Chief human rights commissioner resigns after investigation
Author of the article:Bryan Passifiume
Bryan Passifiume
Published Aug 12, 2024 • Last updated 12 hours ago • 2 minute read
Controversy over anti-Semitic comments prompted Canada’s incoming human rights commissioner to step down, without spending a single day in his new job.
Appointed to the role in June, concerns were raised concerning remarks made by Birju Dattani — who announced Monday that he would be stepping aside.
“I have agreed to resign as chief commissioner of the Canadian Human Rights Commission, effective today,” Dattani wrote on LinkedIn on Monday.
“I remain a steadfast believer in the commission’s work, mandate and its importance to our democracy.”
Dattani was supposed to start his new job last week, but furor prompted the government to instead place him on leave.
Also posted on LinkedIn was a July 31 letter from Justice Minister Arif Virani, in which the cabinet minister said he had “significant concerns” related to Dattani’s “candour” during the appointment process.
In Dattani’s response to an external review of the matter, he dismissed allegations of bias against the Jewish community.
“There has been significant discussion in the media around a draft chapter I wrote about ‘terrorism as a strategy,'” he wrote, referring to the work from nearly 11 years ago that he described as an “academic discussion.”
“The suggestion that I would ever endorse terrorism of any kind is incredibly offensive.”
In the independent report, posted online Monday, Dattani reportedly acknowledged the allegations, but took issue with how they were presented in the media.
Referencing Dattani’s attendance at a November 2012 protest outside of the U.K.’s Israeli embassy, the report noted Dattani’s explained he wasn’t participating but just happened to come across it.
He was also asked about comments he made to a Marxist newspaper encouraging unions to boycott Israel — an interview given under the name “Mujahid Dattani.”
The report calls out Dattani for not providing that alias to those conducting background checks on his application.
“We find that Mr. Dattani intentionally omitted the reference to ‘Mujahid Dattani’ on the background check consent form (and elsewhere,) and at no time in the application or interview process disclosed that, in the past, he had used the name ‘Mujahid Dattani’, the report read.
Dattani — who says he was born Hindu — claims he took the name “Mujahid” after converting to Islam in 2001.
“Mujahid formed part of my named identity in 2001, and to suggest that there could have been something nefarious around when I chose to use it or disclose it is culturally insensitive and does not take into consideration the lived experiences of those who choose to revert to another faith (or change their name,) or the paradoxical tensions associated with adopting a new name,” Dattani wrote.
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Chief human rights commissioner resigns after investigation
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