Divided reaction from Calgary’s Iranian community amid Middle East conflict

Calgary's Iranian community is closely watching as events unfold in the Middle East—and their views on the conflict are deeply divided.

Four decades after fleeing Iran to Canada for safety, Parviz Sichani watches the same ruling regime in a volatile standoff with Israel and the U.S.

“Everyone is concerned about what is happening, but what is happening is nothing new to Iranians because for the past 46 years, this regime has been very, very brutal,” he said from his home in Calgary.

“Killing has been going on continuously.”

Sichani was around 21 years old when he escaped his home country, leaving many family members behind.

“I couldn’t have any status there and knew I didn’t belong anymore back in Iran because of this regime,” he said.

“You could not open your mouth. I had several friends that were executed—a 13-year-old brother of a friend of mine who was taken, and we found out the next day he had been executed.

“There were so many.”

Forty-two years later, he’s watching from afar as the conflict intensifies between Iran and Israel and, most recently, the U.S. with its strike on Tehran’s nuclear program.

“When I’m talking to people in Iran, the general public are not concerned. … They are all saying, ‘We are not worried because they are clearly not targeting us—they are targeting regime headquarters,’” said Sichani.

“People in fact are very thankful for what Israel is doing, and they really consider this a liberation war. I mean. it’s a painful thing, but we needed some help.”

On Monday, Iran launched a missile attack on a U.S. military base in Qatar in retaliation for the American bombing of its nuclear sites.

However, Sachani believes it was necessary for the U.S. to intervene.

“As far as we are concerned, this regime has to go. If the Middle East is to see any peace, it’s without this regime,” he said.

“A regime like that, that has no mercy toward their own people, are not supposed to have nuclear weapons. I cannot imagine, if they had it, what they would do to outsiders.”

He’s never been able to return, but is hopeful he will one day be able to bring his wife and two grown children to see where he comes from.

“I know personally my name is on their blacklist,” he said.

“I am happy if we have a free Iran, and the people of Iran get what they deserve. I would be very happy to bring my children and my family to show them where I come from and for them to enjoy Iran.

“I am hoping that day is very soon.”

Not all Iranian-Canadians agree with Sachani but instead condemn the military attacks against Iran by both the United States and Israel.

“These attacks undermine the United Nations Charter and international laws as well as undermine stability in Iran and the greater Middle East,” said Riazuddin Ahmed, chair of Canadian Muslims for Peace and Justice (CMPJ), in a release.

“Such precedents, where powerful states take unilateral military actions against other states outside the international laws, carry dangerous implications for global stability and potential ramifications in other tense regions of the world.”

The CMPJ is urging the government of Canada to work with NATO and European partners to demand all available diplomatic avenues are pursued for a ceasefire.

“Diplomacy must remain the central pillar of any international response to conflicts in the Middle East,” the release said.

Mohammad Keyhani, an Iranian-Canadian who teaches at the University of Calgary, has extended family in Iran.

“There haven’t been mass-casualty events happening, so I feel grateful, but I feel worried still and on the brink of chaos and fearful at any moment things could get out of control and something could happen,” he said.

Despite some signs of de-escalation, the Israeli military expanded its campaign Monday.

Keyhani worries to what extent Israel will go in Iran, citing the civilian death tolls in Gaza amid the Israel-Hamas conflict.

“Especially seeing the genocide in Gaza recently, we are really worried about how Israelis treat human life and what could happen to Iran as a result,” he said.

Keyhani believes the recent attacks from the U.S. will bolster support for the regime in Iran.

“I think with the new attacks that have happened, many Iranians that were less inclined to agree with the regime with its anti-Israel and anti-American rhetoric are now starting to have second thoughts.”

Keyhani was thinking of visiting Iran but said even with a ceasefire, the situation is too unpredictable.

“Travelling to Iran could be dangerous, of course. If it’s in the middle of a war, Israel can bomb it at any moment it wants. Even if it stops bombing it now, given the weakened air defences of Iran, it could continue at any moment in the future and could catch Iran by surprise and could do damage to civilian infrastructure and have civilian causalities,” he said.

“It’s really unclear how unsafe Iran is going to be going forward. That’s a big problem for us in the Iranian community.”

On Monday, Canada temporarily paused removals and deportations to Israel as the country faces retaliatory strikes from Iran.