Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s appointee to lead Canada’s top human rights office has resigned before taking office, following scrutiny over his past anti-Israel activism.
The newly appointed head of the Canadian Human Rights Commission, Birju Dattani, tendered his resignation following a leave of absence announced last Wednesday, just a day before he was set to start his new job.
Justice Minister and Attorney General of Canada Arif Virani announced the resignation and released the full investigation on Monday.
“The findings speak for themselves. I received Mr. Dattani’s submissions in response to the report on August 1, 2024. I have accepted Mr. Dattani’s decision to step down as Chief Commissioner,” said Virani. “As I have said, maintaining the confidence of all Canadians in the Canadian Human Rights Commission remains my top priority.”
Vice President of External Affairs and General Counsel for the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs, Richard Marceau, told True North that the CIJA appreciated that the Liberals took the concerns of the Jewish community seriously and conducted an investigation into Dattani’s past and his suitability to lead the Canadian Human Rights Commission.
“At a time when antisemitism has reached record levels, the CHRC must be beyond reproach, upholding the highest standards of integrity and unwavering commitment to Canadian values,” said Marceau. “Its role in safeguarding human rights and fighting discrimination is too crucial to be compromised by someone whose past actions would have shattered the trust of Jewish Canadians in the CHRC’s ability to combat all forms of racism and discrimination fairly.”
Virani confirmed that appointing a new chief commissioner will begin as soon as possible. The Interim Chief Commissioner, Charlotte-Anne Malischewski, will continue to serve in the meantime.
“Our government must implement and enforce rigorous vetting processes across all departments to ensure that such a grave failure never occurs again,” said Marceau.
Dattani shared his response to the investigation on LinkedIn. The investigation included a letter to Dattani from Virani.
“I have reviewed the fact-finding report. Based on the findings that the report contains, I wish to inform you that I have significant concerns related to your candour during the process that led to your appointment,” wrote Virani.
The full review into Dattani’s conduct was 48 pages long. The review explored 14 different allegations against Dattani.
The Liberals initially said that they did not know about social media posts made by Dattani under the pseudonym “Mujahid Dattani.” However, the Liberals subsequently said that he had been clear about his past but hadn’t disclosed everything.
“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,’” read the investigation’s report. “We also find that Mr. Dattani did not include periods of unemployment until specifically requested to provide information related to gaps in his employment history.”
Despite his resignation, Dattani defended himself throughout his response.
After Dattani’s appointment, several instances of his participation in anti-Israel protests and activism were uncovered.
One example was when he protested outside the Israeli embassy in London 2012 as crowds reportedly chanted, “Zionism is terrorism” and “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.”
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre urged other parties to recall a House of Commons committee to investigate the “grotesque appointment” and accused him of antisemitism. His call was not supported by other parties.
Conservative Deputy Leader Melissa Lantsman said a “simple Google search” could have revealed Dattani’s past views.
Liberal MP Anthony Housefather posted to X that he was pleased with Dattani’s resignation.
“This was the right outcome, and the independent investigation was the correct process to get us there,” said Housefather.
