Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  Thank you.

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  I believe a regime uses the traditional Islamic law to have this weapon. It is not itself a regime based on Muslim scholars, based on the traditional Islamic law. For example, we have execution for blasphemy and apostasy. I was a lawyer for many people on apostasy in Iran only

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  I believe all of the minorities, ethnic minorities and religious minorities, suffer hugely under the regime, and if you look around Iran, near the border of Iran, most are Sunni Muslims. The population is between 15 million and 20 million Iranian Sunni Muslims. They don't have an

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  Go ahead, Mr. Kowsar.

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  I would like add something. I believe that Islamophobia itself is important, but we should be aware of Islamic rule inside the Muslim countries. For example, in Canada we are talking about the scarves and the niqab. In Iran, in Saudi Arabia, and in many other Muslim countries,

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  I will add a little bit to Mr. Kowsar's response. I believe Iranian civil society has its own voice, and the Iranian movement has never stopped. For example, the Iranian women's movement has never stopped. Iranian students at the university have never stopped, and the young gene

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  I will give a little bit, not much. I believe women's rights are the main area in Iran we should focus on, because half of the population of Iran is women. Many, I believe, suffer hugely from the government, and from society sometimes, because the government banned everything:

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  The international community should focus on pushing Iran to have the best rule in the international community. The most important point is the Iranian obligation. The Iranian regime played a role in the international community and involved a human rights UN mechanism. For examp

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  No, totally no. If you look at North Korea, it has nuclear weapons, and our highest sanctions are against this regime, but people are only going to die in that country. In Iran, no. I believe if the sanction is against the economy, against the people.... The Iranian middle clas

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  Absolutely. If we mention the Baha'i, for example, the Baha'i rise in Iran as a minority religion, I think it's based on.... Mr. Kowsar mentioned the Iranian history and Iranian elected politics, but I do agree with him. However, I'm also going to speak against the structure of

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  Yes.

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  Okay. Great. I was almost done.

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  First of all, thank you for your invitation. Thank you as well for your attention to the Iranian human rights situation. As an Iranian-Canadian human rights lawyer, I will draw your attention to the fact that Iranians, the Iranian people, are interested in human rights and seek