Ever since the Islamic revolution in 1979, a tyrannical dictatorship has been ruling the people of Iran. Under the rule of this government, barbaric actions such as stoning women, amputating limbs, and lashing of both sexes for insignificant offenses has been commonplace. Torture, disappearances and executions of political opposition members are also practiced with impunity. Thousands of innocent people have been brutally tortured and many of them have died as a result. However, it has been female political prisoners who have paid an extra price. Many have been systematically raped and disfigured as a part this regime’s intimidation tactics.

It was only one year ago when a Canadian journalist, Ms. Zahra Kazemi, was tortured to death in Iran for taking pictures of Evin Prison. For the past 25 years, Evin prison has garnered a notorious reputation for being the place where political prisoners are tortured and executed. A recent 73-page report from Human Rights Watch severely criticized the Iranian regime’s record of abuses. “The Iranian authorities have managed, in the span of four years to virtually silence the political opposition within the country through the systematic use for indefinite solitary confinement of political prisoners, physical torture of student activists and the denial of basic due process rights to all those detained for the expression of dissenting views.” The fact that the Islamic Regime of Iran is a gross offender of human rights is not up for debate. This has been a well-known fact among the international community for a long time. What is questionable, however, is the association of the Liberal Government of Canada with this oppressive and tyrannical regime.

When Ms. Kazemi was murdered at the hands of the Islamic regime, the reaction of the Liberal government was loathsome. Not only did they not send back the Iranian ambassador or close down the Iranian embassy in Ottawa, but they also did not force the Iranian regime to return the body of Ms. Kazemi to Canada. Although Ms. Kazemi was a Canadian citizen and her son, who still resides in Montreal, insisted that the body be returned, the Canadian Government did not work diligently enough to protect their interests. Perhaps Canadian officials did not want a tortured and raped body to raise too many questions under autopsy. It is quite possible that an inquiry into the death of Ms. Kazemi on Canadian soil may have damaged a lucrative diplomatic relationship that assures oil contracts with Iran. It is unfortunate to see that liberal government has overlooked the gross human rights violations committed by the Islamic regime of Iran in order to keep their oil deals intact.

In another instance, a man died because of flogging this past February in Iran. The family of Mohsen Mofidi petitioned to bring him to Canada, but their request was refused even though Canadian government officials knew that the sentence of flogging had already been handed down and the risk of death was high. Unfortunately, he died of a heart attack 3 days after his sentence was carried out. He was in his early 30’s with no prior record of any heart problems. Just a month after his death the Canadian Ambassador to Iran was quoted as saying in Calgary Sun that “the oil and gas sector in Iran was extremely promising and would be very important to Calgary and Edmonton’s economy.”

After all that has happened during the past year, we now have information that the former Canadian Prime Minister, Mr. Jean Chrétien, will be traveling to Iran this month as a special advisor to Calgary’s Patrol Gas in order to close a deal with Iran’s national oil company (NIOC). This is a shameful and unacceptable act since Mr. Chrétien was the prime minister of Canada at the time when Ms. Kazemi was murdered. At that time, the Liberal Government promised to bring those who were responsible for that heinous act to justice. It seems that Mr. Chrétien has completely forgotten that a Canadian citizen was tortured and murdered at the hands of the Iranian Regime. The actions of the Liberal Party and Mr. Chrétien go against the respect for democracy and human rights. Canada prides itself on these two issues.

We demand the cancellation of this trip and we urge the Liberal Party to bring to justice those responsible for Ms. Kazemi’s death. We urge the Liberal Party to cut all ties with the Islamic Republic of Iran and show an international stand on issues that Canada holds dear.

Considering the upcoming elections on June 28, the Liberal Party should take one of the major issues concerning the Iranian/Canadian community into account. We hope that the Liberal party will change its policy towards the Islamic Regime of Iran, otherwise the Iranian/Canadian community will voice their dissatisfaction at the polls.

By: Setare Kaviyan
Member of Marzeporgohar Party, Iranians for a Secular Republic.