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Jul
Over 70 Human Rights, Labour, Faith, and Other Civil Society Organizations Defend Nakba Exhibt at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights
Written by Independent Jewish Voices CanadaWe, the undersigned human rights and civil society organizations, write to express our support for the Canadian Museum for Human Rights (CMHR), its leadership, and the curatorial independence that is essential to the integrity of all public museums.
The Canadian Museum for Human Rights was established to advance understanding of human rights through education and dialogue. That mission depends on the freedom to present complex histories honestly, thoughtfully, and without political interference.
The opening of Palestine Uprooted: Nakba Past and Present marks an important contribution to public understanding in Canada about a history that has profoundly shaped the lives of Palestinian Canadians as well as millions of Palestinians globally. As publicly funded institutions governed by the public interest, museums dedicated to human rights have a responsibility to confront difficult, contested, and often painful histories. This exhibition reflects that responsibility.
Since its opening, the exhibition has been the subject of organized campaigns calling for political intervention, public condemnation, and institutional consequences for the museum and its leadership, including against its CEO, Isha Khan. We are deeply concerned by efforts to pressure the CMHR to alter, discredit, or distance itself from a professionally curated exhibition through political and public pressure rather than through established scholarly and curatorial processes.
We are particularly concerned that calls for political intervention have, in some instances, extended beyond public advocacy into commentary from elected officials regarding the content of the exhibition. Regardless of the issue at hand, political leaders should respect the independence of Canada’s public museums and refrain from influencing or appearing to influence curatorial decisions.
The principles at stake extend well beyond this exhibition and are fundamental to the independence of all public museums. We urge elected officials, community leaders, and the public to respect the CMHR’s institutional independence. We also express our appreciation to the museum staff, leadership, advisory members, and all those who contributed their expertise and lived experience to this exhibition.
We call on the museum to remain steadfast in its commitment to independent, evidence-based curation and encourage all Canadians to engage with and visit the exhibition in the spirit of learning, reflection, and respectful dialogue.
