Human Rights  Canada will continue to raise our concerns about the Baha'i and human rights more generally directly with the Government of Iran.

Committees of the House  They can be taken advantage of by their employers, who threaten to expose their being in the country illegally if they do not work and exist under horrible conditions. The last country I want to talk about is Iran, which systematically violates the human rights of its Baha'i citizens. For nearly 30 years it has persecuted the Baha'is, its religious minority, in a deliberate attempt to destroy the Baha'i community.

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  Canada continues to underline the need for Iran to support international peace and stability efforts in the region. Iran's regional role is something that Canada is ready to discuss with Iran as part of our controlled engagement policy.

Committees of the House  We are very pleased to have so many of them in Canada who are doing an incredible job. My professor, when I was at Oxford, is also of Iranian background and is Baha'i as well. I know of the incredible wealth of people all over the world who had to flee that repressive regime. My condemnation is of the government and not of the people. My hope is with the young people of Iran, that they will rise up against the government and get rid of it.

Human Rights  These trumped-up charges also carry the threat of capital punishment, with Iran already being among the world leaders in carrying out the death penalty. What action will the government take to protect this persecuted Baha'i minority and the persecuted prisoners in Iran?

House debate  The death penalty has been carried out in Iran for apostasy under Sharia law but never before set in criminal law. Executions of minors and others, including through suspension-strangulation, continue to be carried out. The persecution of religious and ethnic minorities, such as the Baha'is, continues with no end in sight.

Situation in Egypt  One must hope that the transitional government will do the right thing and open up the political arena for full participation and an early and free election. Yemen, Jordan and Tunisia have recently seen wide-scale protests and we hope that this regional disruption will not lead to greater tension in the Middle East. President Mubarak said that he would not seek re-election but rejected demands to step down.

Foreign Affairs  Our bilateral relations with Iran are governed by the tightened controlled engagement policy. The policy limits official bilateral dialogue to the following four topics: the case of murdered Canadian Iranian Zahra Kazemi; Iran's human rights performance; Iran's nuclear program; and finally, Iran's role in the region.

Foreign Affairs  Canada must continue to work with the international community and with its multilateral partners to address its concerns on Iran's role in the region. Canada remains very concerned and has shown a great commitment toward addressing the poor and deteriorating human rights situation in Iran. The persecution of religious and ethnic minorities, such as the Baha'is, continues unabated.

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  Under the Islamic republic, Iran has become a large prison for the whole of its population, and any dissent, expression, and activism is deemed a threat to national security of the Islamic establishment. Within the last three decades the people of Iran have witnessed the worst barbarism inflicted upon them by the Islamic regime in Iran.

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  Iran is also well aware that Bahá'í teachings recognize the Prophet Mohammed as a manifestation of God and his book as a holy book, as indeed Baha'is recognize all the world's great religions and are called upon to befriend their followers.

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  I'm talking about the oppression of religious minorities, of pressures particularly on members of the Baha'i faith, who are not even recognized as a religious community. There also are pressures on ethnic minorities. They face an inability to speak their languages and an inability to have their classes.

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  I want to touch very briefly on the arrest of relatives of the members of the People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran. I think many committee members have been approached from the Iranian community here in Canada about members who had been in Camp Ashraf. In January of this year, members of their families in Iran, mostly elderly women between the ages of 60 and 85, had attempted to leave Iran to visit their families in Iraq.

Foreign Affairs  The NDP calls on Canada to lead a united global effort aimed at convincing Iran to immediately halt its imprisonment, torture and execution of minors and other citizens for their religious and ideological beliefs, notably members of the Baha'i faith. We have seen to where that can lead.

Foreign Affairs committee  Specifically, we need to work with the international community to help the government of Yemen to strengthen its ability to resist terrorism and to prevent it from being a safe haven for al-Qaeda. We also need to do more to disrupt the operations of organized crime groups in Central America and the Caribbean.