Canadian Museum for Human Rights Nakba Exhibit Should be Supported

Author: Alex Neve

Publication: Alex Neve: Moving Rights Along (personal blog)

Date: December 2, 2025

Click here for the article

Summary:

Alex Neve, former Secretary General of Amnesty International Canada (2000-2020) and current professor of international human rights law at University of Ottawa and Dalhousie University, wrote an open letter to Canadian Minister of Identity and Culture Marc Miller urging support for the Canadian Museum for Human Rights' planned 2026 exhibit "Palestine Uprooted: Nakba Past and Present." 

Neve, who delivered the 2025 CBC Massey Lectures on "Universal: Renewing Human Rights in a Fractured World," argues the exhibit addresses a glaring exclusion of Palestinian rights from global human rights conversations. He contends that critics attempting to derail the exhibit demonstrate a double standard and underlying racist sentiment that Palestinian rights matter less, evident in petitions, letters, and social media posts criticizing the exhibit before its launch. 

Neve emphasizes that during his Massey Lectures across Canada, audiences consistently expressed desire to discuss human rights more, not less, especially uncomfortable topics, and demanded true commitment to universality. He acknowledges the context is sensitive and contentious, and that other interwoven concerns exist including Israeli rights, antisemitism, Islamophobia, and anti-Palestinian racism, but argues these are no reason to silence exploration of long-ignored Palestinian human rights concerns.

Quotes:

"Among the many peoples whose rights have been excluded from the global human rights conversation, the extent to which that has been the case for Palestinians has been glaring and inexcusable. There is always a 'but', 'not now', 'what about', 'only if', or 'but you didn't mention' that follows any suggestion that greater attention be given to acknowledging, let alone upholding, the rights of Palestinians." — Alex Neve

"Such attitudes barely disguise a double standard and underlying racist sentiment that the rights of Palestinians matter less or, more starkly, that their rights do not matter at all." — Alex Neve

"People are clear that there can be no more silence, we must challenge ourselves to speak up and speak out, and speak to each other about our shared human rights. They are demanding that we truly commit to universality." — Alex Neve, summarizing responses from Massey Lectures audiences