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Progressive Conservative MLA Obby Khan was hailed as the first Muslim elected to the Manitoba legislature when he won a 2022 byelection in Fort Whyte.
On Tuesday, the house recognized another Muslim across the aisle.
“Obby’s not alone anymore,” NDP MLA Nellie Kennedy (Assiniboia) quipped in an interview, after a morning debate on her private member’s bill to proclaim October as Islamic Heritage Month.
Kennedy told the house Tuesday she’s a proud Lebanese-Canadian who grew up in a Muslim home. Her paternal grandparents (last name Abas) arrived in Canada a century ago and settled in the Interlake, she said.
They became “a fixture in their new community” and are one of the 10 founding Muslim families to set down roots in Manitoba, Kennedy added.
They farmed north of Hodgson, said the MLA, whose married name is Kennedy.
Her ties to Manitoba’s Muslim community came as news to Khan, who during members’ statements Monday — the start of Ramadan — referred to himself as the only Muslim member of the legislative assembly.
On Tuesday, Khan said he supported Kennedy’s private member’s bill.
“I was not aware she’s part of the Abas family,” he said. “I apologize for that.”
The PC finance critic called the family a “foundation and a staple in this province.”
“Bringing this bill forward is not political games,” Khan added. “This is important and it’s something that’s needed.”
Since Bill 207, the Islamic Heritage Month Act (Commemoration of Days, Weeks and Months Act Amended) was introduced Monday, it has received unanimous support from MLAs and now moves to the committee stage for public input.
It emphasizes the importance of education and awareness regarding Islamic heritage and “the rich tapestry that is the Islamic faith — of the shared values of compassion, tolerance and social justice,” Kennedy said in the chamber.
It also aims to counter misinformation that leads to Islamophobia, especially amid the Israel-Hamas war, she told the Free Press.
“The Islamic religion is about kindness, compassion and caring about your fellow human being,” she said. “If you speak to 99.9 per cent of Muslims around the world, they’re going to tell you that’s how they live their life.”
During the 2023 election, Khan didn’t campaign on being Muslim but did champion “parental rights” — which critics called a homophobic, social conservative dog whistle.
When asked why the rookie MLA didn’t mention being raised Muslim during the campaign, Kennedy explained it wasn’t why she was running.
“As a candidate, I ran on the NDP’s platform of inclusivity and diversity — of a listening government,” she said.
“There was no need for me to bring in my gender, my race, my religion. It was beside the point. I believed in the message we were running on and I still do.”
carol.sanders@freepress.mb.ca
Carol Sanders
Legislature reporter
After 20 years of reporting on the growing diversity of people calling Manitoba home, Carol moved to the legislature bureau in early 2020.
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