The International Center for Human Rights sent a letter to the Honorable Steven Blaney, Minister of Public Safety of Canada, in regard to celebrating Ayatollah’ Khomeini’s life and deef in Toronto and requested government’s action. ICHR believes that this event is against the criminal code of Canada and organizers are promoting hate speech.

The International Center for Human Rights sent a letter to the Honourable Steven Blaney, Minister of Public Safety of Canada, in regard to celebrating Ayatollah’ Khomeini’s life and deed in Toronto and requested government’s action. ICHR believes that this event is against the criminal code of Canada and organizers are promoting hate speech.

 

20 May 2015

The Honourable Steven Blaney

Minister of Public Safety of Canada

House of Commons

Ottawa, Canada K1A 0A6

 

Dear Minister Blaney,

Re: Celebrating Ayatollah Khomeini’s life in York Region

ICHR has learned that a group of Toronto Muslims are planning an event to commemorate Ayatollah Khomeini’s life at Islamic Society of York Region in Ontario on May 31st, 2015. This event is not the first in its kind, and unfortunately the “Muslim Community of GTA” held similar events, taken place at the Islamic Society of York Region.

You are aware that Ayatollah Khomeini was not only an Islamic extremist to support international terrorism but an “Islamic Butcher” responsible for the rape, torture, and execution of thousands of political prisoners. Khomeini’s regime was founded in 1979 and continues to oppress its own people and supports Islamic extremists internationally.

The House of Common has adopted a unanimous consent motion on June 05, 2013 to recognize the massacre of Iranian political prisoners in 1988 as crimes against humanity. Iran’s 1988 massacre is not the only event, and continuance of political prisoners’ execution were condemned by international human rights groups.

We are aware that despite the isolated location chosen for the event in York Region, individuals from different groups and organizations including Jewish groups and Iranian-Canadian human rights activists are planning to protest in front of the Islamic Society of York.

We are extremely concerned about the fact that there are Islamic extremists living among Canadians who are publicly supporting the hateful ideology of Khomeini. Supporting Khomeini is supporting terrorism and human rights violation. We would like to ask the government how we know that today’s Khomeini supporter will not be tomorrow’s terrorist?

We will not remain silent and allow the Islamic extremists to spread the hateful ideology. We urge the government of Canada not to allow such events to take place, and to close down the centres supporting hateful ideology and hate speech.

Khomeini as commander in chief and the supreme leader in 1988 ordered mass execution of Iranian political prisoners. Canada is the first country in the world that officially recognized the 1988 Massacre in Iran as crimes against humanity under international law. It is not acceptable that the supporters of a hateful ideology and “hate speech”, as criminal code of Canada describes, are organizing such events in a society that its values are absolute opposite of Khomeini’s ideology.

ICHR strongly condemns human rights abuses in Iran by Islamic Republic and urges the Canadian government to ban the activities of those organizations the promoting Islamic Republic’s ideology in Canada.

 

Yours Sincerely,

Ardeshir Zarezadeh,

Executive Director

The International Center for Human Rights

 

CC:

The Honourable Peter MacKay, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada

The Honourable Robert Nicholson, Minister of Foreign Affairs Canada

The Honourable Jason Kenney, Minister of Multiculturalism