Canadian Museum for Human Rights Opens Nakba Exhibition Amid Controversy
WINNIPEG — The Canadian Museum for Human Rights opened a new exhibition focused on the displacement of Palestinians in 1948, drawing both support and criticism from community groups in Winnipeg.
“Palestine Uprooted: Nakba Past and Present”
The exhibition, titled “Palestine Uprooted: Nakba Past and Present,” examines the experiences of people affected by the Nakba — an Arabic word meaning “catastrophe.” Approximately 750,000 Palestinians were forcibly displaced during the 1948 fighting for control of what is now Israel. The exhibition has been in development for four years, though Palestinian Canadians have been advocating for their stories to be told at the Winnipeg museum since it opened in 2014.
Exhibition Content and Design
The display occupies approximately 12 meters of an existing gallery and features video testimonies, photographs, art, and writings. Among the artifacts on display are property deeds, house keys, and deep red embroidered clothing. A timeline within the exhibition notes displacement on both sides, stating: “Before, during and after the war, hundreds of thousands of people became refugees. This included both Palestinian Arabs and Jews from surrounding countries.”
Short videos on a small screen provide first-hand accounts from Palestinian Canadians who were displaced in 1948. Isabelle Masson, the curator of the exhibition, spoke with approximately ten Palestinian Canadians in Winnipeg and Montreal for the project. She said their stories helped the team understand the historical impact of displacement while also highlighting the resilience and hope of Palestinians.
“The exhibition contains stories about this intergenerational trauma, about loss and uprooting, but also stories about beauty, cultural practice and art,” Masson said.
Personal Stories at the Heart of the Exhibition
Fouad Sahyoun was four years old when his family was expelled from Haifa, in what is now Israel. He settled in Canada in 1990. Parts of an interview with the 82-year-old are featured in the exhibition, in which he describes how his grandfather’s possessions, as well as the family’s cars, bank accounts, and furniture, were confiscated.
In an interview with The Canadian Press, Sahyoun said he dreams of one day returning to Haifa as a Palestinian citizen. “We are living under trauma, and that trauma will only end when we are allowed to return to our homes and properties as decent people, as human beings,” he said. Sahyoun expressed hope that the exhibition would help others “know our history and what we have been through.”
Resignation and Criticism
Earlier in the week, board member Mark Berlin submitted his resignation, accusing the museum of promoting ideology rather than accurate history. Berlin, who had not seen the exhibition before resigning, said it did not recognize the estimated 850,000 Jewish people who were forced to flee Arab countries in the years after Israel’s founding. He argued that depicting the 1948 Palestinian expulsion without proper historical and political context could deepen mistrust and hostility between Jews and Muslims in Canada.
Jewish groups have raised broader concerns that the exhibition could fuel anti-Semitism by failing to provide sufficient historical context and that it was created without adequate consultation and transparency.
Museum Leadership Responds
Isha Khan, the museum’s executive director, expressed regret over Berlin’s resignation but stood firmly behind the decision to open the exhibition. “It is regrettable that (Berlin) has decided to resign based on his opinion and knowledge of this exhibition,” Khan said on Friday.
Khan emphasized that stories about Palestinian Canadians have been underrepresented in the museum’s galleries. She noted that she had heard criticism from people and groups who had not yet viewed the exhibition and urged them to approach it with compassion and empathy.
“Sharing the experiences of one community does not diminish or negate the experiences of another,” Khan said. She added that the museum is committed to telling stories about Jewish expulsions in the future and encouraged critics to visit the exhibition before forming judgments.
“Then we can have a constructive discussion about what it is and what their concerns might be,” Khan said. “So far, a lot of those concerns have been based on what it might be and fear.”
Public Reaction
Dozens of people gathered outside the museum late Friday afternoon to protest the exhibition. Demonstrators carried signs reading “Don’t erase the Jewish experience” and “Facts, not feelings.” The museum invited members of the media to preview the exhibition on Friday ahead of its public opening on Saturday.
Khan reiterated the museum’s mission to manage diverse opinions and make decisions in the institution’s best interest. “The goal of the board’s leadership is to manage diverse opinions and make decisions that are in the best interest of this museum and ensure that we fulfill our mission,” she said. “I believe our board has done that — supported this museum as it works to fulfill our mission.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 26, 2026.
