A federal heritage department fact sheet highlighting “notable Muslim Canadians” leaned heavily toward Liberal and NDP politicians, including former cabinet minister Maryam Monsef, according to records obtained through Access to Information.Blacklock's Reporter says the document, titled Fact Sheet: Muslims In Canada, identified seven individuals deemed Muslims of note. It was prepared by staff in the since-disbanded Office of the Special Representative on Combating Islamophobia.Topping the list was former Liberal MP Maryam Monsef, who represented Peterborough–Kawartha, Ont. Monsef was defeated in the 2021 federal election by 2,738 votes following controversy over remarks she made after the fall of Kabul to the Taliban.“I want to take this opportunity to speak to our brothers, the Taliban,” Monsef said during a 2021 news conference. “We call on you to ensure the safe and secure passage of any individuals in Afghanistan out of the country.”When pressed by reporters, Monsef said the reference to “brothers” was cultural. At the time, Mustafa Farooq, then-CEO of the National Council of Canadian Muslims, publicly criticized the comment, saying many Muslims were “aghast” at the minister’s remarks and that it was fair to question her wording..Monsef lost her seat 28 days short of qualifying for a parliamentary pension. She later launched a motivational speaking venture, Onward with Maryam.Also included on the heritage department’s list were Liberal MP Ahmed Hussen (York South–Weston, Ont.), who currently chairs the House of Commons foreign affairs committee; former CBC-TV announcer Ginella Massa; and Calgary Flames centre Nazeem Kadri.Alberta NDP Leader Naheed Nenshi, the former Calgary mayor, was also named. In 2023 testimony before the Senate human rights committee, Nenshi spoke about what he described as white bigotry and susceptibility to radicalization.“When do we start talking about the radicalization of white people in this country?” Nenshi said. “When do we start talking about the fact there are generations — not students but the next generation up — people in their 20s and in their 30s and older who are feeling dispossessed, who are wondering about change in their community, who are very, very susceptible to radicalization messages?”.Nenshi added he did not favour the term “Islamophobia,” saying he preferred “religious bigotry,” though he argued critics would attack regardless of terminology.Notably absent from the list were any Conservative MPs. The first Muslim elected to the House of Commons, Rahim Jaffer, served four terms as a Reform and later Conservative MP representing Edmonton–Strathcona but did not appear among those cited in the department’s compilation.
