Narrating Dignity: Islamophobia, Racial Profiling, and National Security Before the Supreme Court of Canada

Abstract

Captain Javed Latif, a Muslim Canadian pilot from Pakistan, was denied pilot refresher training by Bombardier Aerospace Training Center in Canada based on information received from US national security officials. Almost 12 years after Captain Javed Latif’s ordeal began, the Supreme Court of Canada affirmed a decision by the Quebec Court of Appeal overturning a finding by a Quebec Human Rights Tribunal that Latif had been racially profiled. The Supreme Court of Canada’s decision ultimately exposes and perpetuates a deep unwillingness to challenge the stereotyping of Muslims as terrorists in Canada. In response, this commentary seeks to excavate Captain Latif’s fuller story largely through a reading of silences. It critically analyzes the Court’s claim that the Tribunal had little or no evidence before it to ground its finding of discrimination.