Maryam Monsef

The Honourable
Maryam Monsef
مریم منصف
PC MP
Minister of Democratic Institutions
Assumed office
November 4, 2015
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau
Preceded by Pierre Poilievre
President of the Queen's Privy Council for Canada
Assumed office
November 4, 2015
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau
Preceded by Denis Lebel
Member of the Canadian Parliament
for Peterborough—Kawartha
Assumed office
October 19, 2015
Preceded by Dean Del Mastro
Personal details
Born Maryam Monsefzadeh[1]
(1984-11-07) November 7, 1984
Mashhad, Iran
Political party Liberal
Residence Peterborough, Ontario
Alma mater Trent University
Religion Shia Islam[2]

Maryam Monsef, PC MP (Persian: مریم منصف‎‎) (born November 7, 1984) is an Afghan Canadian politician. She was elected to represent the riding of Peterborough—Kawartha as a Liberal member the House of Commons of Canada in 2015.[3] On November 4, 2015, she was sworn into the 29th Canadian Ministry as Minister of Democratic Institutions and President of the Queen's Privy Council for Canada in the federal Cabinet, headed by Justin Trudeau.[4]

Early life

Monsef was born at the Imam Reza Hospital[lower-alpha 1] in Mashhad, Iran[5] to Afghan parents who had fled during the Soviet–Afghan War, and lived with her family there in childhood, together with periods in Herat, Afghanistan in 1987–1988 and 1993–1996.[6] Because Iran and Afghanistan (before 2000)[7] followed the principle of jus sanguinis in their respective nationality laws, Monsef was born an Afghan citizen.[8] Her father was killed on the Iran-Afghanistan border while travelling in 1988, although it is unknown whether he was killed by bandits or Soviet troops.[6] Her uncle had, years earlier, vanished along with several roommates while attending the University of Kabul, in circumstances suggested to have been connected to anti-communist political activity. The family struggled in Iran[9] because of low economic and social prospects for Afghan migrants,[10] even though they had legal status as "involuntary migrants" (mohajerin) under Iranian rules in effect prior to 1992.[11][lower-alpha 2] In 1996, during their second return to Herat, her mother opted to move the family to Canada, and the resulting journey involved traveling through Iran, Pakistan, and Jordan.[9]

Upon arrival, the family took up residence in Peterborough, where Monsef's uncle already lived. They relied on the support of several charity organizations, including the YMCA and the Salvation Army.[9] Monsef has continued to raise money for humanitarian activities in Afghanistan.[14]

In 2003, Monsef enrolled at Trent University,[15] from which she graduated in 2010 with a Bachelor of Science in Biology and Psychology.[16]

Political career

In 2014, Monsef had been offered a job in Afghanistan, but was unable to enter the country because of security concerns.[17] She then went to Iran to work on relief efforts for Afghan refugees, which encouraged her to focus on political endeavours.[17] She returned to Canada, and ran for mayor of Peterborough in 2014, finishing a close second. Later that same year, she was chosen to represent the Liberal Party in the upcoming federal election.[18] She was elected on October 19, 2015 with 43.8% of the vote.[19]

Monsef was appointed as Minister of Democratic Institutions in Justin Trudeau's Cabinet on November 4, 2015.[20] She has variously been referred to as the second- or fourth-youngest minister ever appointed to the Cabinet.[9][21] According to The Hill Times, Monsef was named President of the Queen's Privy Council in Canada although it was unclear at the time whether she had been sworn into that office.[22] Monsef has described this position as "largely ceremonial."[23] The Parliamentary website subsequently indicated that she had assumed the position on November 4.[24]

Criticism and controversy

Handling of portfolio

On May 10, 2016, Monsef gave notice in the House of Commons of the government's plans for the composition of the Special Committee on Electoral Reform, which was to have ten members—six members of the Liberal Party, three members from the Conservative Party, and one member from the New Democratic Party.[25] This attracted immediate controversy, as the government possessed a majority of the committee seats and thus could theoretically recommend alterations to the electoral system without the support of any other party. As well, the Green Party and the Bloc Québécois objected to their lack of voting representation on the committee, although they were invited to attend meetings.[26]

On June 2, 2016, the Liberal government reversed course, and both Trudeau and Monsef advised that they would support Nathan Cullen's motion for the composition of the committee, which would instead have twelve members—five Liberals, three Conservatives, two New Democrats, and one member from each of the Bloc Québécois and the Green Party.[27]

Place of birth

Monsef has been criticized for stating that she was born in Afghanistan, when in fact she was born in Iran.[28] When this was revealed in September 2016,[6] some commentators pointed out that this could lead to revocation of her Canadian citizenship and potential deportation,[29] while others have criticized the absurdity of the present law[30] or decried the importation of birtherism into Canadian politics.[31] In an interview at that time, former MP Dean Del Mastro said that political workers in the 2014 municipal and 2015 federal campaigns knew she was not born in Afghanistan, but chose not to make an issue of it.[32]

In October 2016, her office revealed that she had travelled to Iran with pilgrimage visas in an Afghan passport in 2010, 2013 and 2014 in order to visit the Imam Reza shrine in Mashhad.[33] As this type of visa is normally for a single entry to Iran and does not allow a holder to work, her previous admissions that she had crossed over to Afghanistan and back in 2014, together with working with an Iran-based charity at that time, have caught the attention of Iranian authorities.[34] In a 2014 interview in Peterborough, Monsef admitted that she wanted the trip to "remain hush-hush."[34][35]

Electoral record

Federal

Canadian federal election, 2015: Peterborough—Kawartha
Party Candidate Votes%∆%Expenditures
LiberalMaryam Monsef 29,159 43.82 +22.42 $153,380.94
ConservativeMichael Skinner 23,335 35.07 -14.60 $160,866.22
New DemocraticDave Nickle 12,437 18.69 -6.19 –
GreenDoug Mason 1,480 2.22 -1.34 $82.52
Strength in DemocracyToban Leckie 131 0.20 – $729.98
Total valid votes/Expense limit 66,542100.0–$232,452.91[36]
Total rejected ballots 1900.28-0.01
Turnout 66,73273.19+7.88
Eligible voters 91,180
Source: Elections Canada[37][38]

Municipal

2014 Peterborough municipal election - Mayor of Peterborough[39]
Candidate Votes % of vote
Daryl Bennett 11,21041.4
Maryam Monsef 9,87936.5
Alan Wilson 4,05214.9
Patti S. Peeters 1,5645.8
George "Terry" LeBlanc 2020.7
Tom Young 1830.7
Total 27,090100.0

Notes

  1. ↑ part of the Mashhad University of Medical Sciences
  2. ↑ subsequently subject to progressive tightening,[12] until replaced by the Amayesh registration scheme in 2003[13]

References

  1. ↑ Décoste, Rachel (September 27, 2016). "How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maryam Monsef?". Huffington Post.
  2. ↑ Muslim Canadians Who Won in the 2015 Federal Election Muslim Link, October 20, 2015.
  3. ↑ Maryam Monsef wins in Peterborough-Kawartha, Global News, October 20, 2015.
  4. ↑ Maryam Monsef named to Trudeau cabinet. Peterborough Examiner, November 5, 2015.
  5. ↑ Malcolm, Candice (November 4, 2016). "Trudeau's defence of Monsef gets the facts wrong". Toronto Sun.
  6. 1 2 3 Fife, Robert (September 22, 2016). "Heralded as Canada's first Afghan-born MP, Maryam Monsef shocked to discover truth of roots". The Globe and Mail.
  7. ↑ "Law of Citizenship in Afghanistan". refworld.org. United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. 6 November 1936. Retrieved 29 September 2016.
  8. ↑ "Liberal MP Maryam Monsef, Canada's first Afghan cabinet minister, was actually born in Iran". National Post. September 22, 2016.
  9. 1 2 3 4 Althia Raj, Maryam Monsef Came To Canada As A Refugee. Now, She's A Cabinet Minister., The Huffington Post, November 4, 2015.
  10. ↑ "Afghan citizens in Iran" (PDF). landinfo.no. Oslo: Country of Origin Information Centre. March 14, 2011. pp. 5–6.
  11. ↑ "Unwelcome Guests: Iran's Violation of Afghan Refugee and Migrant Rights" (PDF). Human Rights Watch. 2013. p. 32. ISBN 978-1-62313-0770.
  12. ↑ HRW 2013, pp. 32-33.
  13. ↑ HRW 2013, pp. 34-38.
  14. ↑ Monsef becomes Peterborough's first female MP, youngest MP ever elected in riding, The Peterborough Examiner, October 20, 2015.
  15. ↑ "US President Gives Shout-out to Trent Alumna in Parliament: Maryam Monsef '03 recognized by President Obama as an example of what's possible when refugees are embraced" (Press release). Peterborough: Trent University. June 30, 2016.
  16. ↑ "Maryam Monsef: Biology and Psychology". Trent University. 2010.
  17. 1 2 Buzzetti, Hélène (May 16, 2016). "Du confinement afghan aux lumières parlementaires" [From Afghan confinement to parliamentary lights]. Le Devoir (in French).
  18. ↑ Dale Clifford, "Maryam Monsef wins Grit vote, will run to replace Dean Del Mastro", The Peterborough Examiner, May 4, 2015.
  19. ↑ Peterborough-Kawartha Election Results, Elections Canada.
  20. ↑ "Full list of Justin Trudeau's cabinet". CBC News, November 4, 2015.
  21. ↑ Evan Solomon and John Geddes, The Trudeau cabinet: Assessing the picks and challenges ahead, Maclean's, November 4, 2015.
  22. ↑ Tim Naumetz (9 November 2015). "Youngest Cabinet minister Monsef also President of Queen's Privy Council". The Hill Times. The youngest woman in Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Cabinet, who arrived in Canada with her family as a child refugee from Afghanistan 20 years ago, was quietly named President of the Queen’s Privy Council in Canada.
  23. ↑ Sarah Frank (12 November 2015). "Peterborough MP Maryam Monsef's schedule filling up as she takes on committee positions". myKawartha.com.
  24. ↑ Parliament of Canada Biography, accessed July 22, 2016.
  25. ↑ Order Paper and Notice Paper No. 53, May 11, 2016, Parliament of Canada website, retrieved July 4, 2016.
  26. ↑ Althia Raj, Liberals to keep majority on new, all-party electoral reform committee, The Huffington Post, May 11, 2016.
  27. ↑ Laura Stone, Liberals agree to give majority to Opposition on electoral reform committee, The Globe & Mail, June 2, 2016.
  28. ↑ "Monsef questions not going away". Toronto Sun. September 30, 2016.
  29. ↑ Bryden, Joan (September 27, 2016). "Maryam Monsef could be stripped of her citizenship without a hearing after revealing she was born in Iran". Canadian Press.
  30. ↑ "Maryam Monsef controversy highlights absurd citizenship law: Editorial". The Toronto Star. September 28, 2016.
  31. ↑ Southey, Tabatha (September 30, 2016). "Birtherism comes to Canada with the Maryam Monsef 'scandal'". The Globe and Mail.
  32. ↑ Lacey, Mike (September 22, 2016). "Del Mastro: I knew the truth about Monsef all along". Peterborough This Week.
  33. ↑ Malcolm, Candice (October 27, 2016). "Monsef travelled to Iran on religious pilgrimage". Toronto Sun.
  34. 1 2 Malcolm, Candice (October 28, 2016). "Monsef story makes odd appearance in Iranian news". Toronto Sun.
  35. ↑ Monsef, Maryam (December 6, 2014). "Episode 1- Maryam Monsef, Carl Oake and Michael Dalton". PTBOCanada Live With Mike Judson! (Interview). Interview with Mike Judson. Peterborough.
  36. ↑ "Skinner outspent Monsef on federal election campaign according to new campaign return filings". Peterborough Examiner, March 12, 2016.
  37. ↑ Elections Canada – Confirmed candidates for Peterborough—Kawartha, 30 September 2015
  38. ↑ Elections Canada – Preliminary Election Expenses Limits for Candidates
  39. ↑ "2014 Municipal Election Results". peterborough.ca. City of Peterborough.
29th Ministry – Cabinet of Justin Trudeau
Cabinet Posts (2)
Predecessor Office Successor
Denis Lebel President of the Queen's Privy Council for Canada
November 4, 2015-present		 Incumbent
Pierre Poilievre Minister of Democratic Institutions
November 4, 2015-present		 Incumbent
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