Since 2008, the Iranian Canadian Congress (ICC) has worked tirelessly with the interests of the Iranian Canadian community in mind, and with the core values of peace, solidarity, freedom, justice and transparency. It is unfortunate that the ICC and its board members have frequently been the target of cyberbullying by individuals who oppose our core values, who choose aggression over peace, bullying over freedom of speech, and trolling while cowardly hiding behind their -sometimes unknown- online identity. 

The ICC board members, and the members of the public alike, have been targeted by such bullies on many social media platforms, who aim to create a toxic atmosphere or hoping to interfere with or to discourage the board members from their peaceful activities. 

The ICC board members are and have been aware and prepared to face the trolls and the toxic environment that they wish to create, finding encouragement instead of being discouraged, and determination instead of distraction. After all, the harder the trolls try, the more we have reason to believe in the positive impacts of ICC’s overall strategies, giving us more reason and determination to continue working toward our peaceful ambitions. 

Despite the above, we condemn the acts of cyberbullying, and encourage our members and the public to stay sensitive about such activities. Cyberbullying, especially when it involves physical threats, is a criminal activity and the ICC will assess such activities going forward and may choose to report them to the respective social media platform, or in more serious cases to the police. For further information about cyberbullying please consult the following resources. 

https://www.unicef.org/end-violence/how-to-stop-cyberbullying 

https://ssd.eff.org/module/your-security-plan 

https://womensmediacenter.com/speech-project/tools-resources 

https://www.datasociety.net/pubs/oh/Online_Harassment_2016.pdf 

http://cdeacf.ca/boite-outils-cyberintimidation 

https://onlineharassmentfieldmanual.pen.org/protecting-information-from-doxing/ 

Iranian Canadian Congress is proud to join with a broad and representative group of pan-Canadian organizations that is raising our voices together for an immediate ceasefire to the escalating violence in Israel-Palestine and for the urgent restoration of humanitarian aid to Gaza and access to the basic necessities of life. We are among the leading pan-Canadian labour, faith, community, civil society, peace and justice organizations in Canada and Quebec. 

You can read our joint statement here.

Le texte en français suit.

Ceasefire now, end the siege, for a just and lasting peace

Issued on Saturday, October 21, 2023

People in Canada are watching in horror as the violence in Israel-Palestine has escalated towards an all-out war.

On Tuesday, the bombing of the Anglican Al-Ahli Hospital in Gaza City killed hundreds of people, most of them children. Over 5,000 people had been sheltering inside. This is an atrocity.

Since October 7, thousands have been killed following Hamas’ attack and the Israeli government’s response.

We unequivocally condemn the targeting of innocent Palestinian and Israeli civilians.

As representatives of leading pan-Canadian labour, faith, Arab, Jewish, and civil society organizations, we are calling on the Government of Canada to take these steps: 

• Call for an immediate ceasefire in Israel-Palestine

• Call for an end to the blockade of Gaza and for the restoration of humanitarian aid and access to the basic necessities of life

We endorse the Canadian government’s call for humanitarian aid to Gaza and the safe return of hostages. These demands cannot be meaningfully addressed without an immediate ceasefire and while Israel's blockade of Gaza continues.

Gaza is facing a “complete siege” as food, water, electricity, and fuel have been cut off. Gaza’s last functioning seawater desalination plant shut down on Sunday after running out of fuel. Water and sanitation services have collapsed in the wake of widespread bombing.

UN shelters have also run out of water and hospital workers are warning that thousands more civilians could die if access to water, fuel, and medicine is not restored.

The already dire humanitarian crisis is rapidly deteriorating.

The Israeli government’s order to a million Gazans to evacuate to the south–an impossible feat in 24 hours–suggests that a ground war and intensifying bombing are imminent.

Our most urgent task is preventing the further loss of life and an even greater humanitarian disaster than what we have already witnessed in Gaza. An all-out war would bring catastrophe to the entire region.

As hostilities escalate, they are fuelling a rise of Anti-Arab and anti-Palestinian racism, Islamophobia, and antisemitism in Canada–which we also unequivocally condemn.

Beyond these immediate steps, the world must support efforts for a just and lasting peace in Israel-Palestine and address the root cause of the violence: Israel’s decades-long occupation of Palestinian territory.

Palestinians, Israelis, and all people in the region deserve to live in peace and security and with justice for all.

Signatories: 

1. 350 Canada

2. Academic Foundation for Peace-Conflict Studies (AFPCS)

3. Affiliation of Multicultural Societies and Service Agencies of British Columbia (AMSSA)

4. Alter Acadie, New Brunswick

5. Alternatives

6. Arab Canadian Lawyers Association

7. ArtHouseTO

8. Asian Canadian Labour Alliance - British Columbia

9. Asian Canadian Labour Alliance - Ontario

10. Asian Canadian Women Alliance

11. Association of Palestinian Arab Canadians

12. Association of United Ukrainian Canadians

13. Association québécoise des organismes de coopération internationale (AQOCI)

14. Atlantic Regional Solidarity Network

15. Aura Freedom International

16. Black Lives Matter - Canada

17. Bridges Not Borders / Créons des ponts

18. Canada Social Work Students Collective for Palestine

19. Canada Stand Up for Palestinian Children’s Rights

20. Canadian Association for the Study of International Development (CASID) / L’association canadienne d’études du développement international (ACÉDI)

21. Canadian Boat to Gaza

22. Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives

23. Canadian Council for Refugees / Conseil canadien pour les réfugiés

24. Canadian Freelance Union / Le Syndicat canadien des pigistes (CLU)

25. Canadian Friends of Sabeel

26. Canadian Friends Service Committee (Quakers)

27. Canadian Lawyers for International Human Rights (CLAIHR)

28. Canadian Palestinian Professional Foundation

29. Canadian Palestinian Social Association of London

30. Canadian Union of Postal Workers / Syndicat des travailleurs et travailleuses des postes

31. Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) / Syndicat canadien de la fonction publique (SCFP)

32. Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Ontario / Syndicat canadien de la fonction publique (SCFP) Ontario

33. Canadian Voice of Women for Peace

34. Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East

35. Center for Human Rights Research, University of Manitoba

36. Centre international de solidarité ouvrière (CISO)

37. Centre justice et foi

38. Child Care Now / Un enfant Une place

39. Citizen Rights Movement (CRM)

40. Climate Emergency Unit

41. Climate Justice Edmonton

42. Coalition of Canadian Palestinian Organizations

43. Coalition of Child Care Advocates of British Columbia

44. Conscience Canada

45. Conseil central du Montréal métropolitain CSN

46. Conseil régional Montréal métropolitain FTQ

47. Council of Canadians - Campbell River

48. Council of Canadians - Edmonton

49. Council of Canadians - Fredericton

50. Council of Canadians - Hamilton

51. Council of Canadians - Kitchener-Waterloo

52. Council of Canadians - London

53. Council of Canadians - Mid-Island - Nanaimo

54. Council of Canadians - Powell River

55. Council of Canadians - Saskatoon

56. Council of Canadians - Victoria

57. Dogwood

58. Egyptian Canadian Collation for Democracy (ECCD)

59. Equality Fund / Fonds égalité

60. Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada

61. Fédération autonome de l’enseignement (FAE)

62. Femmes de diverses origines / Women of diverse origins

63. Femmes en Mouvement du Québec

64. Filipinas of HamOnt

65. Fondation Béati / Béati Foundation

66. Fondation Oscar Romero

67. Force of Nature

68. Foyer du Monde / Home of the World

69. Fredericton Palestine Solidarity

70. Fridays for Future Manitoba

71. Front d’action populaire en réaménagement urbain (FRAPRU)

72. Good To Be Good

73. Health Providers Against Poverty

74. Hearing Palestine

75. House of PainT

76. Human Concern International

77. Humanité & Inclusion Canada

78. Independent Jewish Voices Canada

79. Inspirit Foundation

80. International Coalition For Human Rights in the Philippines Canada

81. Iranian Canadian Congress

82. Jesuit Refugee Service Canada

83. Jewish Faculty Network

84. Justice for All Canada

85. Kairos Halifax

86. Kairos SWO

87. Kamloops Islamic Association

88. L’Alliance des radios communautaires du Canada

89. La Maison Turquoise

90. Law Union of Ontario

91. Le Centre de réfugiés / The Refugee Centre

92. Le CIBLES - Carrefour international bas-laurentien pour l'engagement social

93. Le Mouvement d'éducation populaire et d'action communautaire du Québec (MÉPACQ)

94. Living Skies Regional Council, The United Church of Canada

95. Maquila Solidarity Network

96. Mayworks Kjipuktuk/Halifax

97. Médecins du Monde Canada / Doctors of the World Canada

98. Middle Eastern Society of the University of New Brunswick

99. Migrant Workers Centre of British Columbia

100. Montréal pour la paix

101. Montréal pour un monde sans guerre

102. Mothers for World Peace

103. Mouvement québécois pour la paix

104. National Council of Canadian Muslims

105. National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE)

106. New Brunswick Common Front for Social Justice / Front commun pour la justice sociale du Nouveau-Brunswick

107. Oblates Franciscaines de Saint-Joseph

108. On Canada Project Inc.

109. Ontario Association of Interval & Transition Houses (OAITH)

110. Ontario Council of Agencies Serving Immigrants (OCASI)

111. Ottawa Forum Israel Palestine

112. Oxfam Canada

113. Oxfam Québec

114. PalNet Pacific Mountain

115. PalNet Shining Waters

116. Pastorale sociale de Côte-des-Neiges

117. Pastorale sociale de Rosemont

118. People for Peace, London

119. Photographers Without Borders

120. Point Blank

121. Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada (PIPSC) / L'institut professionnel de la fonction publique du Canada (IPFPC)

122. Progress Belleville

123. Progress Toronto

124. Public Service Alliance of Canada / L’Alliance de la Fonction publique du Canada

125. Rainbow Refugee Society

126. Refugee Health YYC

127. Regina Peace Council

128. Regroupement intersectoriel des organismes communautaires de Montréal

129. Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Montreal, Social Action Office

130. Run for Palestine

131. Save the Children Canada

132. Science for Peace

133. Showing Up for Racial Justice (SURJ) Toronto

134. Soeurs Auxiliatrices, Québec

135. Sojourn House

136. South Asian Legal Clinic of British Columbia

137. South Asian Legal Clinic of Ontario

138. Sustainable Human Empowerment (SHE) Associates Inc.

139. Syndicat des enseignantes et enseignants du cégep Montmorency

140. Syndicats des travailleuses et des travailleurs de la CSN

141. Table de concertation des organismes au service des personnes réfugiées et immigrantes (TCRI)

142. Table ronde des organismes volontaires d’éducation populaire de l’Outaouais

143. The United Church of Canada

144. Toronto Artists for Palestine

145. Toronto Quakers Peace and Social Action Committee

146. Unifor

147. United Jewish People’s Order

148. United Network for Justice and Peace in Palestine and Israel

149. Urban Alliance on Race Relations

150. Vancouver Island Counselling Centre for Immigrants and Refugees

151. Victoria Peace Coalition

152. Victoria Raging Grannies

153. Wilderness Committee

154. Wildseed Centre for Art & Activism

155. Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom

156. Women’s Shelters Canada / Hébergement femmes Canada

157. World Beyond War

(برای مشاهده خبرنامه روی عکس کلیک نمایید)

The third annual National Day for Truth and Reconciliation in Canada is on Saturday, Sept. 30.

روز حقیقت یابی و آشتی ملی با بومیان کانادا گرامی باد

21st of September, Peace to the world on International Peace Day.

۲۱ سپتامبر، روز جهانی صلح گرامی باد

Vice President of Iranian Canadian Congress, Mona Ghassemi has sent a letter to The Honourable Marc Miller regarding Concerns of Potential Immigration of MEK Members to Canada.

Iranian Canadian Congress' board of directors has sent an open letter to Mr. Pierre Poilievre, Leader of the Conservative Party of Canada regarding the presence of Stephen Harper at MEK Convention in Paris. 

A copy of this letter was sent to all leaders of political parties in Ottawa including Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau. 

The full text of the letter and the response from the Leader of the Official Opposition is here:

Mr. Eric Claus,  CEO of Mountain Equipment Company, 

On behalf of The Iranian Canadian Congress, we are reaching out to you as our members and our community are shocked and outraged by reports in the media about how Mr. Amir Ghassemzadehnaghedhi and his wife Mrs. Andrea Sotomayor were treated in one of Mountain Equipment Company’s stores.  

Furthermore, we are disappointed with the way the Mountain Equipment Company decided to handle the incident. As Canadians, we are proud of our diverse and multicultural nation. As a country that aspires to anti-hate and antiracist values, we must hold our businesses accountable to respect the humanity of all people.  The reported punitive measures taken do not address the root cause of the problem, and we hope that appropriate actions are taken to prevent the recurrence of similar incidents. 

Our mandate includes supporting the wellbeing and defending the interests of all Iranian Canadians. Respectfully we would like to know what will come of this, how it is handled, and how we will be represented. Please consider the consequences of such lack of sensitivity and care.   

Sincerely, 

Iran Canadian Congress  

The Iranian Canadian Congress have identified three main issues for the Iranian Canadian community in Toronto and we have prepared three questions below in that regard. We have asked 6 candidates who are ahead in the polls to answer to these questions and we are relaying their answers to the community to help them decide better in the coming election: 

President of Iranian Canadian Congress, Dr. Saïdeh Khadir, has sent a letter to Premier of BC David Eby to call for urgent Support for Justice and Accountability in the Case of Amir Sedghi's Tragic Death:

Dear Premier Eby, 

I hope this letter finds you in good health and high spirits. I am writing to you today regarding a grieving family and to seek your compassionate support in pursuing justice and accountability for a profound injustice that has befallen them. https://intheirname.ca/our-stories/amir/ 

Amir Sedghi, a talented and promising young man with a bright future, tragically lost his life in a plane crash while at work. As a dedicated data analyst, he was capturing crucial aerial images of ongoing underground wildfires using a unique technological approach. Regrettably, the plane he was operating encountered technical difficulties that could have been prevented, leading to the fatal accident. 

Amidst the sorrow and grief that the Sedghi family has endured, they have discovered that their pursuit of justice and compensation is hindered by an archaic death legislation that has remained unaltered since its inception in 1846. This outdated law fails to acknowledge the immeasurable value of a young life lost, denying the family the right to seek restitution or to hold the parties responsible for their negligence. 

The Sedghi family's profound sense of injustice is shared by many within our community who believe that the law should adapt to the evolving needs of our society. Considering this tragic incident and the ongoing impact it continues to have on the family, I implore you to support their plea for justice by championing the reform of British Columbia's death law. 

We must ensure that no other family suffers the same indignity and disregard for their loved ones' lives. By modernizing the legislation surrounding death compensation, we can provide a path for accountability, and support this grieving family in their pursuit of justice. The Sedghi family's case is a poignant reminder that our laws must reflect the values of fairness, compassion, and empathy that define our great nation. 

I kindly request that you use your esteemed position and influence to address this pressing matter promptly. Your support in advocating for the reform of BC's death law will not only provide solace to the Sedghi family but also demonstrate your commitment to safeguarding the rights and well-being of all British Columbians. 

Thank you for your attention to this urgent matter. I remain hopeful that you will take the necessary steps to address the injustice faced by the Sedghi family and work towards creating a more just and equitable society. 

Yours sincerely, 

Dr. Saïdeh Khadir, M.D. 

President, 

Iranian Canadian Congress  

CC:

Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Natural Resources Canada

Honourable Bowinn Ma, Minister of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness of British Columbia