Canadian politics has been too quiet lately. So during the week that Rick Tompkins and THE ROAD AHEAD have their coming out party, we have a made in Canada birther scandal.
It seems the inspirational narrative provided by Democratic Institutions Minister Maryam Monsef regarding her journey to Canada hasn’t been totally accurate. She did arrive to Canada from Afghanistan, but it seems she learned this week that she wasn’t born in Afghanistan, but rather in Iran. No big deal, right? She and her mother and sister fled a deteriorating situation in Afghanistan and came to Canada as refugees. Well, except there are consequences for providing inaccurate information on an immigration or refugee application. Despite, what her mother suggests, it is a big deal.
However, these aren’t ordinary new Canadians. One of them is a Cabinet Minister, which means any explanation she provides has likely been vetted by the Prime Minister’s Office. So what we are hearing will likely have elements of spin inserted. We might be presented with several versions of the truth. Which puts a smile on my face as my novel hits the street.
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I hate this issue. I hate that this woman, who has worked so hard in her community and achieved so much, is going to get screwed on something that she didn’t even know about.
As far as the Iranian law is concerned, she is Afghani, no matter where she was born. They fled a war torn country so they didn’t have all their papers like ducks in a row.
I think we have bigger issues to concern ourselves with.
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It’s not about having the right paper or Iranian law. It has to do with Canadian law. When asked what city Maryam was born in, if her mother put down the wrong city, it is an issue. But yes, there are bigger concerns for this government.
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