Good morning.
We're meeting pursuant to Standing Order 108(2) for our study of Canada's response to the violence, religious persecution, and dislocation caused by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.
I want to thank all of our witnesses and guests for being here today. I'll introduce you all, then, starting on my left, we'll go to your opening statements. We'll finish up with our friend in London, England, who's joining us via video conference. Once we've had all the opening statements, we'll just go back and forth over the next couple of hours for members' questions.
Once again, thank you all for being here.
I'll start by introducing, from One Free World International, Reverend Majed El Shafie, the founder and president. Thank you very much. It's very nice to see you here.
From the Chaldean Iraqi Catholic Church in Canada, we have Father Niaz Toma. Welcome, sir. We're glad to have you here as well.
Next we have, from the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Toronto, His Eminence Sotirios Athanassoulas, the archbishop there. Welcome, sir. We're glad to have you.
As an individual, we have someone we've had at our committee before: Mokhtar Lamani, former Ambassador, United Nations-League of Arab States, in the office of the joint special representative for Syria, Damascus. I believe the last time we chatted, you were inside Damascus and we were talking via video conference. Welcome, and glad to have you back.
Joining us via video conference from London, England, we have, as an individual, Dr. Payam Akhavan, who is a professor at the Faculty of Law at McGill University and the Kellogg College at Oxford University. Welcome, sir. We're glad to have you join us via video conference.
I'll now to turn it over to you, sir. Welcome, and the floor is yours. You have eight minutes.