OTTAWA — Iran's vice-president said that Stephen Harper's characterization of his country as "evil" shows "huge weakness" on the part of the Canadian prime minister.
Esfandiar Rahim Mashaie also said that the Canadian Forces involvement in Afghanistan has damaged Canada's reputation in the volatile region because it is "under the umbrella" of the United States, which is already unpopular. He offered that assessment Thursday on an unofficial visit to Canada's capital — the intent of which was to revive strained relations between the two countries.
"It's good news that Canada is leaving in 2011 and we welcome that," Mashaie said.
Mashaie said he had not read the recent Wall Street Journal interview in which Harper called the Tehran regime "evil" but said such comments show a lack of understanding of Iran.
Last month, Harper told the Wall Street Journal editorial board on his trip to New York: "It concerns me that we have a regime (in Tehran) with . . . an ideology that is obviously evil . . . My government is a very strong supporter of the state of Israel and considers the Iranian threats to be absolutely unacceptable and beyond the pale."
As Mashaie was making his comments at a news conference, Harper decried anti-Semitism as an evil so profound that it is ultimately a threat to all Canadians, during a Parliament Hill ceremony commemorating Jewish victims targeted during the terrorist attacks in Mumbai.
"Anti-Semitism is a pernicious evil that must be exposed, that must be confronted, that must be repudiated, whenever and wherever it appears," said Harper. "Under our government, Canada will remain an unyielding defender of Jewish religious freedom, a forceful opponent of anti-Semitism in all of its forms and a staunch supporter of a secure and democratic state of Israel."
Asked about the Journal interview, Mashaie said he had "not heard that statement made by the honourable Stephen Harper. But whoever makes such a statement anywhere in this world, of course, has no understanding of Iran whatsoever. It is a huge weakness of the person who created that statement."
Mashaie repeatedly called the presence of Canadian troops in Afghanistan "negative."
"This idea that Canada has a military presence in Afghanistan has a very negative impact and effect in the public opinion of hundreds of millions of people in the region," he said.
"The experience of Canada in Afghanistan has not been a good one, a positive one in terms of security," he added.
Mashaie said people in his region have three unanswered questions about Canadian involvement: "Why did they come to Afghanistan? What have they done in Afghanistan? And why are they leaving Afghanistan and under what condition are they leaving Afghanistan?"
Foreign Affairs Minister Lawrence Cannon said Canada's presence in Afghanistan is part of the United Nations-mandated, NATO-led international partnership with over 50 nations and international organizations committed to rebuilding the country.
"Our engagement has earned the praise of international partners, most recently from (U.S.) President (Barack) Obama," Cannon told Canwest News Service in an e-mailed statement.
"The people of Iran stand to benefit greatly from a secure and stable Afghanistan. We will continue to encourage the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran to play a constructive role in the affairs of neighbouring countries. Canada has urged the government of Iran to take appropriate measures to ensure that no support is provided to any insurgent group in Afghanistan."
Mashaie welcomed U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's invitation to Iran to participate in a special international conference on Afghanistan at the end of the month.
"Any talks related to Afghanistan are important to us and we welcome it," said Mashaie.
Despite his criticism of the deployment of 2,800 Canadian Forces troops to Afghanistan, Mashaie also made a plea to open full diplomatic relations between Tehran and Ottawa, a relationship that has been strained at best since Iranian-born Montreal photojournalist Zahra Kazemi was beaten to death in a Tehran prison in 2003.
Iran expelled Canada's then ambassador to Iran, John Mundy, in December 2007. Since the Kazemi affair, Canada downgraded Iran's diplomatic status and has not allowed Tehran to post an ambassador to Ottawa.
"We have an ambassador ready to be ambassador for Canada," he said.
Afghanistan is Iran's eastern neighbour, so it would be in his country's interest to work with Canada on continuing to stabilize the country "and to help Canada to cope with the aftermath of leaving Afghanistan," he said.
Mashaie's vice-presidential duties include consular affairs. He was on an "unofficial visit" to Canada and was to meet with Iranian diaspora in Ottawa, Montreal and Vancouver. He had no official contacts with Canadian government officials. His only news conference, conducted through an interpreter, was held at the opulent, but unoccupied Rockcliffe Park mansion that is usually home to the Iranian ambassador in Canada.
Mashaie gained some notoriety last year when he gave a speech expressing friendship toward the people of Israel.
Iran's ruling clerics called Mashaie on the carpet and he retracted the statements.
© Copyright (c) Canwest News Service
Iranian Vice-President Esfandiar Rahim Mashaie made a plea to open full diplomatic relations between Tehran and Ottawa, a relationship that has been strained at best since Iranian-born Montreal photojournalist Zahra Kazemi was beaten to death in a Tehran prison in 2003.
Photograph by: Arturo Mari L'Osservatore, Romano Vatican Pool , Getty Images
Esfandiar Rahim Mashaie also said that the Canadian Forces involvement in Afghanistan has damaged Canada's reputation in the volatile region because it is "under the umbrella" of the United States, which is already unpopular. He offered that assessment Thursday on an unofficial visit to Canada's capital — the intent of which was to revive strained relations between the two countries.
"It's good news that Canada is leaving in 2011 and we welcome that," Mashaie said.
Mashaie said he had not read the recent Wall Street Journal interview in which Harper called the Tehran regime "evil" but said such comments show a lack of understanding of Iran.
Last month, Harper told the Wall Street Journal editorial board on his trip to New York: "It concerns me that we have a regime (in Tehran) with . . . an ideology that is obviously evil . . . My government is a very strong supporter of the state of Israel and considers the Iranian threats to be absolutely unacceptable and beyond the pale."
As Mashaie was making his comments at a news conference, Harper decried anti-Semitism as an evil so profound that it is ultimately a threat to all Canadians, during a Parliament Hill ceremony commemorating Jewish victims targeted during the terrorist attacks in Mumbai.
"Anti-Semitism is a pernicious evil that must be exposed, that must be confronted, that must be repudiated, whenever and wherever it appears," said Harper. "Under our government, Canada will remain an unyielding defender of Jewish religious freedom, a forceful opponent of anti-Semitism in all of its forms and a staunch supporter of a secure and democratic state of Israel."
Asked about the Journal interview, Mashaie said he had "not heard that statement made by the honourable Stephen Harper. But whoever makes such a statement anywhere in this world, of course, has no understanding of Iran whatsoever. It is a huge weakness of the person who created that statement."
Mashaie repeatedly called the presence of Canadian troops in Afghanistan "negative."
"This idea that Canada has a military presence in Afghanistan has a very negative impact and effect in the public opinion of hundreds of millions of people in the region," he said.
"The experience of Canada in Afghanistan has not been a good one, a positive one in terms of security," he added.
Mashaie said people in his region have three unanswered questions about Canadian involvement: "Why did they come to Afghanistan? What have they done in Afghanistan? And why are they leaving Afghanistan and under what condition are they leaving Afghanistan?"
Foreign Affairs Minister Lawrence Cannon said Canada's presence in Afghanistan is part of the United Nations-mandated, NATO-led international partnership with over 50 nations and international organizations committed to rebuilding the country.
"Our engagement has earned the praise of international partners, most recently from (U.S.) President (Barack) Obama," Cannon told Canwest News Service in an e-mailed statement.
"The people of Iran stand to benefit greatly from a secure and stable Afghanistan. We will continue to encourage the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran to play a constructive role in the affairs of neighbouring countries. Canada has urged the government of Iran to take appropriate measures to ensure that no support is provided to any insurgent group in Afghanistan."
Mashaie welcomed U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's invitation to Iran to participate in a special international conference on Afghanistan at the end of the month.
"Any talks related to Afghanistan are important to us and we welcome it," said Mashaie.
Despite his criticism of the deployment of 2,800 Canadian Forces troops to Afghanistan, Mashaie also made a plea to open full diplomatic relations between Tehran and Ottawa, a relationship that has been strained at best since Iranian-born Montreal photojournalist Zahra Kazemi was beaten to death in a Tehran prison in 2003.
Iran expelled Canada's then ambassador to Iran, John Mundy, in December 2007. Since the Kazemi affair, Canada downgraded Iran's diplomatic status and has not allowed Tehran to post an ambassador to Ottawa.
"We have an ambassador ready to be ambassador for Canada," he said.
Afghanistan is Iran's eastern neighbour, so it would be in his country's interest to work with Canada on continuing to stabilize the country "and to help Canada to cope with the aftermath of leaving Afghanistan," he said.
Mashaie's vice-presidential duties include consular affairs. He was on an "unofficial visit" to Canada and was to meet with Iranian diaspora in Ottawa, Montreal and Vancouver. He had no official contacts with Canadian government officials. His only news conference, conducted through an interpreter, was held at the opulent, but unoccupied Rockcliffe Park mansion that is usually home to the Iranian ambassador in Canada.
Mashaie gained some notoriety last year when he gave a speech expressing friendship toward the people of Israel.
Iran's ruling clerics called Mashaie on the carpet and he retracted the statements.
© Copyright (c) Canwest News Service
Iranian Vice-President Esfandiar Rahim Mashaie made a plea to open full diplomatic relations between Tehran and Ottawa, a relationship that has been strained at best since Iranian-born Montreal photojournalist Zahra Kazemi was beaten to death in a Tehran prison in 2003.
Photograph by: Arturo Mari L'Osservatore, Romano Vatican Pool , Getty Images
No comments:
Post a Comment