Local News
Human Rights Museum announcement of “Nakba” exhibit sets off hornet’s nest
By BERNIE BELLAN On November 19, during its Annual Public Meeting, the Canadian Museum for Human Rights (CMHR) announced it will be mounting an exhibit titled “Palestine Uprooted: Nakba (sometimes spelled as ‘Nagba) Past and Present,” focusing on Palestinian experiences, confirming it will open in June 2026. The CMHR website said that “This announcement follows years of advocacy from Palestinian Canadian groups, with the exhibit aiming to share Palestinian perspectives on the 1948 catastrophe.”
That announcement set off a storm of reaction from within the Jewish community, especially from the Jewish Heritage Centre for Western Canada, the Jewish Federation of Winnipeg , and the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs.
The primary concern raised by representatives of all three of those groups was that having an exhibit on the Nakba without also having an exhibit on the forced displacement of Jews from Arab countries in 1948 would offer a distorted perspective of what happened during Israel’s 1948 War of Independence.
We have been reluctant to wade into this hornet’s nest as no matter what we write it is bound to lead to some individuals saying that we haven’t been balanced, but we did decide to go ahead and try to offer some idea of how this exhibit came about.
Our primary source was an interview that Isha Khan, CEO of the Canadian Museum for Human Rights, did with Sierra Sanders of CBC’s Information Radio on November 21.
Following are some excerpts from that interview. (It has been edited for clarity): Khan began by explaining that what the museum will be mounting is “an exhibit that shares the experiences of Palestinian Canadians who have experienced the Nagba or our intergenerational survivors. And it uses multimedia, so a number of different art forms, text and art and interactive to share their experiences and the human rights violations that are related to force displacement.”
Sanders asked: “And so I understand the Palestinian community has been lobbying for years for an exhibit like this or something like this. When was it decided that the museum would be doing an exhibit like this?”
Khan: “So it’s both true that Palestinian Canadians and others have been asking us – demanding that that there be more content in the museum that it shares their experiences. And we’ve been working on this for the last four years because we made the decision that absolutely we need to share these stories that are human rights stories about displacement and and so we’re at the stage where we can announce the exhibit and want people to come see it.”
Sanders: “… I understand the Palestinian community was a part of the conversations when it came to this exhibit. Who did you if you can tell me, who did you consult with during the process of this exhibit?”
Khan: “Yeah. So, in the same way that we really tell any story that you see in an exhibit here in the museum, we rely on the lived experiences of people who have experienced those atrocities or affected communities. And so we’ve been working and consulting with a really wide network of Palestinian Canadians and others from across Canada to to help ensure that we share their story that they’ve entrusted and their stories that they’ve entrusted with us in a responsible way.”
Sanders: “…and why is this exhibit important to the CHR?”
Khan: “The CHR is a museum for human rights and our job is to tell stories, to share stories that enable people to reflect, to understand human rights, to navigate the human rights issues of our day. This exhibit is going to be in our rights today gallery. So, it’s about contemporary issues and there’s no question that people are looking for information. They’re looking to better understand what to do with the information that they have around them, around the Nagba and the Palestinian experiences.”
Sanders: “And what does the museum hope visitors will take away from it and what kind of conversations are you hoping to start with this exhibit?”
Khan: “We hope that people will come and see this exhibit. We hope that by being exposed to or being able to touch and and feel Palestinian experiences of forced displacement that they’ll be able to understand the human rights impacts that displacement can have on people and draw connections to other situations in history and today. Every exhibit that we tell takes stories from the past often and allows people to apply those principles and the feelings and the reflections that they have so that they can better understand human rights today and they can actually take action and do something about it.”
Sanders: “So the announcement of this exhibit has stirred up some concern from the Jewish Heritage Center of Western Canada and they’re worried the exhibit will lack balanced scholarly research and and key historical and current geopolitical context. What’s your response to this concern? “
Khan: “We understand that there are people who are who are concerned, who are worried about what the exhibit may do. What I can share is for one, we’ve had a long really long good history working with the Jewish Heritage Center of Western Canada on Holocaust remembrance and other important issues related to combating anti-semitism. This exhibit isn’t a historical retrospective. This exhibit is about the experiences of Palestinian Canadians who have lived through forced displacement and their families. So it’s told from their perspective, from their eyes, just like many other exhibits in the museum are. Currently we’re running a major exhibition on the LGBTQ purge and it’s told through the eyes of survivors, their words, their stories in order to impact others and help them understand what happened at that time. The Palestinian and Jewish community – they are kind of intertwined in their own ways.”
Sanders: “Do you think that the Jewish community should have been consulted in the curation of this exhibit?”
Khan: “The exhibits that we develop are for all people. As a museum for human rights, we try to share stories that allow people to make connections between human rights violations occurring around the world and here in Canada. We understand that there is a question about how the exhibition was developed. This exhibition was developed with a big team of researchers, academics, a curator who leads the choice making around art and design and many others. And that’s how we do our work. The development of this exhibition has the same rigour as any exhibition we develop. And we do that because we feel responsible for ensuring that if a community or individuals entrust us with their stories, we’re going to make sure we share them responsibly. We really steward others other people’s stories and we really encourage people to come and see the exhibit to help answer some of those anxieties that they may have.”
Sanders: “Now, so the Jewish Heritage Center of Western Canada is pulling out of a partnership with the museum to mark International Holocaust Remembrance Day because of the this exhibit. How will this impact the museum’s ability to provide Holocaust education and programming to combat antisemitism?”
Khan: “We remain absolutely, unwaveringly committed to combating antisemitism. We have a gallery that allows people to examine the Holocaust. We do Holocaust Remembrance Day programming every year in addition to talking about anti-semitism in our school tours and education programs and public tours. We will continue to do that work. We’ve worked with Holocaust memorial sites and organizations across the country and around the world. We hope to continue to work with the Jewish Heritage Center of Western Canada in the future.”
As has been noted, there was fierce reaction from many different organizations in the Jewish community over the announcement that the CMHR would be mounting an exhibit on the Naqba. However, it’s not clear whether there is an official spokesperson for the Jewish community – or if there ever was just one spokesperson.
But, what we were really interested in finding out from the CMHR was when did this idea to mount an exhibit about the Naqba really begin so, on December 7, we sent this query to someone by the name of Amanda Gaudes, who was listed as a Media Relations Specialist for the CMHR on its website:
Hi Amanda,
I’m the consulting editor of the Jewish Post newspaper, also publisher of the jewishpostandnews.ca website.
I’m interested in doing a story about the upcoming Nakba exhibit but, unlike others in the Jewish community who may have been in touch with you, I aim entirely for objectivity – much as that term seems to have been devalued in recent years.
I have no interest in rehashing the arguments that have been raised by members of the Jewish community about fairness and giving equal weight to the expulsion of Jews from Arab countries in 1948 if I’m reporting on what had led the museum to want to mount this exhibit at this time. While I don’t dismiss the validity of those arguments, I find them all too predictable in the sense that they level the same tired criticisms of an exhibit simply because the name “Nakba” is offensive to them in and of itself.
I, myself, can appreciate what impact the expulsion of Palestinians from their homes had. I’ve lived in Israel and have seen the results of that expulsion first hand.
What I’d like is the opportunity to give a full airing of what had led the museum to want to mount this exhibit after all these years – without rebutting anything anyone might have to say. Of course, I’d love to know more about the decision making process, but I rather expect that much of that will remain confidential. However- if you take a look at what’s been said about me online, you can see that I’m not afraid to plunge into discussion of subjects that many in our community would rather remain untouched.
Then, if there are responses from members of the Jewish community that would want to criticize the museum, they can appear at a separate time, so that we don’t immediately plunge readers into a debate the first time we have a mention of the issue which, so far, I can tell you, has gone completely uncovered in the Jewish Post to date.
Thanks
-Bernie Bellan
We received a response from Amanda Gaudes, Media Relations Specialist for the CMHR two days later:
Good afternoon Bernie,
The Canadian Museum for Human Rights announced several new exhibits that are part of the Museum’s core gallery renewal including Palestine Uprooted: Nakba Past and Present. It will be a smaller scale exhibit in our Rights Today gallery on Level 5 of the Museum and will open in late June 2026. This exhibit is about the lived experiences of Palestinian Canadians and the human rights impacts of forced displacement that they have faced over generations. It will use art, first-person reflections, and personal artifacts to share the stories of Palestinian Canadians who were displaced during the 1948 Nakba to today.
There are always individuals or groups who are interested or concerned in the nature of our content and we think it’s important to emphasize that the exhibit is about the personal experiences of Palestinian Canadians. The exhibit is not a historical retrospective, or an examination of the founding of the State of Israel or a commentary on current Israel-Palestine relations.
We began working on this exhibit four years ago to look at the issue of forced displacement of Palestinians. Exploring this content in no way diminishes the experience of others who have also faced displacement including the Jewish community.
We also share the community’s concerns about rising antisemitism and take our mandate as educators very seriously. We are continuing to develop and deliver antisemitism education programs and teaching resources, which have their foundation in our renowned Examining the Holocaust gallery. All of our education programs are designed to not only examine the Holocaust, but to delve into antisemitism today. We are increasing programming in this area in January to coincide with International Holocaust Remembrance Day.
Our role as a museum is to help people understand our world through the lens of human rights. Through that lens, we can see that every individual – and this includes Palestinians and Jewish people everywhere – has the right to live in safety and security and dignity and that all people have the right to self determination.
Thank you,
Amanda Gaudes (she/her|elle)
Media Relations Specialist | Spécialiste des relations avenc les médias
I did send a follow-up email to Amanda Gaudes, but did not hear back. Here’s what I wrote:
Thanks for this Amanda but can I ask you to elaborate on a number of points you mentioned:
What are the other exhibits that the museum will be mounting in addition to the one on the Nakba?
You say you began working on this exhibit four years ago. But, had the idea been tossed around prior to four years ago? If so, I’m curious where the idea came from? Was it someone from within the museum or did it come from someone outside the museum?
Thanks
-Bernie
Then, on December 11, we received this message from reader Irwin Corobow:
I am embarrassed for the Jewish Community here in Winnipeg for the absurd and ill conceived push back by the Jewish Heritage Centre to the plans by the Canadian Human Rights Museum to stage an exhibit reflecting the Palestinian community history during the Nakba. Why in the world should the Museum have to consult with the Jewish Community in order to plan this exhibit? What is there in the Heritage Centre’s mandate that gives the authority to speak on issues that are not related to its mandate? None that I can see. Why is the Executive Director Centre of the Heritage Centre given apparently freedom to act as spokesperson for the Community on such matters such as perceived anti-semitism. I challenge anyone to read through the mission and purpose of the Centre and find anything that supports this reactive behaviour. Ironically this dust up involving the Centre and the Museum will likely increase attendance at the exhibit when it occurs.
Local News
Hundreds rally against opening of Nakba exhibit at Human Rights Museum
By NOAH STRAUSS Around 300 people gathered outside the Canadian Museum for Human Rights on Friday during the grand opening of the museum’s newest exhibit, “Palestine Uprooted: Nakba Past and Present.” (Ed. note: The CBC report on the protest said there were “100” people at the rally. I know there were more than 100, but I’m not sure there were 300 either.) The exhibit, which had a limited number of tickets available for opening night, sold out. The Canadian Palestinian Association of Manitoba had originally planned a rally in support of the exhibit’s opening, but it was cancelled just days before the event.
The Nakba, which means “catastrophe” in Arabic, refers to the displacement of an estimated 750,000 Palestinians during the 1947–1949 war surrounding the establishment of the State of Israel. The exhibit has drawn criticism from members of Winnipeg’s Jewish community and others who argue that it does not acknowledge the displacement and persecution of Jewish communities in many Arab and Muslim-majority countries following Israel’s independence and the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. Historians estimate that between 850,000 and 950,000 Jews left or were expelled from Arab and Muslim-majority countries during the decades surrounding Israel’s establishment. In countries including Iraq, Egypt, and Yemen, many had their property confiscated, while others left because of persecution or increasing hostility.
Supporters of the Jewish community came from all faiths and backgrounds. The Jewish Post spoke with Lisa Lewis, a longtime supporter of the Jewish community.
“I think there is a crisis of antisemitism happening right now,” Lewis said.
She was one of many non-Jewish community members who attended the rally. Lewis said she has been an active ally since the 2000s, helping Argentine immigrants come to Canada. Following the October 7 attacks on Israel, she said she has become a more vocal supporter of the Jewish community. During the rally, she wore a Magen David necklace.
Lewis also criticized the museum’s approach to the exhibit.
“The Jewish community organizations that represent the majority of the Jewish community weren’t consulted on something like this,” she said.
Cindy Clubb, another ally of the Jewish community who attended the rally, also voiced her concerns.
“I grew up with prominent businesspeople and members of the academic and medical communities. I don’t know what we would do without our Jewish cooperation. So I’m up here to support them, and I think all of Winnipeg should be out here,” Clubb said.
One protester, who identified herself as Michelle, said, “We are against the Nakba exhibit. It’s all lies.”
Gustavo Zentner, Vice President of CIJA Manitoba and Saskatchewan, said, “We are calling on Minister Miller to hold the museum leadership accountable. The Minister of Canadian Heritage needs to ensure that national institutions are not weaponized against Canadians to serve a one-sided political agenda. These concerns were expressed not only by the Jewish community, but by many concerned Canadians. At its core, this is a Canadian issue.”
Zentner did not participate in the community rally. He went on to say, “We are proud of the many community members, allies, and organizers who gathered at the museum before Shabbat began to demonstrate their concerns.”
The museum defended its decision to present the exhibit. CEO Isha Khan said that “human rights matter precisely when they are inconvenient.” She added that the museum “belongs in the collective memory of Canadians.”
The exhibit is scheduled to remain on display until November 2028.
Local News
Interviews with the curator of the Nakba exhibit and the CEO of the Human Rights Museum
By BERNIE BELLAN On June 26, I was invited to attend the Canadian Museum for Human Right to see the Nakba exhibit prior to its being opened to the public. While I was there I was given the opportunity to interview the curator for the exhibit, Isabelle Masson, along with CMHR CEO Isha Khan. What follows are the transcripts of those interviews (edited only to remove pause words like “uh” and phrases that were repeated). The first interview was with Isabelle Masson:
Jewish Post: Several representatives of Winnipeg Jewish community organization say that they weren’t fairly consulted on this exhibit. How do you respond to that?
Masson: We came to this project with an awareness that Palestinian voices are often marginalized, even silenced, and an awareness that Islamophobia and anti-Palestinian racism have an impact on whose voice is heard and whose suffering is recognized. And so we intentionally chose to centre Palestinian voices with this exhibition.
JP: But to the point that many Jewish representatives of organizations and people within the community at large feel that the Jewish community should have been consulted on an issue that had such a direct impact on the Jewish community – did you not feel an obligation to consult with the Jewish community?
Masson: I think the best person to talk further about this issue is our CEO, Isha.
JP: In terms of the exhibit itself, I must say it really stresses the suffering that Palestinians have endured. But, in looking at other refugee situations around the world, the Palestinian situation seems to me to be unique in that there has never been an effort to resettle Palestinians within the countries to which they were forced to flee.
Do you not think that separates their situation (from other refugee situations) and, in some ways, it has made their situation worse than it could have been?
Masson: Well, the exhibit not only centres that experience of forced displacement and disposition as a longstanding experience across five generation that you know is tied to human rights violations that are ongoing today, but it also I want to point out, you know, foregrounds beauty, foregrounds resilience, foregrounds the maintenance of identity and belonging across time and across that experience. So there’s also these elements about this exhibition because it was also about humanizing Palestinians – about people with families with stories, with creativity – and coming back to some of the videos what interviewees say, right, we hope that Palestinians can be seen as fully human and hope that they can see Palestinians as having human rights and this this story today in this gallery is is a story about human rights.
JP: If I can focus on one particular aspect of the exhibit that I read this morning when I was sent the preview, it referred to what happened between the years 2000 and 2005 as a Palestinian uprising. But the Israeli term would be the Intifada which for them meant large-scale attacks – terrorist bombings by some Palestinians. Did you not think it necessary to include that in a larger context?
Masson: Well, we use uprising because it’s the most more accessible term in the exhibition and we, you know, we’re focusing really here on an artwork by artists – Palestinian American artist Reggie Cook and with an artwork that was trying to translate the experience of of occupation into what is created. So that’s the context in which we talk about that.
JP: But to ignore what happened during the uprising seems to me to leave out a major part of the context.
Masson: I don’t think that we are ignoring that. This exhibit is not about the full story of what has happened in Palestine, in Israel. It’s not, you know, the scope of this small exhibition. This small exhibition has a scope and the scope was really to create an opportunity and a place for Canadians to be able to encounter Palestinian Canadians and hear their voices.
JP: Given the current mood in the Middle East and the ongoing tensions between Israel and various other actors, the concern among many in the Jewish community that this is going to lead to a heightening of antisemitism and an exhibit like this seems that it’s not going to do much to improve relations between Jews and Palestinians when it focuses on only one side of the story. How do you respond to that?
Masson: Well, this is only one exhibit of of many, of many stories that we have.
Following is my interview with Isha Khan. Khan began by explaining that she is “the CEO at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights and I’ve been here as CEO of the museum since August of 2020. So almost six years.”
JP: So let’s get right down to discussing (the exhibit). I spoke to the curator. I asked a lot of questions about the exhibit itself. I’m more interested in asking (you) about the general context and the atmosphere in the community. The accusation has been made repeatedly by various leaders of Jewish organizations that you have not been willing to consult on this exhibit. How do you respond to that?
Khan: I think the word consult can mean many things. We have a community engagement practice. So for us that means that depending on the scope of the exhibit and this exhibit is about Palestinian Canadians and their experiences, the impacts of the human rights impacts, of forced displacement, which means we engage with that community as we share their stories. Many folks in the Jewish community will say we haven’t consulted with them and yet we have met with leaders of Jewish organizations from across Canada, main uh, major federations, foundations, local Jewish organization representatives many times to talk about this exhibit, to explain what its scope is, what it’s about, what it’s intended to do, and most importantly, what it isn’t. And unfortunately there continues to be misconceptions about what it is. So we hope people will come and see it.
JP: I think the fear in the community – and I think it’s well founded is that this will foment an increase in antisemitism. Can you understand that concern?
Khan: Absolutely. I personally and any member of our team who’s talked to folks about this has said that we unequivocally share the concern about antisemitism in Canada today. That is part of our mandate. And we will continue to do that work and we can also share these stories of Palestinian Canadians – you know, telling the story of one community’s human rights violation in no way should negate or minimize the experience of another community. That’s what this museum was designed to do….designed to build understanding of shared humanity and that’s what we believe we’re doing responsibly.
JP: Just before I began this interview, I was taken (down to the fourth floor; the Nakba exhibit is on the fifth floor) to see the gallery of other human rights violations. I’m not sure what it’s called. (It’s where there is a ) recitation of various human rights violations, including what happened in 1947 and 1948 (in Palestine). They offer passing reference to the displacement of both Jewish and Palestinian refugees. Would you consider ever having an exhibit about the displacement of Jewish refugees from Arab lands in 1948 and subsequent years?
Khan: We would absolutely consider it and in fact have shared with leaders of the Jewish organizations months ago that yes, these are important stories that need to be told (and) invited them to work constructively with us on developing that content. Unfortunately we didn’t really receive much response.
JP: How long is this exhibit supposed to be on for?
Khan: So this exhibit right now we’re saying is a minimum of two years. That’s because it is an exhibit in a standing gallery and so it also depends on our updating of our other galleries and, you know, exhibits take a bit of time. This one is four years in the making and so we’ve just committed that it’ll be a minimum of two years and we’ll see where things go.
JP: There are a lot of other refugee situations in the world – (for instance) South Sudan, and just this morning I was saying to Isabelle that I received an email about the situation for people from Burundi in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
I didn’t realize that was a problem. I know that the Congo has had ongoing problems with displacement of populations. It it seems to me it’s not an unlimited number of stories like this you could tell, but there are a lot of others. How do you decide which ones take priority?
Khan: We’re often asked the question of how we decide, and it comes back to how this museum is designed. Each gallery is intended to tell a different story. It has an objective. So this exhibit, Palestine Uprooted, is in our Rights Today gallery. It’s to talk about global human rights issues. And we know that people want to better understand human rights of Palestinians. There’s no question. It’s being talked about, debated, discussed all over the world. And so we’re being responsive there to that need. And we know that Palestinian experiences were under represented in our galleries and have heard that for years. To your point though that there are other stories – the design of this museum is that you ought to be able to feel something, understand something about the forced displacement of one community and apply it to another. So now this story stands along the forced displacement of the Rwanda people, indigenous peoples, Ukrainian people, the Igbo people. You’ve named a number of others that we do need to develop content on over time, but it’s done depending on what gallery it is, what we are trying to invoke…because we’ll never be the encyclopedia of all human rights atrocities in the world. That’s actually why we’re called the Canadian Museum for Human Rights rather than the Canadian Museum of Human Rights.
We’re here to to develop an understanding through the stories that will impact people.
JP: Okay. I want to ask a politically loaded question.
Khan: Okay.
JP: The Jewish population of Canada is at best 450,000. In that range, Jews don’t have the political impact that they used to. At most, there are 12 to 16 ridings where the Jewish vote can make a difference. The Muslim population has grown substantially. It has a much larger political impact. Did that factor in to this exhibit being mounted in any way?
Khan: Absolutely not.
JP: So, I’ll ask the question that I asked the curator of the exhibit. Where did the impetus for this come from? Did it come from Palestinian Canadians?
Khan: This exhibit came from a recognition, our decision. I hold responsibility ultimately for the decisions made by my team. It was made based on the recognition that Palestinian experiences were under represented in this museum. We absolutely heard from the Palestinian community organizations in Canada and had heard for many years that their stories were underrepresented. Ultimately, the decision was ours. And as we look at this gallery and updating our content, this is ‘rights today’ – global human rights. We know that the world is talking about Palestinian human rights and the stories of Palestinian Canadians naturally belong in our collective memory alongside many other stories that are told here.
JP: There was one particular aspect on one of the panels when I was sent a preview this morning and it referred to the Palestinian uprising from 2000 to 2005 which led to a lot of Israeli deaths that we generally refer to as the Intifada. There’s no mention of Israeli deaths on that panel. Would you agree that might have been an oversight?
Khan: I mean I know that there the factual point is absolutely accurate. The decisions on the curation of the exhibit are not ones that I make, but certainly if that is a concern that we will look at.
Local News
Nakba exhbit at CMHR now open – here’s what it looks like
By BERNIE BELLAN (Posted June 26)The following press release was sent to me early Friday morning June 26 (Photos supplied by Annie Kierans, CMHR) Nothing that follows has been edited. I leave it to you to form your own opinion:
Winnipeg, MB — June 26, 2026 — The Canadian Museum for Human Rights (CMHR) will open a new exhibit tomorrow that explores human rights violations related to the ongoing forced displacement of Palestinian Canadians.
Palestine Uprooted: Nakba Past and Present will be on display in the Rights Today gallery on Level 5 until 2028. Featuring personal stories told through artifacts and video testimonies, the exhibit presents Palestinian Canadians reflecting on their ongoing struggle for human rights. The small exhibit reveals enduring patterns of loss and resilience, helping visitors understand more about this contemporary human rights story.
Palestinian Canadian stories are now included alongside many other stories of forced displacement and human rights violations featured in the Museum’s galleries. Each of these stories contribute to our visitors understanding of human rights and help the Museum fulfill its mandate to foster reflection and dialogue.
Exhibition highlights
Personal stories and artifacts: Experience firsthand accounts from Palestinian Canadians sharing their journeys of displacement and memory through a series of five artifacts. Cases display artifacts like property deeds, house keys, and a traditional Palestinian embroidered dress, accompanied by short videos that deepen understanding of the impacts of displacement.
Powerful artworks: In her painting Bound Together in Gaza, Malak Mattar, a Gazan artist, captures the struggles and resilience of her generation shaped by conflict. Her work pays homage to Guernica, Picasso’s powerful masterpiece depicting civilian suffering during war.
Curfews and Closures, by Rajie Cook, bears witness to life under military occupation during the 2000–2005 Palestinian uprising, when curfews and closures were expanded and further limited basic rights and freedoms.
Cultural heritage: Discover traditional Palestinian embroidery called tatreez. Tatreez motifs and colours are tied to place, family history and regional identity. Patterns are associated with particular towns, villages or areas of Palestine. In this way, tatreez is a form of storytelling: a way of preserving memory, sustaining identity and expressing resilience across displacement and exile.
Poetry and reflection: Engage with Mahmoud Darwish’s evocative verses, inspiring personal reflection on exile, voice, and responsibility. Visitors can take a card containing Darwish’s poem and add a personal note, fostering ongoing dialogue beyond the exhibit.
Contemporary context: Witness striking images of current events in Gaza and the West Bank, connecting past displacement to ongoing struggles.
Quotes:
“No force can silence the truth we carry. Growing up in Canada, my children lived the Nakba through our stories. And now we watch it happen again, live, on our phones. When I see the images coming out of Gaza, I am not watching the news. I am watching my history repeat itself.” -Fouad Sahyoun, a Palestinian Canadian featured in the exhibit
“We developed this exhibit with a clear awareness that Palestinian Canadian voices have too often been marginalized, silenced or spoken over — and that anti-Palestinian racism affects whose stories are heard and whose suffering is recognized. That is why we intentionally centred Palestinian Canadian voices throughout the exhibit.” -Isabelle Masson, Curator of Palestine Uprooted
“Human rights matter precisely when they are inconvenient, when the question of who deserves the dignity of having their rights recognized is genuinely contested. These are the moments where having a national museum for human rights is most important.
There are people who believe this exhibit should not exist in its current form. There are people who believe it should have existed sooner. There are people who will visit this exhibit and feel that it does not say enough, and others who will feel it says too much.
We have listened to every one of these voices. We have reflected. And we have renewed our resolve to continue the difficult, sometimes contested, and often controversial work of building understanding about human rights. We are a museum grounded in Canada’s human rights framework, whose mandate requires us to bear witness to the full complexity of the human story. We are proud to open this exhibit because the story it tells will help achieve that mandate, and because this story belongs in the collective memory of Canadians.”
- – Isha Khan, CEO
