Slander trial looms for author who criticized Muslim school
A slander trial is set to begin next month pitting a fiercely secular, feminist author against a private, Muslim school in Montreal she likened to militant Islamic training camps in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Djemila Benhabib, an awardwinning author and twice-failed Parti Quebecois candidate, is claiming freedom of expression, while the school wants $95,000 from her for “greatly tarnishing’’ its reputation.
Julius Grey, a well-known human-rights and freedomof-expression lawyer, is defending the school in this case and says he will argue Benhabib crossed the line and caused real harm to the institution.
“I regret nothing,’’ Benhabib said in an interview Monday.