Commission hopes to appeal over school prayer spat
CALGARY The Alberta Human Rights Commission is hoping the Supreme Court will hear its appeal in the case of two Calgary Muslim students who were not allowed to pray at a nondenominational private school.
Sarmad Amir and Naman Siddiqui, who were in grades 9 and 10 at Webber Academy in 2011, told the Human Rights Commission that praying is mandatory in their Sunni religion.
They said the school told them their praying, which requires bowing and kneeling, was too obvious and went against the academy ’s non-denominational nature.
The human rights tribunal ruled the school’s policy was too rigid and it could have accommodated the students without violating its secular status.
That decision was upheld by the Alberta Court of Queen’s Bench.
The school then took the matter to the Alberta Court of Appeal.
It overturned the commission’s original decision ordering the school to pay a $26,000 fine for discriminatory behaviour, and said another hearing was required because Webber Academy raised new issues under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
Webber Academy president Neil Webber said Monday the Human Rights Commission is seeking leave to appeal the decision.
“We should know I think by Christmas whether or not they have been successful. It took them quite a while to make the decision,” said Webber.
No one at the Alberta Human Rights Commission immediately responded to a request for comment.