Mr. Jack Layton, Leader of NDP

House of Commons

Ottawa, ON K1A 0A6

Dear Mr. Layton,

GOOD TERRORIST AND BAD TERRORIST?

We would like to request you to address the Iranian Community’s concerns regarding the reality that certain members of the Conservatives and Liberal Caucuses are receiving support from and meeting regularly with an exile group of Iranians aligned with Neo -Cons in the U.S. Indeed, given that the group previously acted under the patronage of Saddam Hussein,. The group is despised by mainstream Iranians residing in Canada, as well as in Iran, ordinary citizens and political activists.

The organizations is so called Mojahedin Khalq (MKP) and/or the National Council of Resistance of Iran (N.C.R.I). Nonetheless, they habitually assume given names to elude the authorities of countries in which they are active.

The number of occasions on which Liberal or Conservative members of Parliament have met with this organization are numerous, and include, but are not restricted to the followings:

1. December 18, 2005: Two Conservatives member of Parliaments (MPs) and one independent flew to Toronto to attend a conference organized and attended exclusively by members of the Mojahedin at the Colony Hotel in Toronto. The Four MPs consisting of Stockwell Day, Paul Forseth, Yasmin Ratansi , and David Killgour all spoke and endorsed the idea of regime change in Iran by military force.

2. March 31, 2006: Yasmin Ratansi; Jim Karygiannis; Susan Kadis; and Bryon Wilfert attended a meeting organized and attended exclusively by members of the Mojahedin organization. In fact, Yasmin Ratansi and Bryon Wilfert decided to ignore a meeting arranged by mainstream Iranians and decided instead to only attend this meeting. Such as they did at a forum by four parties candidates on election on Jan 9, 06.

As such, while it is understandable that reasonable people will disagree about the proper definition to be accorded terrorists, given that this is an organization listed as terrorist by the Canadian Government, suggests that these Members of Parliament have taken it upon themselves to distinguish between good and bad terrorists.

For example, how is it that Foreign Minister Mackay can state "not a red cent to "Hamas" and decide to withhold funding from the Palestinian territories, while other Members of Parliament meet with the terrorist organization members right here in our own backyard. To put it differently, am I the only person who finds it hypocritical that Mr. Stockwell Day who is the current Minister of Public Safety has no misgivings about dealing with a terrorist organization?

It is important to note that, the vast majority of Iranian-Canadians residing in this country loathe the Mojahedin. While the majority of Iranians fled Iran to escape theocrats authoritarian regime, the Ayatollahs, they have the same tolerance for the Mojahedin.. The reasons for such hatred are, after all, quite obvious and understandable. Because the organization is undemocratic and sectarian that practicing violence. Such reputable organizations as Human Rights Watch have recently dedicated two studies to cataloguing serious violation of Human Rights and crimes undertaken by this organization.

Statement on Responses to Human Rights Watch Report on Abuses by the Mojahedin-e Khalq Organization (MKO) (February 5, 2006)

Human Rights Abuses Inside the Mojahedin Khalq Camps (May 2005)

As Iranian-Canadians, we expect our government in Ottawa to make good on its promise of supporting democracy. As members of Canadian society we are wedded to the understanding that democracy in Iran will not be achieved by resorting to military action or supporting proxy organizations such as the Mojahedin.

Our appeal is simple, respect the views of Iranian-Canadians. Do put pressure on the ruling clergies to respect freedom of speech and free all the prisoners of conscious, seeking justice for Zahra Kazemi and respect the Human Rights and democracy. Democracy in Iran will not achieved by the military actions. Any government that turns a blind eye to atrocities that are blatant violations of human rights, is an accessory to these acts. May we point out after more than 53 years Iranian have still not forgotten the U.S. led coup in 1953 against the democratically elected government of Dr. Mohammad Mosadegh.

With the hope of your immediate consideration,

Yours truly

Saeed Soltanpour

Editor of Taxi Post Journal (www.taxipost.ca)

Journalist of Shahrvand Persian Publication (ssultanpour@yahoo.com)

Director of Center for Thought, Dialogue & Human Rights in Iran

CC:

Right Hon. Stephen Harper

Mr. Peter Mackay, Minster of Foreign Affairs

Mr. Bill Graham, Interim leader of Liberal

Mr. Brian Wilfert, Liberal M.P.

Mr. Jim Karygiannis, Liberal M.P.

Mrs. Yasmin Ratansi, Liberal M.P.

Mrs. Susan Kadis, Liberal M.P.

Canadian and Persian Media and sites

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