Meet Jagmeet Singh. As a member of the Ontario Provincial Parliament for Bramalea—Gore—Malton and deputy leader of the Ontario New Democratic Party, Singh has faced his fair share of scrutiny since his possible consideration for parliament.
The New Democratic Party (NDP) is a Canadian center-left, progressive and social democratic party. It is currently the third place party in the House of Commons, but has formed governments in seven provinces and territories over the past decades.
Jagmeet Singh is, to put it mildly, a rising star in Canadian politics. Singh is also Sikh. He’s progressive. He’s Canadian. And if you believe the rumors, he just might be Canada’s next prime minister. I had the opportunity of speaking with this face of progressive Canada earlier this month on a range of issues.
AF: Mr Singh, thank you for taking the time to speak with Affinity Magazine.
Jagmeet Singh: No problem!
AF: You’re known for, among other things, slaying in your appearance, just looking great. Your sharp suits, your colorful turbans and overall look got Buzzfeed calling you Canada’s most stylish politician. How do you feel your style expresses your identity as, not only a Sikh in Canada but as a young progressive politician?
Jagmeet Singh: One of the things that I wanted to do in all aspects of my life is to tear down barriers. And, I feel those barriers exist for any racialized person. They particularly exist for people who are very visible, so a visible minority or someone who expresses their faith visibly. But it’s also a barrier for progressives. Progressives can only often speak to a small or very narrow audience, and style can actually tear down those barriers as well. It can open up doors of communication with people who would otherwise dismiss New Democrats. My style has allowed me to tear down barriers in day-to-day life with people who would otherwise have a negative stereotype of someone who wears a turban, but also to speak to people on Bay Street, professionals who don’t really think of New Democrats as an option.
AF: Mind if we dive into international affairs?
Jagmeet Singh: Sure, let’s do it.
AF: Donald Trump’s ban on immigrants AND refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries has caused widespread backlash from around the world, including here in Canada. Are you satisfied with the prime minister’s handling of our country’s reaction, specifically towards the States?
Jagmeet Singh: I feel like our prime minister hasn’t really boldly denounced the policies that have been divisive and the language that’s been hurtful that have marked all of Trump’s candidacy and now presidency. Where we’ve seen someone like Chancellor Merkel say that Germany looks forward to negotiate, trade and deal with the United States, she also made it clear that she did not appreciate the misogynistic and Islamophobic comments. Trudeau hasn’t made that clear that, as Canadians, we denounce these divisive politics and that we don’t support that type of rhetoric. He’s been too cautious with his disapproval of policies that are contradictory to our Canadian values, and I feel that’s an area where people have been disappointed.
AF: A day after the ban was introduced, Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu took to Twitter to sympathize with the American president. Recently, you recently spoke out against an anti-BDS motion in Queen’s Park, and New Democrats have a history of supporting Palestine. What do you think Canada’s role is in the active seeking of peace in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict?
Jagmeet Singh: Regarding the other question, it needs to be made clear that the Muslim ban should be denounced. It is completely inappropriate to target and single-out specific communities. It’s inappropriate, unjust, immoral and baseless, I should add. It doesn’t make us safer when you have these blanket approaches to problems. It doesn’t address the concerns. If the concern is security, there needs to be evidence-backed policies to increase security and safety, while maintaining our liberties and freedoms. Policies that clamp down on freedoms and don’t increase security empirically need to be outright rejected. With respect to the motion, it’s a fundamental principle of our democracy that we should be able to express our dissatisfaction with a government. It’s very important that we uphold that right, it’s why I’m very proud to stand up for. If someone doesn’t like Saudi Arabia’s human rights record, that doesn’t mean that you are in any way attacking Muslims. You’re attacking a government’s policies and track record.
AF: The Syrian conflict has been raging for nearly six years now. Recently, Democratic representative Tulsi Gabbard visited Syria and came back calling for an end to Western funding of terrorist factions in the country and a peaceful political resolution that included Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad and his Russian ally at the table. As a progressive like Miss Gabbard, do you share her view?
Jagmeet Singh: All human beings share the view that what’s been unfolding in Syria is heartbreaking. The loss of life, the amount of tragedies that are being inflicted on the Syrian people. We absolutely need a peaceful resolution. That can only work if all parties involved are at the table. The leadership shown by Rep. Gabbard represents what all people feel: we need to have peace and to have a meaningful peace all participants and power brokers at the table.
AF: Finally, there are rumours circulating that you might, just might be considering making the leap from provincial to the federal NDP leadership race. Do you have any intention in confirming?
Jagmeet Singh: [Laughs] I can’t confirm the rumor but I can confirm that it’s something that I’m honored that people found me qualified for the role. It’s also something I’m taking a serious look at.
AF: You can find Jagmeet Singh on Twitter @theJagmeetSingh. Thank you for your time, Mr. Singh.
Jagmeet Singh: Thank you for making this happen!
