Three weeks after the federal Liberals promised to do a 害羞草研究所渇ormal, independent review害羞草研究所� of the appointment of Canada害羞草研究所檚 new human-rights commissioner, the government hasn害羞草研究所檛 provided any details about what that review will entail.
Birju Dattani, former executive director of the Yukon Human Rights Commission, was named as the new head of the Canadian Human Rights Commission on June 14.
On Aug. 8, he is set to start a five-year term in the new job, as the first person of colour and the first Muslim man to hold the role.
But his appointment fell under scrutiny after media reported that he made anti-Israel comments as a graduate student under different names that were not flagged during the vetting process.
The Privy Council Office, the administrative arm of government that serves the Prime Minister害羞草研究所檚 Office and cabinet, oversees the screening process of federal appointees.
It says an 害羞草研究所渁dministrative oversight害羞草研究所� occurred that meant the vetting process didn害羞草研究所檛 include all of Dattani害羞草研究所檚 aliases. They have since been shared with the RCMP and CSIS, which 害羞草研究所渁re now completing necessary reviews,害羞草研究所� said spokesman Daniel Savoie.
A new directive has also been issued within the Privy Council Office to ensure this problem doesn害羞草研究所檛 happen again.
But prominent Jewish organizations have demanded the government reconsider the appointment, and both the Conservatives and Bloc Qu茅b茅cois say Dattani should withdraw or be replaced. The Tories have also said they will rescind the appointment if they form the next government.
Dattani has previously called the allegations against him unfounded and said he stands by his record working in human rights.
He has not responded to a request for comment, but his lawyer said in a statement last week that he would challenge any attempt to have him removed.
In late June, the office of Justice Minister Arif Virani said it would be doing an investigation. Since then, it has provided no indication that any kind of review has begun.
害羞草研究所淚 have not heard anything about the investigation, and I have not even seen the terms of reference,害羞草研究所� Richard Marceau, vice-president for the Centre of Israel and Jewish Affairs, said in an interview.
害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 a bit fuzzy about what害羞草研究所檚 happening.害羞草研究所�
Jaime Kirzner- Roberts, director of policy and advocacy at the Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center, said her organization is disappointed it hasn害羞草研究所檛 heard from Virani.
害羞草研究所淗ow is it possible that the minister, after his appointment, was unaware of some basic facts that were dug up by a simple Google search?害羞草研究所� said Kirzner- Roberts.
害羞草研究所淭hese are just among the questions that we would like answered by an investigation.害羞草研究所�
Richard Robertson, B害羞草研究所檔ai Brith Canada害羞草研究所檚 director for research and advocacy, said he met with Virani害羞草研究所檚 office and was told the investigation would be completed before Dattani害羞草研究所檚 scheduled start.
Virani害羞草研究所檚 office confirmed Thursday that the review is 害羞草研究所渆xpected to conclude害羞草研究所� by Aug. 8, but would only add that 害羞草研究所渁dditional information will be forthcoming shortly.害羞草研究所�
With less than a month until that time, a government source said Ottawa is looking at ways to delay Dattani害羞草研究所檚 arrival. The source spoke under condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly.
Virani害羞草研究所檚 office previously committed that it would make the results of any review public.
At issue are some now-deleted posts Dattani made under the name Mujahid Dattani while he was a graduate student in London almost a decade ago.
Dattani has said that in 2014, he shared an article titled 害羞草研究所淧alestinians are Warsaw Ghetto Prisoners of Today害羞草研究所� on social media. He recently told CBC News and The Globe and Mail that he did not agree with its argument.
He has rejected accusations that he posted articles comparing Israel to Nazi Germany, as an article published in 2015 suggested.
An appearance that Dattani made around the same time on a panel alongside a member of Hizb ut-Tahrir, an Islamic fundamentalist group, was also flagged as a concern.
The National Council of Canadian Muslims has defended Dattani, saying it expects 害羞草研究所渁ny independent and fair process to fully exonerate害羞草研究所� him.
It accused those calling for his ouster as 害羞草研究所渟mearing害羞草研究所� him for writing about political science topics such as terrorism.
NDP MP Randall Garrison said his party has yet to receive a clear timeline for when CSIS and the RCMP will complete its review.
害羞草研究所淣ew Democrats strongly urge that this review be done as quickly, as thoroughly and as transparently as possible,害羞草研究所� he said in a statement.
Marceau said the incident raises questions about how the human-rights commission can be trusted to deal with antisemitism at a time when online hate is increasing and police are reporting a spike in related crimes.
害羞草研究所淐an we really trust 害羞草研究所� the setup by the government to tackle antisemitism online? That害羞草研究所檚 a fair question.害羞草研究所�
Earlier this year, the government proposed legislation that would allow the Canadian Human Rights Commission to hear complaints of online hate speech.
The Online Harms Act, which also proposes stiffer penalties for hate crimes and seeks to hold social-media giants to account for harmful content, is still in the early stages of House of Commons debate.
