Evidence of meeting #26 for Subcommittee on International Human Rights in the 44th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was regime.
A video is available from Parliament.
Lawyer & Senior Fellow, Macdonald-Laurier Institute, As an Individual
If I may....
Conservative
Lawyer & Senior Fellow, Macdonald-Laurier Institute, As an Individual
If I may quickly say, there was no unified front against apartheid in South Africa either. It was then prime minister Mulroney who unified the west against apartheid in South Africa. It will take that kind of moral leadership for Canada to again be at the forefront of this battle against apartheid.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Sameer Zuberi
Thank you.
We're going to continue on with Monsieur Brunelle-Duceppe.
I'll ask all the witnesses to keep their earpieces. There's a slight delay in translation. It might be five to 10 seconds, so keep that in mind as you're listening in.
Mr. Brunelle‑Duceppe, you have the floor for two minutes.
Bloc
Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe Bloc Lac-Saint-Jean, QC
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I did note Mr. Shahrooz's analogy to what happened under the apartheid regime. After Montreal mayor Jean Doré took action, Brian Mulroney took the lead. He called the Americans and the British and convinced them to follow suit. However, they were reluctant at the time. He took the lead and Nelson Mandela visited Canada first to recognize what he had done.
That's exactly what's happening right now, it's an apartheid in both Afghanistan and Iraq, but also in Saudi Arabia. Just recently we've seen that relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran seem to be warming up.
Won't that possibly put a damper on Canada's leadership?
The fact that relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran are warming up adds a much more complex dimension to what we're experiencing right now.
Do you agree with me?
Lawyer & Senior Fellow, Macdonald-Laurier Institute, As an Individual
Was that question directed at me, sir?
Lawyer & Senior Fellow, Macdonald-Laurier Institute, As an Individual
Absolutely, it is. That warming relationship is a barrier. MP Ehsassi alluded to it as well.
Anything that normalizes Iran's regime and creates greater alliances for it in the region is a barrier for Canada, and it's an obstacle for Iran's revolutionaries and human rights defenders. As I told MP Ehsassi—and I wish to reiterate it here—our role in Canada is to stay focused on the things that matter. Here, the rights of women and girls matter a great deal.
It doesn't matter if Iran is normalizing its relationship with another authoritarian state and that deal is brokered by yet another authoritarian state in China. Our focus should remain on promoting the rights of women and girls. We should not get distracted by these regional alliances that are forming.
Bloc
NDP
Heather McPherson NDP Edmonton Strathcona, AB
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Again, thank you to all the witnesses.
Mr. Shahrooz, I have one very quick question for you. Many of the members of all parties have sponsored women activists or protesters who are in prison in Iran. Is that an effective strategy? Are there other strategies similar to this that Canada can use?
Lawyer & Senior Fellow, Macdonald-Laurier Institute, As an Individual
It is a very effective strategy. An organization I referred to, the Iranian Justice Collective.... We've been keeping a database of this. What we've found is that the prisoners who have had sponsorship are actually more likely to be released. I've been doing this human rights work focused on Iran for many years. What former prisoners always tell me is that their situation always improves. Their interrogators treat them a little bit better, and they're more likely to be released when there are well-known western figures—western politicians, celebrities and so on—willing to speak out for them and keep their issues alive.
The Iranian regime ignores a lot of human rights obligations that they have, but they do care a great deal about what's being said about them in the west, so steps like that are incredibly effective. I would urge you and all your colleagues to continue with this really important work.
NDP
Heather McPherson NDP Edmonton Strathcona, AB
I had the great joy of the person I sponsored, the first young woman I sponsored, being released. It was a very nice day to hear that news.
Lawyer & Senior Fellow, Macdonald-Laurier Institute, As an Individual
I thank you. It's really the difference between life and death for a lot of people, so thank you very much.
NDP
Heather McPherson NDP Edmonton Strathcona, AB
I still have 30 seconds—goodness. I thought that I would only get one second.
I guess what I would do is just give this back to Ms. Gonzalez Manchón.
Is there anything, a last statement you'd like to make, with regard to what Canada can do to aid women in Afghanistan, in Iran and in Saudi Arabia?
Co-Vice President, Global Programs, Equality Fund
Thank you so much.
I would really pick up on your last point and emphasize that the “Voices at Risk” guidelines that we have to support human rights defenders all around the world precisely have, for example, guidance to Canadian missions to attend trials of human rights defenders and hearings, to visit human rights defenders in prison. This is just validating that what works in Iran also works in other places.
Can we please assess how those guidelines are working, how they're being used and what we're learning from them as a way to improve what Canada is doing?
NDP
Heather McPherson NDP Edmonton Strathcona, AB
A recommendation for this committee could be, in fact, that we, as a committee, bring forward sponsorship or raise the plight of certain individuals.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Sameer Zuberi
Thank you.
We want to thank all the witnesses for being here today, for coming in person and by Zoom.
Ms. Hoodfar, Mr. Shahrooz and Ms. Manchón, thank you for being here today. We thank you for your testimony, for your advocacy and for raising the profile of these issues.
We're going to suspend for a moment while our next witnesses come in.
