The Libel Tourist

UPDATE: 12/20/07 -- The First Amendment is in danger after NY State's highest court failed to protect American authors
from libel judgments awarded by foreign courts.

This documentary short film, produced by the Moving Picture Institute, shows how Saudi billionaire Khalid Bin Mafhouz exploits the British legal system and sues for libel whenever he is the subject of a terrorism accusation.

Directed by MPI fellow Jared Lapidus, the film explains how Mahfouz filed a libel suit against Dr. Rachel Ehrenfeld, author of Funding Evil; How Terrorism is Financed -- and How to Stop It. The suit was not filed in the United States, where the book was published and sold, but instead in London, where Mahfouz associates ordered 23 copies online. The judge ordered all copies of the book pulped, and ordered Ehrenfeld to pay the legal fees and damages, despite the fact that nothing in her book about Saudi funding of terrorism was ever disproved.

Ehrenfeld, however, is fighting back. In The Libel Tourist she speaks about her shocking experience of modern-day book burning by British courts, and the First Amendment lawsuit she filed against Mahfouz. Unfortunately, on December 20, 2007, NY State Court of Appeals sidestepped the First Amendment rights and protections.

Learn more about the case at www.LibelTouristMovie.com and at www.acdemocracy.org
Learn more about MPI at www.thempi.org

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• Rachel
• Ehrenfeld
• Libel
• Tourist
• MPI
• Moving
• Picture
• Institute
• Khaild
• Bin
• Mafhouz
• Censorship
• Terrorism
• Documentary
• Jihad

[ImNoDhimmi]

What an outrage! This is what happens if you dare to write the truth about the corrupt Saudis and their jihadi friends. This brave woman must be supported.

[xdhimmi]

Dr. Ehrenfeld is being persecuted by Mafhouz for having free expression of thought. The American established media turn their heads while Dr. Ehrenfeld fights to retain the basic freedoms they rely on to keep a free media. Saudi Arabia is the biggest threat to Western civilization. I agree w/TomCatScat: We must fuel ourselves, then we can tell the Sauds to stick it where the sun doesn't shine. All our leaders are betraying us on this issue, Dems and Reps.

[kooodeal]

@fimetic Yes ,you must show how that word ,hurt you,by over whelming evidence.

[theporksicle]

@kooodeal

It doesn't protect the rich so much as it protects their reputations, and even then its not a matter of wealth its a matter of reputation. In fact a public figure who brings a defamation case must prove malice on the part of whoever villified them, whereas an ordinary non public figure must only prove negligence.

Defamation law in the UK comes down to one thing, you must be able to prove the things you say about other people if those things could damage their reputation.

[theporksicle]

Truth is a complete defence to libel under English law, if you can prove what you said to be true the case will be thrown out and the Judge will most likely order the plaintiff to cover the defendant's legal fees and ancillary costs (e.g. flights to the UK or hotel accomadation during the trial)- particularly in a case where the plaintiff has a net worth of $3.2 billion.

With that in mind if Ehrenfeld could prove any allegations she made she had little to fear from what I can see.

[RobertRobls]

We must and can defeat the islamoterrorists and their friends!

[AlbaGoBragh]

Why has ever president since Jimmy Carter promised us that we would cut our dependence on Arab oil and yet every president since and including Jimmy Carter has done nothing but increase our dependence on Arab oil?

Clean energy or dirty energy, I don't care. Just get us off of this Arab oil so we don't keep making idiots like this rich.

[staffsgt7]

He IS a terrorist. Jihad can be waged by 'the tongue', by their wealth, and/or by violence. Note the first two options of waging jihad, per sharia laws, o9. HE IS A TERRORIST! We need to stop using our western words - HE IS A JIHADIST and whatever way they wage jihad the end is the same for us - death or subjugation.

[Ania86G]

The British government is SO DAMN STUPID...

[EncompassedRunner]

bye bye bin Mahfouz, sadly for you where you went there is no rest or peace....

[fimetic]

Well Kooodeal this is very interesting. You say that it is the responsibility of the injured to prove that they really have been injured? The evidence of the printed or spoken word is not enough?

[4aaaaa4]

oprahncant say she mistrusts beef on tv. using her public platform...but she can say it in private.