Calgary’s Muslim mayor a Canadian first

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 20/10/2010 (5665 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

CALGARY — When political newcomer Naheed Nenshi won a close fight to become Calgary’s mayor Monday night, he made history, becoming the first Muslim to head a Canadian city.

The 38-year-old business professor — originally considered a longshot to win — defeated longtime councillor Ric McIver and former TV anchor Barb Higgins in a race that attracted the highest voter turnout in three decades in Calgary.

A son of immigrants, Nenshi is also Calgary’s first visible minority mayor and he said his faith does not affect the nature of his win, but he won’t let it fade into the background, either.

“I don’t shy away from anything — I can’t. It is who I am,” he said. “The colour of my skin, my faith, the neighbourhood I grew up in, my education, my experiences and ideas are all part of the crazy package that makes up Naheed and part of the crazy package that makes up Calgary.

“My hope is that every kid waking up this morning in (Calgary) when their parents showed them the newspaper or turned on the TV… regardless of background, regardless of ethnicity, regardless of income or faith, said ‘Wow, in Canada and Calgary, I can do anything.'”

Political observers were stunned by his meteoric rise. “It’s a Cinderella story,” said Lori Williams, a political scientist at Mount Royal University, where Nenshi also teaches. “A lot of people thought he was too different… I think, though, that this reflects the diversity of the city.”

During the campaign, Nenshi portrayed himself as unsullied by the political game.

— Postmedia News