MEDIA ADVISORY: City of Saskatoon Rejects Prayer Policy and Forces Solo to Continue Proceeding with Prayer Recitation Case
SASKATOON, SK, Nov. 26, 2013 - In a cowardly move, the City of Saskatoon's Executive Committee, which is composed of the mayor and all councillors, decided on November 25, 2013 to not implement a prayer policy to prevent religious prayers at civic events. Therefore, secularism activist Ashu M. G. Solo is being forced to continue with his prayer recitation case against the City of Saskatoon and Councillor Randy Donauer with the Saskatchewan Human Rights Commission (SHRC).
SHRC will consider the City of Saskatoon's frivolous and vexatious application for summary dismissal of Solo's case. Solo expects the application for summary dismissal to be rejected. Then Solo expects SHRC to make another attempt at mediation, but the City of Saskatoon and Donauer haven't participated in mediation so far. Finally, Solo expects that SHRC will take his case to Court of Queen's Bench to be decided upon by a judge.
"What's the point of getting elected if a politician doesn't have the guts to stand up for what's right?" Solo asked. "The Executive Committee caved to the public backlash. I tried from the beginning to resolve this case in a cooperative manner. Now they're forcing me to go all the way in the legal process. The status quo will not prevail."
Solo will seek a judgment from the Court of Queen's Bench that has the effect of banning prayer recitations at government organized events throughout the province of Saskatchewan and that has significant persuasive value in other provinces. This will also outlaw prayer recitations at the Saskatchewan Legislative Assembly and at Yorkton City Council meetings.
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