Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper says he hopes one day Iran will be “free from tyranny,” and until then Canada will be a place of refuge for Iranians.
Harper delivered opening remarks Saturday night in Vancouver to an audience
Speaking to an audience Saturday night in Vancouver, the Canadian prime minister called Nowruz, the Iranian new year, “a time of renewal and rebirth.”
“Know that our government shares your hope that Iran itself will experience a renewal, that one day Iran will be a thriving, open country, and that the Iranian people will live free from tyranny and oppression,” he said.
“But until that time, our government will ensure that those who seek refuge from the Iranian regime can access freedom, democracy and justice here in Canada as Canadians.”
“Today, our government joins with Iranians the world over in seeking the return of spring to Iran,” Harper said.
The Iranian regime reacted angrily to Mr. Harper’s remarks describing it as “ill-advised and biased.”
The Iranian regime’s Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Marziyeh Afkham described the Canadian administration as ‘extremist.’