I, Ashu M. G. Solo, filed the following:

1. Civil rights case against the City of Saskatoon (Mayor's Office) and Councillor Randy Donauer for prayer recitations at government organized events

2. Code of Conduct complaint against Mayor Don Atchison for potential online campaign advertising violations

3. Civil rights case against the City of Saskatoon (Saskatoon Transit Services) for promoting holidays from only one religion on city buses

4. Human rights complaint against the City of Saskatoon (Executive Committee) for retaliating against me by not reappointing me to the Cultural Diversity and Race Relations Committee and not appointing me to another civic committee or board

5. Human rights complaint against the City of Saskatoon (City Solicitor’s Office) for retaliating against me by trying to deprive me of my right to directly communicate with members of City Council and by telling employees of other City of Saskatoon departments to not talk to me

6. Human rights complaint against the City of Saskatoon (Cultural Diversity and Race Relations Office) and City of Saskatoon (Living in Harmony Ad Hoc Subcommittee of Cultural Diversity and Race Relations Committee) for retaliating against me by not considering my submissions to the Living in Harmony Contest

This site contains my media releases, some case documents, emails to City Council, etc.

I don't waste my time arguing with opponents.

The backlash makes me much more determined to fight against bigotry and shows the need for these civil rights cases, so I'll be filing more civil rights cases. You ain't seen nothing yet.

Wednesday, December 12, 2012

More Religious Discrimination by City of Saskatoon and Another Potential Civil Rights Complaint against City of Saskatoon

Below is an email sent to Murray Totland, Saskatoon city manager, Bob Howe, Saskatoon Transit manager, and Harold Matthies, Saskatoon Transit operations manager, about another potential civil rights complaint against the City of Saskatoon.

From: Ashu M. G. Solo [mailto:amgsolo@mavericktechnologies.us]
Sent: Wednesday, December 12, 2012 12:11 PM
To: Bob Howe; Harold Matthies; Murray Totland
Subject: More Religious Discrimination by City of Saskatoon and Another Potential Civil Rights Complaint against City of Saskatoon

Dear Mr. Bob Howe, Mr. Harold Matthies, and Mr. Murray Totland,

I saw that the programmable signs for the #6 Broadway bus and a Special bus of Saskatoon Transit had a “merry Christmas” message.  The signs alternated between displaying the bus number/route name and “merry Christmas.”  I was extremely surprised, offended, and angered that a municipal government organization like Saskatoon Transit would display a message pertaining to a religious holiday on its main bus sign.  This violates the separation of religion and state, imposes religious beliefs on people who don't share them, and gives preferential treatment to one religion over all other religions in violation of the Saskatchewan Human Rights Code and Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. 

I talked to a bus driver about this.  He said that Saskatoon Transit management programmed the bus signs to give drivers the option of having a “merry Christmas” message.  He said the bus signs are not programmed to display a message for a holiday for any other religion.  If they did, I'm sure there would be a public backlash from conservative Christians. 

Author David Barrett has documented 10,000 different religions, 150 of which have one million or more followers:  http://www.adherents.com/misc/WCE.html  Therefore, it would be impossible to have messages for holidays in all other religions. 

It is extremely inappropriate and extremely discriminatory to have a Christmas message displayed by Saskatoon Transit, which is owned by the City of Saskatoon and funded by taxpayers.  You're free to put “merry Christmas” bumper stickers on your personal vehicles, but you're not free to put “merry Christmas” signs on Saskatoon Transit buses or other City of Saskatoon vehicles.  If the “merry Christmas” message were from a private advertiser on one of the internal bus signs, this would be more acceptable, but it is not acceptable for Saskatoon Transit to display this message on its own.  If the “merry Christmas” message were by a private organization or individual, this would be more acceptable, but it is not acceptable for a government organization like Saskatoon Transit to display this message on its own.

This is not a Christian city or a Christian country.  This is a secular multireligious city in a secular multireligious country with people from numerous religions as well as spiritual people, agnostics, and atheists. 

Christmas messages on Saskatoon Transit buses make religious minorities, atheists, and agnostics who do not celebrate Christmas feel excluded and like second class citizens.  Many new immigrants use these buses and a large percentage of them are not Christian and do not celebrate Christmas.  Christmas messages on Saskatoon Transit buses make them feel like they need to convert to Christianity to be first class citizens.  Therefore, the Christmas messages on Saskatoon Transit buses are a forcible attempt at Christian indoctrination.

Religion is a prohibited ground of discrimination under the Saskatchewan Human Rights Code and a fundamental freedom under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.  The freedom of religion includes freedom from religion.

The Saskatchewan Human Rights Code prohibits discrimination on the grounds of religion and creed.  It's my position that freedom of conscience in section 4 of the Saskatchewan Human Rights Code includes freedom from religion.  It's my position that a Christmas message on Saskatoon Transit buses violates section 4 of the Saskatchewan Human Rights Code and discriminates against people on the prohibited grounds of religion and creed.

It's my position that freedom of conscience in section 2a of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms includes freedom from religion, that section 15 of the Charter guarantees religious equality, that the Charter forbids attempts to coerce, limit, or otherwise influence the choice of religious observance, and that section 27 of the Charter on multiculturalism forbids conferring special privileges or benefits on any particular religion.  It's my position that a Christmas message on Saskatoon Transit buses violates these sections of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

Separation of religion and state means the state can't interfere with freedom to practice religion, but also means the state can't promote any religion.  This is to protect people of all religions including Christians.  Secularism protects religion from the state and the state from religion.  Separation of religion and state is a fundamental aspect of freedom of religion. 

In a free society, the majority cannot discriminate against the minority.  We need to protect the rights of minority from the misdirected will of the majority.

When Saskatoon Transit displays a Christmas message on buses, it sends the message that there is a priority given to Christian values, it sends the message that Christians are more valued or welcome than others while marginalizing others, it sends the message that a citizen is second class if she’s not a Christian, and it makes Saskatoon look like an archaic city of religious intolerance.  This is absolutely disgraceful.

I didn't serve in the Cdn. Army Reserve to defend religious discrimination and bigotry.  It's hypocritical for the Canadian Armed Forces to fight for separation of religion and state in Kabul when this doesn't fully exist in Saskatoon.

I previously filed a civil rights complaint against Mayor Don Atchison, Councillor Randy Donauer, and the City of Saskatoon for a Christian prayer recitation at a Volunteer Appreciation Banquet organized by the Mayor's Office.  This complaint is currently being processed by the Saskatchewan Human Rights Commission.  See http://atchison-discrimination.blogspot.ca for details.  I’m seeking a judgment that has the effect of banning prayer recitations at civic events throughout the province of Saskatchewan and that has persuasive value in other provinces too. 

Before filing a claim in Saskatchewan Provincial Court, a plaintiff is required to give the defendant a demand letter with her legal demands, a date by which those demands must be met, and a statement that a claim will be filed against the defendant if the demands are not met by that date.  Typically 10-14 days are given to meet the legal demands.  I am following a similar procedure here by sending you this email, despite not being required to do so for a complaint with the Saskatchewan Human Rights Commission. 

I'm giving Saskatoon Transit 10 days until December 22, 2012 to agree to not display a Christmas message or religious message again unless it is from a private advertiser and to make an apology to anyone who was offended including me.  If these demands are not met, I will file a civil rights complaint against Saskatoon Transit, its management, and individual bus drivers displaying this message with the Saskatchewan Human Rights Commission.  If this case goes to the Saskatchewan Human Rights Commission, I will seek a judgment that has the effect of banning religious messages by government organizations throughout the province of Saskatchewan and that has persuasive value in other provinces too.

If Saskatoon Transit were not owned by the government, I wouldn’t make this complaint.  I am not seeking any money.  I just want this discriminatory practice stopped and I want an apology for this discriminatory practice to everyone who was offended.

There might be a backlash against me from conservative Christians and pushover progressives if I'm forced to make a complaint with the Saskatchewan Human Rights Commission, as there was with my previous civil rights complaint, but I'm willing to deal with that because the advancement of liberty is more important than the advancement of my popularity.  The backlash from conservative Christians and pushover progressives just shows how much religious bigotry and social apathy there is and motivated me to make this complaint.

Furthermore, City of Saskatoon employees should be ordered to not say “merry Christmas” to members of the public while performing their jobs.  This year, I have already heard two City of Saskatoon employees wish a “merry Christmas” to members of the public who aren’t Christian while performing their jobs.  This was extremely inappropriate and offensive.

A Christmas message on a city bus is analogous to going to a restaurant where there is only one menu option and the restaurateur force feeds you with that single menu option.  Secularism is analogous to going to a restaurant and being able to eat whatever you want.  The former is suitable for some people.  The latter is suitable for all people.  My opponents are fighting for some people.  I’m fighting for all people.

Although I'm a representative on the City of Saskatoon Cultural Diversity and Race Relations Committee, I'm not speaking on behalf of the committee because its mandate is restricted to education and awareness, not civil rights advocacy.  I’m speaking independently in this email as a civil libertarian because I strongly believe that it’s always better to vigorously stand up for what’s right than passively sit down for what’s wrong.

I am blind copying this email message to the media.  I will also post this message on the Internet at http://atchison-discrimination.blogspot.ca

Best regards,

Ashu M. G. Solo