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.

Saturday, April 21, 2012

RE: Newspaper Article About Religious Bigotry at Saskatoon Volunteer Appreciation Banquet


From: Ashu M. G. Solo
Sent: Saturday, April 21, 2012 10:39 AM
To: Mayor's Office; Randy Donauer
Cc: Darren Hill; Pat Lorje; Ann Iwanchuk; Myles Heidt; Charlie Clark; Mairin Loewen; Glen Penner; Tiffany Paulsen; Bev Dubois
Subject: RE: Newspaper Article About Religious Bigotry at Saskatoon Volunteer Appreciation Banquet

Hi Mayor Atchison and Councillor Donauer,

I’ll respond to what you told Star Phoenix reporter Betty Ann Adam, as quoted in her article below. 

Mayor Atchison, you can’t rotate between having prayers for different religions every year because there are thousands of religions.  There are religions on small islands that we’ve never heard of.  Are you going to have a Scientology prayer, a Zoroastrian prayer, and a Heaven’s Gate prayer?  These religions have no less validity to their followers than any other religion.  As an atheist, I believe in no religion.  It would take millenniums to rotate through prayers for every religion.  Different people attend the banquet every year and they don’t live for millenniums, so nobody would ever be exposed to every prayer for every religion at the banquet.  Besides it is extremely inappropriate to have any prayer at a municipal government event because it violates the separation of religion and government.  Why not just leave out the prayers so nobody is discriminated against and nobody is offended?

Councillor Donauer, you say you’re for freedom and tolerance and I believe you imply that I’m not in the article below.  I think this is defamation by implication and I believe I could sue you, Councillor Donauer, for libel and slander for implying that.  I will consider doing that.  Freedom and tolerance are not about using your municipal government office to push your religious beliefs onto others who don’t share them.  This is a form of religious bigotry and discrimination.  Freedom and tolerance are about protecting the rights of the minority from the misdirected will of the majority.  In this case, freedom and tolerance are about protecting the rights of religious minorities and nonreligious people from the misdirected will of a Christian majority.  There cannot be a tyranny of the majority in Saskatoon municipal government.  Let’s not twist the meaning of freedom and tolerance.  As for The Charter of Rights and Freedoms, if you read it, you will see that it contains no reference to Christianity like your public prayer clearly did by mentioning the name Jesus.

Shame on those who would use their government offices and government events to impose their religious beliefs on people who don’t share them. 

Sincerely,

Ashu M. G. Solo

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