NCCM DEEPLY CONCERNED BY COMMENTS IN BOOK REVIEW BY INCOMING ALBERTA HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION CHAIR

(Edmonton – July 8, 2022) 

We are concerned about incoming Alberta Human Rights Commission Chair Collin May’s comments in a 2009 book review. Quotes from that review include, “Islam is not a peaceful religion misused by radicals. Rather, it is one of the most militaristic religions known to man.”  

The purpose of the Alberta Human Rights Commission is to reduce discrimination and promote equality. Mr. May’s commentary in a 2009 review of author Efraim Karsh’s book Islamic Imperialism (published in an online platform called C2C Journal) does not reflect such an objective.   

A government leader vested with authority amplifying misconceptions about Islam serves to create mistrust and casts suspicion on Muslim communities throughout Canada. The Chair of the Alberta Human Rights Commission carries a high level of responsibility to be an ambassador for human rights, dignity, and equality.   

Mr. May’s upcoming tenure comes at a time when hate crimes have spiked in Canada. In recent years, just to take one example, Black Muslim women in Alberta have experienced a string of violent Islamophobic attacks. Mosques in Alberta have also been visited by Islamophobic militia members.  

“We have been able to conduct some good-faith meetings with Mr. May and others inside the Alberta government on this issue,” says NCCM’s Alberta Advocacy Officer Said Omar. “We understand that Mr. May has also expressed a willingness in meeting with Muslim community members, scholars, and organizations to learn more about Islam.”  

As Mr. May engages with Muslim communities in Alberta, we will let our community members be the arbiter of his good faith efforts and sincerity. In other words, we are not accepting an apology today.  

NCCM will be engaging further on this matter and will share further updates soon.