Sharing their Stories – Muhammad Haseeb
“It is only in the darkest of nights that stars shine more brightly.”
When he initially pursued his human rights application, Muhammad Haseeb felt he was doing the right thing, but was concerned that he was facing a steep challenge. Haseeb was a young, international student, the respondent was a large oil company. Haseeb knew he needed legal support to fulfill his dreams of staying in Canada and working in a job that related to his field of study of engineering.
A ‘top candidate’:
After ranking as a top candidate for a posted job opening with Imperial Oil, Haseeb had felt his prospects were looking up.
He faced all the usual pressures university brings for international students and finding work could make or break his chances at staying in Canada. Thankfully, Haseeb had secured himself a Graduate Work Permit through the federal government.
“If we don’t want others to have to go through what we have experienced, we have to stand-up against discrimination, so this awful disease may be eradicated from our society.”
Yet, despite being a promising student and having permission to work in Canada, when Imperial Oil found out Haseeb didn’t have permanent residency, his dream job offer disappeared. “It seemed exceedingly unfair that I wouldn’t be able to obtain employment relevant to my academic background because I didn’t have permanent residence,” says Haseeb, “and then I wouldn’t be able to get my permanent residence because I couldn’t find employment relevant to my academic background.”
“Everything I had worked so hard for seemed to be slipping past me.”
Finding support as an international student:
Initially, Haseeb was concerned he’d have a hard time finding support as an international student, but, when he found the Centre’s Application Guide, he felt hopeful. “So, I dialed the number and had a chat with a wonderful representative at HRLSC to find out more,” recalls Haseeb.
Haseeb’s case— dealing with employment and citizenship— was unique and made HRLSC’s support even more important. “I’m told, this was the first time a case of this nature had ever been brought before a Canadian court,” says Haseeb, “and so there wasn’t any legal precedent to rely on; making it all the more difficult.”
Working with the HRLSC proved to be a good match. Haseeb and his HRLSC counsel ultimately won at the HRTO in a landmark decision.
Standing up for his rights:
Looking back, getting the HRLSC’s support was an essential step to seeking justice in his case. “Honestly, had the HRLSC not helped me, I would have requested the Human Rights Tribunal to dismiss my application by the middle of week two”, says Haseeb.
Although Imperial Oil decided to appeal the decision to the Ontario Superior Court, Haseeb does not regret standing up for his rights, seeing it as his moral duty as a Canadian. “If we don’t want others to have to go through what we have experienced,” says Haseeb, “we have to stand-up against discrimination, so this awful disease may be eradicated from our society.”