Government now says new human rights chief did disclose key information about controversial social media posts

The federal government now says Birju Dattani, the new head of the Canadian Human Rights Commission, did disclose the alias he used to make controversial social media posts — after it initially claimed that information was never shared before he was hired.

Justice Minister Arif Virani's spokesperson confirms that Dattani did pass on the alias to «public servants as part of the security assessment of Mr. Dattani.» The minister's press secretary, Chantalle Aubertin, added that the name was not provided to Virani's office.

The news raises new questions about what the federal government knew — or ought to have known — about Dattani before he was appointed to lead the country's human rights watchdog, the Canadian Human Rights Commission (CHRC).

In June, Dattani was named the CHRC's chief commissioner, making him the first Muslim or racialized person to head the organization.

Shortly after his historic appointment, national Jewish organizations cited what they described as antisemitic social media posts made under the name «Mujahid Dattani» and a controversial appearance on a debate panel in the U.K.

• Feds reviewing new human rights commissioner's online posts after Jewish advocates raise concerns

The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA) accused Dattani of posting articles on X, formerly Twitter, that compared Israel to Nazi Germany. The posts and Dattani's account appear to have been deleted.

CBC News has not seen the alleged posts. Dattani himself has said he did not compare Israel to Nazi Germany. He said he did share without comment an article comparing the plight of Palestinians to that of prisoners in the Warsaw Ghetto during the Second World War, adding that he didn't agree with the article's argument.

In 2015, Dattani