Activist Imtiaz Popat Files Human Rights Complaint Over Discrimination Due To His Disability!
“Yes I do have bad credit because of my disability, “says Popat. “I could not afford the expensive cell phone plans so I had to break my contract with them because I was struggling with my bad health,” says Popat.
VANCOUVER – South Asian activist and long-time Green Party member Imtiaz Popat is filing a complaint to the BC Human Rights Tribunal against the BC Green Party for discrimination against him based on his disability and specifically his near bankrupt status.
The BC Green Party refused to allow the poverty-ridden Popat to run the provincial claiming that he did not pass their credit check saying his bad credit and that would make him a liability in the election.
“Yes I do have bad credit because of my disability, “says Popat. “I could not afford the expensive cell phone plans so I had to break my contract with them because I was struggling with my bad health,” says Popat. “I have been working and trying to repair my bad credit have started to pay of student loan again, but because I didn’t pass the credit check the BC Green Party says they not want to risk any bad press as it became an issue in the last election.”
“I tried to explain to the election readiness committee, why I have be bad credit history and that I have been avoiding to file bankruptcy and working on other ways to repair my credit, but it did seem to matter to them. I told them this unfair and it clearly discriminates against both my economic status and my disability and even that didn’t matter to them.”
Popat cited US lawyer Reed Allmand’s article entitled Politicians Should Not Be Penalized Because They File Bankruptcy published in October 22nd, 2010, which says this type of discrimination against political candidates is becoming a growing issue. “The most recent bankruptcy shaming stunt took place when it was discovered that a city council candidate filed bankruptcy plan did not call for the repayment of unsecured creditors. Opponents of this candidate, who apparently are also opponents of bankruptcy, attempted to shame the candidate and convince voters that he was somehow incompetent because of this bankruptcy filing. The fact the politicians are attempting to use bankruptcy shaming as a political tactic to win votes is just baffling. Don’t they realize that more and more Americans are choosing bankruptcy because they cannot get out from under the mounting debt in their lives? Don’t they realize that they may be alienating many of their voters by wagging their finger at those who choose to file bankruptcy to protect their assets and their loved ones? If you listened to some of the politicians who are so eager to use bankruptcy shaming to win elections, you would think that filing bankruptcy is a moral failing. At least that’s how they characterize bankruptcy. But the truth is that bankruptcy is not a moral failing, a matter of fact, politicians who choose to file bankruptcy have at least proven that they know when it’s time to cut their losses and try again. Several American politicians have filed for bankruptcy, the most famous being the 16th US president, Abraham Lincoln. In fact, in his younger years, Lincoln filed for bankruptcy not just once, but twice. The 18th president, Ulysses S. Grant, and the 25th president, William McKinley, both filed for bankruptcy protection as well.”
Popat first ran for Green Party during the 1991 provincial election in Surrey Whalley against Joan Smallwood. He has since run for all three levels of government in Metro Vancouver.
