Maher Arar's wife to announce NDP candidacy

So happy about this. She's a remarkable woman: she was a tremendous spokesperson for her husband's case, and she has a PhD in financial economics. CBC says she'll run in the riding of Ottawa South.

OTTAWA - Monia Mazigh, an Ottawa woman who led a year-long campaign to have her husband released from a Syrian prison, is expected to announce Wednesday she will run for the New Democratic Party in the next federal election.

Mazigh is married to Maher Arar, the Canadian who was deported to Syria by U.S. officials on suspicion of being connected to al-Qaeda.

NDP Leader Jack Layton, MP and former party leader Alexa McDonough and Mazigh will attend the announcement Wednesday in Ottawa, according to an NDP news release.

...

McDonough: "She's shown herself to be of incredible leadership quality, she's been an incredible advocate for human rights and civil liberties and, yes, I absolutely was proud to approach her to ask if she might give this consideration."


http://cbc.ca/stories/2004/03/09/canada/mazigh_ndp040309

Go NDP!

Imagine having an MP like her -- I hope she wins -- I pity the agency or corporation that messed with one of Dr. Mazigh's constituents. She would SO be on their case.

She was a very powerful advocate for her husband! This lady knows how to fight back and win!

Though, realistically, it will be a very difficult riding for her to win. It's a solidly Liberal seat. One advantage, though, is there's no incumbent: John Manley's gone. The Liberals are running in his place David McGuinty, the brother of the Ontario Premier.

Still, ya gotta have hope that anything's possible. If I didn't, I wouldn't be an NDPer. ;)

Well said, Minstrel Boy!

Thinking about it -- for a party that's never actually WON a federal election -- we somehow managed to get important things done (e.g. Medicare, multiculturalism) that reshaped our nation. Cool, eh?

I even feel a ridiculous tinge of pride whenever I see a PetroCanada station, though the company was, of course, privatized by Mulroney years ago. David Lewis and Pierre Trudeau had a good thing going in the 1972-74 minority government.

I'm very grateful I can vote my conscience, and it isn't a "wasted ballot".

The news from Alberta is very, very good. If it's good in Alberta, it's great elsewhere. I can't elaborate too much yet, but there are going to be some surprises out here in the West.

We need her in Parliament, along with as many NDP-ers as possible.

"NDP strategists say the riding has the largest concentration of Arab-Canadians in the Ottawa-Gatineau region and its population is nearly one-quarter racial minorities."
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/ArticleNews/TPStory/LAC/20040310/NDP10/TPNational/Canada

And, of course, Ed Broadbent's running just next door in Ottawa Centre. That can't hurt.