Javid Mirza

Javid Mirza is a politician and community leader in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. He is president of the Muslim Association of Hamilton, and ran for the Liberal Party of Canada in the 2006 federal election.

Contents

Early Life and Career

Mirza was born in Pakistan, and came to Hamilton during the 1970s. He founded the sports equipment company Seven Star Sports in 1989, and developed it into a successful international distributor.[1] He has served on the Mayor's Roundtable on Community Issues, the City of Hamilton's Media Advisory Council, the Hamilton-Burlington Bay Area Leadership Council and the Hamilton District Schools Board's Advisory Council for Diverse Communities.

He became a prominent figure in Hamilton's Muslim community shortly after the attacks of September 11, 2001, when his mosque was vandalized during an anti-Muslim backlash in the city. Mirza took part in several community and interfaith forums following the attacks, and helped establish the organization "Strengthening Hamilton's Community Initiative" (SHCI) to facilitate interfaith dialogue.[2] He was especially prominent in reaching out to Hamilton's Hindu community, whose temple had also been attacked in the aftermath of September 11. Mirza also helped establish dialogue with Jewish groups, inviting representatives of the Hamilton Jewish Federation to ceremonies marking the close of Ramadan.[3] In 2002, he spoke out against the planned American invasion of Iraq.[4]

Notwithstanding his cooperation with Jewish groups, Mirza has made comments strongly critical of Israel in its treatment of the Palestinians. He strongly criticized the Israeli government of Ariel Sharon in 2004, following the state assassination of Hamas leader Sheik Ahmed Yassin. During a protest rally against the assassination, Mirza called for a trade embargo against the country, and compared Sharon's government to the apartheid regime of South Africa. These comments were condemned by some in the local Jewish community,[5] though Mirza later argued they did not create a lasting strain in relations with local Jewish leaders.[6] He has argued that Muslims and Jews may disagree over Israeli policy, and yet still cooperate on other matters.

Shortly after his remarks, Mirza joined with Lorne Finkelstein, a prominent figure in Hamilton's Jewish community, to lead a fundraising effort which allowed a nine-year old boy to travel from Afghanistan to Canada to receive life-saving medical treatment not available in his home country.[7][8] Mirza and Finkelstein later cooperated in attempting to provide aid for Sudan's Darfur region,[9] and Mirza also helped organize fundraising efforts for relief efforts in Sri Lanka following the tsunami of late 2004.[10]

Liberal Party activism

Mirza was a prominent Hamilton supporter of Paul Martin's bid to lead the Liberal Party in 2003. During the leadership campaign, he accused Martin rival and leadership candidate Sheila Copps of entering his mosque during prayer services to make a political speech directed against Martin.[11] Mirza alleged that Copps was attempting to cause friction between the city's Muslim and Jewish communities. Copps, in response, argued that the accusations were part of a campaign to discredit her among Hamilton's Muslim community.[12]

Mirza openly considered running for the Hamilton Mountain Liberal nomination in 2004, but was unable to do so after the party cut off nominations at an early date.[13] He later endorsed Tony Valeri over Copps for the 2004 Liberal nomination in Hamilton East—Stoney Creek.[14]

Prior to the 2006 federal election, Mirza considered running for the Liberal nomination on Hamilton Mountain, but agreed to stand aside to allow local councillor Bill Kelly to seek the nomination instead.[15] He instead contested Hamilton Centre, an area not considered a Liberal stronghold, and received 11,224 votes, or 23.49%, to finish second against New Democratic Party incumbent David Christopherson. He was forty-five years old at the time of the election.[16]

Electoral Record

2006 federal election : Hamilton Centre edit
Party Candidate Votes % Expenditures
     New Democratic Party (x)David Christopherson 24,503 51.29 $79,917.66
     Liberal Javid Mirza 11,224 23.49 $71,436.13
     Conservative Eliot Lewis Hill 9,696 20.29
     Green John Livingstone 2,022 4.23 $1,353.15
     Canadian Action Party Tony Des Lauriers 332 0.69
Total valid votes 47,777 100.00
Total rejected ballots 279
Turnout 48,056 59.21
Electors on the lists 81,161

Sources: Official Results, Elections Canada and Financial Returns, Elections Canada.

Footnotes

  1. ^ Spectator, 7 May 2004
  2. ^ Hamilton Spectator, 17 December 2001
  3. ^ Hamilton Spectator, 27 November 2003
  4. ^ Hamilton Spectator, 9 October 2002
  5. ^ Spectator, 29 March 2004
  6. ^ Spectator, 7 May 2004
  7. ^ Spectator, 15 June 2004
  8. ^ Globe and Mail, 1 July 2004
  9. ^ Spectator, 22 April 2005
  10. ^ Spectator, 8 January 2005
  11. ^ Kitchener-Waterloo Record, 29 November 2003
  12. ^ Spectator, 5 December 2003
  13. ^ Hamilton Spectator, 11 February 2004
  14. ^ Spectator, 4 March 2004)
  15. ^ Spectator, 20 May 2005
  16. ^ Spectator, 13 January 2006