Kurdish Political Parties in Canada Voice Their Concern over Khomeini’s Memorial in Toronto
10:18 - 31 May 2015
Kurdpa: PDKI and Komala representations in Canada call for the annulment of Khomeini’s memorial event in Toronto.
Following the Toronto Muslim Community’s decision to hold an event for the Islamic Republic of Iran’s founder, Ayatollah Mousavi Khomeini on Sunday May 31, 2015, there were large outcries of opposition for such events being held in Canada.
Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan, Eastern Canada Committee and Komala Party of Iranian Kurdistan, North American Committee released a joint statement condemning the event and its organizers.
The full statement is published below:
Call to Protest Against the Audacious Event for Iranian Regime Founder, Mousavi Khomeini, in Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada
The Muslim community in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) will be holding an event at the Islamic Society of York Region to commemorate the 26th anniversary of Iran’s Islamic state founder, Mousavi Khomeini: “An Awakening Against Global Injustice”.
While we respect freedom of assembly and expression, it is deeply offensive to hold remembrance for a brutal dictator whose hands are tainted by the blood of thousands, if not millions, of innocent Iranians and non-Iranians alike.
Mousavi Khomeini’s heinous historical record is well-known internationally. As documented by countless United Nations condemnations, human rights organization reports and many other independent investigations, he was responsible for the killing, execution, torture, disappearance, rape, and imprisonment of tens of thousands of Iranians whose only crimes were the peaceful exercise of their political, social or religious rights. Khomeini, then the Supreme leader of Iran, was directly responsible for numerous violent acts including, but not limited to:
The systematic torture, imprisonment and execution of thousands of political dissidents throughout the 1980s, and most importantly, his direct order to execute thousands of political prisoners in the summer of 1988, for which Canada’s Parliament courageously adopted a unanimous consent motion recognizing the massacre of political prisoners in Iran in 1988 as ‘crimes against humanity’.
In numerous speeches, Khomeini declared all who opposed or criticized his Islamic form of government as “Enemies of God”, and assured their elimination. On August 18, 1979, Khomeini declared “holy war” against the Kurds of Iran. Therefore, August 18 is a date regarded by Kurdish Iranians as a day when Kurdistan became the target of brutal attacks by Khomeini regime’s oppressive forces, which led to the death and displacement of hundreds of thousands in the Kurdish regions of the country.
On the international stage, Khomeini was responsible for numerous assassinations of Iranian political dissidents and activists inside Iran and on foreign soils, including his death decree for Iranian Kurdish leader, Dr. Abdul Rahman Ghassemlou, in Vienna, Austria in 1989, amongst countless others.
As Kurdish Canadians that have suffered the first-hand atrocities ordered by the then Supreme Leader, Khomeini, we believe this event to be insolence to the many victims who have fled this regime, and have called Canada home.
We strongly encourage the Kurdish community in Ontario to join us on Sunday, May 31, at 4:00 p.m. at the intersection of Stouffville Road and Leslie Street in Richmond Hill (1380 Stouffville Rd.), to protest against such a despicable event.
We also call upon the Government of Canada, which has shown the highest leadership in condemning the gross human rights violations committed by the leaders of the regime of the Islamic Republic, to outlaw any form of celebration and glorification of the founders of the Islamic Regime and to consider it an insult to humanity and to the families of the affected victims.
Komala Party of Iranian Kurdistan – North America Committee
Kurdistan Democratic Party of Iran – Eastern Canada Committee
May 29, 2015
Writing by Kurdpa Staff Writers and editing by Hazhir B.
Following the Toronto Muslim Community’s decision to hold an event for the Islamic Republic of Iran’s founder, Ayatollah Mousavi Khomeini on Sunday May 31, 2015, there were large outcries of opposition for such events being held in Canada.
Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan, Eastern Canada Committee and Komala Party of Iranian Kurdistan, North American Committee released a joint statement condemning the event and its organizers.
The full statement is published below:
Call to Protest Against the Audacious Event for Iranian Regime Founder, Mousavi Khomeini, in Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada
The Muslim community in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) will be holding an event at the Islamic Society of York Region to commemorate the 26th anniversary of Iran’s Islamic state founder, Mousavi Khomeini: “An Awakening Against Global Injustice”.
While we respect freedom of assembly and expression, it is deeply offensive to hold remembrance for a brutal dictator whose hands are tainted by the blood of thousands, if not millions, of innocent Iranians and non-Iranians alike.
Mousavi Khomeini’s heinous historical record is well-known internationally. As documented by countless United Nations condemnations, human rights organization reports and many other independent investigations, he was responsible for the killing, execution, torture, disappearance, rape, and imprisonment of tens of thousands of Iranians whose only crimes were the peaceful exercise of their political, social or religious rights. Khomeini, then the Supreme leader of Iran, was directly responsible for numerous violent acts including, but not limited to:
The systematic torture, imprisonment and execution of thousands of political dissidents throughout the 1980s, and most importantly, his direct order to execute thousands of political prisoners in the summer of 1988, for which Canada’s Parliament courageously adopted a unanimous consent motion recognizing the massacre of political prisoners in Iran in 1988 as ‘crimes against humanity’.
In numerous speeches, Khomeini declared all who opposed or criticized his Islamic form of government as “Enemies of God”, and assured their elimination. On August 18, 1979, Khomeini declared “holy war” against the Kurds of Iran. Therefore, August 18 is a date regarded by Kurdish Iranians as a day when Kurdistan became the target of brutal attacks by Khomeini regime’s oppressive forces, which led to the death and displacement of hundreds of thousands in the Kurdish regions of the country.
On the international stage, Khomeini was responsible for numerous assassinations of Iranian political dissidents and activists inside Iran and on foreign soils, including his death decree for Iranian Kurdish leader, Dr. Abdul Rahman Ghassemlou, in Vienna, Austria in 1989, amongst countless others.
As Kurdish Canadians that have suffered the first-hand atrocities ordered by the then Supreme Leader, Khomeini, we believe this event to be insolence to the many victims who have fled this regime, and have called Canada home.
We strongly encourage the Kurdish community in Ontario to join us on Sunday, May 31, at 4:00 p.m. at the intersection of Stouffville Road and Leslie Street in Richmond Hill (1380 Stouffville Rd.), to protest against such a despicable event.
We also call upon the Government of Canada, which has shown the highest leadership in condemning the gross human rights violations committed by the leaders of the regime of the Islamic Republic, to outlaw any form of celebration and glorification of the founders of the Islamic Regime and to consider it an insult to humanity and to the families of the affected victims.
Komala Party of Iranian Kurdistan – North America Committee
Kurdistan Democratic Party of Iran – Eastern Canada Committee
May 29, 2015
Writing by Kurdpa Staff Writers and editing by Hazhir B.
