44th Parl. 1st Sess.
February 16, 2023 10:00AM
- Feb/16/23 10:12:01 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I rise to present a petition on behalf of the residents of my riding of Aurora—Oak Ridges—Richmond Hill, principally Iranian Canadians, who are urging the Government of Canada to expedite the implementation of the sanctions that it placed on the Iranian regime and the IRGC and to continue to support the fight for human rights for Iranian women, children and political prisoners. While this government has implemented some of the most far-reaching sanctions of any country and there are signs that the pressure from the protests internally and from sanctions from many countries, including Canada, is resulting in positive movement, the sanctions must continue.
The petitioners are calling on the government to invest resources to expedite the continued enforcement of these sanctions and not only ban sanctioned persons from entering Canada, but investigate and remove those who are in Canada as soon as possible. They also petition the government to freeze and/or seize any Canadian financial assets belonging to those who are sanctioned.
I would like to add that many Iranian Canadians were hesitant to sign this petition requiring their full name and location, for fear that they or their families would be targeted by the IRGC, both abroad and in Canada. Their fear is real and they call on the government to continue to implement and increase these sanctions until freedom and peace for Iranians in Iran, Canada and elsewhere are restored.
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- Feb/16/23 10:13:28 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I am so proud to present this important petition, and I am hoping that we will see many more of these come forward, demanding that the Canadian government urgently follow through with the actions against the Iranian regime, which includes making the regime, the IRGC and top leaders inadmissible to Canada, expanding sanctions against those responsible for human rights violations and denying them entry to Canada, and investing more money to allow sanctioned Iranian persons' assets to be quickly frozen and seized.
Petitioners ask that the regime and its most senior officials, including the IRGC, be immediately banned from entering Canada, that current and former senior officials who are present here be investigated and removed from the country as soon as possible, and finally, that the Government of Canada, along with its partners and allies, have Iran removed from the UN Commission on the Status of Women, which is the principal global intergovernmental body exclusively dedicated to the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of women.
I am so proud to present this with 31 signatures from Aurora—Oak Ridges—Richmond Hill.
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- Feb/16/23 10:14:38 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I am also honoured to rise today, like my hon. colleague from Aurora—Oak Ridges—Richmond Hill and my colleague from the Conservative Party. A number of us have received petitions from constituents and concerned Canadians about the appalling situation for the citizens of Iran.
The Islamic Republic of Iran, the petitioners note, has demonstrated a history of violence against its own citizens, including the killing of 1,500 protesters in November 2019, and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps is at the epicentre of the Iranian regime. We know that women in Iran have long faced legal, political, economic and social challenges, and we have seen increased violence in a crackdown against women and girls, who are being killed even for the simple failure to wear a scarf as prescribed by the regime. The women and girls have been at the forefront of the recent uprising.
The petitioners are calling on the Government of Canada to follow through with actions against the Iranian regime, which include making the regime, the IRGC and top leaders inadmissible to Canada, expanding sanctions against those individuals responsible for human rights violations, denying them entry into Canada and, through the Minister of Global Affairs and the Government of Canada, along with our partners and allies, having Iran removed from the Commission on the Status of Women within the United Nations.
These and many other measures the petitioners hope the Government of Canada will pursue with vigour.
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- Feb/16/23 2:03:06 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I am both honoured and saddened to still be speaking about the tragic situation in Iran. It has been almost six months since Mahsa Amini was killed while in custody of the morality police, and it has been 44 years since an authoritarian government took over the country.
Today, countless women and young people continue to risk their lives protesting the gross human rights violations perpetrated by the regime. Even in the face of threats, execution and imprisonment, the Iranian people continue to show their resilience and solidarity with the ideals of human rights, liberal democracy and freedom, which we in Canada are so privileged to enjoy.
This morning, I stood to present a petition signed and presented to me by Iranian Canadians in my riding that called on the government to continue to implement the sanctions we have in place on the IRGC and its officials. I thank Shelly, Marjan and Lily, who spearheaded the petition and have been supporting and working tirelessly with the community and me to ensure this work continues.
I presented the petition with members from other parties to show that this issue is not a partisan one. I want to thank my colleagues, the hon. Conservative member for Elgin—Middlesex—London and the Green member for Saanich—Gulf Islands, who stood and presented petitions with me. I also want to acknowledge the support of the NDP, through the member for Port Moody—Coquitlam, and the Bloc, through the member for Shefford.
Unfortunately, women were so frightened to sign these petitions that they were not certified and not all of their names could stand. I want to point out to all Iranian Canadians that their government and their elected representatives from all parties stand with them and the Iranian people. Zan, zendegi, azadi.
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