A Liberal candidate from Surrey is running to be MP for the new riding of 91原创 Township-Fraser Heights.
Nasima Nastoh has been acclaimed by the Liberal Party, and is set to take on incumbent Conservative MP Tako van Popta, as well as NDP hopeful Holly Isaac, Green candidate Debora Lynn Soutar, and Libertarian Party's Alex Joehl.
Nastoh, a realtor, offers what the party's national campaign co-chair Terry Duguid calls a "strong focus on important new engagement with Canadians."
"The Liberal nominations process helps ensure we鈥檙e ready to re-elect our dedicated Liberal team in Parliament and continue to elect even more talented, diverse, and hardworking community leaders as Liberal MPs across Canada, whenever the next campaign eventually arrives," Duguid added.
While there's no indications Nastoh has run or held any previous political seats, she has served as a strong voice advocating for anti-bullying, after her son, Hamed, jumped off the Patullo Bridge in 25 years ago this month. He was 14 at the time, and bullied at school.
According to Wikipedia, Mom uses her own agony and her son's five-page suicide note to show how much he suffered in high school before committing suicide.
"As a mother, I have a message for bullies. I paid a very high price. Because of your teasing and bullying, I lost my beautiful son," she said in a note republished in various forms after his death.
She created the Hamed Nastoh's Anti-Bullying Coalition and travelled to schools throughout B.C. endeavouring to raise awareness of bullying in schools and to help parents of children suffering with bullying.
"Suicide is not the solution," she shared, trying to give hope and support to teenagers and the community, so they knew that they are not alone.
"Seek help. If you don't talk about it nobody can hear," Nastoh said, noting the reluctance of many to talk about the subject of bullying, and the consequent emotional implications it can have.
Born and raised in Afghanistan, Nastoh and her husband, Kirim, were refugees who came to Canada in 1984.
Nastoh has since also been vocal on the issues of human rights 鈥� not just for those in Canada, but around the globe 鈥� and what she describes as a critical need to defend people's rights and freedom.
"We have to stand up and speak out鈥� because the world is becoming a dangerous place for children, for women, for the families鈥�," she said, noting that being active and engaging in discussions on the issues 鈥� even in small ways within one's own community 鈥� is the only way to create change.
