Professor David Seljak comments on Canada's new religious freedom ambassador

David Seljak, chair of religious studies at the University of Waterloo, says without that academic heft, Bennett may be unqualified to take strong stands on religious issues.

"That's why it's disappointing to have a person of this type named to this type of politically sensitive office, where you're going to need someone with some courage and some weight, quite frankly, some gravitas, so that when he does call the government to task and does alert the minister that he is going to make some unpopular pronouncements on religious freedoms, that he's going to stick to his guns."

Seljak says the reaction of other scholars in his field has been one of "shock."

"It seems to me Dr. Bennett just doesn't have the stature or the qualifications that one would hope to have in an ambassador who would be protecting religious freedom internationally," he said. "When I compare his CV to that of Thomas Farr (the first director of the office's U.S. counterpart), there is just no comparison.