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Canadian Muslim MP Apologizes For Mistake
WASHINGTON, March 21 (IslamOnline) - Canada's first Muslim Member of Parliament apologized Wednesday for lying while trying to protect a close associate.
In an eight-minute speech to a near empty House of Commons, Rahim Jaffer, Canadian Alliance MP for Edmonton Strathcona, apologized to his parents, Edmonton constituents and his caucus colleagues.
A tearful Jaffer, 29, a second term MP, apologized to his parents saying that they had sacrificed everything and watched as their son was elected to the Canadian Parliament, reaching "the last milestone from tyranny to freedom."
His family had fled Idi Amin's Uganda with young Jaffer in their arms. He said that his parents, Nizar and Razia, had been hurt more than anyone else by his mistake.
"I lied...It was wrong for my assistant to appear on the radio, claiming to be me. And it was wrong for me to cover that up."
Jaffer explained that he was opening a new business, a new cafe, with his partner last Saturday and that his assistant had booked him on a Vancouver radio show.
The assistant tried to reach him but failed, and with only a few moments left to airtime, he "panicked" and decided to impersonate Jaffer without his knowledge or consent.
Shortly after the show, the aide drove to the cafe and told Jaffer what had happened. Soon thereafter, the radio station called and Jaffer who resorted to providing false information in order to cover-up for his trusted assistant.
"It was a bad decision, an error in judgment, made in the stress of the moment. It has never happened before, and it will never happen again," Jaffer said.
Canadian Alliance Leader Stockwell Day stood by Jaffer and said that he feels that all the questions had been answered. He said that Jaffer "bared his heart and soul and he asked forgiveness of the country and his colleagues, of me, and his parents and he wants to move on now."
Progressive Conservative Leader Joe Clark expressed similar sentiments and said it "is time to put closure to this."
Several of his party colleagues and other MP's gathered around after his speech and patted him and gave words of encouragement.
With his admittance, Jaffer's future remains uncertain, having lost his position as chair of a Caucus Committee on Small Business and his environmental critic's portfolio after the incident.
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