Hannan Mohamud speaks with Alex Neve, Arash Ghiassi, and Sharmeen Khan to unpack how Canadian law balances freedom of expression with protection from harm, and what it means for Muslim communities today.
About The Guests
Alex Neve
Alex Neve is a visiting and adjunct professor in international human rights law at the University of Ottawa and Dalhousie University, and a Senior Fellow with the University of Ottawa’s Graduate School of Public and International Affairs. He presently serves as a Member of the UN Human Rights Council’s Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Venezuela. He was Secretary General of Amnesty International Canada’s English Branch from 2000 – 2020. He is a lawyer, with a Master’s Degree in International Human Rights Law from the University of Essex. Alex was the 2025 CBC Massey Lecturer, addressing the theme of Universal: Renewing Human Rights in a Fractured World. Alex Neve is an Officer of the Order of Canada.
Arash Ghiassi
Arash Ghiassi is a criminal defence lawyer. He is dedicated to representing people who face charges at all levels of court. He believes the legal system can be a place of great injustice. Arash works tirelessly, creatively, and collaboratively with his clients to protect their freedom. He has also worked at well-regarded civil liberties organizations on both sides of the US-Canada border.
Sharmeen Khan
Sharmeen Khan (picture taken by Saty + Pratha) resides in Toronto, ON and has been a long time organizer and facilitator in radical social movements. She has been involved in social movements around migrant justice, Cuban solidarity work and anti-war movements. She organized with No One Is Illegal Toronto for over 10 years and is currently organizing with World Beyond War Toronto. She is also the founding editor of Upping the Anti: A Journal of Theory and Action.
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