EDMONTON — A day after Justice Minister Tyler Shandro publicly directed the head of Alberta's human rights commission to quit, the commissioner’s office lobbed the issue back at him, saying it’s Shandro who does the hiring and firing.
“The commission does not have any information to share regarding the status of Collin May’s resignation,” the Alberta Human Rights Commission said Tuesday in an emailed statement.
“The minister of justice and solicitor general is responsible for managing who is appointed as chief of the commission and tribunals.
“Please get in touch with (his office).”
Shandro’s office declined to comment.
It’s the latest turn in an issue that beset Collin May even before he was officially appointed chief of the commission in July.
At that time, critics pointed to a book review he wrote in 2009 and said the article raised concerns that May was Islamophobic and therefore unfit to serve as head of the commission dedicated to ensuring Albertans don’t face discrimination.
May responded in a statement, categorically rejecting the Islamophobic allegations and promising to “commit to continuing my personal education about Islam and all faiths."
“I will be meeting with leaders in Alberta’s Muslim community to learn more about their lived experiences in Alberta and to work towards overcoming discrimination against the Islamic community,” he added.
Matters came to a head Monday when the National Council of Canadian Muslims published an open letter accusing May of failing to meet despite repeated attempts to reach out to him.
The council said May’s intransigence cast doubt on his commitment to learn and reflect, and its letter was signed by 28 community Muslim groups.
Hours later, Shandro’s office issued a statement reiterating that May had promised more than two months ago to meet with the Muslim community.
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“Minister Shandro requested an explanation from Mr. May,” wrote Shandro’s office. “After reviewing the explanation, Minister Shandro has asked for Mr. May’s resignation.”
The statement did not elaborate on the conversation or on what specifically triggered the call to quit.
Said Omar, spokesman for the Muslims council, said he was pleased Shandro called for the resignation.
He said May has not reached out to the group since it sent the letter, and it may be too late for him to mend fences anyway.
“We are always open to meeting with individuals and to try to reconciliate, but I think at this point the community has spoken,” said Omar in an interview.
May, a Calgary-based lawyer, was appointed to the commission in 2019. In years past, he has contributed articles to C2C Journal, an online and print publication focusing on political, cultural and economic issues.
In June 2009, he reviewed Efraim Karsh’s book “Islamic Imperialism: A History,” which examines the forces and cultural attitudes that have shaped the religion.
In one line in the review, May notes that the book states “Islam is not a peaceful religion misused by radicals. Rather, it is one of the most militaristic religions known to man, and it is precisely this militaristic heritage that informs the actions of radicals throughout the Muslim world.”
The Muslims council has focused on that paragraph in its criticism, characterizing it as a "shocking" and stigmatizing stereotype.
Opposition NDP Justice critic Irfan Sabir echoed the call for May’s dismissal, stating Monday: “Muslims in Canada are targeted for harassment, assault and murder purely because of their faith."
However, May and the editors of his article disagree.
May in his July statement said, “I wish to state clearly that I do not believe or accept the characterization of Islam as a militant religion or movement.”
C2C Journal editors George Koch and Peter Shawn Taylor, in a rebuttal published on its site in July, said May made it clear that it was the book author’s viewpoint — not his own — in the controversial paragraph.
“Whether a reviewer agrees or disagrees with an author’s position, he or she has a duty to convey the book’s thesis in good faith,” wrote the editors.
“The critics and complainers simply defaulted to the worst possible interpretation as a matter of course,” they added.
“This sort of behaviour has become outrageously common and is doing great damage to public discourse in Canada.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2022.
Dean Bennett, The Canadian Press
Alberta justice minister asks head of Human Rights Commission to resign after calls from Muslim community
Lisa Johnson - Yesterday
Justice Minister Tyler Shandro has asked for the chief of the Alberta Human Rights Commission to resign after over two dozen Muslim organizations and mosques signed a public letter calling for action.
Justice Minister Tyler Shandro.© Provided by Edmonton Journal
Calgary lawyer Collin May began his five-year term as chief of the Commission and Tribunals on July 14, but had already come under fire from critics who said a book review May penned in 2009 was Islamophobic.
On Monday, the National Council of Canadian Muslims (NCCM) published a letter calling on Shandro to take action, alleging that May had shirked offers to meet with community leaders and issued letters threatening to sue unnamed critics.
Joseph Dow, Shandro’s press secretary, said in a statement once Shandro got the NCCM’s letter, he demanded an explanation from May.
“After reviewing the explanation, Minister Shandro has asked for Mr. May’s resignation,” Dow wrote.
The dismissal came after a series of tweets Monday from the NCCM, who also called the book review “ deeply problematic,” and as Muslims in Alberta have faced a rash of physical and verbal attacks recently, including at least nine attacks reported to Edmonton police over the course of six months in 2021.
Monday’s letter, signed by 28 community organizations and mosques across the province, noted that when the book review first came to light, May committed to engaging with the province’s Muslim community.
“May did not prioritize scheduling those meetings, but far more importantly, decided to threaten to sue his critics. This behaviour cannot be countenanced from the chair of the Alberta Human Rights Commission,” it said.
Said Omar, Alberta advocacy officer for the NCCM, told Postmedia the book May reviewed contains views that are stereotypical and Islamophobic.
“We've received many calls from Muslim community members who are honestly just shocked and appalled that Mr. May would review this book favourably,” he said, adding it’s another example of why minority communities lose trust in institutions.
“Many community members were at a loss for words — they do not understand how they would be able to trust this institution if they need to,” he said.
First flagged by left-wing media organization the Progress Report, May’s review of historian Efraim Karsh’s book Islamic Imperialism: A History, underscores Karsh’s argument that Islam is inherently combative.
“(Karsh) defies the multicultural illusion regarding pacific Islam and goes to the heart of the matter. Islam is not a peaceful religion misused by radicals. Rather, it is one of the most militaristic religions known to man, and it is precisely this militaristic heritage that informs the actions of radicals throughout the Muslim world,” May wrote in the review.
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May did not immediately provide a statement to Postmedia Monday, but in a July statement, May said his review agreed with some of the book’s assertions, but rejected others.
“I wish to state clearly that I do not believe or accept the characterization of Islam as a militant religion or movement, especially in light of important recent and diverse scholarship that is working to overcome misconceptions regarding Muslim history and philosophy. I specifically want to affirm that Muslim Albertans are entitled to the full and equal respect accorded all our communities,” he wrote.
Earlier Monday, NDP justice critic Irfan Sabir said in a statement the views expressed by May in the book review “perpetuate hatred,” calling on Shandro to remove May from the Human Rights Commission.
UCP leadership hopeful Rajan Sawhney had previously called for an investigation into May’s appointment , but in a Monday tweet quoting the letter sided with the NCCM.
“Important read. And I agree,” she wrote.
Fellow leadership candidate Leela Aheer also weighed in by retweeting the NCCM’s letter, saying “it is imperative that all communities feel safe and supported by their government institutions.
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