After May was fired Thursday, opposition NDP justice critic Irfan Shabir said in a statement that it was unacceptable for someone to hold Islamophobic views and serve as chair of the Alberta Human Rights Commission. “I am pleased that Mr May has been removed from this position and I encourage Minister Shandro to be more careful and diligent in finding a replacement,” Sabir said. First flagged by left-wing media organization the Progress Report, May’s review of historian Efraim Karsh’s book Islamic Imperialism: A History cites Karsh’s argument that Islam is inherently militant. “(Karsh) defies the multicultural illusion about peaceful Islam and goes to the heart of the matter. Islam is not a peaceful religion abused by radicals. Instead, it is one of the most militaristic religions known to man, and it is precisely this militaristic legacy that informs the actions of radicals across the Muslim world,” May wrote in the review. The review was published in the C2C Journal. Editors George Koch and Peter Shawn Taylor argued in late July that the controversial paragraph summarized the book’s author’s views — not his own. Similarly, May said in a July statement, his review agreed with some of the book’s claims but rejected others. “I want to state clearly that I neither believe nor accept the characterization of Islam as a militant religion or movement, especially in light of the significant recent and varied scholarship that is working to overcome misconceptions about Muslim history and philosophy. I specifically want to affirm that Muslim Albertans are entitled to the full and equal respect afforded to all our communities,” he wrote. Marshall, May’s lawyer, also filed a separate high-profile lawsuit in Alberta last year on behalf of a former employee of his against the office of Premier Jason Kenney, alleging wrongful dismissal. The prime minister was not named in the lawsuit and his office denied the allegations, which have not been proven in court. [email protected] twitter.com/reportrix
