Mr. Chair, I would like to thank all my colleagues for their remarks tonight, and I agree with a lot of what I have heard, but perhaps just to take a very different perspective on this, I want to talk about the perspective of the Iranian Canadian community. As members know, the Iranian Canadian community is approximately 500,000 strong. Many of us have watched as many protests have taken place across our country. I just want to provide a window onto how Iranian Canadians are looking at this as it unfolds.
Let me begin by providing a very brief history. Iran, at the beginning of the 20th century, had the first constitutional revolution in the Middle East. As members can imagine, Iranians have aspirations, but since 1979, they have been living a very, very bleak chapter in the history of Iran. As I watch developments unfold, I share the same sentiment in the sense that I am very optimistic that finally we will see an end to this regime. However, watching things unfold on television, there are also moments where I have fear because I and the vast majority of Iranian Canadians, and Iranians within Iran as well, want to see an end to this regime. At least 80% of Iranians are known to want to see an end to the scourge of this regime. Of course, I am also concerned that ultimately, after all this hardship and the war that has started, we actually see regime change and that Iranians will be masters of their own destiny.
As I said, many of us are familiar with the dark chapters and the terrible things that Iranians have been subjected to since 1979. This is a regime that is truly a theocratic kleptocracy. It has really stripped the country down. These ayatollahs and their henchmen are all about themselves, and we are watching a country that is dealing with terrible economic despair. In addition to that, I think all the members are somewhat familiar with the terrible things that have happened in recent memory.
I would start with the green revolution in 2009, where Iranians courageously stood up to the regime but had to deal with its brutality. After that, there were protests in 2018. Again, Iranians were incredibly courageous and brave and tried to change the course of that country. Again, the Iranian regime was brutal. There was flight PS752, which Canadians are very familiar with, when the regime shot down a plane over the skies of Tehran. There was the Woman, Life, Freedom movement. Again, people were very hopeful that it would be the end of the regime, but unfortunately, it was not. Now we have watched over the course of the past several months as the Iranian regime has butchered and massacred up to 30,000 people.
Iranians are looking at this. For, I would say, 95% of Iranian Canadians, nothing would make them happier than to see an end to this regime, and even in Iran, it is the same thing. All that is to say, and some people may not understand the complexities of this, that the vast majority of Iranian Canadians are optimistic but also very concerned about what their loved ones are experiencing back in Iran.
In terms of recommendations, I would completely agree with the members who are saying we should be concerned about public safety here in Canada. There is a gentleman who is leading the protests in Toronto. His name is Salar Gholami. His gym was vandalized. It took many shots. That is a good indication that we should be vigilant and make sure we clamp down on any activities by any agents of the regime. We should remind our allies, whether it be the Americans or the Israelis, to adhere to human rights and humanitarian law. We should be concerned about connectivity for Iranians here with their loved ones back home. Lastly, I would say we should remain focused on ensuring that a democratic Iran emerges.
