FIRST MUSLIM MAYOR IN CANADA HIS PARENT IMMIGRATED TO CANADA FROM TANZANIA

The mayor of Calgary has won an overwhelming re-election victory, after receiving accolades earlier this year for his handling of devastating floods.Naheed Nenshi won 74% of the vote on Monday against eight opponents, three years after he became the first Muslim mayor of a major North American city.Calgarians have spoken loud and clear," Mr Nenshi, 41, said to Supporters on Monday evening.Naheed Nenshi is a Canadian politician who was Elected the 36th and current mayor of Calgary,Alberta, for the 2010 Calgary municipal election, becoming the first Muslim mayor of a major North American city. He was re-elected in 2013..Nenshi was born in Toronto, Ontario, and raised in Calgary, Alberta.His parents, Noorjah and Kurban, were South-Asian-origin immigrants to Canada from Tanzania,he was educated at the University of Calgary, receiving a Bachelor of Commerce in 1993, and completed a Master of Public Policy from the John F. Kennedy School of Governmentat Harvard University in 1998. Nenshi worked for McKinsey & Company for several years before starting his own consulting firm 'Ascend Group' which advised non-profit, private and public sector organizations to grow. The firm also advised the United Nations on ways to encourage wealthy corporations to engage in Corporate Citizenship. As a young professional, he developed his administrative capabilities by joining Canada25. It was a former federal networking organization that mentored professionals under 35 of public policy and leadership. Nenshi was a constant debate opponent of Toronto Sun journalist Ezra Levant, and they continue this relationship as Levant is a recurring critic of Nenshi's policies.Nenshi has written about how cities can retain young professionals and co-founded two citizen's groups aimed at improving Calgary's civic government. He was an instructor in non-profit management in the Bissett School of Business at Mount Royal University and wrote a regular municipal affairs column for the Calgary Herald.

Nenshi first ventured into politics in 2004, running unsuccessfully for a seat on Calgary's city council. His 2010 campaign for mayor, dubbed the "Purple Revolution", placed an emphasis on using social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter to promote his platform and engage voters. A late September poll showed that his campaign was generating interest as he sat third with eight per cent support, although well behind the leaders, alderman Ric McIver (42%) and local media personality Barb Higgins(28%) His growing popularity led to greater scrutiny of his views, including a public dispute with Calgary Police Service chief Rick Hanson over the cost of policing the city.

Days before the election, a Calgary Herald poll showed that Nenshi's grassroots campaign continued to gain momentum as he was shown to have 30 per cent support among decided voters, placing him in a statistical tie with McIver and Higgins. He polled the strongest amongst younger voters, believed to be the result of his social media campaign. Nenshi's surge in popularity carried through to the election itself, when he earned 40 per cent of the vote, finishing nearly 28,000 votes ahead of second-placed McIver.

Being a Shia Ismaili, Nenshi became the first Muslim to become mayor of a major Canadian city. His win was viewed as a breakthrough for the use of social media as an election tool, and when considered with his faith and background, made international headlines.His election is seen as major signal of the shift in Albertan politics and the demographic of Calgary. He has honed a style known as "politics in full sentences.