The Baha'Is  Mr. Speaker, the Baha'is are the largest religious minority in Iran, totalling 350,000 people. Religious beliefs are the only thing that differentiate the Baha'i from the rest of the Iranian population. Iran has classified these people as unprotected infidels and has engaged in their systematic persecution on the basis of religion.

Baha'I Community  Mr. Speaker, for the past 17 years, the Baha'i of the Islamic Republic of Iran have been systematically persecuted, harassed and discriminated against, solely on the grounds of their religious convictions. The official document in which the Iranian government sets out its co-ordinated policy for dealing with the Baha'i question is still in effect.

The Middle East  If we look at those that were against the plan to create these new states, they included Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Syria and Turkey, all the countries surrounding this area. Right from the very beginning they set up a situation which almost could not help but create conflict.

Religious Discrimination  The world is an increasingly dangerous place for people of many faiths, depending on where they happen to be born or where they live. The Baha'is in Iran and the Christians in Sudan come quickly to mind, but Muslims, Jews, Sikhs, Hindus, Buddhists and all other faiths each find themselves persecuted in various contexts. What I find most distressing is state sanctioned official persecution.

Iran  Mr. Speaker, they have their own ayattolah. They have their own problems. I would like to point out there are still very serious concerns relating to the detention of Baha'is for religious purposes and the detention of Iranian Jews for purposes that simply are unfounded. We hope the new parliament will take steps to respond to our entreaties to let those people go.

Human Rights  Speaker, let me say on behalf of the government and all Canadians that these decisions are simply outrageous and we have to do everything we can to try to counter them. I will be meeting this afternoon with representatives of the Baha'i community to talk about how we might work together with them to respond. I have written to the foreign minister of Iran to say that this should be stopped. I will be in contact with the president of the European Union to see if we can mount a common front against what is really an outrageous situation.

Middle East  We contributed to the United Nations observation group in Lebanon. We assisted with the United Nations Yemen observation mission and the United Nations interim force in Lebanon. We were also participants in the United Nations Iran-Iraq military observer group. Canada has been a longstanding participant in the United Nations truce supervision organization, or UNTSO, since 1954.