Mr. Speaker, I want to pay tribute to a great Canadian leader, Imam Zijad Delic.
Imam Delic is the former imam of the Masjid al-Salaam and Education Centre in Burnaby. He has taught at the B.C. Muslim School and earned a doctorate in education at Simon Fraser University. I was honoured to be present at his convocation. He has worked for the B.C. Muslim Association and currently works for the Canadian Islamic Congress.
Imam Delic is known here at home and internationally for his commitment to interfaith dialogue and peaceful conflict resolution. Like many people in Burnaby, I attended his Islam 101 lectures at the Burnaby mosque. Imam Delic has encouraged women and men, young people and recent immigrants in the Muslim community to take their place in Canadian society.
This week, the Minister of National Defence and the government tarnished the reputation of this good man. The minister must offer a full apology.
Imam Delic is known as “the people's imam”. I am proud to know him, to work with him and to call him “my imam”.