Mr. Chair, I will be splitting my time with the member for Richmond Hill South.
This past weekend, I held an open house in my riding of Newmarket—Aurora. It was a chance for neighbours to come by, share a cup of coffee and talk about issues affecting their families and what is happening around the world. Among those who came were many members of the Persian diaspora, my neighbours, people who have called our community home for years. They are entrepreneurs, parents, students and neighbours. They contribute so much to the life of our community.
However, this weekend they came with cautious optimism and heavy hearts. They spoke about the war unfolding in Iran and the uncertainty, the fear and the anguish of watching events unfold from thousands of kilometres away while their families and friends remain there.
I said to them that many of us see the headlines, the stories of bombings, sunken ships, schools, and soldiers dying. I asked how they see this moment and what it means for them and their families. Their answer struck me. They said they have lived under this oppression for 47 years and know that this will be their last chance in a generation.
With tears in their eyes, they talked of the cautious optimism of what this means to them. They spoke about the many protests over the years. They spoke about the young people who marched for freedom. They spoke about the women who stood up to demand dignity and opportunity. Many of those protesters paid with their life.
Just a month ago, more lives were lost as people once again took to the streets in hope of a different future. They told me something that was both heartbreaking and powerful. They said that, yes, it is painful to hear of the bombings near their families, but they believe this may be their only chance to break free from a regime that has oppressed their people, their families and especially their women for generations.
That perspective struck me because here in Canada we often discuss these issues in terms of diplomacy, international law and geopolitics. Yes, those discussions are important, but for many people in my community, this is personal. It is about their parents, brothers, sisters, cousins and childhood neighbourhoods. It is about their language, their culture and their history. They carry the unfathomable weight of all of that while watching events unfold from afar.
Today, I simply want to be a voice for those members of our community, a voice that says we know this moment is painful. We know that they are worried for their families. We know that they carry both hope and fear at the same time. Canada cannot control the actions of other nations or the course of events far beyond our borders, but we can be a voice that says we believe that every person is born with inherent rights to life, to liberty and to safety.
The method of the Iranian regime is not constrained by borders. It operates in our home as well. To this day, an estimated 700 IRGC operatives are operating here in Canada, intimidating Canadians on Canadian soil, and this is unacceptable. Our thoughts are with Iranians here in Canada, and our prayers are with their families.
We hope sincerely and deeply that out of this moment, something better will emerge: a future where the people of Iran can live with freedom, where women can live with dignity and where a proud civilization, one that has contributed so much to human history, can flourish once again under the values of liberty and opportunity. This wish is one shared by many people in my riding and many other Canadians, and today I want to give it a voice.