Hon. Ratna Omidvar: Honourable senators, I rise on a sombre note. The Islamic Republic of Iran continues to wage war on its own people, but with a laser focus on women. Women in Iran suffer under a system of discrimination and inequity. This is enshrined in their constitution and in their penal code. Their value under the law is precisely half the value of a man. They’re not allowed to wear what they want. They’re not allowed to practise certain occupations. They have limited property rights. Even worse, they are forced to give up their rights to their children on divorce. They are unable to travel without the permission of their male guardian.

Women who protest are routinely imprisoned, tortured, subjected to isolation in prison and raped. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, or IRGC, has been directed — directed — to shoot women who are protesting in their eyes, their faces and their genitals, making reconstructive surgery impossible to conduct.

Colleagues, women in Iran in the last month have said, “Enough is enough.” They are not just speaking out. They are leading their revolution with a roar, which is resonating across the globe.

I am delighted to tell you that the United Nations just passed a resolution removing Iran from the Commission on the Status of Women. Its presence on this body would have been rubbing salt in the wound.

However, we need to take other action that is within our reach. I am, therefore, very pleased to inform you that I have, together with MP Ali Ehsassi of Willowdale, launched an Interparliamentary Friendship Group for a Free Iran.

I urge all of you to sign on as members. We are making it simple for you to do so. Check the box, and send back your reply. There is no money involved. By signing up, you will ensure that the voices of Iranians, Iranian-Canadians and democracy lovers are amplified on Parliament Hill, and, as appropriate, we as legislators and parliamentarians will add our voices to theirs. We will connect members of the Iranian diaspora to parliamentarians — to you — and convene discussions with thought leaders and civil society leaders. By so doing, we will animate the discussion on Parliament Hill in a way to support the movement to a free and democratic Iran.

Colleagues, this is your opportunity to join our call, and I call on all those who are fighting for women, for life and for freedom.

Hon. Ratna Omidvar: Honourable senators, I continue on a sombre note and wish to give voice to the brave Iranian women, men, girls and boys who are facing down a brutal regime in Iran. What better way to do this than to use their own words. These words, which I will read out shortly, were crowdsourced by 25‑year-old musician Shervin Hajipour who captured their essence and put them to music.

On release of the song, he was, of course, immediately jailed and tortured before being released again. He has gone silent, but the song has gone viral — not just in Iran but, in fact, globally.

I am fortunate enough to understand Persian, and every time I listen to this piece, I go weak in the knees. I am struck by how inclusive the words are, and how they are a musical cry for justice. So here goes.

The song is titled “Baraye” or “For.”

For dancing in the alleys

For breaking the taboo of kissing in public

For my sister, your sister, our sisters

For changing rusted minds

For the shame of poverty

For the longing for a normal life

For the dumpster diving children and their wishes

For getting rid of this planned economy

For this polluted air

For the dying Tehran’s landmark trees

For the Persian cheetah about to go extinct

For the unjustly banned street dogs

For the unstoppable tears

For the scene of repeating this moment

For the smiling faces

For students and their future

For this forced road to paradise

For the imprisoned elite students

For the neglected Afghan refugee kids

For all these “for”s that are beyond repetition

For all of these meaningless slogans

For the rubbles of the bribe-built buildings

For the feeling of peace

For the sun after these long nights

For anxiety and insomnia pills

For men, fatherland, prosperity

For the girl who wished to be a boy

For women, life, freedom

Thank you.

Hon. Ratna Omidvar: Honourable senators, my question is for Senator Gold and it is about Iran and hope — specifically the hope that we are seeing based on the actions of courageous Iranian women and girls who are fighting and demonstrating for their freedom.

Canada is helping. We have sanctioned 34 more Iranian officials, adding to the 41 who were already sanctioned along with 161 entities. That is good, but I think that we can do more. You will remember, Senator Gold, that in the Budget Implementation Act that we passed in June of this year, Canada has the authority to confiscate and repurpose sanctioned assets back to the victims. I think this is a glorious opportunity for Canada to step forward in this way.

Can you confirm whether Canada will use this new tool and move to confiscate Iranian assets to help the victims of this oppressive regime?

Senator Omidvar: I am pleased to hear that the government is exploring all options. Could the government provide the dollar amount of Iranian assets that have been sanctioned by the Canadian government?

Hon. Ratna Omidvar: Honourable senators, I rise to acknowledge the contribution of Iranian Canadians to our great country.

Most of us left Iran in the wake of the Islamic Revolution, and “left” is actually a benign word for how we got out. Some crawled, others fought, yet others smuggled themselves out. Others paid to get out at some considerable personal risk to their own lives, as my family in the gallery can attest.

I remember looking back at the border between Turkey and Iran. I looked back one last time — it was early dawn — to Iran. I remember saying to myself, “Iran will be a democracy in five years — this was 1981 — and I will be back.”

Colleagues, how wrong I was. I no longer believe that I will ever go back to Iran and that Iran will, at least not in my lifetime, be a democracy.

Instead, we have chosen to set down roots in our new country. There are close to 200,000 Iranian-Canadians in Canada. After the initial 10 years of hardship — fitting in, finding work, finding your identity — I think it’s safe to say that Iranian-Canadians have arrived. They are present in all aspects of our society. They are entrepreneurs. They are leaders in business. They are leaders in industry and finance. They are academics and thought leaders. They are politicians and philanthropists. They are architects and developers. They are politicians. They are writers, artists and actors, and, yes, they play baseball and hockey, although, frankly, they are still mad for soccer.

Like other Canadians, they also voice their opinions, as they have been doing in the last two days in Canada to protest the oppression of women in Iran. Their trajectory is not unlike that of other immigrant communities. They take to heart the universal message that is sent to us when we arrive: Work hard, follow the rules and you and your children will succeed.

As I look at my family up in the gallery, I know that none of us imagined a life for ourselves outside of Iran. But now that we are here, I know we are also incredibly grateful to this country for allowing us to weave our narrative into yours and Canada’s. Thank you.