Honourable colleagues, I rise today to support Bill S-227, An Act respecting Arab Heritage Month

Thank you, Senator Al Zaibak, for your many contributions to our chamber and, more broadly, to our country. As the most recent senator of Arab heritage, we welcome your commitment to the Arab-Canadian community.

Colleagues, this bill invites us not only to honour a vibrant culture but to reflect on the stories and people who shape our communities in quiet, powerful ways.

As a proud immigrant myself, I understand how deeply identity, culture and memory travel with us across oceans and across generations.

I will forever be grateful to the physicians from Libya, Syria, Egypt, Iraq and Palestine with whom I had the pleasure to work. Their dedication and dignified contributions to my community left a very positive impact not only in my heart but on the well-being of my community.

For many Arab Canadians, their arrival in Canada carries with it a deep sense of hope — for safety, dignity and opportunity. But they also bring so much with them: language, cuisine, poetry, music and values grounded in family, hospitality and education.

In my work as a physician and now as a senator, I’ve been privileged to meet Arab Canadians from all walks of life — young people striving to make their mark, parents building a better life for their children and community leaders quietly holding things together.

I think of the Lebanese grocer who becomes a pillar in a small community, or the Syrian refugee who now treats patients in our hospitals. These are not just stories of resilience, colleagues. They are stories of contribution.

Arab culture is centuries deep, rich with history, from science and philosophy to calligraphy and architecture. But it’s not just a history to be admired from afar. It lives here — in our neighbourhoods, our classrooms, our communities, our Parliament and this chamber.

I also know that celebration must go hand in hand with awareness. Arab Canadians still face barriers, stereotypes, discrimination and exclusion. So as we reflect upon the validity of this bill, we must also ask ourselves this question: Are we truly creating spaces where every child of Arab heritage feels they belong, their name is pronounced with care, their story is heard with respect and their potential is seen without limits?

Colleagues, by supporting this bill, we will be able to celebrate loudly, yes, but also listen carefully and act boldly.

To our Arab-Canadian brothers and sisters: Your stories matter. Your presence enriches us, and your heritage is not just part of Canada; it is Canada.

Shukran, thank you, meegwetch.