Sameer Zuberi
MP
Member of Parliament
for Pierrefonds—Dollard
Assumed office
October 21, 2019
Preceded byFrank Baylis
Personal details
BornAugust 1979 (age 44)
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Political partyLiberal
Residence(s)Dollard-des-Ormeaux, Quebec, Canada

Sameer Zuberi MP (born August 1979) is a Canadian politician who was elected to represent the federal riding of Pierrefonds—Dollard in the House of Commons of Canada in the 2019 Canadian federal election, sitting as a member of the Liberal Party.[1] He is the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Diversity, Inclusion and Persons with Disabilities, and he serves on the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development. He is best known for his human rights work and advocacy – specifically his motion M-62 on Uyghurs and other Turkic Muslims.

Early life and education

Born in Montreal, Quebec, Zuberi is the eldest of six children raised in Laval, Quebec in a multicultural family, with a mother of Scottish and Italian descent and a father who moved to Canada from Pakistan in the 1970s. He attended Marianopolis College for CEGEP and subsequently attended and graduated from Concordia University in 2004 where he obtained a BA in mathematics. In 2010, he enrolled at Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM) in their law program, leading to his law degree in 2014.

That same year, Zuberi became the first recipient of the Juanita Westmoreland-Traoré scholarship in recognition of his social engagement.[2][3] The award is bestowed to UQAM law students for their outstanding contribution to the community by using their legal training to promote human rights, social justice and equality rights.[4]

During his time at Concordia, Zuberi was twice elected as a vice-president at the Concordia Student Union and was a member of the Concordia Council on Student Life, advocating for students, supporting diversity, and encouraging a strong sense of community.[5][6] Zuberi was also a board member of City of Montreal's Intercultural Council,[7] served on the board of the West Island Assistance Fund[1] and was one of the founding members of the Quebec section of the Canadian Muslim Lawyers Association's (CMLA), its vice-chair in 2014 and national board member in 2015.[8]

Zuberi lives in the riding of Pierrefonds—Dollard with his wife and their two daughters.[9]

Political career

From 1997 to 2002, Zuberi served with The Black Watch, a Canadian Forces reserve unit, and assisted his compatriots during the 1998 Ice Storm.[9] After graduating from Concordia University in 2004, he spent a year working as an English teacher in Kuwait. Upon his return to Canada in 2006, he joined the Ottawa office of the non-profit and non-partisan National Council of Canadian Muslims (formerly known as the Canadian Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAN-CAIR)), Canada's leading Muslim advocacy organization, as the Media Relations and Human Rights Coordinator.[8] After graduating from law school in 2014, Zuberi he appointed as diversity and engagement officer at McGill University's Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences where he also was an elected member of the university's Senate.[10] While at McGill, he worked to promote diversity and inclusion of Black and Indigenous students as well as students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds and those from rural Quebec.[11][12]

After Frank Baylis, who was elected as member of Parliament for Pierrefonds—Dollard following the 2015 Canadian federal election, announced that he would not run in the 2019 election, Zuberi joined the Liberal Party nomination contest alongside five other candidates. This nomination contest was one of the party's largest nominations with 9,000 registered votes and a turnout of 3,200.[13] Zuberi won Liberal Party nomination and was elected as a member of the 43rd Canadian Parliament.[14]

During the election campaign, it was alleged that Zuberi's past activities as a student and human rights activist were antisemitic. Zuberi denied this allegations on numerous occasions and was backed by the Liberal Party and leaders of the Jewish community in Montreal.[citation needed]

After the election, Zuberi was a member of several parliamentary committees. He has been a member of the Standing Committees on:

Zuberi has also been a member of the Subcommittee on International Human Rights of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development (2020–2023).

Zuberi was the chair of the Subcommittee on International Human Rights of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development from June 2022 to September 2023. He has also been vice-chair of the Scrutiny of Regulations Committee from April 2022 to September 2023.

Zuberi continues to serve on the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development.

In June 2023, the Subcommittee on International Human Rights presented a report to the House of Commons entitled The Human Rights Situation of Tibetans and the Chinese Residential Boarding School and Preschool System. Its recommendations aim to support internationally-led investigations and sanctions; to protect activists and researchers from harassment and intimidation, inside and outside Canada; to advocate for independent academic research in Tibet; and, to support measures to preserve Tibetan language and culture.

As an MP, Zuberi presented a unanimous consent motion on the recognition of the Romani genocide in August 2020.[15] He has been co-chair of the multipartisan Canadian-Uyghur Parliamentary Friendship Group[16] and one of the leading voices in Canada and within the Canadian Liberal Party regarding human rights abuses against the Uyghur community in China.[citation needed]

In February 2023, Zuberi presented motion M-62, recognizing that Uyghurs and other Turkic Muslims that have fled to third countries face pressure and intimidation by the Chinese state to return to China which passed unanimously with the support of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. The motion also calls for Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada's Refugee and Humanitarian Resettlement Program to expedite the entry of 10,000 Uyghurs and other Turkic Muslims in need of protection over two years, starting in 2024, into Canada.[17]

In partnership with Montreal's West Island Chamber of Commerce, Zuberi's office created a small business outreach program with the aim to help over one thousand local businesses in Pierrefonds—Dollard.[18]

In September 2023, Zuberi was appointed parliamentary secretary to the Minister of Diversity, Inclusion and Persons with Disabilities by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and is supporting minister Kamal Khera.

Electoral record

2021 Canadian federal election: Pierrefonds—Dollard
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
Liberal Sameer Zuberi 29,296 56.0 -0.4 $68,651.52
Conservative Terry Roberts 10,893 20.8 +3.1 $32,454.19
New Democratic Maninderjit Kaur Tumbar 6,034 11.5 +1.2 $748.35
Bloc Québécois Nadia Bourque 4,141 7.9 -0.2 $2,242.01
People's Mark Sibthorpe 1,942 3.7 +2.4 $5,407.25
Total valid votes/expense limit 52,306 98.8 – $111,883.95
Total rejected ballots 615 1.2
Turnout 52,921 64.7
Eligible voters 81,839
Liberal hold Swing -1.8
Source: Elections Canada[19]
2019 Canadian federal election: Pierrefonds—Dollard
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
Liberal Sameer Zuberi 31,305 56.43 -2.23 $48,975.17
Conservative Mariam Ishak 9,797 17.66 -2.33 $34,368.98
New Democratic Bruno Ibrahim El-Khoury 5,687 10.25 -6.13 $6,127.99
Bloc Québécois Edline Henri 4,469 8.06 +4.57 none listed
Green Lisa Mintz 2,866 5.17 +3.69 $1,239.20
People's Lee Weishar 711 1.28 – $4,040.64
Independent Martin Plante 394 0.71 – $7,089.24
Independent Shahid Khan 242 0.44 – $1,502.46
Total valid votes/expense limit 55,471 100.0  
Total rejected ballots 682
Turnout 56,153 67.4
Eligible voters 83,369
Liberal hold Swing +0.05
Source: Elections Canada[20][21]

References

  1. ^ a b Greenaway, Kathryn (October 22, 2019) [October 9, 2019]. "Election 2019: Eight candidates vying to become the new Pierrefonds-Dollard MP". The Gazette. Archived from the original on December 31, 2023. Retrieved December 31, 2023.
  2. ^ "Un boursier engagé" [An engaged scholarship recipient]. Université du Québec à Montréal (in French). June 7, 2022 [April 15, 2014]. Archived from the original on December 31, 2023. Retrieved December 31, 2023.
  3. ^ Souissi, Takwa (April 29, 2014). "L'engagement social récompensé" [Social engagement is rewarded]. Métro (in French). Archived from the original on December 31, 2023. Retrieved December 31, 2023.
  4. ^ "Nouvelle bourse Juanita Westmoreland-Traoré" [New Juanita Westmoreland-Traoré scholarship]. Université du Québec à Montréal (in French). September 17, 2014 [March 26, 2013]. Archived from the original on December 31, 2023. Retrieved December 31, 2023.
  5. ^ 2003–2004 Undergraduate Calendar (PDF). Montreal, Quebec: Concordia University. p. 22. ISBN 0-88947-410-9. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 20, 2017. Retrieved December 31, 2023.
  6. ^ "Portrait de Sameer Zuberi" [Sameer Zuberi overview]. Faculté de science politique et de droit (in French). Université du Québec à Montréal. Archived from the original on November 2, 2020. Retrieved December 31, 2023.
  7. ^ Conseil interculturel de Montréal (March 23, 2015). "Un Conseil interculturel de Montréal renouvelé : un nouveau président et huit nouveaux membres" [A renewed Montreal Intercultural Council: A new president and eight new members] (Press release) (in French). Montreal, Quebec: Cision. Archived from the original on December 31, 2023. Retrieved December 31, 2023.
  8. ^ a b "Introducing the CMLA Board Nominees". Canadian Muslim Lawyers Association. March 27, 2017. Archived from the original on December 31, 2023. Retrieved December 31, 2023.
  9. ^ a b "About Sameer Zuberi". Liberal Party of Canada. Archived from the original on March 28, 2022. Retrieved December 31, 2023.
  10. ^ "Membership of the Subcommittee on Racialized and Ethnic Persons, 2016–2017". Senate Subcommittee on Racialized and Ethnic Persons. McGill University. Archived from the original on December 31, 2023. Retrieved December 31, 2023.
  11. ^ "Student-led McGill camp promotes diversity in health care professions". Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences. McGill University. July 5, 2017. Archived from the original on December 31, 2023. Retrieved December 31, 2023.
  12. ^ "McGill camp for high schoolers promotes diversity in health field". The Gazette. June 27, 2017. Archived from the original on December 31, 2023. Retrieved December 31, 2023.
  13. ^ Greenaway, Kathryn (September 18, 2019) [September 16, 2019]. "Ballot recount for Liberal candidate in Pierrefonds–Dollard riding". Montreal Gazette. Archived from the original on December 31, 2023. Retrieved December 31, 2023.
  14. ^ Greenaway, Kathryn (October 22, 2019). "Election 2019: Liberal Sameer Zuberi takes Pierrefonds—Dollard". The Gazette. Archived from the original on December 31, 2023. Retrieved December 31, 2023.
  15. ^ "Canadian Government Adopts Unanimous Consent Motion in Recognition of Genocide of Roma and Sinti During the Holocaust". Canadian Romani Alliance. August 30, 2020. Archived from the original on December 31, 2023. Retrieved December 31, 2023.
  16. ^ "Friendship Groups". Parliamentary Diplomacy Canada. Parliament of Canada. Archived from the original on December 31, 2023. Retrieved December 31, 2023.
  17. ^ Suliman, Adela (February 2, 2023). "Canadian Parliament votes unanimously to accept 10,000 Uyghur refugees". Washington Post. Archived from the original on December 31, 2023. Retrieved December 31, 2023.
  18. ^ Zuberi, Sameer (October 28, 2020). "Statements by Members: Small Business" (PDF). Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). Vol. 150. Parliament of Canada: House of Commons. p. 1354. Retrieved December 31, 2023.
  19. ^ "List of confirmed candidates – September 20, 2021 Federal Election". Elections Canada. Retrieved September 2, 2021.
  20. ^ "List of confirmed candidates". Elections Canada. Retrieved October 3, 2019.
  21. ^ "Election Night Results". Elections Canada. Retrieved November 11, 2019.

External links

Members of the House of Commons of Canada
Categories