Dear Minister Hoskins,

On behalf of our board, I am writing to thank you for the meeting you held on August 31st with representatives and leaders of a dozen Iranian-Canadian organizations. We were pleased that the meeting focused on the theme of “Investing in Ontario’s Iranian Community.”

The group meeting was a significant step in building bridges between your ministry and the Ontario government more broadly, with Ontario’s growing Iranian community.

Dear Premier McGunity,

On behalf of the board of directors of the Iranian Canadian Congress (ICC), I am writing to
congratulate you on your pioneering plans to make Ontario the world’s most successful and
inclusive jurisdiction.

ICC’s membership and Ontario’s Iranian community more broadly, make up some of our
province’s most accomplished, educated, and forward looking citizens. I am thus writing to
bring a few key issues of concern of our community to your attention so that together we can
advance prosperity, harmony, and inclusiveness across this great province.

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To the Honorable Stephen Harper

The Board of Directors of the Iranian Canadian Congress (ICC) is writing to express its serious concern regarding the current events in Iran following the presidential election on June 12, 2009.

ICC supports the Iranian people’s right to a fair and free election and their genuine effort to exercise their civil rights. Therefore, ICC objects to the highly repressive measures taken by the government of Iran in its attempt to curb any dissenting response to the results of the recent presidential election.

Following the election, Tehran and many other Iranian cities have been the scenes of wide-spread protests. These protests have been met by violent response from the anti-riot police and other security forces resulting in civilian injuries and death. Furthermore, a number of Iranian political activists and journalists have been arrested and heavy restrictions have been placed on the means of communication and the media. ICC condemns the use of violence and calls for the release of those who have been arrested. ICC is also concerned about the safety of the Iranian-Canadians residing in Iran.

ICC supports a legal and peaceful resolution to the crisis and requests that the allegations brought forward by the candidates and voters be addressed in a legal and transparent manner by the appropriate Iranian authorities.

ICC urges the government of Canada to be watchful of the events in Iran and to refrain from recognizing the Iranian government until the allegations regarding election fraud has been fully addressed. We also urge the government of Canada to condemn the use of violence in Iran.

 ICC Board of Directors

 June 18^th 2009

 Toronto, Canada

On June 12, 2009 honorable Jason Kenny, federal Minister of Immigration and Multiculturalism met with three ICC board members: Firoozeh Rose Bahrami, Mehrdad Loghmani, and Behnam Esfahanizadeh.  ICC had requested this meeting to discuss the concerns of the Iranian-Canadian community especially regarding the high rate of rejection of visitor visas and mistreatment of applicants at the Canadian embassy in Iran. 

Minister Kenny stated he has deep respect for the Iranian-Canadian community who are well educated and making significant contributions economically, culturally, and academically to Canadian society. He acknowledged that the federal government has not had adequate contact with the Iranian community in Canada, especially in comparison to other ethnic communities, and would like to change that. In order to do so, community organizations such as ICC could act as a bridge to establish this continuous and effective dialogue between the government and the community to help the government understand the diversity and the needs of the Iranian community.    

ICC board members informed the Minister that the Iranian-Canadian community is alarmed by the low rate of visas granted to Iranians in general, and Iranian artists and academics in particular. The community is also concerned about the insufficient consular capacity of the Canadian embassy in Tehran, and the unprofessional and sometimes disrespectful way in which visa applicants, especially the elderly, are treated.  

Minister Kenney, while maintaining that he could not comment on the immigration officers’ decisions, acknowledged that there have been some difficulties with respect to the embassy in Tehran and they hope to make some changes in their Tehran office soon. With respect to the insufficient capacity of the embassy he responded that the government of Canada faces many challenges in Tehran for instance it is very difficult for them to obtain visas for their Foreign Service officers and their families from the government of Iran.  He promised that the visa situation in Iran will improve. He also commented that even though the general rate of visitor visas granted has been lower in the past year, the Ministry has been able to act quickly and effectively in cases involving refugees and humanitarian grounds.

ICC representatives also indicated that the Iranian-Canadian community is concerned that Canada’s federal government has not made significant investments in the well being of the community. Nor has it spent resources on outreach and research efforts related to the community in the GTA, Vancouver, Ottawa, Montreal, and other Canadian cities.

As Minister of multiculturalism, Minister Kenny stated that his Ministry is committed to providing resources for outreach and positive initiatives within the communities and that his office will give us more information about how we can work together to address these concerns.

We also indicated that we would like the minister and other federal representatives to attend our community gatherings and events more often in order to increase understanding. In his closing remarks Minister Kenny stated that he would love to attend our events and was hopeful to continue this dialogue and to increase the contact between the Canadian federal government and the Iranian community through ICC.