Legal group draws ire for cancelling humanitarian advocate's speech over his stance on Gaza

Shanifa Nasser · CBC News

· Posted: Mar 28, 2025 5:50 PM EDT | Last Updated: 10 minutes ago

A salient ineligible enactment is facing disapproval for cancelling a speech by a noted entrepreneur and humanitarian advocate after, it says, some members expressed concerns astir his presumption connected Israel's warfare successful Gaza.

Tareq Hadhad, the founder of Peace by Chocolate, had been selected by the Advocates' Society, a nationalist non-profit radical made up of immoderate 6,000 judges, lawyers and advocates, to present the keynote code astatine its highly anticipated end-of-term dinner, successful Toronto successful June. On its website, the enactment says it was "established to guarantee the beingness of a courageous and autarkic bar." 

But successful a connection to its members connected Wednesday, the radical said that invitation was rescinded aft immoderate members raised concerns astir his "public posts connected the ongoing struggle successful the Middle East."

"We admit that, by selecting Mr. Hadhad, we person harmed galore of our members and made them consciousness unwelcome," it said.

The connection did not constituent to immoderate circumstantial posts made by Hadhad oregon elaborate connected what astir them raised concerns.

But the Canadian Muslim Lawyers Association (CMLA) says erstwhile it pressed the society, it was told the concerns stemmed from complaints astir Hadhad's usage of the word "genocide" connected societal media, peculiarly successful the discourse of quality rights discussions, adding helium had not provided what they deemed "equal comment" connected different impacted groups.

WATCH | Hadhad gets Canadian citizenship:

When asked, the Advocates' Society would not corroborate those specifics to CBC News.

In a statement, it said the absorption "made it wide that our plans were pushing members apart, not bringing america together. With regret, we person concluded that this is not the close clip oregon lawsuit for this talker to code our members." 

"The determination was not owed to immoderate circumstantial societal media post, but alternatively the interaction this treatment had connected our members, creating part and harm for some, alternatively of assemblage and collegiality."

'I basal steadfast connected my values'

Hadhad arrived successful Canada arsenic a exile successful 2015 aft the warfare successful his autochthonal Syria displaced millions, and rapidly made headlines for his entrepreneurship aft recreating his family's cocoa business. 

It's for that crushed that the society chose him for its keynote, saying successful its connection to members Hadhad "has an inspiring idiosyncratic communicative astir his perseverance arsenic a Syrian refugee."

Hadhad said helium was "honoured" by the invitation and "surprised" erstwhile it was rescinded.

"I basal steadfast connected my values and I americium arrogant of who I am. My communicative is not political, it is personal. It is rooted successful lived experience," helium said successful a connection to CBC News.

"I volition proceed to usage my dependable to advocator for quality rights and the content that each idiosyncratic deserves to unrecorded successful bid and with respect."

Hadhad added that his code would person focused connected "values that unite" and the "dignity of each quality being."

Accused of 'policing views'

In an unfastened missive to the society, the CMLA noted Hadhad has earned wide designation for his story, including the Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medal, successful summation to being invited to talk by galore Canadian fiscal institutions and consulting services.

As for immoderate concerns raised astir the usage of the word genocide to notation to Israel's actions successful Gaza, it pointed out that apical quality rights organizations including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch person already argued Israel's actions magnitude to genocide.

The International Court of Justice has besides ordered Israel to instrumentality each measures to forestall immoderate acts contrary to the 1948 Genocide Convention successful its warfare successful Gaza, and the International Criminal Court has issued apprehension warrants for circumstantial Israeli officials for warfare crimes. Israel has vehemently denied those charges.

"By policing views connected this issue, the Society is making it precise wide that it is not committed to diverseness of sentiment oregon colour and sending a wide connection to its disposable number members that they are not welcome," CMLA seat Husein Panju said successful the letter.

"The Society's actions amusement that it and its committee spot a higher worth connected appeasing definite anonymous constituencies than connected promoting escaped speech, intercultural dialogue, inclusivity, and the unfastened speech of ideas. We tin deliberation of fewer things that are much astatine likelihood with cardinal Canadian values."

In its connection to CBC News, the nine said it is "committed to creating a vibrant, diverse, welcoming and inclusive situation for each advocates" and that it is  "actively reaching retired to members and leaders of ineligible organizations to listen, learn, and question to reconstruct the spot of our membership."

But for employment and quality rights lawyer Muneeza Sheikh, the society's about-face sends a antithetic message. 

"The information that idiosyncratic arsenic passionate astir quality rights arsenic Mr. Hadhad tin get booted disconnected a salient ineligible signifier (with young, racialized lawyers watching) successful this mode sends a wide message: those who basal for Human Rights are screened archetypal arsenic to whose Human Rights they are lasting for," she wrote to CBC News. 

"That is not OK," she continued. "My friends successful the ineligible assemblage are not OK. Free code has go a casualty successful the Ontario ineligible community, which is shocking fixed that it is an imperative erstwhile looking astatine quality rights — furthermore, thought crimes are punishable successful the worst way."

Hadhad, meanwhile, says helium volition proceed to bash what helium has done since arriving successful Canada: aiming to physique bridges done dialogue. 

"I judge successful creating spaces wherever stories of anticipation and bid tin beryllium heard without fearfulness oregon division."