Iran Canada soccer match cancellation article Alex Shafiee
بررسی چرایی لغو دیدار دوستانه تیم های فوتبال ایران و کانادا
شروع روابط تیره ایران و کانادا از دهه های اخیر و به خصوص با بستن سفارتخانه‌های دو کشور در سال ۲۰۱۲ همزمان بود. پیش دستی کانادا در اکثر موارد قابل تامل است و نیز هدف قرار گرفتن مردم ایران به جای دولت ایران قابل درک نیست. سیر حوادث بعد از تعطیلی سفارتخانه‌های دو کشور نقاط تاریکی را در روابط ایران و کانادا به جای گذاشت که همواره بدون حل شدن یک موضوع حادثه دیگری باعث عميق تر شدن این جدایی می گردید. حادثه هدف قرار گرفتن هواپیمای ۷۵۲ نه تنها موجبات درد بزرگی بر پیکره جمعی از بهترین نخبگان ایرانی مهاجر فراهم آورد بل با قضاوتهای بعضا نادرست باز هم به ضرر جامعه ایرانی منجر شد. در اینجا قابل ذکر است که مقامات فدرال کانادا در زمان روی کار آمدن لیبرال ها سعی داشتند که اصلاحاتی در رابطه با حسن روابط دوجانبه با ایران انجام دهند که پس از مدتی با فشار سیاستمداران و احزاب رادیکال عمدتا دنباله رو سیاست های روز ایالات متحده آمریکا نا موفق بیرون آمد. حادثه هواپیمای اوکراینی مهم تر از همه تیر خلاصی بود بر پیکره ناتوان این روابط دوجانبه.
اما با انجام قرعه کشی جام جهانی فوتبال قطر و همگروه شدن سه تیم ایران آمریکا و انگلیس فرصتی بسیار دیدنی برای رودررو شدن ورزش در مقابل سیاست فراهم آمد. در واقع رویدادهای ورزشی از زمان جنگ جهانی دوم همیشه نقطه درگیری با سیاستمداران تندرو و متخاصم بود. مثال های زیادی برای این رویدادهای تاریخی ورزشی وجود دارد که از حوصله این مقاله خارج است. بازی دوستانه دو تیم فوتبال ایران و کانادا می توانست پس از ۲۱ سال که از بازی ها در تورنتو و ادمونتون می گذشت فرصتی مطلوب برای کنار گذاشتن تخاصم و درک واقیت و قابلیت های رویدادهای ورزشی می بود. شروعی که به هر حال دير يا زود باید برای خارج شدن از یک دور باطل صورت می گرفت. فرصتی که دو فدراسیون فوتبال شاید بهره کافی از آن نمی بردند أما چه بسا رنگ آرامش به ساز نا کوک روابط بین دو کشور می داد. فرصتی که در این جهان نا آرام و در این برهه تخاصم دولت ها فرصتی طلایی بود. مردم ایران همواره نگاه مغتنمی به شادی جمعی داشته اند فرصتی که از آنان گرفته شد. بدیهی است هر چقدر بخوهیم گودال مشکلات در روابط دو جانبه بین المللی را عمیق تر بکنیم توانایی خروج از آن کمتر محتمل می نماید. و در انتهای این مقاله یادآوری می کنم: یک بهانه برای برافروختن آتش تنفر کافی است و هزاران امید برای رسیدن به صلح و آرامش کم است.
الکس شفیعی
Read moreStatement on decision of Soccer Canada to cancel Canada-Iran Friendly Soccer match
The Iranian Canadian Congress is extremely disappointed with the decision announced earlier today by Soccer Canada to cancel the scheduled friendly match between Canadian and Iranian national soccer teams on June 5th, 2022.
As we stated in our earlier statement, we strongly believe that conflating politics with sports by politicians and interest groups contradicts the values espoused by Canada including peaceful coexistence, democracy, and friendship.
Thousands of Canadians and members of the Iranian Canadian community enthusiastically purchased their tickets in anticipation of this sold-out match. We believe that Soccer Canada owes an explanation to these fans about why this match was cancelled. We also condemn those who try to create an aggressive and divisive atmosphere in Iranian Canadian community, and encourage everyone to promote peace, friendship, and kindness since these are the core values of our community.
The Iranian Canadian Congress invites everyone to embrace the upcoming World Cup as an opportunity to promote peaceful coexistence and friendship. Together with millions of Canadian and Iranian soccer fans, we will cheer for the success of the Canadian and Iranian national soccer teams in all cities across Canada.
Iranian Canadian Congress Welcomes Canada-Iran Friendly Soccer match
A friendly soccer match is scheduled between Canada and Iran at the BC Place Stadium (Vancouver) on June 5th ,2022 as part of the preparation games for the upcoming World Cup in Qatar.
Thousands of Canadians and members of the Iranian Canadian community have enthusiastically purchased their tickets in anticipation of this rare and historic match, already sold out. This speaks volume to the fact that vast majority of Canadian and Iranian people favor friendly relationships symbolically captured by these types of events. The word “friendly match” itself symbolizes our people's desire for peace and friendship abroad and at home.
Friendly international sports competitions have always had the aim of bringing people together. This match symbolizes the wish of the Iranian and Canadian people to come together around the values of sportsmanship, friendship, peace, and solidarity. In this regard, the Iranian Canadian Congress appreciates and supports the decision and the efforts of the Canada Soccer organization in hosting this friendly match. As stated by Canada Soccer: "We believe in the power of sport and its ability to bring people from different backgrounds and political beliefs together for a common purpose.”
Sports, arts, and cultural events are the channels of interaction and dialogue among civilizations. We strongly believe that conflating politics with sports by politicians and interest groups contradicts the ideals espoused by Canada, including peaceful coexistence, and promotion of democracy and friendship. While such attempts may produce superficial and short-term political gains, eventually the preservation of these intercultural events serves the purpose of conflict reduction, advancement of democracy, and mutual understanding.
Iranian Canadian Congress welcomes the upcoming friendly match and invites the Iranian and Canadian national teams to observe one-minute silence to initiate the match in respect and memory of Iranian-Canadian victims of flight 752.
Read more10 years into sanctions, Iranian diaspora get the runaround
Moslem Noori, the president of the Iranian-Canadian Congress (ICC), says the organization has for years tried to get the government to “resolve this issue,” including through a 2016 petition that garnered more than 16,000 signatures requesting reestablishing of diplomatic relations with Iran.
Another campaign in 2021 also saw Iranian-Canadians email their MPs “asking for easier access to consular services for Iranian Canadians.”
“With this,” Noori told NCM, “hundreds of Iranian-Canadians sent their concerns to MPs.”
Yet, nothing has been done about the issue, even as — or perhaps because — Canada has criticized the Iranian government over human rights violations and has initiated United Nations resolutions against the same.
Meanwhile, the Canadian government continues to ignore the basic rights of hundreds of thousands of Iranians across the diaspora in Canada and creating more difficulties for those in Iran who are forced to travel to neighboring countries for the simplest of consular and visa-related procedures every year.
Report regarding difficulties of Iranians to deal with the Iranian Interests Section in Washington, D.C., that can leave many in impossible situations by Hamid Moghimi:
Impact of sanctions on Iran & Iranian diaspora
petition asking Canada to send extra AstraZeneca Vaccines to Iran
Petition: Canadian Leaders Must Denounce MEK
Please sign this petition and share it with your network.
To:
Hon. Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada and Leader of the Liberal Party of Canada
Hon. Andrew Scheer, Leader of the Conservative Party of Canada
Jagmeet Singh, Leader of the New Democratic Party of Canada
Elizabeth May, Leader of the Green Party of Canada
Yves-François Blanchet, Leader of the Bloc Québécois
This July, we learned that former Prime Minister Stephen Harper spoke at a meeting of the cult and formerly listed terrorist organization Mujahedin-e-Khalgh (MeK) and their political arm the NCRI, endorsing them as a legitimate political organization.
The MeK is a deeply unpopular organization with virtually no support in either Iran itself or in the diaspora. They have not only engaged in violence against civilians in Iran and abroad, but also worked with Saddam Hussein in his brutal and criminal war on Iran in the late 80s. Throughout its history, MeK killed thousands of innocent Iranian civilians and aided Saddam Hussein in his suppression of Iraqi civilians as well. They even launched an attack on Canadian soil, attacking the Iranian embassy in Ottawa in the 90s.
Since 2003, the organization has spent millions of dollars to remove itself from terrorist listings across the world. Since its delisting in Canada and the United States in 2012, MeK has spent considerable sums on reimbursements for Canadian politicians, often to push their policies of war on Iran. This is usually done through the MeK front group the Iran Democratic Association (IDA). According to the reports from the Ethics and Conflict of Interest Commissioner, the IDA has spent nearly $60,000 over years to sponsor travels for Canadian Members of Parliament to attend MEK/NCRI gatherings. The amount paid to former Canadian politicians including John Baird, Stephen Harper, and David Kilgour, if any, are unknown.
As covered by Canadian journalists, MeK's cult practices have also harmed its adherents in Canada itself. For years, the Mohammady family of Richmond Hill have been struggling to return their two children, who were taken by the cult when they were teenagers, to Canada. There may be other families in the country who have been victims of the MeK's crimes but who have not come forward.
Canadian politicians cannot be seen as legitimizing and supporting this dangerous and violent cult which is harming Canadians and pushing for war.
As such, we ask the leaders of Canada’s political parties to condemn this cult and all of its fronts and campaigns. We also ask that no Canadian parties or anyone associated with them joins or supports MeK in their campaigns or attend their events.
Senator Frum Must Apologize to Iranian-Canadians
On October 26, 2017 during the debate on Bill S219 (Non-nuclear Sanctions Against Iran Act) Senator Linda Frum said the following about Iran and Iranians:"Bill S-219 is grounded in a moral and ethical purpose, and that is to monitor one of the most maligned nations in the world and to calibrate our nation’s sanctions accordingly."
Read moreUrge your MPs to support Canada-Iran relations
It has been nearly two years since the federal government of PM Trudeau promised to reopen the Iranian embassy in Canada. It is time we hold the government to account on its promise by calling and emailing our Members of Parliament.
Read moreNDP Leadership
The New Democratic Party leadership race is underway, the outcome of which will have serious implications for the future of the NDP, its policies and the general direction that the Party will come to adopt for years to come.
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