Haroon Siddiqui

Haroon Siddiqui, CM OOnt is an Indo-Canadian newspaper journalist, columnist and editorial page editor emeritus of the Toronto Star. He has reported from more than 50 countries and shaped media coverage of Canada for fifty years through ten prime ministers.

Early life and career

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Born in India, Siddiqui arrived in Canada in 1967 and briefly lived in Montreal and Toronto before moving to Brandon, Manitoba, to work at The Brandon Sun upon the recommendation of Clark Davey, then-managing editor of the Globe and Mail.[1] In a 2023 interivew, Siddiqui stated that prior to taking the job, he knew nothing about Brandon other than the fact that "it was very, very cold."

Siddiqui worked there for the next ten years, first as a reporter, then as editor, at a paper that he deemed "the Cadillac of small newspapers in Canada" in his memoir.[1] In 1978, at the age of 36, he was offered jobs from Canada's two leading newspapers, the Globe and Mail and the Toronto Star.[1]

During his 30-odd year tenure at the Toronto Star, Siddiqui worked as a foreign affairs analyst, columnist, national editor, and editorial page editor.[2]

Siddiqui continued as a columnist at the Star until 2015. His farewell column of 1 April 2015 marked his retirement from journalism.[3]

Siddiqui has also served in leadership roles in organizations such as the Canadian Newspaper Association, Canadian Managing Editors Conference, Canadian Civil Liberties Association, Advertising Standards Canada, the Ontario Press Council, Canadian Club Toronto, and the Urdu Literary Society of Canada.[4]

Awards and distinctions

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He shared a 1983 National Newspaper Award for spot news reporting, and was shortlisted for editorial writing in 1992 and column writing in 1998. Siddiqui received a Professional Man of the Year award from the Indo-Canada Chamber of Commerce, and a media award from the Canadian Islamic Congress.[5]

In 2000, and 2001 he became a member of the Order of Ontario,[6] for crafting "a broader definition of the Canadian identity," inclusive of our First Nations, French Canadians and newer Canadians.[7]

In 2001, Siddiqui was awarded an honorary Doctor of Letters from York University.[7] In 2002, he was awarded the World Press Freedom Award by the National Press Club in Ottawa for his James Minifie Memorial Lecture at the University of Regina,[7] warning against "creeping censorship" in Canada under media concentration.[citation needed]

In 2023, he was awarded the Lifetime Achievement from the Canadian Journalism Foundation in recognition of a decades-long groundbreaking career in Canadian journalism and his commitment to "diversity, journalistic integrity and social justice."[8]

Criticisms

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Writing in Toronto Life in June 2001, Robert Fulford maintained that "Siddiqui makes the most strenuous effort to bathe Third World countries in a soft light. No matter how outrageous its actions, a non-Western government can usually count on him for a little understanding."[5]

In a June 2013 column, Siddiqui demanded that Canada's Minister of Citizenship and Immigration Jason Kenney "should resign or be fired."[9] In an article the following month, Siddiqui accused Kenney of "turn[ing] immigration into a tool of anti-Arab and anti-Muslim bigotry", and of "barring refugee claimants from ‘safe third countries.'"[10] Chris Selley, writing in the National Post, pointed out that immigration levels of individuals speaking Arabic as a first language have actually increased during Kenney's tenure. Regarding Siddiqui's second claim, Shelley argued that refugees from "safe third countries" are not automatically refused refugee status by Canada but rather are "directed them into an expedited system with a somewhat weaker appeals process."[11] Selley also argued that Siddiqui's accusation against Kenney in this regard was "a massive factual error that you’d think an expert on this matter wouldn’t make."[12]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c Siddiqui, Haroon (3 October 2023). "A Prairie Beacon". The Brandon Sun. Retrieved 12 July 2024.
  2. ^ "Haroon Siddiqui". Literary Review of Canada.
  3. ^ Siddiqui, Haroon (1 April 2015). "Haroon Siddiqui's parting reflections on career and country". Toronto Star. Retrieved 16 June 2018.
  4. ^ "Haroon Siddiqui appointed distinguished visiting professor". Toronto Metropolitan University. 19 January 2017.
  5. ^ a b Mourtada, Rasha (16 March 2002). "Haroon and the Sea of Opinions". Review of Journalism. Retrieved 28 July 2024.
  6. ^ "Order of Ontario Appointees by year of Appointment". Citizenship.gov.on.ca. Archived from the original on 28 November 2018. Retrieved 15 November 2012.
  7. ^ a b c "Award winning Toronto Star columnist Haroon Siddiqui to speak at Lecture on Diversity in Canadian Media, Sept. 22". Concordia News. 10 September 2009. Archived from the original on 6 March 2012. Retrieved 15 November 2012.
  8. ^ Jolly, Brent (30 March 2023). "Haroon Siddiqui honoured with CJF Lifetime Achievement Award". News Media Canada. Retrieved 6 January 2024.
  9. ^ Selley, Chris (3 June 2013), "Full Pundit: Look what you’ve done, Mike Duffy", National Post. Archived 24 December 2013 at archive.today.
  10. ^ Siddiqui, Haroon (25 July 2013). "Memo to Chris Alexander, Canada's new immigration minister". Toronto Star.
  11. ^ Selley, Chris (2 August 2013), "In defence of Jason Kenney", National Post. Archived 24 December 2013 at archive.today.
  12. ^ Selley, Chris (25 July 2013), "Full Pundit: Everyone hates the Economic Action Plan ads", National Post. Archived 24 December 2013 at archive.today.
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