The Canadian Museum for Human Rights (CMHR) in Winnipeg is facing accusations of hypocrisy after it was revealed that officials from the Palestinian Authority (PA) are advising on an upcoming exhibit about the Nakba, the displacement of Palestinians in 1948.
PA Involvement in Exhibit Planning
According to reports from the National Post and Winnipeg Sun, Ramsey Zeid, president of the Canadian Palestinian Association of Manitoba and a member of the museum’s Palestinian Content Advisory Network, wrote to CMHR Vice-President Matthew Cutler and CEO Isha Khan in 2024. Zeid stated that PA representative Mona Abuamara would tour the museum and wished to discuss the Nakba exhibit. Zeid said Abuamara was “keen to receive an update on the progress of the project … and explore how she might be able to assist if necessary.” Cutler replied that staff would speak with her “about our work around sharing Palestinian human rights stories through the museum, including the exhibit.” The Post confirmed the meeting occurred.
Museum’s Response and Concerns
In response to inquiries from the Post about concerns from Jewish groups regarding balance and consultation, a museum spokesperson said the Nakba exhibit was “neither a historical retrospective nor an examination of the founding of the State of Israel.” Amanda Gaudes stated it was focused on the “lived experiences of Palestinian-Canadians” and refused to name members of the content advisory committee. The Post later obtained a 2023 list that included Zeid. After the October 2023 massacre of Israelis by Hamas militants, Zeid wrote publicly that “Zionism is a disease that must be destroyed.”
Human Rights Record of the PA
Civil rights in Gaza are virtually non-existent, especially for LGBT individuals. According to a 2023 United Nations report, “LGBT persons living under PA and Hamas control suffer severe persecution and ostracism. In Gaza, it is illegal to be gay. In the West Bank, being gay is not technically illegal, but it may as well be.” The report called the West Bank and Gaza among the “most dangerous in the world for LGBT individuals.”
Hypocrisy of Consulting PA
Despite this poor human rights record, a PA official is advising a museum dedicated to human rights. The Winnipeg Sun confirmed that CMHR CEO Isha Khan was briefing senior officials in the Heritage Ministry, which funds the museum, on the conflict between Israel and Gaza. The editorial questions the appropriateness of consulting a regime that persecutes LGBT individuals, asking, “What lessons on human rights can we take from Palestinians?”
