Iranian Canadians in Regina reflect on future as middle east conflict intensifies

While local Iranians are praising recent news from Iran, a small activist group in Regina is criticizing the conflict. Damian Smith reports.

Forty-eight hours after the United States and Israel began striking Iran, residents in Regina gathered on Monday to share their thoughts on the conflict.

The Regina Peace Alliance took to city hall, protesting Canada’s support of the United States attack on Iran.

“While the Canadian government is about to spend $80 billion on war stuff, we have people suffering and dying on our streets because they are unhoused,” said Florence Stratton, a member of the alliance. “All this money for war and people right on our doorsteps in this city are suffering and dying.”

The $80 billion Stratton is talking about, is the $81.8 billion allocated to the Canadian Armed Forces in the most recent federal budget.

The alliance made it clear that foreign interference is not the proper path for Canada to follow.

“I wish the people of Iran all the best in peace and justice to them, but I’m not sure we’re going to get there by the United States bombing,” she said.

Monday’s rally struck a different tone at Regina’s city hall compared to Saturday, when Iranians in the city gathered at the Saskatchewan Legislative Building to celebrate the potential for hope and freedom in their home country, following reports that Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in an airstrike.

“We couldn’t go back to our country because of this,” Regina resident Soheil Usda told CTV News on Saturday. “Right now, we all hope that we have a kind of free country. Right now, people are thinking about the beautiful days coming because of the good days that we had in Iran before the 1979 revolution. So, we all hope that this Islamic republic goes away and we can have a free country again and fight for our freedom.”

According to the Persian Club Centre of Regina, Iranians in Saskatchewan have largely left their home country due to the current regime, which assumed power during the 1979 Iranian Revolution.

“There’s a lot of business owners in Canada who moved to Canada, but it wasn’t about money, or lifestyle, it was about democracy,” said Farid Zadeh, the executive president of the Persian Club Centre of Regina.

Zadeh moved to Saskatchewan in 2010, and has started his own business, Atlas Office Solutions, which delivers office equipment in Regina and Saskatoon. He noted that most Iranians who have moved to Canada have had successful careers but wanted a better life outside of the Islamic Regime.

“Most of our community, when they move to Canada, they had an even better life back home,” he said. “If you calculate how many doctors, how many lawyers, how many business owners we have in Canada from the Iranian community, you can figure it out.”

He decided to make the move to Canada in 2008. Even though he loves his life in Canada, the pain from overseas news continues. In his office hangs a poster of his firefighter cousin, helping a citizen. Zadeh said his cousin was killed by the regime.

Almost two months ago, reports indicated that over 36,000 Iranians had been killed in protests calling for a regime change across the country. By all accounts, many Iranians in Saskatchewan, along with those in Iran, would like Reza Pahlavi to be their next leader.

Pahlavi is the son of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, who ruled as the Shah of Iran from 1941 until the revolution. Pahlavi has lived in exile in the United States and is ready to make his return to Iran.

Two weeks ago, large protests gathered in Toronto, Los Angeles and Munich to call for change.

“They [Iranians] like movement, they like democracy, back in our country,” said Zadeh.

“They have the same reason, the same justification, the same, they have the same reason they came here and the same opinion,” said Sam, who’s also a member of the Persian club.

When working in Iran, part of the issues revolved around having strict work requirements. Now as a business owner, Zadeh is reminded of those requirements that he disagrees with so heavily.

“I’m not asking them, are you going to church? Are you Muslim? Are you Buddhist? Are you Christian? Are you fasting? Are you lesbian? Are you gay? No, it’s not my goddamn business,” he said.

Zadeh says he has not returned to Iran in 15 years.

“Regina is my home. My wife is a nurse here, I have kids here. I started my business from scratch,” he said. “I started out with one cent in Saskatchewan, now I have ten employees and two branches. Even with a regime change, I’m not going back. This is my home. My son is here, my daughter is here, they’re born here to grow. I’m so proud doing service in Saskatchewan.”

According to the Iran Red Crescent Society, at least 555 people have been killed across the country since Saturday.