Ashu Solo threatens human rights complaint over Saskatoon civic banquet blessing

Ashu Solo's threat to complain to the Saskatchewan Human Rights Commission over a prayer at a civic banquet has some people scratching their heads.

Solo, who sits on the City of Saskatoon's cultural diversity and race relations committee, was upset after city Councillor Randy Donauer invoked Jesus as he blessed the food at a dinner honouring volunteers like Solo and ended the prayer with an amen.

"It made me feel like a second-class citizen. It makes you feel excluded," Solo told the Saskatoon StarPhoenix.

"It's ironic that I've now become a victim of religious bigotry and discrimination at this banquet that was supposed to be an appreciation banquet for the service of volunteers like me."

Here's the head-scratching part: Solo wasn't so much miffed about the use of a Christian prayer.

He's an atheist and he's upset there was any kind of prayer at all.

In an email to Saskatoon Mayor Don Atchison, later distributed to other council mayors, Solo wrote the inclusion of a Christian prayer at a municipal government event violated the separation of church and state.

The fact that it's Christian "clearly gives primacy to one religion over all other religions," Solo complained.

"This is not a Christian country or a Christian city. It is a secular multicultural country and secular multicultural city with people from numerous religions as well as spiritual people, agnostics and atheists."

The mayor was caught off guard by the complaint, saying many events he attends include a prayer before meals.

I've never given it any thought at all," Atchison told the StarPhoenix, adding he's sorry Solo felt excluded.

Atchison suggested future dinners could feature prayers from different religions on a rotating basis, including one with no prayer at all to accommodate atheists.

No good, said Solo, because the world has thousands of religions.

Solo said if he doesn't get an apology from the mayor, and a promise of no more prayers at civic events, by next Friday, he'll take his complaint to the human rights commission.

Donauer, a part-time administrator at an evangelical church, said the separation of church and state "is not a legislated thing," and notes the preamble to the Charter of Rights and Freedoms recognizes "the supremacy of God."

"So in the first line of the Charter of Rights of the Constitution it acknowledges that there is a God. So how prayer can violate that is beyond me," Donauer said.

Among some, Solo's complaint seem about as welcome as a belch at a church service.

"Time to call the Human Rights Commission and file another Hurt Feelings Report!" Twisted Canuck posted on the Outdoorsmen Forum.

"Somebody made the terrible mistake of mentioning 'Jesus' and 'Amen' before a public meal, and some tears got shed apparently. And now that somebody is going to have to pay the price for hurting feelings."

"What can one possibly say to an atheist who feels excluded by prayer? " blogger David Jenkins wrote on Anglican Samizdat. "A number of things spring to mind, but I will confine myself to this: Good."

Twitter was no more sympathetic.

"This is so irrational," tweeted Izzy Avraham. "Solo's an atheist. Why should he care how people pray?"

"As an atheist, I find this human rights complaint silly," tweeted Emmett Macfarlane. "Get over it, dude."