A dilemma for Nazanin Afshin-Jam

Article originally published in Persian in Toronto’s Shahrvand Publication by Arash Azizi:

Nazanin Afshin-jam is, without a doubt, one of the most well known Iranians in Canada if not in the world (outside Iran). And where has this fame come from?

There is an easy answer to this: First, in 2003, by winning the title of Miss World Canada and subsequently Runner-Up Miss World internationally; Second, a few months ago, by marrying Peter McKay, Defense Minister of Canada’s Conservative government.

What is ironic, however, is that Nazanin is not very fond of these two titles, the main reasons for her fame, although she makes no secret of her intention to use them. She always reminds us that before taking part in beauty contests, she did humanitarian work for the Red Cross and only entered these contests to find a better platform for her social activities. She also doesn’t like to be only known as ‘Defense Minister’s Wife’ as if she doesn’t have a name and personality herself.

This is a dilemma Nazanin has to deal with: At one hand, all her fame happens to come from these facts and especially the second one and on the other, she likes to continue her activities as what she likes to call ‘International Human Rights Activist’. This can put her in collision with her husband’s interests. Especially because her husband’s boss, Conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper is known for his disciplined approach who tolerates no dissenting voice in his camp.

Last week, Nazanin tasted this dilemma, perhaps for the first time after her well-known marriage.

It all started with her going to Prince Edward Island to speak in a meeting of provincial Progressive Conservative Party there. It is no wonder that her presence made the headlines and the Island’s ‘Guardian’ demanded an interview. She was told the interview will focus on her recently published book, ‘Tale of Two Nazanins.’ But as any journalist, including your correspondent, knows, you can’t have such an interview while pretending Afshin-Jam’s newly added last name, McKay, doesn’t exist. And this is why the journalist, Jim Day, spoke to her about a case that is related to what is supposed to be Afshin-Jam’s activist issue of choice, i.e., conditions of children.

Jim Day asked Nazanin about Omar Khadr, Canadian teenager who was arrested, at 15, by the American troops in Afghanistan and is now the only Canadian in Guantanamo prison. All kind of Human Rights activists have for years demanded Khadr’s return to Canada and his release from the infamous prison but the Conservative government has never moved towards such a goal. Right-wing supporters of the government call Khadr a ‘terrorist’ and a ‘threat for national security.’

Nazanin could have, of course, tell Jim Day that she doesn’t want to talk about the issue. She could have used the famous phrase meant for such occasions, ‘No Comment.’ But this was perhaps difficult for her as a Children Rights activist. So she went on to not only answer Day’s question but to take a firm and clear position.

"Omar Khadr was a child when he was involved in combat under the UN (United Nations) definition and so we should abide by the international laws and rules that we expect of other countries as well,'' she told the Island’s Guardian.

"So I'm not saying that he shouldn't be kept in prison but definitely I think it's time to bring him back to Canada. He was a Canadian citizen and he can be tried here or looked after here in terms of how long his sentence is going to be or what is going to be his fate," she added.

Despite all the expected fuss that media made out of this, her position wasn’t that far from that of Harper. the Conservatives have grudgingly accepted that Khadr is to be finally returned to Canada. But the very fact that someone in Nazanin’s position was declaring her own opinion led to a controversy. The Guardian’s headline, ‘Time to bring Khadr home: Defence Minister’s wife’ was quickly picked up by all the media, print and online, all over the country.

The government, or McKay, didn’t show any official reaction. Nazanin’s reaction, however, was such that it would be no exaggeration to say we can witness Harper footprints in it.

She published a note on Her Facebook, the title of which was very telling: “I have a name you know.” She complained that the journalist “did not ask me a single question about the book and made an obvious effort to draw me into a discussion criticising the government. When responding I specifically qualified that what I said was my personal view.” She then claimed that her views were distorted while citing as evidence only the fact that the headline and opening paragraph of The Guardian’s report calls her “Defense Minister’s wife” instead of using her actual name. She finished this short note by saying: “I am confident that Mr. Khadr will be transferred back to Canada. Let's leave it to the Canadian and US governments who have all the facts and details about the case to take the proper actions in due course.”

Are these Nazanin’s personal opinions in response to The Guardian’s report? How did Peter McKay responded, privately, to the controversy caused by his life partner?

When thinking about an answer to these questions, we have to remember that Stephen Harper is known for trying his best so that his government speaks with one and only one voice. Harper shuts down his own cabinet ministers. None of them have no right for independent expression and offering opinions that don’t exactly match those of the government. Instead of the Conservative MPs and ministers, people who are actually elected, all the power is held by behind the scenes people and mysterious unknown staff of the PMO. In such a government, it is not hard to imagine that Harper would be less than impressed if the wife of one of his most senior ministers, who also happens to be his inter-party rival, expressed opinions, contrary to that of the government.

Can Nazanin be independent?

As we’ve said, Nazanin’s Khadr comments are not as big and controversial as media makes them out to be. If, however, Nazanin is to continue her human rights activism, it is not unlikely for her to come into collision with Harper’s right-wing agenda. One of the most important issues here would be Canada’s approach to Iran. She has supported the economic sanctions against Iran but has stated her opposition to any military move against Iran on more than one occasion. Harper, however, has the most stringent position on this issue. His government is currently closer to Israel than any other government in the world and his ministers repeatedly use a violent language against Iran. If things went down on such a road, can Nazanin publicly and directly stand against the decisions of her husband and his government?

Recent quarrel on Nazanin has led to a debate on the role of wives of political personalities and their possible independent statures.

Sylvia Bashkevin, a Political Science Professor at University of Toronto and an expert on women and politics, said it is possible for Nazanin to be independent but it would be very rare. Criticizing their expected role, she said: “Wives of politicians, traditionally, in Anglo-American systems, are expected to be sort of dutiful campaigners who smile and clap at all the right times.” “We’re in a particular period right now where it’s questionable the extent to which a cabinet minister is able to express an opinion that hasn’t been cleared by the Prime Minister” she aded.

Three-quarters of Canada’s MPs are male and their wives are mostly professionals with backgrounds, professions and opinions of their own said Nancy Peckford, the executive director of Equal Voice, a multi-partisan organization dedicated to electing more women to all levels of political office in Canada.

Peckford also pointed to the example of someone, from about 30 years ago, that changed everything. Someone who, if Nazanin wants, could act as her role-model.

She was talking about Maureen McTeer, the wife of Joe Clark, former Conservative Prime Minister. Maureen not only refused to change her name but was not willing at all to live under the shadow of her husband. She was a lawyer, a writer and a health rights activists and in all the tumultuous years of her husband career, she pursued her own. She also didn’t change her independent political positions, including her pro-choice stance that led to many controversies inside the Progressive Conservative Party of her husband.

McTeer later wrote a memoir, significantly titled “In My Own Name.” There she writes: “I realize fully that my refusal to conform to society’s narrow definitions labelled me early on as a person of controversy.”

And now Nazanin, at 33 years of age, with all her “Human Rights activism” being very elementary and simple to date, needs to ask herself a question. Now that she he has achieved that fame which she claimed to be only a means and not an end, how will she put it to use? Will she be able to act as an independent activist or will Harper’s infamous machine of discipline and control stop her in her tracks?

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