Hiiraan Online
Tuesday October 20, 2015
Ahmed Hussen of Liberal - Faisal Hassan of NDP - Abdi Abdul of Conservative
TORONTO (HOL) – The surprise victory by the
Liberal Somali candidate Ahmed Hussen who swept York South-Weston with a strong
lead has raised hopes for the Canadian Somali community which has long been
struggling to make political inroads in Canada.
Mr. Hussein, has defeated the NDP’s
incumbent Mike Sullivan, making him the first Somali-Canadian MP in Canada.
“This is a great day for Somali Canadians
and a day to remember” Said Mahad Shafie, a Somali-Canadian businessman who
lives in Ottawa.
As the news of his election went viral on
the mainstream media, thousands of Somalis took to the social media, describing
his victory as ‘momentous’, a development which may inspire more Somalis in
Canada to run for the upcoming elections.
“It’s a moment of hope, a moment of
inspiration.” tweeted Ali Ahmed, a community activist in Toronto.
Born and raised in Somalia, Mr. Hussein has
immigrated to Canada in 1993 and he settled in Regent Park. Struggling to get
an employment, he immediately gravitated towards public service according to
his campaign website.
In addition, he currently serves as the
National President of the Canadian Somali Congress – a Somali community
organization that works with national and regional authorities to advocate on
issues of importance to Canadians of Somali heritage and strengthen civic
engagement and integration.
“This is the beginning of a new political
era for Somali Canadians in the future, hoping that every Somali Canadian must
be proud of this historical achievement executed by our newly elected
politician Mr Ahmed Hussein.” said Ali Hagi Awiisa, a HOL reader.
Canada has one of the largest Somali
populations in the western world. Unofficial estimates placing the figure as
high as 150,000. The early 1990s saw an increase in the total number of Somali
immigrants entering the country, with some secondary migration from the United
States.