In Justin Trudeau's Canada, Muslim Fanatics Rule!

"We have become aware of potentially troubling statements attributed to Mr. Dattani as well as events he participated in wile he was a graduate student in London, England a decade ago."

"It is critical for the Chief Commissioner of the Canadian Human Rights Commission to maintain the confidence of all Canadians and to be seen as an impartial and fair judge of matters before them."

"We are carefully reviewing these statements and discussing them with Mr. Dattani, as well as relevant stakeholders."

Chantalle Aubertin, spokesperson for Attorney General and Justice Minister Arif Virani

 

"[The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs is] deeply concerned [about Dattani's appointment in that he] has directly associated with individuals and groups affiliated with listed terror entities and has a  history of making highly troubling antisemitic statements."

"[This man's appointment to head the CHRC underscores] a crisis of confidence [with the institution that] undermines our confidence in the commission's ability to adjudicate issues of hate and discrimination."

"CIJA has been in discussions with the federal government not only about the revelations about Dattani but also about the failures in he vetting process The government has expressed concerns and has committed to continuing that consultation over the coming days."

Shimon Fogel, president, Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs

"Mr. Dattani was independently appointed by the Minister of Justice and the Commission is preparing to welcome him."

"We trust that Mr. Dattani's experience and expertise in human rights will serve him well when he assumes the role of chief commissioner."

Canadian Human Rights Commission statement

"I have never held the views put to me in your question. With respect to the panels you cited, I spoke on many panels as a graduate student with people holding a range of views This does not mean I shared or agreed with the views of other panellists."

"As an academic, I have discussed, often in great detail, the BDS movement. That being said, I have not personally or publicly endorsed the BDS movement. My current and previous roles require that I impartially defend the human rights of Canadians from all walks of life, backgrounds and lived experiences in line with Canadian law."

"It is not a question of 'still endorsing' these views as I never held nor endorsed these views. I do not think the views that I actually hold or my past activities ... are disqualifying or contrary to the IHRA [International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance] definition on anti-Semitism. My tenure at both the Alberta and Yukon commissions included broad support for their anti-racism policies, which include the IHRA definition. I am wholly committed to combating anti-Semitism."

Birju Dattani 

Birju Dattani has been appointed chief commissioner of the Canadian Human Rights Commission. Photo by LinkedIn/Handout

Mr. Dattani in 2012 took part in a protest outside the London Israeli embassy while crowds chanted "Zionism is terrorism" and "From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free". Organized by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, he was not averse at that time to joining them for the purpose of ventilating his own sensibilities on antisemitism; not as a research project linked to his academic studies but as a studied belief he subscribed to. Three years following this shared protest he addressed the group during its Israel Apartheid Week.

A Marxist outlet that covered the 2012 protest reported Mr. Dattani as having said that the "recent act of aggression by the state of Israel in the occupied Palestinian territory is what brought me here tonight". Further, that he would be "interested in seeing the international community act upon the innumerable (United Nations) Security Council resolutions that Israel has trampled upon with impunity". The paper also quoted him as stating: "Workers should boycott Israel and Israeli goods".

While a teaching assistant at the School of Oriental and African Studies in the United Kingdom in 2015, he took part in a event hosted by the Muslim Students Association featuring Adnan Khan, a fellow panellist. The event description explained that: "The Middle East and the Muslim World have been the subject of political intrigue, having faced the downfall of the Caliphate followed by the imposition of Colonialism and Imperialism". Hizb Ut Tahrir, the "Party of Liberation" is a group advocating for the re-establishment of an Islamic caliphate, and Adnan is a member. 

A scheduled event meant to take place in Ontario with Hizb Ut Tahrir was cancelled when the group was designated in the U.K. as a terror group, the British government citing its "history of praising and celebrating attacks against Israel and attacks against Jews more widely".  Banned in Germany, Indonesia, China and Russia along with a number of Arab states, this is a group that Mr. Dattani aligns himself with; a peculiar coincidence with someone who respects human rights that includes the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition.

Birju Dattani, the man whose interest in BDS and Israeli relations is purely academic, lectured at several Israel Apartheid Week events during the 2014 and 2015 academic years, inclusive of Cambridge University and the London School of Economics. "Reality, Legality and Resistance" was the topic he addressed at the London School of Economics. At a Turkish university in 2014 Mr. Dattani spoke on a panel with a member of the Mavi Marmara flotilla, arrested for attempting to breach Israel's naval cordon of the Gaza Strip.

Canada's Attorney General and Minister of Justice felt that this man's background was tailor-made for a role fighting racism. An interesting read on this man's background, when considering that a Government of Canada fact sheet makes it clear that efforts to boycott and sanction Israel represents one of the six core examples of antisemitism recognized by the government of Canada. Is it merely ironic that this man began his legal career with the Syrian Legal Development Program under the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs?

"He brings a wealth of both professional and personal lived experience to this role."

"Our government remains committed to the protection of all human rights in Canada, including the right against racism, and to strengthening our country's role within the international human rights system."

Canada's Minister of Justice, Arif Virani

"The appointment of Birju Dattani as the Chief of the Canadian Human Rights Commission for a five year term places the spotlight on the risks associated with the Canada Human Rights Act reforms."

"As now widely reported, Dattani once went by the name Mujahid Dattani. The government’s due diligence apparently did not include searching under that name and Dattani did not disclose the need to do so."

"A simple Google search under his former active name would have revealed a deeply troubling record of posts and appearances that call into question the ability for Jewish or Zionist Canadians to get a fair, impartial hearing at the Commission."

Michael Geist,  Canada Research Chair in Internet and E-Commerce Law, University of Ottawa