Human Rights Commission | Conservatives want to fire new president

(Ottawa) Opposition Conservatives are promising that a future government led by Pierre Poilievre would remove the man the Liberals just appointed to head the Canadian Human Rights Commission.

Birju Dattani, the first Muslim and racialized person to hold the post, is due to take over as chief commissioner next month for a five-year term.

Melissa Lantsman, one of the party’s deputy leaders, said in a statement that the Conservatives would rescind the nomination.

She says Mr. Dattani has “a long history of anti-Israel statements,” including “justifying terrorism,” and that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau should demand that Mr. Dattani resign or “fire him.”

“Yes, common sense Conservatives would remove Justin Trudeau’s appointee,” Mr.^me Lantsman to The Canadian Press.

For nearly a year, the Conservatives have led the governing Liberals in public opinion polls. The next election must be held no later than October 2025.

The issue concerns some posts Mr Dattani made online, under the name Mujahid Dattani, while he was a graduate student in London nearly a decade ago. An appearance he made around the same time on a panel alongside a member of Hizb ut-Tahrir, an Islamic fundamentalist group, has also been raised as a concern.

Mr Dattani has previously called the allegations unfounded, saying he stands by his record.

Mr. Dattani said that in 2014 he shared an article titled “Palestinians are today’s prisoners of the Warsaw ghetto,” but had previously told CBC News and the Globe and Mail that he disagreed with that argument. He also rejected suggestions that he had published articles comparing Israel to Nazi Germany, as reported in a 2015 article. That post has been deleted.

The Center for Israel and Jewish Affairs and Friends of the Simon Wiesenthal Center recently said in a statement that they believe Mr. Dattani should not be allowed to continue in that role, and they found his responses to the allegations against him “inadequate.”

Jewish advocacy groups also say he has repeatedly lectured on the boycott, divestment and sanctions, or BDS, movement, which uses financial means to pressure the Israeli government to comply with international law and end what the movement considers human rights abuses against Palestinians.

B’nai Brith Canada noted that its appointment comes at a time when police are reporting a rise in anti-Semitic violence, saying the next head of the Human Rights Commission must “be a leader who represents Canadian values.”

Independent investigation

After the groups expressed concerns about the government’s appointment and selection process, Justice Minister Arif Virani launched an independent investigation into allegations surrounding Mr Dattani’s past activities.

Virani’s office said it had been made aware of “potentially disturbing statements attributed” to Mr Dattani and of certain events he attended while studying in London.

He added that he had not informed the minister’s office of these past activities. However, in a subsequent statement on Friday, Mr Virani’s spokeswoman confirmed that Mr Dattani had indeed informed officials of the name he had used during this period.

“The name he used during this period was disclosed to officials as part of Mr. Dattani’s security assessment, but was not provided to the office of the Minister of Justice,” wrote Chantalle Aubertin, who did not specify whether authorities had reviewed statements he made under that name.

Virani’s office said an independent investigation would detail the facts of the situation, adding that “the public discourse is not helped by the conservatives,” who, according to Mr.^me Aubertin, are circulating “incorrect and misleading information.” “We will have more to say when the independent review is complete.”

Michael Levitt, president and CEO of the Friends of the Simon Wiesenthal Center, said on X that the fact that such information was disclosed to officials but the appointment went ahead anyway was an “alarming failure” in the government’s vetting process.

Supports

Others have come to Mr. Dattani’s defense, such as the Yukon Human Rights Commission, where he worked as executive director.

Its current president, Michael Dougherty, said in a statement that Mr. Dattani met the highest standards of respect for the human rights of the territory’s residents.

The National Council of Canadian Muslims also expressed concerns that the investigation into Mr. Dattani’s appointment was nothing more than a “witch hunt” and said the allegations against his past activities were “flimsy.”

In a statement released on Friday, Mr Dattani’s lawyer said his client could not comment given the ongoing investigation, but added that he would challenge any attempt to have him deported.

“Any bad faith or improper removal of Mr Dattani from his role as Chief Commissioner would be challenged in accordance with the law – in which Mr Dattani and I have full confidence,” Muneeza Sheikh said.

A coalition of human rights groups, including the Black Canadian Civil Society Coalition, released a statement this week saying that while the allegations against Dattani are “concerning,” so are the efforts to have him removed.

“This campaign against him highlights the heightened level of surveillance he faces, like many Canadians, because of his faith and ethnicity,” it reads.

“Attempts to have Mr. Dattani […] leaving office without due process are deeply concerning.”

NDP MP Randall Garrison wrote in a statement that while he believes Dattani has a strong record of defending human rights, he would wait until the results of the independent review are released.

Mr Virani’s office has not yet said who will lead the review and at what cost. He has pledged that the findings will be published in a public report.