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Sports Minister Alerted Manitoba Justice About U of Winnipeg Collegiate Antisemitism Incident 

Obby Khan said two government departments “are looking into it”

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Prior to entering politics, former Blue Bomber star lineman Obby Khan hosted the Anti-Racism in Sport Campaign launch in Winnipeg in April 2021. He said, “I’ve experienced it, I’ve seen it, and my heart goes out to those kids. It’s tough. Racism in sport is a real thing and it needs to stop.” (Photo: Supplied)

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With a reputation as bridge-builder between the Muslim and Jewish communities, newly-installed Manitoba Sports Minister Obby Khan wasted no time in sidestepping the cover-up of an antisemitic incident involving the University of Winnipeg Collegiate.

The junior varsity Wesmen boys was disbanded after a February 2 game against the Gray Academy Raiders at the Asper Jewish Community Centre.

Khan first learned of the controversy when contacted by TheJ.ca as we prepared our exclusive report:

After Antisemitic Incident, U of Winnipeg Collegiate Disbands Basketball Team – TheJ.ca

‘I had it immediately forwarded to the department of education and justice. They are looking into it to see what will be done next.’

Just after our deadline passed on February 22 for the follow up story, Winnipeg Board Of Jewish Education Stonewalls Questions About Antisemitic Incident, Khan and Education Minister Wayne Ewasko issued a joint Ministerial Statement to TheJ.ca:  

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Here is the Ministerial Statement from Khan and Ewasko:

Antisemitism is abhorrent, and has no place in our communities which is why, last fall, under the leadership of Premier Stefanson, our government adopted the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s (IHRA) working definition of antisemitism.

We wish that alone would end antisemitism, but we all know better.

What it did do was empower our policymakers, law enforcement agencies and community leaders with a critical framework they can use to identify, understand and combat contemporary forms of antisemitism in public life, the media, schools, workplaces and religious spheres.

It was an important step, and we will continue to work with our partners to eliminate antisemitism.

Further to that, the Manitoba High School Athletics Association has an Anti-Racism Policy which includes a process for responding to complaints. The Provincial Code of Conduct sets out appropriate disciplinary consequences and interventions that all schools, including independent schools, are required to follow.

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The editor of the Winnipeg Jewish Review tried, and failed, to breach the united wall of silence when she tried to look into the story.

Rhonda Spivak reported:

“There was an incident and/ or incidents that took place during a junior varsity boy’s basketball game at the Asper Campus gym on Feb 2 between the Gray Academy Raiders and the University of Winnipeg Collegiate Wesmen, which resulted in the rare step being taken by U of W Collegiate to disband its own team.”

Spivak noted that “A Winnipeg Free Press story about the matter at hand referred to the Feb. 2 incident as involving “behavioural issues” and did not elaborate what they were.” 

The province’s adoption of the IHRA definition of antisemitism was touted by both Education Minister Wayne Ewasko and Sports Minister Obby Khan as a tool that Manitoba schools can use to “combat contemporary forms of antisemitism.” It is unclear who makes sure school officials do so, rather than just file an antisemitic incident under “freedom of speech”.

Spivak proceeded to reiterate the important point that TheJ.ca has repeatedly made – the cover-up shrouds the entire UW Collegiate squad with the antisemitic allegations: “It is not clear how many U of W students exhibited what the Free Press referred to as these “behavioural issues.”

Lori Binder, CEO and Head of School at Gray Academy reiterated her previous statement, continuing her commitment to secrecy, and “Josh Weinstein, President of the Board of Jewish Education wrote to the Winnipeg Jewish Review, “I stand by the comments of Head of School Lori Binder.”

“It is not clear what exactly happened,” Spivak concluded.

We inquired of leading Jewish human rights activist groups, including B’nai Brith Canada and CIJA, about whether they had been contacted about the UW Collegiate matter, or had any knowledge of alleged past incidents between the high schools, and got no responses before deadline this week. More to come.

Marty Gold is the Editor-in -Chief of TheJ.ca. Known for investigative reporting, he has specialized in covering municipal and provincial politics, and a wide range of sports and entertainment, in newspapers, magazines, online, and on his first love, radio. His business and consulting experience includes live events and sales, workplace safety, documentary productions, PR, and telecommunications in Vancouver, Los Angeles and across Canada, and as a contestant on CBC-TV Dragons Den.

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Monthly support is a great way to help us sustain our operations. We greatly appreciate any contributions you can make to support Jewish Journalism.

We thank you for your ongoing support.

Happy reading!

Thank you for choosing TheJ.Ca as your source for Canadian Jewish News.

We do news differently!

Our positioning as a Zionist News Media platform sets us apart from the rest. While other Canadian Jewish media are advocating increasingly biased progressive political and social agendas, TheJ.Ca is providing more and more readers with a welcome alternative and an ideological home.

We revealed the incursion of anti-Israel progressive elements such as IfNotNow into our communities. We have exposed the distorted hateful agenda of the “progressive” left political radicals who brought Linda Sarsour to our cities, and we were first to report on many disturbing incidents of Nazi-based hate towards Jews across Canada.

But we can’t do it alone. We need your HELP!

Our ability to thrive and grow in 2020 and beyond depends on the generosity of committed readers and supporters like you.

Monthly support is a great way to help us sustain our operations. We greatly appreciate any contributions you can make to support Jewish Journalism.

We thank you for your ongoing support.

Happy reading!

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