Iran cautioned against travel to Canada
on Wednesday, claiming “Iranphobia” had gripped the nation as Tehran
lashed out once again over Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird’s
decision to sever ties with the Islamic regime.
According to the state-controlled Islamic Republic News Agency,
Iran’s foreign ministry issued a statement warning that the Canadian
government had “provided the atmosphere for anti-Iranian groups and
lobbies.”Iranians in Canada risked attacks, arrest, expulsion and even murder,
it said, adding Iranians were being “deprived of their basic rights”
and police lacked “the necessary will” to probe crimes against Iranians.
The statement was the latest shot at Canada to appear in Iran’s
tightly controlled press — whose reports are sometimes difficult to
distinguish from satire — since Ottawa suspended diplomatic relations with Tehran.
The government did not respond directly to the statement but Canada’s seat
at the United Nations sat empty Wednesday as President Mahmoud
Ahmadinejad addressed the General Assembly. Prime Minister Stephen
Harper and Mr. Baird later issued a statement repeating their view that
Iran was the world’s “greatest threat to global peace and security.”
Mr. Baird announced Sept. 7 he had closed Canada’s embassy in Tehran
and given Iranian diplomats five days to leave Ottawa. He cited Iran’s
military support for the Syrian regime, the “military dimensions” of its
nuclear program, “racist anti-Semitic rhetoric,” “incitement to
genocide,” and “appalling” human rights record.
He later linked the move more directly to concerns over the safety of
Canadian diplomats following Ottawa’s designation of Iran as a state
sponsor of terrorism, saying the embassy in Tehran was “not as safe as
we’d like it to be.”
The Iranian government responded by decrying the “extremist
government” of Mr. Harper and claiming Canadian foreign policy was being
dictated by Israel. On Wednesday, the backlash from Tehran continued
with notable creativity, as IRNA reported that “tens of cases of murder
have taken place as a result of the police violent attack with clubs in
reaction to the protest gatherings [Sic].”
For its part, the Department of Foreign Affairs has advised Canadians
to avoid all travel to Iran, warning they could face heightened
scrutiny due to “Iranian irritation” over the closure of Canada’s
embassy.
An Angus Reid survey released week found
that 72% of Canadians supported the decision to suspend diplomatic
relations with Iran. The poll also highlighted the grim view that
Canadians hold of Iran: 81% said they had an “unfavorable opinion” of
the country, and 72% believed Tehran was attempting to develop nuclear
weapons.


http://news.nationalpost.com/2012/09/26/iranians-risk-arrest-attacks-expulsion-and-murder-in-canada-says-iran-state-news-agency/





See related story;

http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/story/2012/09/26/un-general-assembly.html