Ruba Ghazal

{{Infobox officeholder | name= Ruba Ghazal

| honorific-suffix= MNA

| image= RubaGhazal_2.jpg

| caption= Ghazal in 2018

| cabinet=

| birth_date= {{birth date and age|1977|12|6}}

| birth_place= Beirut, Lebanon

| death_date=

| death_place=

| profession= Chartered accountant

| party= Québec solidaire

| office = Co-Spokesperson for Québec Solidaire

| term_start = November 16, 2024

| term_end =

| alongside = Guillaume Cliche-Rivard (interim)

| predecessor = Christine Labrie (interim)

| successor =

| office1 = Member of the National Assembly of Quebec for Mercier

| term_start1= October 18, 2018

| term_end1=

| predecessor1= Amir Khadir

| successor1=

| residence=

| spouse=

| education=HEC Montréal
Université de Sherbrooke

| signature = Signature Ruba Ghazal.png

|}}

Ruba Ghazal (born December 6, 1977) is a Canadian politician, who was elected to the National Assembly of Quebec in the 2018 provincial election.[https://globalnews.ca/news/4457041/quebec-election-mercier-results/ "Quebec election: Québec Solidaire’s Ruba Ghazal wins in Mercier"]. Global News, October 1, 2018. She represents the electoral district of Mercier as a member of Québec solidaire. In November 2024, she became the female co-spokesperson of the party after an uncontested election.{{cite news |last1=Dufranne |first1=Quentin |title=Ruba Ghazal to be Quebec Solidaire's female co-spokesperson |url=https://montreal.ctvnews.ca/ruba-ghazal-to-be-quebec-solidaire-s-female-co-spokesperson-1.7074898 |access-date=19 December 2024 |work=CTV News |date=15 October 2024 |language=en}}

Early life and education

Ghazal was born in Beirut, Lebanon to a family of Palestinian refugees. She lived in the United Arab Emirates until she was 10, when her family immigrated to Quebec.{{Cite web |last=Stevenson |first=Verity |date=March 8, 2021 |title=For women of colour in Quebec politics, progress 'remains fragile,' MNA warns |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/for-women-of-colour-in-quebec-politics-progress-remains-fragile-mna-warns-1.5940193 |access-date=September 30, 2022 |website=CBC}} She studied at HEC Montréal.{{Cite web |date=2018-05-07 |title=Quebec Solidaire names Ruba Ghazal as candidate for Mercier |url=https://montreal.ctvnews.ca/quebec-solidaire-names-ruba-ghazal-as-candidate-for-mercier-1.3918295 |access-date=2022-10-01 |website=Montreal |language=en}}

Political career

Ghazal was a founding member of Québec solidaire in 2006, and was the party's candidate for Laurier-Dorion in the 2007 and 2008 general elections.{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=May 7, 2018 |title=L'environnementaliste Ruba Ghazal pour succéder à Amir Khadir |url=https://ici.radio-canada.ca/nouvelle/1099463/candidate-quebec-solidaire-mercier-femme-feministe-musulmane-ruba-ghazal-amir-khadir |access-date=September 30, 2022 |website=Radio-Canada |language=fr-ca}} In 2018, she was elected to the National Assembly of Quebec for Mercier, succeeding Amir Khadir.{{Cite web |title=Quebec election: Québec Solidaire's Ruba Ghazal wins in Mercier - Montreal {{!}} Globalnews.ca |url=https://globalnews.ca/news/4457041/quebec-election-mercier-results/ |access-date=2022-10-01 |website=Global News |language=en-US}}

Following the 2022 provincial election, she became the opposition critic for Education, Culture and Communications, the French Language, and the Status of Women.

In 2023, Ghazal ran for the co-spokesperson election of Québec Solidaire. Ghazal lost the election in the second round, getting 49.7% for Ghazal against Émilise Lessard-Therrien who obtained 50.3%.{{Cite news |url=https://ici.radio-canada.ca/nouvelle/2030206/emilise-lessard-therrien-quebec-solidaire |title=Émilise Lessard-Therrien devient la nouvelle co-porte-parole de Québec solidaire |language=French |trans-title=Émilise Lessard-Therrien becomes Québec solidaire's new co-spokesperson |date=November 26, 2023 |author= |work=Radio-Canada |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231126195812/https://ici.radio-canada.ca/nouvelle/2030206/emilise-lessard-therrien-quebec-solidaire |archive-date=November 26, 2023 |access-date=November 27, 2023}}

Political views

= Language issues =

Ghazal has pushed for government policies to reverse the decline of the French language in Montreal.{{Cite web |date=2021-03-15 |title=Quebec Solidaire proposes new plan to tackle decline of French in Montreal |url=https://montreal.ctvnews.ca/quebec-solidaire-proposes-new-plan-to-tackle-decline-of-french-in-montreal-1.5347270?cache=aytavhhzp%3FclipId%3D89680 |access-date=2022-10-01 |website=Montreal |language=en}} As Québec solidaire's critic for language issues, Ghazal has advocated for the creation of a special branch of the Office québécois de la langue française (OQLF) for Montreal.{{Cite web |date=March 15, 2021 |title=Québec solidaire wants OQLF to focus on Montreal |url=https://montrealgazette.com/news/local-news/quebec-solidaire-wants-office-quebecois-de-la-langue-francaise-to-put-its-focus-on-montreal |access-date=September 30, 2022 |website=Montreal Gazette |language=en-CA}}

= Foreign policy =

In 2021, Ghazal attended protests amid the 2021 Israel–Palestine crisis against the Israeli government's actions in actions in Sheikh Jarrah. Ghazal stated that "One day we will look back and declare this a humanitarian crime against Palestinians."{{Cite web |last=Yeung |first=Diane |date=May 15, 2021 |title=Thousands unite in solidarity with Palestinians amid violence in Gaza and Jerusalem |url=https://thelinknewspaper.ca/article/thousands-unite-in-solidarity-with-palestinians-amid-violence-in-gaza-and-jerusalem |access-date=September 30, 2022 |website=The Link |language=en}} Ghazal was among the signatories of a 2021 letter opposing Canada's bid for a seat on the United Nations Security Council due to the country's position on Palestine.{{Cite web |last= |date=2020-06-11 |title=Canadian bid for UN security seat unnerved by over 1000 individual letters |url=https://www.justpeaceadvocates.ca/1000-letters-sent-to-united-nation-ambassadors/ |access-date=2022-10-01 |website=Just Peace Advocates |language=en-US}}