have received this e-mail in error, please delete it and inform the sender immediately.  Unauthorized distribution or use is strictly prohibited and may result in penalties and/or damages.

Brian Ruhe on August-31-16 at 7:22 PM -0700 wrote:

Hello Delta School Board Trustees, I am inquiring as to who I can write to, to object to the decision that Ray Weremczuk made in cancelling my meditation classes in Continuing Ed. after 15 years and cancelling my future employment. I believe that Ray was forced to do this so I want to contact his boss to correspond with him or her. Who would that be please? Our past emails are below.

Thank you, Brian Ruhe…

——– Forwarded Message ——–

THIS IS THE ORIGINAL EMAIL BELOW, WHERE I GOT FIRED FROM THE DELTA SCHOOL BOARD

Subject:	Re: Meditation classes
Date:	Mon, 29 Aug 2016 10:49:17 -0700
From:	Ray Weremczuk <rweremczuk@deltasd.bc.ca>
To:	brian@brianruhe.ca

Hi Brian:

Quite apart from any media articles, the YouTube videos compiled under your name present a very public expression of conduct that runs contrary to the policies and values of Delta School District.

Specifically, Delta School District’s “Administrative Procedure 350 – Appendix A” describes its District Code Of Conduct this way:  “The District, which includes staff, parents and students, has the responsibility to provide and ensure a safe and positive climate for learning.”  Unacceptable Conduct interferes with a positive learning environment.  A specific example of unacceptable behaviours includes “(a)ny efforts to … discriminate against another person based on, but not limited to, race, religion, gender, physical or intellectual disability, marital or family status, sexual orientation, or age.”

As well, Delta School District’s Values statement, part of its overall Vision statement, is “Caring, Respect, Responsibility, Community, and Excellence”, with “acceptance”, “equality”, and “inclusion” key terms within that statement.

Based on this, Delta School District will cancel the two dates for Meditation courses that you have been contracted to teach in the Fall 2016 and selects not to contract instruction with you in upcoming terms.

We appreciate your instruction with us in years past and wish you well in the future.

Ray Weremczuk

District Manager, Continuing Education Business Programs and Facility Rentals

On 2016-08-30 9:25 PM, Brian Ruhe wrote:

Hi Ray,

I can understand the pressures that you must have been under to dismiss me form teaching at the Delta School Board. I have worked for you over the past 15 years and it has been good to know you personally and you have always been kind and fair to me. Each school term we worked well together planning upcoming meditation courses and it always cheered me up when we met and talked in person. You’re obviously a very likeable man and it is sad to me that your hand must have been forced to do this.

A year ago it was the Jewish organization B’nai Brith who publicly admitted on two websites that it was their request which got me fired from Capilano University, the Burnaby School Board and four Vancouver community centres, in the summer of 2015. At that time it was only you, at the Delta School Board who kept me on the job.

When I taught at your school board last October, I met in person with you and confided the above with you and expressed my thanks that you were the only one who protected me even though you knew about my controversial YouTube videos. I thank you for keeping my job going over the past year, as long as you were able. I know you’re a good man who also believes in freedom of speech so I too wish you well, as you had no choice but to do what you had to do.

Thanks Ray,

Brian

The email contact form for trustees:

Dear trustees,

I received the email from Ray Weremchuk on Tuesday and wrote back to him the next day. He informed me that the Delta School Board has dropped my meditation courses but I have a signed contract with you.

I haven’t received any other message from Ray so I request an overview from you. I believe that you don’t have any real justification to cancel my contract as there’s no evidence that my adult students could possibly feel an “unsafe climate” in my classes. I ask that you reconsider your decision and reinstate me.

Thank you,

Brian Ruhe

Email from Brian Ruhe

Ray Weremczuk                                                                                                       Nov. 6th, 2015

Director Continuing Education

Delta School District

Hi Ray,

How many people do we have registered for Nov. 14 for the Stress Reduction with Mindfulness Meditation course? I want to give you more background about the conditions I told you about. My teaching contracts were not renewed because of unfair interference.

Tibetan Buddhist Lama Tsewang, who’s real name is Allan Klarreich gave me a loud and aggressive threatening phone call, on May 12, 2015 which I recorded. He said he was with B’nai Brith and he would contact Capilano University to have me removed from my job. He is Jewish. In 1998 he first contacted me for advice since I was successful in adult Ed. with Buddhism courses. We were on good terms and I got to know him, one on one, over a couple of years. We eventually lost contact and in 2014 he left negative comments about me on my YouTube video’s blog, “What is Wrong with Buddhism,” calling me a “fake teacher.” He had a religious sectarian difference with me, regarding Buddhist history and the authenticity of Tibetan Buddhism, since he teaches Tibetan Buddhism and I teach Theravada Buddhism. His comments, which are still there to read, were about history and our sectarian differences. He may have been personally jealous towards me as well because I have always been a more successful teacher than him since we first met and he is ten years older and has been teaching longer than I have. He has had few students ever and he has a difficult personality. I have had about 15,000 students in my classes since 1997.

I emailed Capilano University on July 2 and I received a phone call on July 3 from Bettina Boyle, Program Manager at Continuing Studies & Executive Education and she explained that they were not renewing my fall contract. It was already too late to rebook elsewhere as it takes three months ahead to plan. She said the reason was because they like to try other instructors even though my “student evaluations and attendance level were good and there were no complaints from the students”. Over two years Cap. U. had progressively increased the cost of my course and my pay, considerably, due to the success of my course, “Mindfulness Meditation for Stress Reduction”. I told Bettina that their reason was because of my YouTube videos. She said she would check. She called back minutes later and said, “Yes. The reason you stated is the reason why your class was cancelled. We have to be very careful about these things.”

Consequently I made an appointment to speak with the Director, Capilano University Continuing Studies & Executive Education, by phone, Karmen Blackwood, she said that the reason is that it is part of their best practices to switch instructors. She did not admit nor deny what Bettina Boyle said to me on July 3 and she said there may have been a misunderstanding. She said that they received some complaints about my videos and she refused to tell me who phoned her but I know it was Lama Tsewang.

This is unfair, and I wanted to give you a heads up in case Lama Tsewang calls you. He lives in Delta.

I appreciate working with you Ray, since 2001.

Sincerely,

Brian Ruhe

POST 9

BURNABY SCHOOL BOARD DROPPED BRIAN RUHE’S MINDFULNESS MEDITATION COURSES IN JUNE 2015

To Linda VanderHeide                                                             December 2015
Program Coordinator
Burnaby Community & Continuing Education
Burnaby School District
Hi Linda,

RE: our most recent communication

If you are not aware, I have been targeted by a small (but readily identifiable ) minority who seem to have disproportionally far more power and influence in society  to the point they can slander and libel their chosen targets, as well as intimidate others into ruining the career of those they specifically target.

This has lead to many publicly- funded facilities abruptly cancelling my classes, many of which I have taught for years. I have not been given specific reason for this, but the timing and the breadth of this targeting is clearly no coincidence.

This is not rumour nor conjecture, this is in fact a global phenomenon with a large victim count.

However, while this targeting is becoming epidemic, even the general public is awakening to the “Who, What, Where, When and Why” facets of this targeting issue.

In your capacity as a Public Servant, (as opposed to a private corporation )… it is fair to say the General Public, (which include myself ) is owed  a fair, balanced and objective approach as to “Who” a public agency does business with in providing service to the public.

In light on the aforementioned, I request a “show cause ” explanation as to why the Burnaby School District/Burnaby School Board has chosen not to renew my teaching contract and that the answer be provided by Jan. 21, 2016. You wrote to me almost six months ago that the School Board wanted to phase out general interest courses in favour of vocational training. But at that time you did not publish your fall term of classes. Now I can see that you have dozens and dozens of general interest courses, as that is what Continuing Ed. usually provides. How can you justify your reason for dropping my course as being to phase out general interest courses in light of the fact that my courses were dropped from six institutions over the summer, all with different excuses?

In conclusion:

—–  If I feel that the “show cause” explanation satisfies my concerns, we can consider the matter closed.

—–  If, however, I do not receive a show cause explanation by the duly noted deadline, or am not satisfied by the requested explanation, I feel that there are a variety of legal remedies available to me, as well as a citizens duty to become a “canary in the mine” to make the issue more public, and ultimately let them be the
“judge and jury” of these issues.

PS duly note that I am already quite a well-established public figure, perhaps visit my YOUTUBE Channel at youtube.com/user/BrianRuhe

I await your reply.

Regards,

Brian Ruhe

cc: Ed. Minister Mike Bernier
cc: Ron Burton, Chair Burnaby Board of Education
cc: Harman Pandher, Vice-Chair Burnaby Board of Education

Hello Brian,

I am responding to your question in an earlier email asking if Lama Tsewang contacted me.

No.  I do not know this person and have no record of any attempt made by him/her to contact me.

Linda VanderHeide
Program Coordinator
Burnaby Community & Continuing Education
Burnaby School District
tel:  604-664-8420www.burnabycce.ca

To Linda VanderHeide                                                                              December 2015
Program Coordinator
Burnaby Community & Continuing Education
Burnaby School District

Hi Linda,

I would like you to rehire me at the Burnaby School Board Continuing Ed. For my Mindfulness Meditation course. I last saw Lama Tsewang in May at the Wesak day at UBC. It was before that or after that, that he called you at the Burnaby School Board and he also called Capilano University to ask them to fire me. My contract was dropped as a result of his calls. I’m not going to share with you my feelings about that. I am adjusting after having been fired from my Buddhist meditation courses at four Vancouver Community Centres as well but I am spending more time developing The Brian Ruhe Show on YouTube.

Lama Tsewang’s real name is Allan Klarriech and he gave me a loud and aggressive threatening phone call, on May 12, 2015 which I recorded and it is attached along with the transcription. He said he was with B’nai Brith and he would the School Board to have me removed from my job. In 1998 he first contacted me for advice since I was successful in adult Ed. with Buddhism courses. We were on good terms and I got to know him, one on one, over a couple of years. We eventually lost contact and in 2014 you left negative comments about me on my YouTube video’s blog, “What is Wrong with Buddhism,” calling me a “fake teacher.” He has a religious sectarian difference with me, regarding Buddhist history and the authenticity of Tibetan Buddhism, since he teaches Tibetan Buddhism and I teach Theravada Buddhism. His comments, which are still there to read, were about history and our sectarian differences. Lama Tsewang may have been personally jealous towards me as well because I have always been a more successful teacher than him since we first met and he is ten years older and has been teaching longer than I have. He has had few students ever and he has a difficult personality. I have had about 15,000 students in my classes since 1997. Was jealousy towards me his motive?

I phoned you at the Burnaby School Board about June 30 and you surprised me by saying that you were not renewing my fall 2015 teaching contract at the Burnaby School Board “because they wanted to phase out general interest courses in favour of vocational training courses.” I emailed Capilano University on July 2 and I received a phone call on July 3 from Bettina Boyle, Program Manager at Continuing Studies & Executive Education and she explained that they were not renewing my fall contract. It was already too late to rebook elsewhere as it takes three months ahead to plan. She said the reason was because they like to try other instructors even though my “student evaluations and attendance level were good and there were no complaints from the students”. Over two years Cap. U. had progressively increased the cost of my course and my pay, considerably, due to the success of my course, “Mindfulness Meditation for Stress Reduction”. I told Bettina that their reason was because Lama Tsewang phoned them and he complained about my YouTube videos. She said she would check. She called back minutes later and said, “Yes. The reason you stated is the reason why your class was cancelled. We have to be very careful about these things.”

Consequently I made an appointment to speak with her supervisor by phone, on July 23, which is recorded and transcribed. She is Karmen Blackwood, Director, Capilano University Continuing Studies & Executive Education. She said the reason is that it is part of their best practices to switch instructors. She did not admit nor deny what Bettina Boyle said to me on July 3rd and she said there may have been a misunderstanding. She said that they received some complaints about my videos and she refused to tell me who phoned them but Lama Tsewang admitted himself, on the digital recording attached, that he would phone them and you.

In October on the Anti-Racism Canada website they interviewed Harry Abrams who clarified that it was Lama Tsewang who contacted Capilano College about me, not him. This story has since gone international with the help of Paul Fromm, Director of the Canadian Association for Free Expression who wrote about this in his newsletters and made a YouTube video with me with over 2000 views and about a hundred comments, called, “Capilano University Instructor Fired for Free Speech Videos”. Other videos we made are “Free Speech Censored, Another Job Lost” and “Wrongful Dismissal of a University Teacher”.

So Linda, please email and clarify what Lama Tsewang said to you because I need an answer from you within one week.

Thanks,

Brian Ruhe

Burnaby School Board                                                                                                        Friday June 19, 2015 

I just phoned Linda Van derheide to book my fall term course. She said that she was phasing out general interest courses because they are focusing more on courses to help people get a job. She has already cut out their cooking courses. She gradually talked about this but never said she was cancelling my course until I asked her directly if she was going to run it. She suggested I try community centres. I didn’t confront her with the truth, the true reason.

I asked if it was because of complaints about my YouTube videos. She said, there were complaints but that wasn’t the reason. But I don’t believe her. I can use this as another example of me being fired.

POST 8

APPEAL TO THE BC HUMAN RGHTS COMMISSION

Below are letters from the BC HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION, Oct. 2105 which describe me asking for their help, which they unfairly declined.

This last letter above, from the BC Human Rights Tribunal states near the end of page two, “You do not explain the nexus between the tenents of Buddhism and your belief that the Jewish faith is a force of Mara in the world… Your file is now closed”.

This is wrong of the tribunal since they never asked me to explain this, yet they decide to close my file without even asking me this! This can be explained from a Buddhist view so they are wrong in saying that the code has not been broken.

Email sent Oct. 9^Th:

Brian Ruhe #104 – 1960 West 7th Ave., Vancouver, BC V6J 1T1  Tel. 604-738-8475   brianruhe.ca

Oct. 9, 2015
Hello BC Human Rights Clinic,

I am writing to inquire if you think I have a case that you can work with. I believe I have a good case!

My case is a problem of wrongful dismissal from five institutions because someone called my employer and asked them to fire me. His name is Harry Abrams and another person, Lama Tsewang, also called another employer and I was fired from there as well. I teach adult Ed. courses on meditation and Buddhism and have taught for 17 years at some of these places.

What is happening is that I have made over 100 YouTube videos on free speech themes such as resisting Jewish supremacy and the revisionist history of World War II. Harry Abrams objected to this but he lives in Victoria and has nothing to do with my courses so why should they do what he wants? The same goes for Lama Tsewang.

Can we discuss my case? I am at 604-738-8475 and live in Kitsilano so I can easily come to your office if you like. I have kept good records on everything unfolding so I can give you much more details. Here are some important details below:

Brian Ruhe Oct. 19, 2015

Explanation of my Human Rights case:

My teaching contracts for Buddhist meditation at seven institutions have not been renewed largely because of two members of the powerful Jewish lobby group B’nai Brith, who state that they contacted my employers for the purpose of having me fired. Consequently my teaching contracts have not been renewed as five places as a result of them. In total seven institutions have not renewed my contract. Since September I am effectively unemployed.

The B’nai Brith members were board member Harry Abrams who wrote to the Vancouver Parks Board on or before Sept. 2, 2015. And Lama Tsewang, who real name is Allan Klarrich gave me a threatening phone call, which I recorded, in May 2015 and he contacted Capilano University to have me removed.

I have caught the interest of the B’nai Brith because of my YouTube videos criticizing the Jewish influence over our society and I talk about then revisionist history of WW II. What’s happened is that there was an Internet article about me on the Georgia Straight newspaper website at straight.com on Aug. 28. Among the 75 comments from people on that blog was Harry Abrams who is a prominent member of B’nai Brith. This is a powerful Jewish Masonic organization which is all over the world since 1890.

Harry Abrams posted this comment on Sept. 2:

There are a number of professions that do not tolerate extreme “conduct unbecoming” in an employee, contractor or practitioner, especially once it becomes public. Even if it was determined that Mr. Ruhe is mentally competent, it does not excuse his wild pronouncements against Jews, Gays or others and certainly disqualifies him as a teacher in any capacity you’d care to name. I have written to the Vancouver parks Board and have asked them to replace this unsavory fellow ASAP. According to Ruhe’s own postings, his Capilano teaching gig was discontinued soon after an important local Buddhist official complained to them too. Also worrying are his associations with white supremacist leaders like Paul Fromm, who himself was disqualified from teaching in Ontario for neo-Nazi racial activism.

The four Vancouver community centre where I taught were:

False Creek Community Centre

Roundhouse Arts and Recreation Centre

Kitsilano CC

Killarney CC

Also,

Capilano University Continuing Ed. informed me on July 3, 2015 that they were not renewing my contract.

BC HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION Oct. 2105

GROUNDS OF DISCRIMINATION

I believe that I am being discriminated against because my views contradict the mainstream generally accepted view on World War II history. This broadly comes under the category of political belief. I also feel that I am being discriminated against because of my views on Jewish power and supremacy in society. This is about my views on truth. For this purpose, this is both my religious belief as well and a political belief. My Buddhist religious belief is that Jewish power and Jewish supremacy is part of the force of Mara in the world.

Oct. 19, 2015

Judy and Des at the BC Human Rights Clinic advised me today at 11:15 am for about 30 min.

Judy advised:

Don’t add any attachments. Record everything that’s been happening. Probably don’t have any case against Harry Abrams. The main respondents are 1) the City of Vancouver (o/u) through the Vancouver Parks Board

2) Capilano U. I didn’t discuss the Burnaby SB. Use Tsewang history. They looked at each other when I described that.

Fill in form and return it to them, 11^th floor. Wait a few weeks to find out if they call me in and it’s a case?

Maybe can be a case. Try them first. Later could try BC Civil Liberties but can call them too.

Can do Labour Relations Board now, yes.

OK to tape record phone calls, yes.

Go after the Association, not a person.

They would take into consideration that both people were from the same organization.

Step 3: Respondent’s Conduct

What happened?

Step 3 part 3. Explain how this led to that.

Step 3: Respondent’s Conduct

Explain sequence of events.

I believe that I am being discriminated against because my views contradict the mainstream generally accepted view on World War II history. This broadly comes under the category of political belief. I also feel that I am being discriminated against because of my views on Jewish power and supremacy in society. This is about my views on truth. For this purpose I can say that this is both my religious belief as well and a political belief.

What happened is that my teaching contracts for Buddhism and meditation courses at four Vancouver community centres were not renewed, days before classes were to begin. I first became aware of this on Sept. 16, 2015 when I received a phone call from Doug Taylor, Recreation Supervisor for Community Centres, with the Vancouver Parks Board. I have an audio recording and a transcript of a call with him. He has since retired. He hired me in 1998 and I taught for 16 years with them. Mr. Taylor explained that the reason for my dismissal was because of “low enrolment” in my courses, over at least the past year. I can prove that that statement is false.

Doug Taylor called me after Mr. Harry Abrams wrote to the Vancouver Parks Board to have me replaced as a teacher. He phoned the day after I phoned Harry Abrams. This is because I have caught the interest of the B’nai Brith because of my YouTube videos criticizing the Jewish influence over our society and I talk about the revisionist history of WW II. There was an Internet article about me on the Georgia Straight newspaper website at straight.com on Aug. 28^Th, 2015. Among the 75 comments from people on that blog was one by Harry Abrams on Sept. 2, who wrote “I have written to the Vancouver parks Board and have asked them to replace this unsavory fellow ASAP.”

When I met with Judy and Des at the Human Rights Clinic on Oct. 19^Th, Judy stated that likely my case, if accepted, will not be against Mr. Harry Abrams nor B’nai Brith, but against this respondent and respondent #2.

Now, my teaching contracts have not been renewed at four community centres, plus three other institutions and I am now effectively unemployed and experiencing financial hardship as a direct result. These community centres where I taught were: False Creek Community Centre, Roundhouse Arts and Recreation Centre, Kitsilano CC and Killarney CC.

I feel that my case deserves special consideration as an issue of free speech in Canada and this case has already been in the media, in print and radio in Canada and the United States.

3. Factor in adverse impact?:

One of my supervisors at the VPB told me in Nov. 2014 that someone phoned to complain about my videos but they didn’t dismiss me then. Now I feel some dejection and have suffered some depression and anxiety. I have some worry about being unemployed at age 55.

For Brian Ruhe’s Human Rights Clinic case:

Attachment 2

STEP 3: RESPONDENT’S CONDUCT

1. What did Respondent 2 do?

Date: 2015/ 07/ 03

Tibetan Buddhist Lama Tsewang, who’s real name is Allan Klarrich gave me a loud and aggressive threatening phone call, on May 12, 2015 which I recorded. He said he was with B’nai Brith and he would contact Capilano University and the School Board to have me removed from my job. He is Jewish. In 1998 he first contacted me for advice since I was successful in adult Ed. with Buddhism courses. We were on good terms and I got to know him, one on one, over a couple of years. We eventually lost contact and in 2014 he left negative comments about me on my YouTube video’s blog, “What is Wrong with Buddhism,” calling me a “fake teacher.” He had a religious sectarian difference with me, regarding Buddhist history and the authenticity of Tibetan Buddhism, since he teaches Tibetan Buddhism and I teach Theravada Buddhism. His comments, which are still there to read, were about history and our sectarian differences. He may have been personally jealous towards me as well because I have always been a more successful teacher than him since we first met and he is ten years older and has been teaching longer than I have. He has had few students ever and he has a difficult personality. I have had about 15,000 students in my classes since 1997.

I phoned my employer, Linda Van der Heide at the Burnaby School Board about June 30 and she surprised me by saying that she was not renewing my fall 2015 teaching contract at the Burnaby School Board “because they wanted to phase out general interest courses in favour of vocational training courses.” I emailed Capilano University on July 2 and I received a phone call on July 3 from Bettina Boyle, Program Manager at Continuing Studies & Executive Education and she explained that they were not renewing my fall contract. It was already too late to rebook elsewhere as it takes three months ahead to plan. She said the reason was because they like to try other instructors even though my “student evaluations and attendance level were good and there were no complaints from the students”. Over two years Cap. U. had progressively increased the cost of my course and my pay, considerably, due to the success of my course, “Mindfulness Meditation for Stress Reduction”. I told Bettina that their reason was because of my YouTube videos. She said she would check. She called back minutes later and said, “Yes. The reason you stated is the reason why your class was cancelled. We have to be very careful about these things.”

Consequently I made an appointment to speak with her supervisor by phone, on July 23, which is recorded and transcribed. She is Karmen Blackwood, Director, Capilano University Continuing Studies & Executive Education. She said the reason is that it is part of their best practices to switch instructors. She did not admit nor deny what Bettina Boyle said to me on July 3 and said there may have been a misunderstanding. She said that they received some complaints about my videos and she refused to tell me who phoned them.

In October on the Anti-Racism Canada website they interviewed Harry Abrams who clarifies that it was Lama Tsewang who contacted Capilano College about me, not him. I conclude that Capilano dropped me because of just one Lama Tsewang who complained about me and he may have called the Burnaby School Board as well, as he said he would. This story has since gone international with the help of Paul Fromm, Director of the Canadian Association for Free Expression who wrote about this in his newsletters and made a YouTube video with me with over 2000 views and about a hundred comments, called, “Capilano University Instructor Fired for Free Speech Videos”. Another video we made is “Free Speech Censored, Another Job Lost”.

Attachment 1

STEP 3: RESPONDENT’S CONDUCT

1. What did Respondent 1 do?

Date: 2015/ 09/ 16

What happened is that my teaching contracts for Buddhism and meditation courses at four Vancouver community centres were not renewed, days before classes were to begin. I first became aware of this on Sept. 16, 2015 when I received a phone call from Doug Taylor, Recreation Supervisor for Community Centres, with the Vancouver Parks Board (VPB). I have an audio recording and a transcript of a call with him. He has since retired. He personally hired me in 1998 and I taught for 17 years with the VPB. Mr. Taylor explained that the reason for my dismissal was because of “low enrolment” in my courses, over at least the past year. I can prove beyond reasonable doubt that that statement is false.

Doug Taylor called me after Mr. Harry Abrams wrote to the Vancouver Parks Board to have me replaced as a teacher. This is because I have caught the interest of the B’nai Brith because of my YouTube videos criticizing the Jewish influence over our society and I talk about the revisionist history of WW II. There was an Internet article about me on the Georgia Straight newspaper website at straight.com on Aug. 28^Th, 2015. Among the 75 comments from people on that blog was one about me by Harry Abrams on Sept. 2, who wrote “I have written to the Vancouver parks Board and have asked them to replace this unsavory fellow ASAP.” I made a polite phone call and spoke with Harry Abrams on Sept. 15 which I recorded and it was transcribed. Doug Taylor phoned me the next day.

When I met with Judy and Des at the Human Rights Clinic on Oct. 19^Th, Judy stated that likely my case, if accepted, will not be against Mr. Harry Abrams nor B’nai Brith, but against this respondent and respondent #2.

Now, my teaching contracts have not been renewed at four community centres, plus three other institutions and I am now effectively unemployed and experiencing financial hardship as a direct result. These community centres where I taught were: False Creek Community Centre, Roundhouse Arts and Recreation Centre, Kitsilano CC and Killarney CC.

My YouTube videos are something I did on my own time, outside of these classes. I did not discuss my truth and political views, nor these religious views in question, in these classes, nor have these employers ever accused me of doing so. They were happy with my work and student feedback was good.

I feel that my case deserves special consideration as an issue of free speech in Canada and this case has already been in the media, in print and radio, in Canada and the United States.

POST 7

VANCOUVER PARKS BOARD FIRES ME FROM TEACHING AT FOUR COMMUNITY CENTRES AFTER BEING CONTACTED BY THE JEWISH ORGANIZATION B’NAI BRITH

Brian Ruhe #104 – 1960 West 7^th Ave. Vancouver, BC V6J 1T1

email: brian@brianruhe.ca Tel. 604-738-8475

Gregor Robertson, Mayor                                                                                              Oct. 23, 2015
3rd Floor, City Hall
453 West 12th Ave
Vancouver, BC

V5Y 1V4

Dear Mayor Robertson,

I am forwarding a copy of my documentation sent to the Vancouver Parks Board.

Thank you,

Brian Ruhe

Brian Ruhe #104 – 1960 West 7^th Ave. Vancouver, BC V6J 1T1

email: brian@brianruhe.ca Tel. 604-738-8475

Park Board Chair John Coupar                                                                                         Oct. 23, 2015

Vancouver Parks Board

2099 Beach Ave.

Vancouver, BC

V6G 1Z4

Dear Mr. Coupar,

I haven’t been able to resolve my matter with the presidents of the Roundhouse Centre and the False Creek Community Centre where I have taught for 16 years, so I am asking for your help. Part of our correspondence is enclosed.

Thank you,

Brian Ruhe

Craig Giles                                                                                                            October, 2015

President

Roundhouse Community Arts & Recreation Society

To: ubergiles@hotmail.com

Dear Mr. Giles,

Thank you for re-sending your e-mail of Sept. 16. You state that the Roundhouse has the right to decide not to contract with me and has no obligation to offer an explanation for that decision.  While that may be technically correct, I find it not only highly ill-mannered and disrespectful to treat someone this way who for many years has provided a service to the community and income for the centre but I also find it highly unusual that you would do so at the last minute with someone with whom you have had a mutually agreeable, long-standing relationship over the span of sixteen years.

I also find it highly unusual that you would cancel my second six week course of November 3 class due to alleged low enrollment at a time when there were still about seven weeks left for prospective participants to register and therefore you had no idea what the enrollment numbers would be. Could you please still run that curse? I have enrollment records for the past several years and while low registration is not uncommon for September classes, once summer is truly over registration increases as people make plans for later in the fall and winter.

Given the above information I’m sure you can see as well as I can that there is no reasonable explanation for your decision and can understand why I am left with no other conclusion than that Mr. Abrams did indeed, as he threatened, ensure that I would not be successful in contracting further with the Roundhouse. I attach a copy of Mr. Abram’s post on the straight.com website plus an interview with him on the Anti Racist Canada website, for your reference.

I realize there is a chain of command within the Vancouver Parks Board structure and decisions are not made in isolation and neither are reasons for those decisions necessarily known by those who give the final orders, but it is obvious to me that regardless of who knows what Mr. Abrams stated, who does not work in any capacity for the City of Vancouver or the Vancouver Parks Board, nevertheless he has substantial influence over the latter’s contracting policies and practices and that is of great concern to me. Since you apparently have no knowledge of Mr. Abram’s influence could you please let me know who might and who else I should contact on this matter?  Thank you for your timely response.

Yours sincerely,

Brian Ruhe

On 2015-10-11 8:06 AM, Giles Vancouver wrote:

Mr. Ruhe,

I have sent my previous email to you at this email address multiple times. I am including it below for your reference.

Yours truly,

Craig Giles

President

Roundhouse Community Arts & Recreation Society

---

From: ubergiles@hotmail.com

To: brian@brianruhe.ca

CC: kristi.douglas@vancouver.ca; navdeep.sidhu@vancouver.ca

Subject: RE: Brian Ruhe’s meditation courses at the Roundhouse

Date: Wed, 16 Sep 2015 13:24:56 -0700

Dear Mr. Ruhe,

Please be advised that no one has told me how to do my job with respect to this matter.  I don’t know any person named Harry Abrams and have never been in communication with him.

You have not been fired as you are not an employee of the Roundhouse.  As you are a contractor we have the right to decide to not contract with you and are not obligated to provide any reason for our decision not to do so. No person had any authority to state that your class was cancelled due to “bad press” and should not have done so, if in fact that was said. I note that there was no signed agreement for your upcoming class in November and we therefore take the position that we are not in breach of any contractual arrangement as there was none in place.

I note as well that your class did not have the enrolment numbers to justify keeping it.

Yours truly,

Craig Giles

President

Roundhouse Community Arts & Recreation Society

---

> To: ubergiles@hotmail.com
> From: brian@brianruhe.ca
> Subject: please resend letter
> Date: Fri, 9 Oct 2015 16:21:45 -0700
>
> Hi Mr. Giles,
>
> Could you please resend the email you sent to me before, regarding my
> classes at the Roundhouse. I have never seen it. Last time you wrote
> that you sent it to me again under cover. I don’t understand what that
> means; can you explain that? I haven’t received it since so can you
> please resend it?
>
> Thank you,
>
> Brian Ruhe

POST 

From: Brian Ruhe [mailto:brian@brianruhe.ca]
Sent: Wednesday, September 23, 2015 10:40 AM
To: False Creek Community Centre
Subject: Brian’s Ruhe’s courses at the False Creek Community Centre

Sept. 23, 2015

Sandra Stevenson

President, False Creek Community Centre Association

1318 Cartwright St.

Vancouver

Dear Ms. Stevenson:

I am writing to you because Doug Taylor suggested that I contact you because

of an issue concerning meditation classes that I have taught at the False Creek

Community Centre for the past seventeen years.

I received a phone call from Doug on September 16 informing me that a class

I was intending to teach starting October 1st has been cancelled due to insufficient

registration in classes I conducted in the past, even though I was never informed

at the time of any such concern and neither was I prevented from teaching those

classes.

Indeed, many of my past classes had a healthy enrollment so I am at a loss to

understand why enrollment is even a factor in the cancellation of the October 1

class fifteen days before it was to begin and given, in addition, that the community

centre paid to advertise it. Even if there had been insufficient enrollment in my

former classes I see nothing in the Letter of Agreement stating anything about

this being grounds for cancelling future classes.

The success of community centres is due in large part to classes offered to the

public and now not only will a course that has been offered for many years not

be available, after three months of planning for the term I am facing a significant

loss of income and perhaps a loss of reputation, both of which are of great concern

to me.

I would very much appreciate it if you could look into this matter and let me know

at your earliest convenience if the cancellation of my class due to past enrollment

is consistent with your policy.

Thank you,

Brian Ruhe

Subject:	RE: Brian’s Ruhe’s courses at the False Creek Community Centre
Date:	Thu, 1 Oct 2015 16:39:22 +0000
From:	False Creek Community Centre <FalseCreek.CommunityCentre@vancouver.ca>
To:	Brian Ruhe <brian@brianruhe.ca>

Dear Brian,

I can provide you with the following clarification on the cancellation of your classes for this term. Over the summer, board and staff have reviewed several processes related to contractors. This includes but is not limited to: revision of contracts to  collect information for submission of T4A information to Revenue Canada, signing of all contracts by association signing authorities instead of staff only and review of historical patterns for class enrolment. Written policies are being approved by our committees and board. Programmers are being instructed to keep more detailed historical records of participant levels and patterns of cancellation to share with the association. An overall review of programs is important in order that budget expectations are meant & available community space meets the needs of community patrons.

As a result of the work outlined above staff have been tasked we contacting contractors about executive decisions relating to course & event cancellations. You are one of three contractors impacted this term. I trust you understand our business decision. Over the years, the majority of your classes have been cancelled which must be disappointing to you as well.

Sincerely,

Sandra Stevenson, President-False Creek Community Association

Letter to Doug Taylor                                                                         Sept. 18, 2015

Recreation Director

Vancouver Parks Board

Hi Doug,

I want to follow up on your phone to me call of Sept. 16th. I guess I sounded disappointed when you said my fall 2015 courses were canceled at the False Creek and the Kitsilano Community Centres because of low registration. You stated that the registration has been low over the past year and that my supervisor Jo Grave, should not even have booked my courses there over the past year. I don’t understand this so can you explain it more clearly? I think we did have enough people in the fall and winter terms which are usually the best attended.

Why did you cancel my October courses on Sept. 16th when there is still two weeks to promote the courses? I haven’t even posted them yet on my own brianuhe.ca website nor on the four Meetup sites I use for advertising. I believe we could easily have enough people to make the October course/s successful. Since both community Centres have gone to the expense and trouble to print my courses in the fall program why don’t you wait and see if the registration is too low instead of canceling two weeks in advance? I don’t understand this so can you explain this?

I have taught at the False Creek Community Centre since you hired me there 17 years ago in 1998. Your actions now contradict the usual policies we have had in place for all these years so is there another reason for canceling my courses? I think there are other outside reasons why you are doing this so I want to ask if that is the case and what they are.

Please let me know.
Thank you kindly Doug,

Brian Ruhe

Doug Taylor retired as the Director of Recreation for the Vancouver Community Centres. He hired me in 1997 to teach at the False Creek Community Centre and we had a good relationship until this phone call, below. He called and then I phoned him back and this is what Doug Taylor and I said.

Doug Taylor, September 16^th, 2015 Phone Conversation with Brian Ruhe

Vancouver Parks Board

BR: I, I uh, just want to get back to the, uh, the Falls Creek Community because it didn’t make sense to me, because there was enough enrollment, and also the fall is the biggest season of the year. And they’ve already gone to print with the, uh, program and because I do my own advertising so I’m sure, we’ll, we’ll get enough people.

DT: Uh, based on registration right now, it’s three, zero. And, uh, when I looked at sixteen previous classes over, I think, the last few years, only three of them minimum.

BR: But, I mean, we haven’t even done the one in October yet. I meant, we would at easily get enough people to…

DT: What I’m saying, three minimum in the last few years, so… (inaudible as he continues on)

BR: Why did they book it? Why did they book it last winter… (Doug Taylor continues on-inaudibly-)

but why did they book last winter and last spring? Last fall?

DT: Well, all the programmers probably shouldn’t have been, so…

BR: No. But we’ve had enough people, so that’s not true. Especially the fall we’ll get enough.

You’ve already booked the room, and you’ve printed it in your program, so you might as well run it for the fall. Besides, I’ve planned this for the fall, so I can’t do anything else on those weeknights.

DT: Well, I… I’m just following the directions of the associations based on the… (inaudible)

BR: Well, where did the direction come from? Why did they make that decision?

DT: Um, they asked about the registration numbers and that’s it. (Inaudible)

BR: Yeah, but who asked? What was the reason? Who, who caused them to ask?

DT: Um, they uh, they just asked, asked me. But I don’t know why, so.

BR: You’re talking about the Falls Creek Community Centre courses, now, right?

DT: Yeah. (Inaudible)

BR: Am I at Kits (?) still gonna… (inaudible)

DT: (inaudible) both of them, right?

BR: You mean the Kits (?) the community centre…?

DT: I mean, both of them have been in low registration, historically.

BR: Well, I haven’t even taught the Kits in two years! So I’m coming back with it. This is a new course.

DT: Well, I see uh, a number of programs have been offered by you. Between the two centres, I, I went through twenty-nine programs.

BR: Yeah, but I haven’t been teaching at Kits for the last couple of years.

DT: (inaudible)

BR: So you’re saying the reason is because the registration was LOW?

DT: Yeah. And the historical ones have been low too.

BR: Yeah, but we had enough last winter and last spring.

DT: There was one session that was uh, a significant amount of people, and I think that was last winter.

And the spring, uh… (inaudible)

BR: Yeah, but last fall was good. What about your records for last fall? At the Falls Creek community centre?

DT: Well, uh, the last sixteen classes I looked at Falls Creek had only three minimum.

BR: But the fall is the best term of the year, and this is the fall.

DT: Yeah and with the classes, and there’s only three minimum.

BR: Yeah, but in the fall, this is the fall. Why don’t we run it for the fall?

DT: There’s been sixteen over the few years, and the fall, winter, spring, for the whole year, so.

BR: Yeah but they haven’t lost money, the community centres makes money on it. It wasn’t a mistake. Are you saying it’s a mistake for them to run it the last two years?

DT: Um, I guess so.

BR: Well, how can you, be, uh…?

DT: It was supposed to meet minimum, our programs, so we shouldn’t have this many classes, either run below minimum, or cancelled, so.

BR: Yeah, but yesterday I talked to Harry Abrams in Victoria.

DT: Um-hm.

BR: He’s with B’nai Brith, which is a Jewish masonic organization. He wrote, on the Georgia Straight blog, that he was going to write to the Parks Board in Vancouver and have me fired from my job teaching at the community centre.

DT: Okay, I’m not sure I know about that, well…

BR: Well, you can read it on the Georgia Straight blog, it was August 28^th, article from the Georgia Straight. It’s on their website, not in the printed magazine. And there were 75 comments, and this is from Harry Abrams. He’s a Jewish fellow in Victoria, and he’s one of the lead personalities in B’nai Brith, which is a Jewish organization here in British Columbia.

DT: Okay…

BR: So, why are you now calling about registration? Weren’t, weren’t, you contacted by Harry Abrams at B’nai Brith?

DT: Um, no. I was asked to check your registration by the association.

BR: So who asked you, then?

DT: Brian, low registrations, we’re not supposed to be running programs.

BR: This is not low registration, this is about freedom of speech in Canada. They fired me from my job because of my YouTube videos. I make Youtube videos challenging Jewish supremacy, questioning 20^th century history. This is a bigger fundamental issue of freedom in Canada. This is about freedom of speech. This has nothing to do with what I teach; I teach meditation. I’ve been fired for what I do off-the-job, on my own time, as a volunteer on YouTube. It’s a violation of freedom of speech in Canada. This is what you’re involved in, Doug Taylor.

DT: Oh hey, if that’s what you feel, then…that’s up to you, but uh, I’m talking about registration, not about that.

BR: Well, that’s not true! That’s not the reason why you’re…

DT: Well, yeah it is! If I see three out of six, sixteen classes, minimum…

BR: I don’t believe you! I’m not being fired because of registration! I’m being fired because of my YouTube videos. Don’t you know that? Aren’t you aware of my YouTube videos, Doug?

DT: Well. I’ve heard of them, but I haven’t followed that piece.

BR: Well, what have you heard?

DT: I just heard that you had them, so.

BR: So what have you heard ABOUT my Youtube videos?

DT: Brian, as I’ve, I’ve, I’ve, as I’ve said, this association program, not mine…

BR: This could be bad, bad publicity for the community centres and for you, personally. There’s already a YouTube video about me getting fired from Capilano University, so that’s the story in Georgia Straight. It’s gotten over 2000 hits, and it’s bad publicity for Capilano University. So what about the Falls Creek Community Centre? I’ve been teaching there for 16 years. What about you, Doug Taylor? What about your reputation? Do you want to talk about that?

DT: It sounds like you’re threatening me now, Brian.

BR: No, no, it’s not a threat!

DT: We don’t need to have this conversation.

BR: Well, we do need to have this conversation because this is my job, I’ve been teaching there for sixteen years. We do need to have this conversation because this is my job and we’re already booked for this fall.

DT: And you’ve had no registrations now and you’ve had three out of sixteen…(inaudible)

BR: The course, the course hasn’t even started for a few… I haven’t even started advertising myself yet.

DT: (Inaudible) You haven’t got those numbers…

BR: That’s not true! That’s not true! I have had the numbers. That’s not the reason… Why don’t you just admit the truth, about the reason you’re cancelling my courses because of my Youtube videos? Why don’t you tell the truth, Doug?

DT: Because that’s not why I’m doing this.

BR: Well, then somebody told you to do it.

DT: I’m just passing a message onto you.

BR: Then who, who, who, who are you passing the message from? Who gave you the message, Doug?

DT: I told you! The association! Okay, Brian…

BR: Give me a name. Give me the name of the association! Give me a name!

DT: I’ve told you, I’ve told you the information. I gave you two names!

BR: Okay, I’ll contact Sandra Stevenson, I’ll talk to Robert Haines!

DT: Yes, Robert Haines and Sandra Stevenson.

BR: Yes, so I’ll phone them, then.

DT: (Inaudible) Letters to them, whichever, so.

BR: Okay. Thank you.

DT: Okay, thanks. Okay, bye-bye.

BR: Bye.

BR: So, there you have it. That was the talk with Doug Taylor. I’ve known him for years! He hired me in 1997 there. I’ve known him for 18 years. He’s been my program coordinator at the Falls Creek Community Centre. And you just heard his call. He didn’t admit the true reason. So there we go. That, that was the talk. So today is Wednesday September 16^th, 2015. At 2:24 pm. And I’m Brian Ruhe.

Email to Craig Giles                                                                                                                          Sept. 15, 2015

President Roundhouse Community and Arts Centre

Dear Mr. Giles,

Kristi Douglas phoned me on Sept. 14 and she said that the Roundhouse has terminated my teaching contract. She said I could contact you about it. I think this is wrong and ask that you reinstate my contract. Kristi said that the reason is because of the bad press I received from the Georgia Straight article published about me on Aug. 28^th on their website. It was not in their newspaper.

I have been in the press several times and these things are a flash in the pan and it dies down within days, as this did. There were 75 comments about the article on the Straight website and one was by Harry Abrams in Victoria. He stated that he wrote to the Parks Board to get me fired from my teaching positions. I phoned Harry Abrams today and he said, “I don’t think you’re qualified to teach.”

As the president of the association you are in a leadership position in our community and it doesn’t make sense that someone in Victoria should tell you how to do your job. Were you under pressure from any quarters to fire me? Did City Manager Penny Ballem have anything to do with this?

I have taught meditation for 16 years at the Roundhouse since 1999 with over 1000 people taking my classes there in groups from 5 to 25. I’ve always enjoyed working with the staff and have had a very good relationship with them all these years. I have booked Tuesday nights here and now it’s too late to work somewhere else for the fall term.

This is a larger issue of freedom of speech in Canada. I was fired for using my freedom of speech in my YouTube videos where I talk about truth search themes about geopolitical power in the world and 20^th century history. I didn’t discuss these views in my meditation classes, I was not accused of doing so and there were no complaints from the students in my classes. I feel that I am showing a high moral standard by speaking out for the benefit of humanity. Our country was founded on the fundamental principle of freedom of speech and our forefathers fought for the freedoms the you and I have today. You are in a leadership position so I ask you to consider this and write back to me with your thoughts on this please.

Thank you kindly,

Brian Ruhe

brianruhe.ca

POST 6

HAROLD ABRAMS FROM THE JEWISH ORGANIZATION B’NAI BRITH CONTACTS THE VANCOUVER PARKS BOARD TO HAVE BRIAN RUHE FIRED FROM TEACHING

Harry Abrams of B’nai Brith comments about Brian Ruhe at:

The Georgia Straight website at straight.com posted a story about Brian Ruhe on Aug.28, 2015 and in the comments, Harry Abrams posted this comment of Sept. 2, 2015 at 10:04 am:

There are a number of professions that do not tolerate extreme “conduct unbecoming” in an employee, contractor or practitioner, especially once it becomes public. Even if it was determined that Mr. Ruhe is mentally competent, it does not excuse his wild pronouncements against Jews, Gays or others and certainly disqualifies him as a teacher in any capacity you’d care to name. I have written to the Vancouver parks Board and have asked them to replace this unsavory fellow ASAP. According to Ruhe’s own postings, his Capilano teaching gig was discontinued soon after an important local Buddhist official complained to them too. Also worrying are his associations with white supremacist leaders like Paul Fromm, who himself was disqualified from teaching in Ontario for neo-Nazi racial activism.

Later, on Oct. 3, 2015 there was post on the website Anti-Racist Canada at: http://anti-racistcanada.blogspot.com/

They interview Harry Abrams and at the end of several pages there is this statement:

UPDATE: Mr. Abrams contacted us with the following clarification:

I wasn’t in touch with Capilano College. That was a Vancouver-based Lama Tsewang. 

I was in touch with the Vancouver Parks Board for whom Brian taught in four downtown Vancouver community centres. Now past tense. I’m quite sure that mine was not the only complaint, though.

Posted by Nosferatu200 at 18:51

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Harry Abrams Conversation with Brian Ruhe, Sept. 15, 2015

Harry Abrams

Director at B’nai Brith

Victoria, BC

BR: Okay…try again. This is Tuesday September 15 at 1:35 pm. And I’m calling Harry Abrams of B’nai Brith in Victoria. Got his phone number here, it’s, um… 1-250-386-6246. He has a company called “High Rise Advertising.” I just watched his videos about it. I’m calling him now on speakerphone.

(phone dial ringing)

BR: Here he goes.

(phone ringing)

HA: High Rise, good afternoon!

BR: Well, hi! Is that Harry Abrams?

HA: It sure is.

BR: Well, hi! Um, I wanted to give you a call. My name’s, my name is Brian Ruhe in Vancouver. Um, you, you know, you wrote a comment about me. I was in the news in the Georgia Straight on, uh, and they did a story on my two weeks ago. And you objected to it; I can understand. But, but you wrote a comment there that you wanted to write to me. You know, the part where you’re getting me fired… I teach mindfulness meditation courses at the community centre here. I thought I’d just give you a call like a real human being, and uh, I just thought I’d call, and, about that, heh heh.

HA: Well. Uh. (clears throat) I don’t think you, I don’t think you qualify to be a teacher.

BR: Well I can understand…No, I can understand you’re upset, you know, uh. You’re Jewish and so we have different views. You left a comment on the Georgia Straight website, right? And. And uh, and I just thought you did a make a mistake there. You said there was a respected Buddhist teacher who objected to… This is Lama Tsewang who’s Jewish. He’s a, he’s a Tibetan Buddhist teacher but um, he has a sectarian difference with me. He’s a Tibetan and I am a Theravadin in the Thai tradition. And he’s known me since 1998, for 17 years. He’s a bit jealous of my success. Like, it’s a personal jealousy thing, like I’m more successful then him but I’m a junior teacher. He’s in his mid-60s, he’s been around for about 40 years.

He’s not successful. He doesn’t have any students; he’s worked as a janitor and he has his own Buddhist centre in his house in Delta. So he made a complaint about me and he made a negative phone call, so I can understand…maybe he had wrong information, you think, you know…mention another respected Buddhist teacher in Vancouver. But he’s NOT a respected Buddhist teacher. He’s regarded as something a bit of a buffoon, like he doesn’t have good interpersonal skills. He’s, he’s almost comic in the way he’s a little bit brash, and rude to people. So I just wanted to let you know about that, you know.

Heheh, um, I object to you doing that, but it doesn’t seem fair though, though…that

Woman’s voice: your call cannot be completed as dialed. Please check the area code and number before trying again. Or dial 411 for directory assistance.

BR: Well. I’ll try again. So he did admit then, that, that he, he sent it, the…so. Looks like he did admit that he DID make that post. THAT was my purpose, in making sure that no one else used the name “Harry Abrams”. So he says, “I don’t think you should be teaching”. That obviously admits, he obviously admits that he made that post. That’s, that’s successful in that. But because we got cut off, I’ll finish the call.

(Dials on speakerphone)

(phone rings)

Answering Machine: Thank you for calling High Rise Advertising. We’re not here to take your call; I’ll be sure to call you back as soon as possible. My cell phone is 250-920-6828. Thank you for leaving a message.

BR: OH hi, Harry, it’s Brian Ruhe calling back. Seems we got, uh, cut off, or the line got cut off, or you hung up, I’m not sure. Maybe you don’t want to talk. But I can understand that. But, uh. I am just being a nice guy, and I’m not really emotional about this. I’m not really upset. I understand these things happen when they get in the media. It’d be nice if you could write back to the Parks, Parks Board and say you’ve changed your mind. You don’t think I should be fired. But that’s up to you. Uh, that’s about all I had to say. You’re certainly welcome to call me back on my phone in Vancouver. I’m at 604-738-8475. Okay. Thank you.

So that was my call. So he’d left his cell number as well. Ha ha! So why don’t I try his cell! OK, now I will try his cell.

WOW! He said “I don’t think you should be teaching!” Wow! So he seemed a bit nervous that I called him, you know? Whoo! Heh heh heh. OK, now I’m calling his cell. (coughs) Okay, here we go:

Phone rings.

Woman’s voice: You just dialed a number that isn’t in use. Please check your directory, or dial “0” for assistance. Thank you for…

BR: Hmmm. 920…maybe it’s not 250. Maybe it’s 778? We”ll see. Um. 778-920-68… yeah. Hm. Let’s try 604.

(Presses keypads)

Woman’s voice: the number you have dialed is not in service.

BR: Oh, oh, Hi Harry. Oh hey, there’s no problem, I’m not giving you a hard time, I just thought I’d talk to you. I’m what?

HA: Here’s the deal.

BR: Yeah?

HA: I’m going to be calling the Vancouver City Police. And I’m going to be laying a complaint about you. And I don’t want you harassing me.

BR: I’m not harassing you. I’m just giving you a call, I mean. I’m actually being nice. I’m being nice. And I’m not giving you a hard time. I just want to make sure that you’re the one that made the posting, that someone wasn’t just using your name. I don’t want to you be falsely accused. If that’s… ‘cause someone, anyone can write their name in the Georgia Straight saying, “I’m Harry Abrams”, right? So I’m just clarifying that if you would, uh, made the posting in the Georgia Straight. I’m not harassing you. You have the right to complain; have different views. I’m actually just trying to be a nice guy, just communicate with you, you know?

HA: Well, I don’t need this. So, uh, any more calls from now, I’m going to make this complaint with the police.

BR: Well, I won’t call you.

HA: Any more of this, any more of this approaching me…

BR: That’s fine, no, I won’t call you. If you ask me not to call you, that’s fine. I won’t call you, that’s no problem. You don’t have to call the police. Don’t worry, I’m not, gonna, I don’t…

HA: I’m calling the police.

BR: I won’t call you back, that’s fine.

HA: Yeah, well, I’m putting in the complaint right now.

BR: Well, that’s not necessary, you know. OK, that’s fine. Bye.

(hangs up phone. Phone beeps.)

BR: Wow, you heard that.

HARRY ABRAMS OF B’NAI BRITH IN VICTORIA, BC COMMENTS ON BRIAN RUHE

The Georgia Straight website at straight.com posted a story about Brian Ruhe on Aug.28, 2015 and in the comments, Harry Abrams posted this comment and more on Sept. 2, 2015 at 10:04 am:

“I have written to the Vancouver parks Board and have asked them to replace this unsavory fellow ASAP.”

I phoned Harry Abrams and recorded and transcribed our phone call. He admits that he contacted the Vancouver Parks Board to get me fired.

Then, on Sept. 16^th I received a phone call from Doug Taylor, supervisor of the Community Centres, that my courses were cancelled because of “low enrolment” which is a provably false statement. He does not admit that it was because the influential Harry Abrams wrote to them about me.

On Oct. 4^Th, 2015 Harry Abrams comments again about Brian Ruhe on the Anti-Racist Canada website at:

http://anti-racistcanada.blogspot.ca/2015/10/the-company-he-keeps-meet-fromms-new.html#more

Harry Abrams states in the above posting, “And because this is not an immediate police bust, he potentially attracts emulation. But it’s important. to show that (Ruhe), like Fromm and all of these other supposed “leaders” need to be socially and economically marginalized for moral turpitude and misconduct, even if it didn’t happen right in the workplace. That’s just as important as disciplining miscreant teachers for sexual, psychological or physical abuse in my view. Obviously teachers like everyone else deserve peaceful private lives, and it should take a real ugly exception to deserve action.”

He also states in that same article:

UPDATE: Mr. Abrams contacted us with the following clarification:
I wasn’t in touch with Capilano College. That was a Vancouver-based Lama Tsewang.

Police call                                                                                                                                 Oct. 23, 2015

Constable Deep Atwal from the Saanich Police Dept. (near Victoria, BC) called me about 11:45 am Oct. 23, 2015 to say roughly, that I could be charged with harassment if I contact Harold Abrams. If someone says that don’t want you to contact him and you still contact them it could be grounds for a harassment charge. This doesn’t end with this phone call. So he was warning me. He read the emails.

I accepted his advice and said that I won’t be contacting him. He said I didn’t have to talk to him but I said it’s OK, I don’t mind talking to him. He gave me his contact info.

File # 2015-23538

Tel. 250-475-4321

He asked if it was just Mr. Abrams who contacted the Parks Board and I said yes.

Cons. Atwal said he heard the phone call so that means that either Harry recorded it or he heard the recording that I made.

POST 5

CAPILANO UNIVERSITY DROPPED MY TEACHING CONTRACT BECAUSE OF A CALL FROM THE JEWISH ORGANIZATION B’NAT BRITH

Karmen Blackwood Oct. 23, 2015

Director, Capilano University Continuing Studies & Executive Education

Capilano University, North Vancouver, BC

V7J 3H5

Hi Karmen,

I want to give you more background about the conditions where you decided not to renew my teaching contact with Capilano U. Contining Ed. for your course, “Mindfulness Meditation for Stress Reduction”.

Tibetan Buddhist Lama Tsewang, who’s real name is Allan Klarreich gave me a loud and aggressive threatening phone call, on May 12, 2015 which I recorded. He said he was with B’nai Brith and he would contact Capilano University to have me removed from my job. He is Jewish. In 1998 he first contacted me for advice since I was successful in adult Ed. with Buddhism courses. We were on good terms and I got to know him, one on one, over a couple of years. We eventually lost contact and in 2014 he left negative comments about me on my YouTube video’s blog, “What is Wrong with Buddhism,” calling me a “fake teacher.” He had a religious sectarian difference with me, regarding Buddhist history and the authenticity of Tibetan Buddhism, since he teaches Tibetan Buddhism and I teach Theravada Buddhism. His comments, which are still there to read, were about history and our sectarian differences. He may have been personally jealous towards me as well because I have always been a more successful teacher than him since we first met and he is ten years older and has been teaching longer than I have. He has had few students ever and he has a difficult personality. I have had about 15,000 students in my classes since 1997.

I emailed Capilano University on July 2 and I received a phone call on July 3 from Bettina Boyle, Program Manager at Continuing Studies & Executive Education and she explained that they were not renewing my fall contract. It was already too late to rebook elsewhere as it takes three months ahead to plan. She said the reason was because they like to try other instructors even though my “student evaluations and attendance level were good and there were no complaints from the students”. Over two years Cap. U. had progressively increased the cost of my course and my pay, considerably, due to the success of my course, “Mindfulness Meditation for Stress Reduction”. I told Bettina that their reason was because of my YouTube videos. She said she would check. She called back minutes later and said, “Yes. The reason you stated is the reason why your class was cancelled. We have to be very careful about these things.”

Consequently I made an appointment to speak with you by phone, on July 23 as you are the Director, Capilano University Continuing Studies & Executive Education. You said the reason is that it is part of your best practices to switch instructors. You did not admit nor deny what Bettina Boyle said to me on July 3 and you said there may have been a misunderstanding. You said that they received some complaints about my videos and you refused to tell me who phoned you but I know it was Lama Tsewang.

This is unfair, which is why I am enclosing the documents.

Sincerely,

Brian Ruhe

Brian Ruhe fired from Capilano University, told July 3, 2015

Capilano University

2055 Purcell Way
North Vancouver, British Columbia
Canada V7J 3H5

On Thursday July 23, 2015 I had an appointment to phone Karmen Blackwood, BA, DULE, MBA

Director, Continuing Studies & Executive Education

Capilano University

We spoke for 4:30 minutes. We exchanged greetings and

Karmen said: “I’m here with Bettina Boyle.” As background, on Friday July 3, I spoke on the phone with Bettina Boyle at Capilano University. She is the Program Manager at Continuing Studies & Executive Education. In this call we’re referring to my previous telephone conversation with Bettina.

Next, Karen explained:

Basically if you read this contract that you signed with us on Jan. 23 it expresses the nature of our relationship. You’re a contractor. You’re not actually an employee so you haven’t been dismissed from the university by any means. In continuing studies it’s always a good practice to bring in new instructors into the fold and we don’t have an obligation to continue working with any instructor. It’s part of our best practices to change it up and bring in new people so really that’s what’s happening right now.

Brian: Yeah, I understand that I’m just a contract employee. I’m not a professor; I’m not a tenured professor, it’s just that the reason why I was dismissed is because my YouTube videos are controversial. I get into free speech issues and that was the reason.

Karmen: That’s not the reason.

Brian: But actually Bettina said, Bettina phoned me back five minutes later and she said that yes, the reason that you described was the reason why you were dismissed.

Karmen: Well, there might have been a misunderstanding. Bettina, it’s not her fault. I mean yes, I have told her that we’re aware of those videos because it has been brought to a number of our attention here on the team a while ago but this is not the reason. We’re talking strictly about making changes to our portfolio.

Brian: Well, Bettina admitted that the reason was because, I said the real reason was because people complained and then she said, “I’ll check” and she phoned back five minutes later and she said “Yes. The reason you described was the reason why you were dismissed.”

Karmen: OK. There might have been some misunderstanding. I don’t think it’s anyone’s fault on this side because yes, I have told her we’re aware of the videos because she asked me explicitly about that because you asked her. So, I didn’t want to put her in an uncomfortable situation and I want to take her out of that and address it with you directly.

Brian: Yes, I realize that you’re taking responsibility for that but do you admit that was the real reason.

Karmen: No I do not and I will not. The reason is we have every right and we don’t have to make explanations for making changes to our portfolio.

Brian: Yeah, that’s true, but it is the reason.

Karmen: No it’s not and I’m not saying it’s the reason.

Brian: Well, I taught there a couple of years and the class evaluations were good. The attendance was good and the college was certainly making money off my courses. It was going well so there’s no other reason to dismiss the course and hire another instructor.

Karmen: The reason is we do that as part of our practices.

Brian: But it’s not logical; I’ve only been there a couple of years so it’s not logical to hire another teacher for this course.

Karmen: I’m not going to sit here and listen and have you question my logic so I think we’ll just end this conversation here. The reason, there’s no reason. It’s just part of our best practices.

Brian: Well, I don’t believe you. I believe Bettina told me the truth and I don’t believe you.

Karmen: Well, I don’t care what you believe, actually, with all due respect. I’m telling you what I’m telling you. There’s no reason. I’m not talking about your videos. I’m not here to talk about your videos. Your videos have nothing to due with our decision. I’m talking about our right to bring in new instructors when we want to.

Brian: Well, you do have that right. I realize that the contract was… I was a contractor. I realize that but I’m just thinking of the sacred academic principle of intellectual freedom, that I wasn’t discussing these sensitive things in my classes. It wasn’t a part of my classes.

Karmen: I’ve just made it really, really clear. I’m not talking about your videos. They have nothing to do with our decision. OK? I’ve just said that.

Brian: Well, who was complaining about my videos?

Karmen: I’m going to end the conversation Brian. I wish you a really nice day…

Brian: Well, don’t I have the right to ask who was complaining about my videos?

Karmen: Nope.

Brian: Well, I can ask.

Karmen: Yeah and I can not answer.

Brian: That’s true, OK.

Karmen: OK? So have a nice day.

Brian: You too.

Karmen: OK, bye bye.

Brian: Goodbye.

End

I emailed:                                              July 17, 2015

Bettina Boyle                                                              

Program Manager Continuing Studies & Executive Education

Capilano University

Hi Bettina,

It has been two weeks since we talked on the phone on July 3^rd and I wanted to get back to you since you said that the decision to dismiss me from teaching the Mindfulness Meditation course at Capilano University was made few months ago, before you worked in your position. I would like to ask you to reconsider and reinstate my position or if it’s not your decision to make, can you refer me to who made the decision and who I should ask? I would like to make the request to them, please.

When we spoke on the phone, I said that I believed that the reason was I was dropped was because of my YouTube videos which are an expression of my freedom of speech about history and politics but I do not teach those controversial topics in my course at Capilano. You said you would check if there was another reason and call me back. You called back about five minutes later and admitted that the University did receive complaints about my YouTube videos and that the reason I described was the reason why I was dropped. You said they had to be really careful about these things.

I would like Capilano University to reconsider this because of the principle of intellectual freedom, as I don’t discuss such sensitive subjects in my Mindfulness Meditation courses.

Thank you very much,

Brian Ruhe

On Friday July 3, 2015, I spoke on the phone at 3:20 pm with Bettina Boyle. She called me at 11:05 am after I emailed her to inquire about booking my course for the fall term at Capilano University in North Vancouver. She hadn’t talked to me before since she’s just been on this job for two months as the Program Manager at Continuing Studies & Executive Education. She said that she understood that I have been teaching there for years and they are trying different courses and they still will have a meditation course. But they are dropping me and trying other instructors but will keep me on file in case there is more demand. She said the evaluations of my courses were good and the attendance was good.

So, I said that didn’t make sense; if my evaluations were good then they should keep me. That’s what the other institutions have done. She sounded unsure of herself and said they decided on this a few months ago when this decision was made before she came. I said if they decided a few months ago they should have told me so I could make plans for the fall. Now it’s too late to plan for the fall. I said she could keep me for the fall and then get someone else for the winter.

Then she said they will get someone else for the fall and maybe they could consider me for the winter. I said that didn’t make sense, because there is so little time, they should keep me for the fall since there’s no time now. They should have told me this months ago if they already knew they were dropping me, I said.

I said I believed that the real reason was because of my YouTube videos as I talk about Jewish supremacy and revisionist history. She said she would check if there was another reason and call me back. She called back about five minutes later and admitted that they did have complaints and the reason I described was the reason why I was dropped, she said. She said they had to be really careful about these things. (So she lied initially.) I said I felt this is a free speech issue so what they’re doing isn’t right. She wouldn’t change her decision so I said I will challenge this. I have over 500 YouTube videos and I could make a video about this, I told her. She said I have the right to do that. I said I understand that, and I asked if that was all? It was, so we finished the conversation and then hung up.

She initially lied to me but then she did admit the real reason.

On 7/2/2015 4:00 PM, Brian Ruhe wrote:

Thank you kindly!
Brian

On 7/2/2015 3:33 PM, Marcela De la Pena wrote:

Bettina H Boyle<bettinaboyle@capilanou.ca>

Hi Brian:
The Fall programming is being done by Bettina Boyle, the new Program Manager at Continuing Studies & Executive Education.
I’m copying her in this email so she can contact you.
Regards,

Marcela de la Pena
Programs Assistant
Continuing Studies & Executive Education
Capilano University

e. marceladelapena@capilanou.ca
ph. 604-983-7558
f. 604-984-4901

www.capilano.ca/csee

—–Original Message—–
From: Brian Ruhe [mailto:brian@brianruhe.ca]
Sent: Thursday, July 02, 2015 3:14 PM
To: Marcela De la Pena
Subject: fall term at Capilano U

Hi Marcela,

I’m planning my fall term and want to teach the Mindfulness Meditation course again on a Saturday. Are you planning the fall term now?
If so, which Saturday would you like to have the course on?
Please let me know, thanks.
Brian Ruhe

POST 4

THREATENING PHONE CALL FROM A JEW, LAMA TSEWANG, CLAIMING TO BE A MEMBER OF B’NAI BRITH

May 14, 2015

Threatening Phone Call May 12, 2015

A man I’ve known phoned me Tuesday and threatened me. The recording is attached. You can listen. He is a Jew and a Canadian Buddhist Tibetan Buddhist lama named Lama Tsewang. His real name is Allen Klarreich and his website is www.bc-vinaya.com . He calls me a fascist and is upset that I hosted Paul Fromm who is a long time free speech activist. I’m happy I did. The YouTube video I made of Paul Fromm is at this link:

Lama Tsewang at:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3UywDojlL5k

Thank you for your interest in the BC-Vinaya. We are located at:

11815 82 Avenue

Delta, BC V4C 2C6

You can contact us by phone at: (604)518-4047; or,

Send us an email by using the form below.

sukha@bccnet.com May 12, 2015

Hi there Ven. Sukha,

It was good of you to have a long talk with me today on the phone. I appreciate your openness and fair-mindedness. Lama Tsewong is unhappy with me and my YouTube videos, especially the one where I interviewed Paul Fromm on May 3, 2105 at this link:

Canada Becoming a Police State?! Stop Bill C-51!

I promised I would email you some attachments about the Holocaust and the revisionist history of Adolf Hitler and National Social Germany. Those are attached for you here.

If you have time to study some of these sources it can lead to a paradigm shift in your thinking! That’s what happened to me a few years ago. We have all been lied to about WW II history, all of our lives. So I can understand Lama Tsewang honestly believing that I am in the wrong, especially since he is Jewish. I have metta for him and I would be happy to meet with him and talk some more about this. You too!

Thanks for your understanding Venerable Sukha.
With metta,
Brian Ruhe
—
Brian Ruhe author of | A Short Walk On An Ancient Path
|and Freeing the Buddha www.brianruhe.ca | brian@brianruhe.ca
youtube.com/user/BrianRuhe  c. 778-232-2282   hm. 604-738-8475

May 12, 2015

dorje@home.com correct? Sent on his website email as well.

Hi Lama Tsewang,

I just discovered that I have your email address on my computer. Is this still your correct email address? Below is the email I sent to Ven. Sukha. I wanted to call you back but I talked with him. I can understand you being upset, as I write below. You can call me or meet with me if you like. We could even do a YouTube video together! If you like we could have a discussion or debate on these issues and post it on YouTube. That would be cool. What do you think?
With metta,
Brian…

——– Forwarded Message ——–

Subject:	Hi Ven. Sukha
Date:	Tue, 12 May 2015 16:26:14 -0700
From:	Brian Ruhe <brian@brianruhe.ca>
To:	Ven. Sukh <sukha@bccnet.com>

Hi there Ven. Sukha,

It was good of you to have a long talk with me today on the phone. I appreciate your openness and fair-mindedness. Lama Tsewang is unhappy with me and my YouTube videos, especially the one where I interviewed Paul Fromm on May 3, 2105 at this link:

Canada Becoming a Police State?! Stop Bill C-51!

I promised you would email you some attachments about the Holocaust and the revisionist history of Adolf Hitler and National Social Germany. Those are attached for you here.

If you have time to study some of these sources it can lead to a paradigm shift in your thinking! That’s what happened to me a few years ago. We have all been lied to about WW II history, all of our lives. So I can understand Lama Tsewang honestly believing that I am in the wrong, especially since he is Jewish. I have metta for him and I would be happy to meet with him and talk some more about this. You too!

Thanks for your understanding Venerable Sukha.
With metta,
Brian Ruhe
—
Brian Ruhe author of | A Short Walk On An Ancient Path
|and Freeing the Buddha www.brianruhe.ca | brian@brianruhe.ca
youtube.com/user/BrianRuhe  c. 778-232-2282   hm. 604-738-8475

POST 3

Rosemary Heights Retreat Centre: rhrc@rosemaryheights.com                                         May 10, 2015

RE: – Booking Enquiry

Hello Brian,

We have reviewed the material in your website and find that it is not a fit for our centre.

We wish you well on your journey and thank you for your interest in holding a retreat at our centre.

Sincerely in Christ,

Mario

NOTE: Our new Postal Code is V3Z 0L3. Please update your records accordingly. Thank you.

	Mario Ylanan
	Administrative Assistant, Marketing and Program Coordination Rosemary Heights Retreat Centre www.rosemaryheights.com
	Archdiocese of Vancouver
	3690 152nd Street
	Surrey, BC V3Z 0L3
	T: 604-576-8802   F: 604-574-4787   E: rhrc@rosemaryheights.com

POST 2

WESTMINSTER ABBEY REFUSED TO ALLOW ME TO LEAD MORE VIPASSANA RETREATS THERE

West Minster Abbey – Mission, BC                                                                                            Jan. 19, 2015

Guestmaster Father Mark Dumont   a30085@paralynx.com

34224 Dewdney Trunk Road

Mission, BC V2V 4J5

www.westminsterabbey.ca

Father Mark went to Harvard and he said to me “My professor was Allan Bullock and he wrote “Hitler A Study in Tyranny.” You said that if Hitler died in 1939 he would have gone down in history as one of the greatest statesmen of all time. But he was a tyrant then, all the way through.”

Hitler: A Study in Tyranny According to Bullock, Hitler was an opportunistic adventurer devoid of principles, beliefs or scruples. In 1952, Bullock published Hitler: A Study in Tyranny, the first comprehensive biography of Hitler, which he based on the transcripts of the Nuremberg Trials.

On January 18^th, 2015 after lunch, Father Mark said to me, “Do you know that word “Pax” written on the front door? That means peace.” The word Pax in mythology, means the Roman goddess of peace. Pax is a truce term and a salutation in Catholic religious services but it also means a period of political peace enforced by a dominant power. Was Father Mark suggesting we just go along with the dominant power and the conventional belief about the Holocaust, regardless of the truth?

He continued, “We object to your views on the Internet about Hitler and the Nazis so we’re not going to renew your retreat for next year.” I said, “I’m not surprised. I understand that. But the Catholic church was concerned about Communism and there’s good evidence that Stalin was preparing to invade all of Europe and Hitler protected Europe and the Catholics from a Communist invasion.” Father Mark replied, “The Catholics didn’t approve of Hitler. Many cardinals spoke out against him then. This is offensive to Jews and to Catholics as Hitler killed six million Jews and he killed about nine million people.” I said, “Well, it’s a lot to talk about now. I would be happy to talk about it another time. But I feel that I have a higher level of moral virtue to speak the truth about this even though people resist that. I appreciate that you didn’t cancel this retreat before it started. I really do appreciate that,” I thanked him.

I made a YouTube video with Paul Fromm about this at:

———————————————————————

Letter to Father Mark, Jan. 19, 2015

Dear Father Mark,

I want to thank you for hosting my Vipassana meditation retreat January 16 – 18^th. It was the most successful retreat of my career, actually. We had 28 people and it went so smoothly and peacefully and Westminster Abbey made such a good impression upon everyone. A few people in my group are practicing Catholics who chose to go to mass during our retreat.

We didn’t have much time to talk after lunch on Sunday about why you don’t want to renew my retreat after these three years. Since it is because of my revisionist history views on Adolf Hilter and National Socialist Germany, which I publicly express on Youtube, I told you that I wasn’t surprised by your decision. 80% – 90% of the participants on that retreat are completely unaware of my views on Adolf Hitler simply because most people aren’t interested in looking up my Youtube videos. I appreciate that you did watch my videos. Maybe somebody mentioned it to you? Today I deleted the word ‘Hoax’ from the video title.

I should clarify that my Buddhist meditation retreats have nothing to do with my geopolitical views. All Buddhist teachers, like everyone else, has various political views but they don’t discuss that during their retreats. Because I am a truth seeker, I teach Buddhism and I also want to know the truth of 20^th century history. The victors write the history books and they protected each others propaganda with lies which they still maintain today. With the freedom of speech on the Interent there has been an awakening about the truth of World War II in recent years. Please see my attachment.

I chose to go public since July, 2014 with my Youtube videos but I’m not willing to stop teaching meditation. I’ve been teaching for 20 years, helping over ten thousand people in my courses and retreats. I’ve commited my life to this.

There is much evidence, both scholarly and scientific to refute the commonly held view that Adolf Hitler was the most evil person in human history. One email cannot convey all of this but I have attached a link to “Who Started World War II” by Victor Suvorov from Russia. There is very compelling evidence you can read in his book Icebreaker: Who Started the Second World War? He publishes the supressed details and evidence of a massive Soviet build up of five million soldiers near the German border in June 1941, for the purpose of invading and taking over all of Europe with godless Communism under Joesph Stalin. The evidence shows that Hitler saved Europe and the Catholic Church from this distruction in a necessary preventative strike against the Russians.

Professor Auther Butz at Northwestern University in Chicago, published The Hoax of the Twentieth Century in 1976 and his book has withstood the test of time with evidence to show that the Holocaust was an irresponsible exaggeration. Professor Robert Faurisson in France is one of the most renown Revisionist scholars and his publications over the past 40 years have refuted the Holocaust narrrative.

Northwestern University President Henry S. Bienen issued the following statement: “Butz has made clear that his opinions are his own and at no time has he discussed those views in class or made them part of his class curriculum. Therefore, we cannot take action based on the content of what Butz says regarding the Holocaust – however odious it may be – without undermining the vital principle of intellectual freedom that all academic institutions serve to protect.”

Since I also don’t discuss such views on my retreats at Westminster Abbey I ask that you reconsider your decision to not invite me to lead a fourth retreat at the Abbey next year. I do very much appreciate your kindness for not cancelling my retreat in advance, Father Mark, even though you disagreed with my views on this.

Sincerely,

Brian Ruhe

Sources:

Icebreaker: Who Started the Second World War? By Victor Suvorov

Stalin’s Other War: Soviet Grand Strategy, 1939-1941 by Prof. Albert L. Weeks

The Hoax of the Twentieth Century: The Case Against the Presumed Extermination of European Jewry, by Professor Auther Butz

A cogent summary of Prof. Faurisson’s skeptical view of the “Holocaust” is his lengthy article, “Impact and Future of Holocaust Revisionism,” published in The Journal of Historical Review, Jan.-Feb. 2000. (It is posted online at http://www.ihr.org/jhr/v19/v19n1p-2_Faurisson.html )

Website: whatreallyhappened.info

attachment with Youtube links

To Father Mark Dumont  a30085@paralynx.com

                                                                                                                                                           December 9, 2015

Hi Father Mark,

I know that I am telling the truth and that you have been misled by the mainstream. That’s not your fault so I don’t take it personally.

I did invite you onto my YouTube talk show. Our differences in view would likely make for a more popular than average episode so I would still like to do that, if you’re up to it.
You have a free hand about what you would like to talk about and I agree that the video would not be released unless you were satisfied with it. We could even record it on your YouTube channel instead of mine, giving you control over the video.

I had hoped I would appeal to your Catholic  mercy, to allow me to lead another retreat, since B’nai Brith’s breathtaking Jewish power in Canada has got me fired from six teaching positions. They confirm what I have said about them in my videos. Their power is real.
Be well. Thank you,
Brian

On 2015-12-08 5:58 PM, Mark Dumont wrote:

Hello Brian,

In reply to your email, we have no place for you at our guesthouse.  As long as you keep denigrating Jewish people, and have those dreadful YouTube series on the Holocaust and what a great statesman Hitler was and your revisionist history about WW II, we can have nothing to do with you.

Yours truly,

Father Mark, osb

From: Brian Ruhe [mailto:brian@brianruhe.ca]
Sent: November-26-15 1:11 PM
To: Rev. Mark Dumont, OS <a30085@paralynx.com>
Subject: Hi Father Mark, from Brian Ruhe

Dear Father Mark,

Since we last corresponded, the Jewish Masonic organization B’nai Brith contacted my employers and got me fired from my teaching positions so I am currently unemployed. I described my situation in the below email which I sent to people on my meditation email list.

I’ve thought of you many times and would like to talk with you on the phone instead of just emailing. Do you have a separate phone number? I would still like to appeal to you and ask if I could lead a Buddhist meditation retreat at Westminster Abbey sometime in the future. I didn’t mention in our previous correspondence that in my YouTube videos I am not publicly denying the Holocaust. That is against the law in Canada and I have been respectful of that. I think you originally were contacted because I made a video at the US boarder saying that Americans have free speech and they can deny the Holocaust but Canadians can’t. I was just using the Holocaust subject as an example for that border video but on my other 600 YouTube videos I am careful not to deny the Holocaust.

Also, as I state in my letter below I now have, The Brian Ruhe Show on YouTube interviewing people on video using Google Hangouts on Air. I would like to invite you as my guest on the show. I have an attachment for that. I like to let the guest pick the topic they would like to talk about and I will be the host, so you can do most of the talking. It could be on any theme that appeals to you. Please consider this and let me know how you feel.

Thank you kindly Father Mark,

Brian…

——– Forwarded Message ——–

Subject:	I was fired from teaching meditation because of Jewish power
Date:	Wed, 25 Nov 2015 13:06:39 -0800
From:	Brian Ruhe <brian@brianruhe.ca>
To:	meditation-202@meetup.com

Vancouver Meditation Meetup Organizer                                            Nov. 25, 2015

Hello from Brian Ruhe,

People have asked me where is my fall schedule of meditation courses on the Vancouver Meditation Meetup site. Members of the powerful Jewish organization, B’nai Brith openly state that they contacted Capilano University and four Vancouver Community Centres in order to have me fired from teaching there. They succeeded and I am now unemployed after teaching for 17 years at the Roundhouse and False Creek community centres. This is a loss for spreading Buddhist meditation and it’s a financial hardship for me too! I ask for your support at this time as I adjust.
If you realize that I haven’t mentioned the word Zionist or Jew at the institutions where I have taught meditation and it is only through hearing about my talks on Zionism on YouTube that B’nai Brith have contacted six places where I have been employed and talked them into cancelling my classes, you may object to this situation. They have not been able to accuse me of a single untruth from my talks on the Internet, yet they can use their influence to take away my way of earning a living. If you think this is OK and acceptable in Canada, fine. I thought the people I know would be outraged that some group who don’t like what I’m saying could use their influence like that. I compare it with a situation where another religious group who doesn’t approve of Buddhism might contact your place of work and suggest that if they don’t fire you their church members will boycott the company. I just wanted to make clear my situation. If you are not concerned after understanding the injustice that has been allowed to happen, then I’m sorry to have bothered you.

I still intend to teach meditation and lead retreats privately where my sponsors will not be intimidated or influenced. I also want to make a change to benefit more people so I have started my own talk show on YouTube using the amazing technology of Google Hangouts on Air which makes an instant YouTube video from each interview. I want to interview great minds all over the world on spiritual and truth search themes. This is, “The Brian Ruhe Show” and my recent guest is Sensei Mui from Chicago on this YouTube video: What is Wrong with Buddhism Again

I have over 600 YouTube videos on all aspects of my teachings which have reached over 750,000 views. My videos have focused upon Buddhism and meditation but now my talk show also focuses on issues relating to truth and justice on a global scale, WWII historical revisionism, and a Buddhist interpretation of world events and history. These are controversial topics, yes and I am one of the few on YouTube expressing these vital ideas from a Buddhist perspective. I have a video about my current dilemma, made with the Canadian Association for Free Expression, at:

Wrongful Dismissal of a University Teacher

Most people are unaware of the damaging powers of Jewish supremacist forces behind the scenes, such as Bill C-51 which allows for spying on Canadians. It is very important for me and others to speak out. We are the 99% and our voice can make a decisive difference. We are being lied to by our political leaders and the media. Please go online to get informed instead of relying on TV or newspapers. You don’t have to agree with everything that I and my guests say but it is wise for us to open up a dialogue. Hundreds of comments on YouTube encourage me to speak out. In this I am facing a critical challenge but I am committing myself to continue the fight for justice because I can do what others will not dare to do, if they have a family to support.

I have some spiritual insight and I will not back down before intimidation and persecution. I’ve had threats but I will continue to profile guests who are courageous and intelligent. You can see recent episodes at youtube.com/user/BrianRuhe with guests Mark Weber, John Friend and Sensei Mui. With your donations we can make a difference towards creating a good and gentle world. If you have a sense of what I’m trying to do and what I have already done, please consider making a financial contribution so I can afford to focus more time and energy on this mission. The other side is very well funded.

I have spent about 3000 hours since 2007 studying outside of the controlled mainstream media, subjects of truth search themes, such as the International bankers’ control over our society, World War II revisionist history, the international Jewish community, UFOs and government cover-ups. I am now able to come to some conclusions about the world and how power flows in it.
My own YouTube videos since July 2014 are about truther themes, the surprising true history of World War II, as well as challenging Jewish supremacy in

our society and I state that 95% of Jewish people are not aware of nor are they responsible for the actions of the elite. YouTube is a big focus in my life and

my altruism and over 80% of my interaction with the world is through YouTube. What I say is backed up by better evidence, which is attached, than the

conventional story we were brought up with and taught in the mainstream media and universities- which are centres of cultural Marxism. This is about truth

1. peer group pressure, about the forces of good and the forces of Mara (evil) in the world. This is profound and I have always been drawn to the

profound.

I am a Theravada Buddhist teacher and I regard what I am doing as having a higher moral standard and I am sacrificing my own reputation in order to protect people who criticize me. In the Mangala sutta the Buddha said that the third highest blessing in life is to give honour to those worthy of honour. I now know that we are in a war but most people don’t even realize that they’re in a war. I’m fighting in an info war for what is good and decent in the world.

It’s not practical nor sustainable for me to spend my time contacting people one-on-one about such things, unless they see me for tutoring. My YouTube videos are free and they explain it all and you can watch as many as you like, at: youtube.com/user/BrianRuhe

These truths are the biggest surprise of my entire life and they profoundly effect every person in the world. This is nothing less than a paradigm shift and I am grateful that I have had a transformational experience. My inner strength and happiness is good because my internal refuge is strong and grounded in reality.

I believe that what I am doing follows the Buddha’s teaching and ethics in general. The Buddha taught that we should make an effort to see through delusion, confusion and lies and He said, “Three things can not be long hidden: The sun, the moon, and the truth”. Of the ten paramis (perfections) truthfulness is the most important one. It is the only one that the bodhisatta, the Buddha in his previous lives, could not break because of the profound karmic implications of the truth. The Buddha criticized people who lied to him and he taught that you can blame those who are blameworthy. The Buddha was in constant argument and debate with other spiritual leaders of his day in his proclamation of the dhamma- which is truth. He taught that dhamma is a universal objective truth and that we should live in harmony with it. The Buddha taught universal loving kindness for all beings and it is because I have loving kindness for seven billion people including Jewish people, that I am making a personal sacrifice greater than what I have made in my past 20 years of teaching. I have right view and my knowledge of the grave dangers hidden in the world means I have a responsibility to act.

The Buddha taught that our actions should be timely, not untimely and that we should use right speech which is not only truthful but skillful, at the right time, spoken without harshness or ill-will and it should be beneficial. I am accomplishing all of that through the medium of YouTube because there are millions of voices on YouTube. I am skillfully adding my voice to these millions of videos to tweak an adjustment towards what is true, wholesome and good in the world as I am a moderate in comparison to others on YouTube.
The Buddha defined enlightenment as “seeing things as they really are.” There are so many lies from the top down in our society that an intelligent Buddhist should use their discernment and insight to see through these lies and speak out against them, which is what I am proud to do. The Buddha taught that we should not cling to attachment to views but that does not mean that we live without views, which is impossible. It means that we don’t force our views on

others or act unskillfully based upon our views. We should still have views rooted in dhamma, the Buddha taught, and we should act and live by those views in a way that is skillful and beneficial to ourselves and to others.

Some Buddhists make the mistake of using meditation as an excuse to disengage from social issues in the world believing that they should just developing their practice but the Buddha was opposed to this. The Buddha taught ethics for his followers because they are in the world and they are responsible for taking care of their world. In May, I met with Zen Buddhist professor David Loy when he was giving lectures in Vancouver. He told us “If Buddhism can’t help us face the social issues of the world, then maybe Buddhism isn’t what the world needs right now. But I think Buddhism can help.”

The Buddha said to a Jain who joined him that people should support their current teachers as well as their former teachers. There is also the 2,500 year Buddhist tradition of dana, referring to donations and generosity to support Buddhist teachers. In the Numbered Discourses the Buddha said that there are three people who should be remembered- the one who introduced you to the path, the one who established you on the path and the one who helped you reach a deeper insight.

Donations can be made on my PayPal on my website or mailed, being payable and sent to:

Brian Ruhe

#104 – 1960 West 7^th Ave.

Vancouver, BC V6J 1T1

It would be gratefully appreciated!

May you be well, happy and peaceful,

Brian Ruhe

brianruhe.ca

POST 1

Michael Herrin                                                                  Nov. 2014

Program Co-ordinator

West End Community Centre

870 Denman St., Vancouver

Hi Michael,

Both of my classes Thursday night had only the one lady, Charleeta. So I said to her, let’s cancel. I’m sure you agree. This had nothing to do with me not having my contract renewed in the winter. Why was it not renewed? We both know. I know. You know. But I know it wasn’t your decision Michael. You are the very nicest program coordinator that I have ever worked with in my entire career. Maybe we can consider the spring term.

So can you refund Charleeta? I hope that’s not too much of a bother. The others I suppose you would want to refund too. Megan was a maybe for next week and Mark is expected.

Thanks Michael,

Brian

————————————————————————————————————-

Older POSTS:

The Vancouver Sun  |  December 22, 2012

As Buddhism grows, two ‘solitudes’ emerge
By Douglas Todd

Blog post with linked video 

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Northwest Dharma News (Seattle, Washington)  |  January 2002 Edition  |  Volume 14 * Issue 6  |  www.nwdharma.org

Vancouver teacher shares dharma through school system

Brian Ruhe has taken an unusual approach to making the Dharma available to people: he teaches it through the Vancouver, B.C. educational system.

Ruhe, who was a monk in Thailand for seven months, has spent the last four years teaching Buddhist principles in a series of adult education classes in Vancouver. He offers these through four public school boards, the University College of the Fraser Valley and five local community centres.

According to Ruhe, this approach allows him to make the Dharma available to people without the complications of operating a centre. “I move to where the people are,” Ruhe said. “It works well for reaching people.”

He’s also modest about his goals as a teacher, saying that he’s interested in introducing people to the Dharma so they can seek deeper teachings and guidance from more accomplished teachers.

His own teacher is Ajahn Sona, abbot of Birken Forest Monastery of British Columbia. While Ruhe principally teaches in the Theravadin tradition, his initial training was through Shambhala in Vancouver. Ruhe also bases his classes on his self-published book, Freeing the Buddha, soon to be re-issued by a publisher in India.

Several Vancouver educators have found the program beneficial for students. Audrey Nawrocky, program coordinator for continuing education for the Vancouver School Board, said Ruhe’s courses have proven very popular. She sees no issues of separation of church and state, pointing out that her program also offers classes in Christianity and Islam.

“As we see it, our role is to provide opportunities for the general public to explore options they may not have had when they were going to University,” she said. “I think what he does most is to promote thinking.

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The Vancouver Courier  |  October 20, 2000

God.com: Internet chatrooms are helping the spiritually disenchanted reestablish connections with their faith
By Peter Chattaway, Contributing Writer

As one of the more popular cliches in religious circles puts it, churches are communities of people, not buildings. But the Information Age is changing the way we think about community, and with it, the way some people think about religion. For many, chat rooms, newsgroups and e-mail discussion lists have become a significant part of their spiritual lives…

“Anonymity encourages debate”

“I regard the Internet as a supplement, a tool, to help the main thing. The main thing is still people helping each other and relating to each other. -Brian Ruhe, Buddhist teacher

…Gerry Bowler, a culture critic who works out of Winnipeg, says Christians in particular have been quick to capitalize on the Internet. “Just in terms of numbers of sites and newsgroups,” he says, “if we took sex out of the equation, I’m sure Christians would outnumber commercial interests…”

How big a part of modern Jewish life is the Internet? Local Orthodox Rabbi Tzvi Freeman said, “Let me put it this way; if the Internet were to disappear tomorrow, the international Jewish community, especially the Orthodox, would be thrown into chaos. Maybe that’s too extreme. We would sit there stunned.”

Brian Ruhe, a former Buddhist monk who now teaches courses on Theravadin Buddhism in Vancouver, says the Internet has become essential in his work, too. Ruhe keeps in touch with his students through e-mail and engages in debates with fellow Buddhists online. He has even led teleconferences in which he taught meditation to busy corporate executives.

Ruhe says the Internet is especially valuable for Buddhists because there are so few in Canada. “Only one or two percent of the country is Buddhist,” he says. “So if you live in a small town, there might be nobody around you who is a Buddhist. So at least you’re connected by the Internet to these people far away in the big city. It’s very meaningful to them.”

Bringing like-minded people together is one thing. But one of the Internet’s greatest assets is its ability to engage people with different beliefs in ongoing dialogue. Sometimes, discussions degenerate into virtual grudge matches. But it’s still possible to arrive at a deeper mutual understanding…

Brian Ruhe says the Internet creates a level playing field, giving people outside official authority structures an opportunity to share their insights with others. In one Buddhist discussion group, Ruhe presented historical evidence that, he said, showed Tibetan Buddhism was a combination of elements from various religions, and may not be the purest form of Buddhism.

His arguments angered some Tibetan Buddhists on the list. But the discussion continued.

“In a lot of religions, there’s this tendency to defer to the guru and the tradition and the elders, so there are some things that are kind of suppressed.” he says. “But when you have the power of the Internet, someone on the outside like myself can really stir up some dust. I don’t have too much to lose. They can’t kick me out, because I’m already an outsider. But they’ll let me be part of the e-mail discussion group.”

The Internet gives a whole new twist to the ancient question of how individuals and communities ought to relate to one another, especially within a religious tradition. Faith is an intensely personal matter, but it requires interaction with fellow humans…

Brian Ruhe says it’s easy to stay isolated behind the computer screen, which can have the adverse effect of reinforcing one’s ego, instead of overcoming it. “One of the advantages of a community is that you can’t do whatever you feel like. There are people there who say No,” he says.

Ruhe says he prefers to look at the Internet as a way of reaching out to people caught in a “transitory” society, and helping them re-establish their spiritual connections.

“You can’t replace people actually getting together in a group, like a meditation group or a temple, because people still want to get together,” he says. “I regard the Internet as a supplement, a tool, to help the main thing. The main thing is still people helping each other and relating to each other.”

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The Vancouver Sun | September 11, 2000

Vatican statement seen as a challenge: Religious leaders say the statement of superiority is disappointing, but need not curtail interfaith dialogue.
By Douglas Todd

Greater Vancouver Anglican, Buddhists and Muslims have been taken aback by a blunt statement from the Vatican that trumpets Roman Catholic authority and strongly rejects the idea other religions are equal.

But the non-Catholic leaders said it’s not necessarily a disaster — or an end to expanding religious dialogue — that the Vatican this week reaffirmed its doctrine that non-Catholic churches “suffer from defects” and that major world religions are “gravely deficient.”

A spokesman for the Anglican diocese in Vancouver, Very Reverend Peter Elliot, said Thursday he was “disappointed” by the Catholic statement, which aims to combat the “so-called theology of religious pluralism,” which suggests Catholics are on a par with Protestants, as well as Muslims and Buddhists.

Echoing the dismay of Archbishop of Canterbury George Carey, spiritual leader of Anglicans, Elliot said the tone of the declaration does not help to build common ground between Catholics and Anglicans.

At the same time, Elliot added, the statement doesn’t say anything startlingly new.

Vancouver Buddhist teacher Bryan Ruhe said he doesn’t agree with the 36-page statement unveiled Tuesday by Cardinal Ratzinger, prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, which was approved by the Pope.

But the Theravadan Buddhist said he admires the Catholic church’s spunk for being so forthright.

“My feeling is many religious people have lost the courage to be elitist, to say, in a sense, ‘This is what I believe. I’m going to take a stand.’”

As a Buddhist, Ruhe said he is also convinced his religion is better than Catholicism.

“True tolerance,” Ruhe said,”doesn’t mean emphasizing similarities, it means respecting people with whom you disagree.”

Aziz Khaki, a liberal Muslim who heads Vancouver’s Pacific Interfaith Association, was surprised by the document, which flies in the face of decades of growing dialogue among diverse religions, including Catholicism…

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The Vancouver Sun | May 29, 1999

Liberating souls by liberating animals
By Douglas Todd

Gautama’s birthday is coming up and many of Greater Vancouver’s 100,000 Buddhists will be celebrating.

…Douglas College Buddhism teacher Brian Ruhe, author of “Freeing the Buddha” (Buddhist Spectrum), and his Thai wife, Pia, will be among those who buy a live crab, lobster or salmon from local supermarkets to release them at Kitsilano beach and elsewhere this weekend.

However, this holy event – marking not only the birth, but the death and enlightenment of Gautama, the Buddha (the “awakened one”), in the 6th century B.C. – is one of the rare things that links Greater Vancouver’s unusually large pocket of more than 100,000 Buddhists…

Some Buddhists think enlightenment can only be attained through strict self-control and meditation; others are convinced there’s a devotional short-cut…

It’s called Pure Land…

Devotees of Pure Land come to the Richmond temple to chant the name of Amitabha in hopes of being transported to Buddha paradise when they die. They are like evangelical Christians, Ruhe found, putting faith in an external power to elevate them to heaven…

When Ruhe arrived at the Buddhist International Society temple, he was surprised there was no place to meditate. “Pure Land Buddhists promote an appealing idea; that a higher power will save you. But the Buddha didn’t teach that,” says Ruhe, who, not surprisingly, no longer works at the temple.

For his part, Buddhist International Society official Tom Tong did not want to discuss the ideological conflict, saying only that Buddhists should not criticize other Buddhists.

Ruhe, however, believes he must be honest. And needless to say, he believes the true route to enlightenment is the “hard way.”

Ruhe typifies the second major Buddhist cluster in North America, the typically Caucasian Buddhists who are in tune with abstract Zen thought and the philosophically sophisticated Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama…

Church member and a devotion-charged Pentecostal drive each other to distraction…

Similarly, on Gautama Buddha’s birthday, both kinds of Greater Vancouver Buddhists emphasize compassion, even toward each other — realizing, at the least, they are linked by a potent tradition and a sacred hero.

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The Vancouver Courier | January 7, 1998

School board offers adults spiritual path: The school board offers non-theologically threatening courses to widen people’s spiritual path
By Ann Sullivan, Contributing Writer

The Vancouver School Board might not be the first place to turn for spiritual enlightenment, but these days it’s a good place to start.

The VSB is offering courses introducing people to new spiritual paths.

Connie Gibbs, program coordinator with continuing education, said the idea of offering more spiritual courses came to her after she read a book by Douglas Todd on religion and well-known Canadians. The book suggested that most people aren’t affiliated with any religion.

“I thought, ‘How do these people connect with one another and how do they discuss those [spirituality] issues?’” Gibbs said. “It seemed to me there was a big void out there.”

Gibbs attempted to fill the void with courses like “Buddhism” and “Discovering and Developing your Spirituality”, which were offered for the first time last fall…

“Because people can get (Christian spirituality) through the churches, that need is being met,” she said.

Brian Ruhe, who offers a course in Buddhism, agreed people are looking for spiritual paths they may not find in their own churches.

“Since society is more secular as a society, maybe people are more accepting of religion in a secular setting,” he said…

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The Province | July 13 1997

Buddhists liberate the living
By Lora Grindlay, Staff Reporter

(This article is about releasing live crabs into the ocean on Visaka Day to gain merit. This is the day to commemorate the Buddha’s birth, enlightenment and death — parinirvana.)

…Brian Ruhe, a teacher with the International Buddhist Society in Richmond, called the ceremony “very Asian.” He said it’s commonly held at Buddhist temples in the Lower Mainland.

There are six realms in Buddhist cosmology. The lowest positions are the animal realm, the ghost realm and the hell realm.

One wins a human birth, said Ruhe, because of efforts made in a past life to preserve life.

To liberate the living, Ruhe said, is to earn merit.

“The idea is to extend your compassion to the lower realms instead of just to human beings,” he said.

“It’s about compassion. The Buddhists are looking for any creative way to manifest compassion.”

In 1991 Ruhe, who spent four years in Thailand, bought a crab and released it at a beach. “You are liberating them from death. I let this crab go and I watched him walk away….”

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The Vancouver Sun | May 17, 1997

Looking for the centre of God
By Douglas Todd

The uncommon forms of meditative prayer that Rev. Rohana Laing teaches at Capilano United Church are still a source of befuddlement to a few people in her congregation.

…Laing’s Buddhist friend, Vancouver meditation teacher Brian Ruhe, is excited that meditative prayer techniques once limited to medieval monks are becoming available to Western lay people.

Prayer, in various forms, is very much alive today….