"You do not mention the broader context of the conflation between antisemitism and anti-Zionism that Dahab was subjected to and, thus, the crackdown on free speech, which she was a victim of. Please be more explicit on the issue of free speech by adding a section from this open letter to your article. Free speech is a core aspect of this controversy."
April 9, 2024
To:
Bobby Hristova, Journalist, CBC News
Nancy Waugh, Sr Manager, Journalistic Standards, CBC News
Dear Bobby Hristova and Nancy Waugh,
I am writing on behalf of Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East to express concern regarding your article: “HWDSB trustee says she’s banned from private meetings because of social media post,” published on April 9.
Although I appreciate you covering what happened to Sabreina Dahab, a Hamilton public school board trustee, by giving voice to her and referencing her statement, you could have provided more details on her case. The piece excludes essential voices, making it seem somewhat unbalanced.
First, you do not mention how Jewish, Muslim, Christian, atheist, and secular parents brought their voices together to write and send an open letter to the Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board (HWDSB). By excluding reference to this letter, and any reference to Dahab’s support in the community, she is portrayed as a kind of pariah, which seems unfair.
Please reference the open letter in your article so that your readers understand how unpopular the HWDSB’s decision is.
Second, there is an issue with the framing of your article. In the abovementioned letter that you omit to mention, the parents write that the board was “weaponizing antisemitism by enabling and unquestionably accepting any and all false accusations of ‘antisemitism’ made towards Trustee Dahab.”
You do not mention the broader context of the conflation between antisemitism and anti-Zionism that Dahab was subjected to and, thus, the crackdown on free speech, which she was a victim of.
Please be more explicit on the issue of free speech by adding a section from this open letter to your article. Free speech is a core aspect of this controversy.
Third, as written in the open letter, Sabreina Dahad was the only Muslim woman Ward 2 trustee for the HWDSB. This piece of information should have been included in your article to help your readers make more sense of the situation, as critics pointed out that this might be “an attempt to silence the only Muslim woman on the board and a clear example of anti-Palestinian racism” (APR).
Please mention that Sabrina Dahab’s case can be a form of APR and Islamophobia in your article.
I hope CBC will make these changes and provide a more complete picture when reporting on the consequences professionals face for their pro-Palestine stance.
Sincerely,
Fatima Haidar
Media Analyst, Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East