My name is Doaa. I’m 29 years old and I live in Vancouver. In just a few weeks, I’m getting married to Marco Pennino, a wonderful guy that I’ve been dating for 2 years. This should be a very happy time for us --- but there’s a problem. The Canadian government has denied my mother Nabila Ahmed a visa to visit Canada, so she won’t be able to come to our wedding, and we are heartbroken.

My mother lives in Egypt - where I’m originally from. I earned a Master’s Degree from the University of British Columbia and have lived in Canada for nearly 5 years. I work as a Fido Retail Sales Representative and am in the process of making my first documentary. My fiancé is Canadian. 

A few weeks ago, my mother’s application for a visitor’s visa was rejected by Canada Visa Application Centre in Egypt. They denied her application visa because in their opinion, her ties to Canada are stronger than to Egypt, and she doesn’t have sufficient funds to cover her short stay. This is simply not true.

My mother loves her life in Egypt.  It’s her home and she does not want to immigrate to Canada. We made this very clear in her application. She came to Canada previously and left before her visa expired. We included financial statements to prove she can afford to visit, her dates of travel and explained that she will only be here for a short time. But they denied her a visa anyway. I only have a few weeks to appeal to the government to let us celebrate together. That’s why I started this petition and I’m asking for your help.

I’m an only child. My father passed away when I was young. I keep asking myself, why is my mother being punished for being a single woman who has chosen not to work? Why is there discrimination against specific nationalities when it comes to simple family visits? Why must I walk down the aisle alone? I wouldn't mind at all if she's granted a 24-hour visa just to be with me on that day.

I have just over 20 days to ask the government change their mind. Please sign my petition and share it on social media with #bringmymomtomywedding. This day means so much to me, and I would love to spend it with both my husband and my mother. She shouldn’t have to miss this joyous occasion. Thank you so much for your support.

You can read more about my story here: http://blogs.ubc.ca/doaa/2015/07/01/bringmymomtomywedding/