letter to Katlyn Wynne , Ontario premier on Moridi's misleading public on Reza Pahlvai

June 21, 2013

Hon. Kathleen Wynne
Premier of Ontario
Legislative Building
Queen’s Park
Toronto, Ontario
M7A 1A1

Dear Premier Wynne,

As members of Ontario’s Iranian-Canadian community, we are writing to express our profound sense of dismay at the appearance of Reza Pahlavi at Queen’s Park on June 3, 2013.

Mr. Pahlavi is the son of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the notorious Shah of Iran who was deposed by a popular revolution in February 1979. The Shah was widely opposed throughout Iranian society because of his autocratic rule, his violation of human rights, and his theft of national resources. In fact he fitted very well in the group of the totalitarians same as Mubarak and Gaddafi. Many of us who now call Canada home were prosecuted by the Shah’s repressive regime.

It is for these reasons that we were shocked to see Mr. Reza Moridi, a member of your own caucus, introduce Mr. Pahlavi to the Ontario Legislature as “the Crown Prince and a strong advocate for democracy, human rights, and the rule of law in Iran” (http://goo.gl/fjqFF). While we appreciate Mr. Moridi’s efforts for the wellbeing of the Richmond Hill Community, we believe his decision to recognize Mr. Pahlavi as a representative leader of our community demonstrates a grave lack of judgment, which minimizes the suffering of tens of thousands of Iranians under the Shah’s rule.

Our community has a long and proud history in this province, which includes a genuine commitment to civic engagement and participation, and to the expansion of human rights in Ontario, Iran and around the world. We trust that your government shares these goals, and we hope that, in future, all members of your caucus will demonstrate the appropriate tact and sensitivity that these matters deserve.

We look forward to hearing from you soon. Thank you in advance for your consideration.

Respectfully yours,

Niaz Salimi
President
Iranian Canadian Community Council

Endorsed by:

Toronto Iranians Community Group
Afghan Iranian Youth Network
Centre for Thought, Dialogue and Human Rights in Iran