Dattani was previously appointed as Chief Commissioner of the Canadian Human Rights Commission in 2024, but he was forced to resign before starting his role due to accusations of antisemitism.
[1] Dattani was appointed to become the first Muslim or racialized chief commissioner of the Canadian Human Rights Commission, with a term to begin August 8, 2024.
[7][4] Dattani acknowledged sharing an article entitled “Palestinians are Warsaw Ghetto Prisoners of Today” but said that it was "for discussion as I was an academic studying such issues" and that he "did not agree with the comparison".
[10]On August 12, Dattani said he "agreed to resign" from the role without having undertaken any duties and that he "remain[ed] a steadfast believer in the Commission’s work, mandate, and its importance to our democracy.
"[11] After resigning from the Canadian Human Rights Commission, Dattani became a senior fellow at the Centre for Free Expression at Toronto Metropolitan University.