Calgary, a deeply conservative city in the heart of the most conservative province in Canada, the city that pretty much drives Canadian conservatism, has elected ... a Muslim mayor?
Many of you may not appreciate the significance of this. For the rest of you, feel free to let out another gasp.
Voting was heavy, about 53 percent, for Monday's mayoral election in Calgary, one of many municipal elections held throughout Alberta. Naheed Nenshi has never held elected office before, but, riding a wave of change in a city of oil and rodeos, he triumphed over his conservative rivals, winning a 40 percent plurality of the vote. Upon taking office, he will be the first Muslim mayor of a major Canadian city. The Globe and Mail explains what Nenshi represents:
In many ways, Naheed Nenshi's come-from-behind win in Calgary's mayoral race is a traditional story.
Mr. Nenshi is qualified, charismatic and well-spoken. His career path has set him up well, perhaps purposefully, for a political career. He earned key endorsements and had all the momentum going into election day.But, of course, his victory is unique, both for reasons the 38-year-old is inclined to discuss - such as his impressive grassroots "Purple Army" shoestring campaign - and those that he is not. He represents a changing Calgary, with its 230,000 visible-minority residents (nearly a quarter of the population), as the city's first non-white mayor.
In a province so often dominated by its conservatives, who supported opponents Barb Higgins and Ric McIver, Mr. Nenshi was a rallying point for progressive Alberta - young and old, white and non-white, eager to debunk their city's conservative Cowtown image.
Of course, Nenshi only won a plurality, not a majority, and, taken together, his two conservative rivals outperformed him, receiving 58 percent of the vote, suggesting that Calgary is not nearly as progressive as his victory might suggest.
Still, this is a hugely significant win for the forces of progressivism, even if Nenshi's views are generally quite moderate (and certainly not radical), in a province that for the most part is staunchly conservative, suggesting that even Calgary, even this bastion of right-wing obstinacy, is opening up and liberalizing somewhat, prepared, at least to a point, to join the rest of Canada in a brighter future.
Now it's just up to Nenshi to do the job well, and to expand on what he has built, so that he can effectively guide the city forward.
(As for me, I'm just waiting for American conservatives like Sarah Palin and Newt Gingrich to complain that this suspicious-looking Muslim was elected mayor way too close to Ground Zero. How dare Calgarians spit all over the memory of 9/11! Perhaps if he were to move further away, say, up to the Yukon? No, that's too close to Alaska. Maybe to Nunavut? No, it doesn't matter where, the problem is really that these good-for-nothing Canadians elected a Muslim in the first place. No wonder Sharron Angle thinks we're to blame! Calgary, thy name is Park51!)
(Cross-posted from The Reaction.)
Follow Michael J.W. Stickings on Twitter: www.twitter.com/mjwstickings
Leading A1: Calgary's Muslim mayor; Falun Gong win; the Belleville trial
Canadians don't mind multiculturalists as long as they assimilate well
To confuse Alberta with the U.S. bible belt is a mistake.
My province(NB) is conflicted as well. Not ashamed of big government because central Canada stole most of our industry way back in confederation - and continues to steal our best people to this day. So we don't get upset about huge government projects paid for by central Canada - we feel we are owed it. Social issues - well that is were we get into a bit of a kerfuffle. Fights about bilingualism (despite being the only province that does it well and officially) Fights over women's reproductive rights, friendly to tourists - but suspicious of immigrants. so on so on.
And if that didn't get their blood pressure up enough to make their heads explode, maybe a mention that the Prime Minister, and the head of the second largest political party in Canada both felt it was necessary to attend the opening will.
When you're trying to hire 10 workers, and only get 8 applications, you can't afford to toss a couple in the trash because they're from 'the wrong sort of people', you hire them, and, because you know they can quit at noon, and be hired and working someplace else the next day, you get to know them as people, so that they are less likely to decide to do that, and so does everyone they work with.
When you're looking for somewhere to live, and know that the asking price is getting bumped up almost daily, you can't afford to look at the neighborhood, see the 'wrong sort of people' living there, and decide to keep looking because of that.
And seeing as getting to know 'the wrong sort' and living amongst 'the wrong sort' is the most effective treatment for prejudice and racism there is, the number of them dropped.
And without that constituency to play to, that Nenshi was Msulim just never became a big deal.
At any rate, the petroleum industry is a global one, and anyone who harbors strong racist sentiments would find it very tough sledding.
Religion wasn't even mentioned during the election and it didn't really have anything to do with progressivism, just a look at which of the three major candidates had the best plan, and Nenshi's was the best and most detailed. It was only after the election was over and the national media began paying attention that suddenly the big story was the "Muslim mayor". Also, Calgary's last mayor ran for the federal Liberals and the one before (who began in 1989) was soft-spoken, married to a Chinese woman and speaks some Chinese himself so Calgary really hasn't had anything close to a redneck for as long as I can remember.