Did this story really happen? Or is it from the world of fairy tales? The sudden explosion onto the national political scene last fall of an unknown, inexperienced young woman has caught the attention of the media all across the country. And with good reason! There are many “firsts” to be pointed out in the successful campaign of Honourable Maryam Monsef. She is the youngest and the first woman to be elected MP for the Peterborough riding, the first Afghanistan-born and the first refugee in the federal government. She seemed to come from out of nowhere, and objections to her youth and lack of political experience were further challenged by her appointment to the federal cabinet, as the minister responsible for the democratic institutions portfolio. She becomes the first Muslim MP to become a federal cabinet minister. Maryam has a lot to prove, and with courage and determination she has begun.
I had just joined the board of Casa Maria Refugee Homes when I first met Maryam in the fall of 1996. With her two younger sisters, this newly – arrived 11 year old child performed a traditional Afghani dance in costume before a group of our Sisters at Mount St. Joseph, as her mother proudly looked on. I remember how impressed I was by their grace and beauty, their courtesy and their reserve. Over the next few years I was privileged to walk with this family in their transition to life in Canada, and continue to be grateful for such an opportunity.
With her mother, Soriya Basir, I developed a friendship that I treasure in a woman who sacrificed everything to give her daughters a kind of freedom not available in her homeland. As I listened to her early struggles, I learned from her how painful it was to adapt to a new culture with different values. I marvelled at her courage and determination in the face of hardship and unfamiliarity, and her very real concerns about how to raise her precious daughters in this Canadian environment. How can they fit in well without losing their Afghan identity? I also appreciated her kindness and generosity, her integrity, and her lack of fear in undertaking anything that would help her situation, no matter the work involved. Probably her greatest gift to me was in the personal sharing of her deep Muslim faith. The times I have spent in prayer with her have certainly deepened my own faith, and are presently allowing me to welcome Syrian refugees to Canada with a greater openness.
During Maryam’s campaign for local MP, she came to our residence to seek support. After her visit, she quietly invited a few of us to pray with her in our chapel. After she stated: “If I win, I will be very busy. If not, I will have a good long Christmas holiday. It doesn’t matter. It is in God’s hands, whatever God wants.” At that moment I named what bonded us, that same call to serve others. I truly believe that from the depth of her Muslim faith, Maryam Monsef was being faithful to a vocation that called her to political life. And I wish her well in this special faith journey.
Joan Driscoll CSJ
Photo: Sister Joan Driscoll and Sister Mary Driscoll with Maryam Monsef and Justin Trudeau taken January 17, 2016