Mr. Speaker, New Democrats are extremely concerned about the situation in Iran. Protestors are being crushed, the means of communication among Iranians has been restricted and political activists have been jailed. Yet thousands of opposition supporters are standing their ground, defying a ban on protests and requesting a new election. This is a critical moment not only for the people in Iran, but around the world.
In the words of poet Sa'di:
The children of Adam are limbs of each other
Having been created of one essence.
When the calamity of time afflicts one limb
The other limbs cannot remain at rest.
In the spirit of that, New Democrats stand in solidarity with the democratic aspirations of the people of Iran. We call for an end to the hostilities against peaceful protests, an immediate release of political prisoners and a fair and transparent electoral process that respects the genuine will of the Iranian people.