In our culture, the "Word" is sacred. We have been taught that words are the mirrors of our souls and the narrators of our suffering. But what happens when, in the very cradle of freedom and human rights, adjudicators emerge to wield the blade of censorship—striking a human being’s pain from the record of history?
In this month’s issue of Amaranth, I speak not of ancient literature, but of a "modern tragedy." In a legal battle I have waged for years to reclaim my human dignity, I have encountered a phenomenon that can only be described as systemic censorship.
The Vice-chairs of the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario (HRTO), Cyndee Todgham Cherniak and François Henrie, have issued an unbelievable ruling, ordering the removal of evidence detailing religious insults and hate speech directed at me during my moments of prayer and worship. With cold, soulless administrative labels, they have characterized words soaked in pain as "new allegations"—a tactic used to stifle the voice of protest in my throat.
How can one speak of "Human Rights" when the raw evidence of desecrating a person’s faith and creed is consciously erased from the official record? Is justice merely a "performative sanitization" of reality for the convenience of bureaucracy?
As a woman, an immigrant, and a writer, I will not allow my words to be exiled. I have officially filed my grievances and complaints with the Law Society of Ontario (LSO) and the Ombudsman. Amaranth has always been the home of truth, and today the truth is this: justice is being sacrificed under the heavy shadow of administrative expediency.
We will reclaim our words.
Source Documents:
HRTO Interim Decision: 2026 HRTO 262 (The decision to strike evidence)
HRTO Interim Decision: 2026 HRTO 532 (The refusal of reconsideration)
Case Reference: Nasrin Bastani (Applicant) v. Streetcity Realty Inc. Brokerage, Kevin Miller, Abbey Rentals and Property Management, and Marvel Property Group Inc. (Respondents) File Number: 2020-39984-I
"This editorial reflects the author’s personal experience and interpretation of the interim decisions in the ongoing HRTO proceedings (File 2020-39984-I). All references are based on public court records."