TORONTO ? Amid signs Tehran is suppressing opposition ahead of next month?s presidential election, Foreign Minister John Baird reached out directly to Iranians on Friday to encourage them to end the country?s ?clerical military dictatorship.?
At a conference in Toronto that is using social media to engage participants within Iran, Mr. Baird said Canada should have done more to support the Green Movement that took to the streets following the 2009 ?stolen election? that returned President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to power.
But he said this time Canada would stand with democratic voices, which are often brutally suppressed in Iran but which the two-day Global Dialogue conference at the University of Toronto aims to amplify, largely through the Internet, ahead of the June 14 vote.
?On this, we all agree: the people of Iran deserve free and fair elections. Not another version of the Ayatollah Khameini?s never-ending shell game of presidential puppets. Not the rise of a regressive clerical military dictatorship. But robust elections which take power out of the hands of puppet masters and place it in your hands,? he said.
Canada severed diplomatic ties with Iran last September, citing the regime?s human rights abuses, rogue nuclear program, threats to destroy Israel and lack of security at the embassy in Tehran. The government also officially designated Iran a state sponsor of terrorism.
In addition, Canada listed the Quds force of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, as well as the Iranian proxy Hezbollah, as terrorist groups. Canada also participates in the United Nations sanctions program that has isolated Iran over its nuclear ambitions.
But with an election looming, Ottawa is now trying to circumvent the regime by speaking directly to Iranians ? an approach made possible by the likes of Facebook and Twitter. The conference will debate the Iranian economy, political freedom, equality of women and Iran?s diplomatic isolation.
Participants inside Iran are being encouraged to take part and ask questions through virtual channels. Government officials said Iran was already trying to prevent Iranians from participating by blocking Internet access. But they said they were confident the message would reach Iranians.
In the notes for his speech, obtained by the National Post, the minister urged Iranians to imagine an Iran with a political culture of ?inclusiveness and freedom,? where citizens could voice their views and where checks and balance guarded against the abuse of power.
?Imagine an Iran where government protects people?s lives, where government does not silence, imprison and murder ethnic, religious and cultural minorities for their beliefs,? he said. ?Imagine democracy. Just imagine it.?
The regime is hollow. It does not have the depth, the intellect, the humanity, or the humility to bring about a better future for its people. I believe the Iranian people want change
Since 1979, Iran has been ruled by Shi?ite clerics who have steadily eroded rights and freedoms. During the last presidential election, activists suffered under a harsh crackdown that included arrests, torture and murders. Many have since fled into exile.
With just over a month to go until the next election, there are already indications Iran is attempting to rig the results by blocking Internet access and monitoring social media. The editor of a popular news website was arrested Sunday on charges of instigating public unrest.
Mr. Baird said the crackdowns showed that the regime feared the people of Iran. ?The regime is hollow. It does not have the depth, the intellect, the humanity, or the humility to bring about a better future for its people. I believe the Iranian people want change.?
How to participate in the Global Dialogue on Iran
http://theglobaldialogue.ca/participate
www.twitter.com/gdfilive
www.facebook.com/TheGlobalDialogue
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