Reem Bahdi

Professor Reem Bahdi has published an opinion piece in The Conversation Canada on the new human rights order which, as she writes, risks restricting criticism of Israel.

Last month, Ontario became the latest jurisdiction to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) working definition of antisemitism. The province has sown division within and between communities in the process, writes Professor Bahdi.

In a Conversation Canada article published today, professors Reem Bahdi, Jillian Rogin and Sylvia Mcadam argue that recent legal reforms in Alberta and Saskatchewan suggest both provinces could be gearing up for more violence against Indigenous Peoples, even as both commit to reconciliation.

In May, when terrorism charges were added against a suspect in the killing of Ashley Noelle Arzaga, it marked the first time in Canada they were invoked against violence by “incels,” a group that identifies as involuntary celibate — rejected sexually by women.

Windsor law professor Reem Bahdi and Fahad Ahmad, a doctoral student of public policy at Carleton University, argue that adopting anti-terrorism strategies against incel ideology may make matters worse.

Professor Reem Bahdi comments on terrorism laws in a recent Maclean's op-ed. 

“It’s really troubling and puzzling why the court would conclude in Bissonnette’s case that his hatred of Muslims was irrelevant to the fact that he shot Muslims,” says Professor Bahdi.

"[V]iolence associated or perpetuated by Muslims is terrorism. Violence perpetuated against Muslims is not as easily identified as terrorism.”

After a 25-year-old Jamaican-Canadian had suspicions about a potential landlord, he took his rental discrimination case to the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario (HRTO) and won.

When asked to provide her comments on the case, Professor Reem Bahdi said that statistically, it's not common to see a discrimination complaint before the HRTO end up in favour of the applicant. 

On Thursday, Professor Reem Bahdi, Dean Christopher Waters and the Transnational Law and Justice Network at Windsor Law welcomed two expert panelists for the discussion "Canada and Saudi Arabia: Legal Frameworks and Policy Options." The panel urged Canadians to make foreign affairs and human rights an election issue.

Windsor Law professors Sylvia McAdam, Jillian Rogin, and Reem Bahdi wrote an article for The Conversation Canada about McAdam's ancestral lands. Also the co-founder of Idle No More, Sylvia McAdam was brought before a Saskatchewan judge and put on trial for attempting to use her family’s ancestral lands.

Drawing on over 40 years of collective research and practice experience with development in Palestine, Professor Reem Bahdi and her co-authors argue that Canadian aid can do more harm than good if Israeli barriers to Palestinian development are not addressed. 

The Law Foundation of Ontario will honour Windsor Law professor, Reem Bahdi, as the 2017 recipient of the esteemed Guthrie Award.

The Guthrie Award, established in 1996, is awarded annually and recognizes an outstanding individual in the legal field for their significant contributions towards access to justice.

Bahdi, a former Associate Dean at Windsor Law (2012-2015) and human rights expert, will join the legacy of leaders who have been recognized for their efforts in improving access to justice.