Washington Report on Middle East Affairs, August 2009, pages 55-56
Waging Peace
Canadian Iranian Community Makes a Strong Showing
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MORE THAN 5,000 members of Toronto’s large Iranian community came out for a peaceful gathering June 21 at Queens Park (home of Canada’s legislature) in support of voters in Iran who’d marched and voiced their opinions in the face of brutal oppression. Many in the local community had stayed glued to their TVs, radios, and Facebook, Youtube and Twitter accounts waiting to hear the latest news of the post-elections protests in Iran. They demonstrated to voice their anger over suspected voting fraud and the subsequent violations of human rights, including the suppression of protests and freedom of speech by the Iranian government.
The crowd was a mixture of young and old from the Iranian diaspora, including expats and political refugees, who number more than 150,000 in the greater Toronto area. There seemed to be a generational divide among the demonstrators. Jian Ghomeshi, a well-known and dynamic Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) personality, asked for a unified and peaceful crowd. Immediately some older women started to shout him down—yet most people agreed that peace and security in Iran should be a priority.
Some protesters carried signs in support of Neda Agha Soltan, the 27-year-old music student whose violent death during a June 20 protest was captured on a Youtube video and viewed around the world. A representative from the Canadian Liberal Party asked for a minute of silence for Neda, who has become a martyr and symbol for the young people’s struggle in Iran. The crowd chanted Neda’s name and cried out, “God is great.”
While the protesters had a variety of beliefs, intentions and ideas about what is happening in Iran, the one unifying message was that people are worried and frightened for their loved ones, but also wish to have equality and fairness in their country. The Iranian diaspora in Toronto are proud people who continue to maintain strong ties to their homeland.
Several families noted how lucky they were to be able to bring their children to the Queens Park demonstration. The protest showed them how important it is to stand up for free speech and democracy and to be a voice for the voiceless—their families and friends who are being arrested and beaten for expressing their political will in Iran. As Jian Ghomeshi pointed out: it’s important for Iranians around the world to support their compatriots back in Iran, the true heroes who march and speak out at the risk of extreme persecution.
—Cameron McLellan
