Maryam Monsef ( fa, مریم منصف) (born Monsefzadeh;
November 7, 1984) is an
Afghan Canadian
Afghan Canadians are Canadians with ancestry from Afghanistan. They form the second largest Afghan diaspora, Afghan community in North America after Afghan Americans. Their ethnic origin may come from any of the Ethnic groups in Afghanistan, et ...
former politician. She first was elected to represent the
riding of
Peterborough—Kawartha
Peterborough—Kawartha is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the House of Commons of Canada since 1953. Prior to the 2015 election, the riding was known as Peterborough.
Geography
It now consists o ...
as a
Liberal
Liberal or liberalism may refer to:
Politics
* a supporter of liberalism
** Liberalism by country
* an adherent of a Liberal Party
* Liberalism (international relations)
* Sexually liberal feminism
* Social liberalism
Arts, entertainment and m ...
member the
House of Commons of Canada
The House of Commons of Canada (french: Chambre des communes du Canada) is the lower house of the Parliament of Canada. Together with the Crown and the Senate of Canada, they comprise the bicameral legislature of Canada.
The House of Common ...
from
2015
File:2015 Events Collage new.png, From top left, clockwise: Civil service in remembrance of November 2015 Paris attacks; Germanwings Flight 9525 was purposely crashed into the French Alps; the rubble of residences in Kathmandu following the Apri ...
and served until October 2021. A member of the
29th Canadian Ministry
The Twenty-Ninth Canadian Ministry is the Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, that began governing Canada shortly before the opening of the 42nd Parliament. The original members were sworn in during a ceremony held at Rideau Ha ...
, she is the former
Minister for Women and Gender Equality (previously known as the Minister of Status of Women), sworn in on January 10, 2017, and
Minister of Rural Economic Development
The minister of Rural Economic Development (french: Ministre du Développement économique rural) is a Minister of the Crown in the Canadian Cabinet. It is a new portfolio introduced during the government of Justin Trudeau
Justin Pierre J ...
, sworn in on November 20, 2019. She was previously the
Minister of International Development
An International development minister is a position in many governments responsible for development aid and international development.
Country-related articles and lists
*: Minister for International Development
*: Minister of International D ...
, until November 20, 2019, and
Minister of Democratic Institutions
The Minister of Democratic Institutions (french: Ministre des Institutions démocratiques) was a Minister of the Crown in the Canadian Cabinet, associated with the Privy Council Office. The position was first created in 2003 as "Minister respo ...
and
President of the Queen's Privy Council for Canada
In the Canadian cabinet, the president of the King's Privy Council for Canada (french: président du Conseil privé du Roi pour le Canada) is nominally in charge of the Privy Council Office. The president of the Privy Council also has the larg ...
until January 10, 2017. Monsef was defeated in her riding in the
2021 federal election.
Family and education
Monsef was born at the Imam Reza Hospital in
Mashhad
Mashhad ( fa, مشهد, Mašhad ), also spelled Mashad, is the List of Iranian cities by population, second-most-populous city in Iran, located in the relatively remote north-east of the country about from Tehran. It serves as the capital of R ...
,
Iran
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...
, to
Hazara Afghan parents who had fled during the
Soviet–Afghan War
The Soviet–Afghan War was a protracted armed conflict fought in the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan from 1979 to 1989. It saw extensive fighting between the Soviet Union and the Afghan mujahideen (alongside smaller groups of anti-Soviet ...
, and lived with her family there in childhood, together with periods in
Herat
Herāt (; Persian: ) is an oasis city and the third-largest city of Afghanistan. In 2020, it had an estimated population of 574,276, and serves as the capital of Herat Province, situated south of the Paropamisus Mountains (''Selseleh-ye Safēd ...
, Afghanistan, in 1987–1988 and 1993–1996.
Because
Iran
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...
and Afghanistan (before 2000) followed the principle of ''
jus sanguinis
( , , ; 'right of blood') is a principle of nationality law by which citizenship is determined or acquired by the nationality or ethnicity of one or both parents. Children at birth may be citizens of a particular state if either or both of t ...
'' in their respective nationality laws, Monsef was born an
Afghan citizen. 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.
[ Her uncle had, years earlier, vanished along with several roommates while attending the ]University of Kabul
Kabul University (KU; prs, دانشگاه کابل, translit= Dāneshgāh-e-Kābul; ps, د کابل پوهنتون, translit=Da Kābul Pohantūn) is one of the major and oldest institutions of higher education in Afghanistan. It is in the 3rd ...
, in circumstances suggested to have been connected to anti-communist
Anti-communism is Political movement, political and Ideology, ideological opposition to communism. Organized anti-communism developed after the 1917 October Revolution in the Russian Empire, and it reached global dimensions during the Cold War, w ...
political activity. The family struggled in Iran[ because of low economic and social prospects for Afghan migrants, even though they had legal status as "involuntary migrants" (''mohajerin'') under Iranian rules in effect prior to 1992. In 1996, during their second return to Herat, her mother opted to move the family to Canada, and the resulting journey involved travelling through Iran, ]Pakistan
Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...
, and Jordan
Jordan ( ar, الأردن; tr. ' ), officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan,; tr. ' is a country in Western Asia. It is situated at the crossroads of Asia, Africa, and Europe, within the Levant region, on the East Bank of the Jordan Rive ...
.[Althia Raj]
Maryam Monsef Came To Canada As A Refugee. Now, She's A Cabinet Minister.
''The Huffington Post
''HuffPost'' (formerly ''The Huffington Post'' until 2017 and sometimes abbreviated ''HuffPo'') is an American progressive news website, with localized and international editions. The site offers news, satire, blogs, and original content, and ...
'', November 4, 2015.
Upon arrival, the family took up residence in Peterborough
Peterborough () is a cathedral city in Cambridgeshire, east of England. It is the largest part of the City of Peterborough unitary authority district (which covers a larger area than Peterborough itself). It was part of Northamptonshire until ...
, where Monsef's uncle already lived. They relied on the support of several charity organizations, including the YMCA
YMCA, sometimes regionally called the Y, is a worldwide youth organization based in Geneva, Switzerland, with more than 64 million beneficiaries in 120 countries. It was founded on 6 June 1844 by George Williams in London, originally ...
and the Salvation Army
Salvation (from Latin: ''salvatio'', from ''salva'', 'safe, saved') is the state of being saved or protected from harm or a dire situation. In religion and theology, ''salvation'' generally refers to the deliverance of the soul from sin and its c ...
.[ Monsef has continued to raise money for humanitarian activities in Afghanistan.
In 2003, Monsef enrolled at ]Trent University
Trent University is a public liberal arts university in Peterborough, Ontario, with a satellite campus in Oshawa, which serves the Regional Municipality of Durham. Trent is known for its Oxbridge college system and small class sizes. , from which she graduated in 2010 with a Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science (BS, BSc, SB, or ScB; from the Latin ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for programs that generally last three to five years.
The first university to admit a student to the degree of Bachelor of Science was the University of ...
in Biology and Psychology. After graduation, from 2011 to 2014, she worked in several public sector positions in the Peterborough area.
In 2019, she announced her engagement to former Liberal member of Parliament Matt DeCourcey.
Political career
In 2014, Monsef had been offered a job in Afghanistan, but was unable to enter the country because of security concerns. She then went to Iran to work on relief efforts for Afghan refugees, which encouraged her to focus on political endeavours.
Municipal politics
When Monsef returned to Canada, Monsef ran for Mayor of Peterborough in 2014, finishing a close second.
Federal politics
Later that same year, she was elected as the Liberal Party candidate in the upcoming federal election. She was elected on October 19, 2015, with 43.8% of the vote.
Cabinet appointments
Monsef was appointed as Minister of Democratic Institutions
The Minister of Democratic Institutions (french: Ministre des Institutions démocratiques) was a Minister of the Crown in the Canadian Cabinet, associated with the Privy Council Office. The position was first created in 2003 as "Minister respo ...
in Justin Trudeau
Justin Pierre James Trudeau ( , ; born December 25, 1971) is a Canadian politician who is the 23rd and current prime minister of Canada. He has served as the prime minister of Canada since 2015 and as the leader of the Liberal Party since 2 ...
's Cabinet on November 4, 2015. She has variously been referred to as the second- or fourth-youngest minister ever appointed to the Cabinet.[ According to '']The Hill Times
''The Hill Times'' is a Canadian twice-weekly newspaper and daily news website, published in Ottawa, Ontario, which covers the Parliament of Canada, the federal government, and other federal political news. Founded in 1989 by Ross Dickson and Jim ...
'', 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. Monsef has described this position as "largely ceremonial." The Parliamentary website subsequently indicated that she had assumed the position on November 4.
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
The Conservative Party is a name used by many political parties around the world. These political parties are generally right-wing though their exact ideologies can range from center-right to far-right.
Political parties called The Conservative P ...
, and one member from the New Democratic Party
The New Democratic Party (NDP; french: Nouveau Parti démocratique, NPD) is a federal political party in Canada. Widely described as social democratic,The party is widely described as social democratic:
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
* t ...
. 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
A green party is a formally organized political party based on the principles of green politics, such as social justice, environmentalism and nonviolence.
Greens believe that these issues are inherently related to one another as a foundation ...
and the Bloc Québécois
The Bloc Québécois (BQ; , "Québécois people, Quebecer Voting bloc, Bloc") is a list of federal political parties in Canada, federal political party in Canada devoted to Quebec nationalism and the promotion of Quebec sovereignty movement, Que ...
objected to their lack of voting representation on the committee, although they were invited to attend meetings.
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.
Following the release of the final report of the Electoral Reform Committee Monsef criticized the Members of the committee stating "On the main question on the hard choices that we had asked the committee to make, the members of the committee took a pass," and "We asked the committee to help answer very difficult questions for us. It did not do that." The remarks were considered inaccurate and offensive to the Members of the Committee. Monsef later apologized for her comments.
In late 2016 the Government contracted Vox Pop Labs to create on online survey for Canadians on electoral reform at a website called mydemocracy.ca. The survey was condemned as unscientific and misleading by journalists for allowing unlimited entries from one person and failing to ask direct questions about electoral systems. It was also widely mocked by political observers and electoral reform advocates. Conservative M.P. Scott Reid and Green Party Leader Elizabeth May
Elizabeth Evans May (born June 9, 1954) is a Canadian politician, environmentalist, author, activist, and lawyer who is serving as the leader of the Green Party of Canada since 2022, and previously served as the leader from 2006 to 2019. Sh ...
both claimed the survey looked more like an online dating survey.
In early 2017 Monsef was replaced as Democratic Institutions Minister by Karina Gould
Karina Gould (born June 28, 1987) is a Canadian politician who has been the minister of families, children and social development since October 26, 2021. A member of the Liberal Party, she serves as a member of Parliament (MP) and has represent ...
and the Liberal campaign promise to replace the first-past-the-post electoral system was not pursued further.
Place of birth
Monsef has been criticized for stating that she was born in Afghanistan
Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is bordere ...
, when in fact she was born in Iran
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...
. When this was revealed in September 2016,[ some commentators pointed out that this could lead to revocation of her ]Canadian citizenship
Canadian nationality law details the conditions in which a person is a national of Canada. With few exceptions, almost all individuals born in the country are automatically citizens at birth. Foreign nationals may naturalize after living in Ca ...
and potential deportation
Deportation is the expulsion of a person or group of people from a place or country. The term ''expulsion'' is often used as a synonym for deportation, though expulsion is more often used in the context of international law, while deportation ...
, while others have criticized the absurdity of the present law or decried the importation of birtherism
During Barack Obama's Barack Obama 2008 presidential campaign, campaign for president in 2008 United States presidential election, 2008, throughout Presidency of Barack Obama, his presidency and afterwards, there was extensive news coverage ...
into Canadian politics. The Trudeau government has regularly revoked citizenship from individuals who had become citizens through fraudulent means – including individuals who came to Canada as children but whose parents had made false claims on their immigration forms. In an interview at that time, former MP Dean Del Mastro
Dean A. Del Mastro (born August 16, 1970) is a former Canadians, Canadian politician. He represented Peterborough (electoral district), Peterborough in the House of Commons of Canada as a member of the Conservative Party of Canada, Conservative ...
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. Monsef made a request to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada to update her information.
In October 2016, her office revealed that she had travelled to Iran with pilgrimage
A pilgrimage is a journey, often into an unknown or foreign place, where a person goes in search of new or expanded meaning about their self, others, nature, or a higher good, through the experience. It can lead to a personal transformation, aft ...
visas in an Afghan passport
The Afghan passport is issued by the Central Passport Office of the Ministry of Interior in Kabul, Afghanistan. Every national of Afghanistan with a valid Afghan identity card (Tazkira) can apply for and receive it. It is renewable every 5-10 ye ...
in 2010, 2013 and 2014 in order to visit the Imam Reza shrine in Mashhad. 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. In a 2014 interview in Peterborough, Monsef admitted that she wanted the trip to "remain hush-hush."
Open microphone incident
In November 2020 Monsef accidentally left her microphone on during vote in the House of Commons while participating virtually on Zoom
Zoom may refer to:
Technology Computing
* Zoom (software), videoconferencing application
* Page zooming, the ability to magnify or shrink a portion of a page on a computer display
* Zooming user interface, a graphical interface allowing for image ...
. As result the camera showed her saying "The question they're going to ask me — how much do I make now? Like 250?" As a Cabinet Minister her annual salary at the time as $269,800.00.
Monsef was criticized for the comments as her salary was more than four times the median wage in her riding and yet she was casually discussing her own salary without knowing it to the nearest $20,000. It was unclear what prompted Monsef to make the comment however her office later released a statement claiming "Due to a technical error a private conversation was broadcasted."
Taliban comments
On August 25, 2021, during a press conference regarding the Taliban
The Taliban (; ps, طالبان, ṭālibān, lit=students or 'seekers'), which also refers to itself by its state (polity), state name, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a Deobandi Islamic fundamentalism, Islamic fundamentalist, m ...
overthrow of the democratically elected government of Afghanistan
Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is bordere ...
, Monsef sparked controversy after she referred to Taliban militants as her "brothers" while calling on them to allow safe passage for refugees and stop engaging in genocide
Genocide is the intentional destruction of a people—usually defined as an ethnic, national, racial, or religious group—in whole or in part. Raphael Lemkin coined the term in 1944, combining the Greek word (, "race, people") with the Latin ...
and femicide
Femicide or feminicide is a hate crime which is broadly defined as "the intentional killing of women or girls because they are female," but definitions of it vary depending on cultural context. In 1976, the feminist author Diana E. H. Russel ...
. The Canadian government designates the Taliban as a terrorist organization
A number of national governments and two international organizations have created lists of organizations that they designate as terrorist. The following list of designated terrorist groups lists groups designated as terrorist by current and fo ...
, which has been responsible for the deaths of 158 Canadian soldiers since 2001. In response to widespread criticism, Monsef stated that Muslims around the world refer to non-family members as brothers and sisters, and that she "believe deeply that the Taliban are a terrorist organization." Many Farsi speakers and Afghans debunked Monsef's premise on the cultural context of calling the Taliban "brothers", and some have even attributed her defeat in 2021 Canadian election to that comment.
Electoral record
Federal
Municipal
Notes
References
External links
Official Site
*
Bio & mandate from the Prime Minister
Maryam Monsef
Twitter
Twitter is an online social media and social networking service owned and operated by American company Twitter, Inc., on which users post and interact with 280-character-long messages known as "tweets". Registered users can post, like, and ...
account.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Monsef, Maryam
1984 births
Living people
Liberal Party of Canada MPs
Members of the House of Commons of Canada from Ontario
People from Peterborough, Ontario
Women members of the House of Commons of Canada
Afghan Muslims
Trent University alumni
Canadian Muslims
Afghan emigrants to Canada
Members of the King's Privy Council for Canada
Members of the 29th Canadian Ministry
Women government ministers of Canada
People from Mashhad
People from Herat
Hazara politicians
21st-century Canadian women politicians
Applicants for refugee status in Canada