This past weekend, along Yonge Street, Iranian community members, friends, family and allies from near and far stood together in solidarity, lining the streets in the name of justice—justice for Mahsa Amini, and justice for Iranian people everywhere. I witnessed the car horns, the cheers, the Iranian flags surfing the wind and chants for peace, freedom and democracy. I also witnessed the heavy hearts of people worried about their family and friends back home in Iran and abroad.

Speaker, I stand in solidarity with women. I stand in solidarity with Iranian women who advocate against the policing of women’s bodies and who are fighting for their right to choose what they wear, how they wear it and when they wear it.

I stand in solidarity with allies who recognize that to ensure the progress of all members of our communities, we must galvanize to ensure women’s safety against all forms of violence.

I stand in solidarity with the Iranian-Canadians for Justice and Human Rights, a non-partisan and non-religious organization of community activists, not to mention countless numbers of students who have organized peaceful protests for women’s rights, justice and freedom from systemic oppression.

Mahsa Amini should still be on this earth. This 22-year-old Iranian woman was killed in her prime because the Guidance Patrol, Iran’s “morality police,” didn’t approve of how she wore her hijab. Mahsa Amini and protesters before and after her across the globe who have been killed in pursuit of human rights should still be here.

We must never forget. We can never forget our responsibility to stand up against gender-based violence—