Minister attacked museum's independence by calling for Palestinian wording changes, federal NDP leader says

Minister attacked museum's independence by calling for Palestinian wording changes, federal NDP leader says

Marc Miller going against promise not to intervene in CMHR curation: Avi Lewis

Federal NDP Leader Avi Lewis says Heritage Minister Marc Miller was wrong to call on the Canadian Museum for Human Rights in Winnipeg to change the wording in an exhibit about displaced Palestinians.

Both politicians have said the exhibit is an important chance for Palestinians to see their history reflected in a prominent museum.

But Lewis says Miller is going against his own promise not to intervene in how the Crown corporation curates its exhibits by saying the institution made an error in how it presented the current conflict between Israel and Palestinians.

The exhibit — Palestine Uprooted: Nakba Past and Present — opened to the public Saturday. It focuses on the forcible displacement of about 750,000 Palestinians from the region during the 1948 Arab-Israeli war in what's known as the Nakba, which means "catastrophe" in Arabic.

Miller told The Canadian Press it's "regrettable" the exhibit does not identify Hamas as a terrorist organization or mention that the 2023 attack by Hamas was aimed at killing Jews.

He said in a statement Tuesday that Palestinian displacement and refugee experience "deserve a place in public education and discourse," but added Canadians expect national museums to pursue the "highest standards of research, outreach and sensitivity" when developing programming.

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Miller directed concerns about any exhibits to the museum's CEO and board of trustees.

Lewis says Miller attacked the museum's independence and should apologize for "unacceptable political interference."

The Conservatives have not directly commented on Miller's words but have called the exhibit one-sided "propaganda" that lacks context.