Iran's Strong Reaction to Canadian Prime Minister's Statements on Nowruz

Marzieh Afkham, spokesperson for the Iranian Foreign Ministry, described the recent statements of Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper as "repetitive, illogical, boring, superficial, and contentless," stating that they "do not warrant a response." According to reports, Harper expressed hope during a Nowruz ceremony on the evening of Farvardin 1 that Iran would one day be a free country and that Iranians would be liberated from "oppression and tyranny." He stated that "until that time, our government will strive to ensure that those seeking refuge from the Iranian regime can access freedom, democracy, and justice here in Canada as Canadian citizens." In response to these remarks, the Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson on Farvardin 3 labeled the Conservative government of Canada as "extremist" and claimed that there are many "biased" statements made by the Canadian Prime Minister regarding Iran. Afkham emphasized that it is "very likely that the Prime Minister's pose of advocating for freedom is aimed at garnering votes from the Iranian community in Canada in the upcoming parliamentary elections." She added that such a perspective towards the active and cultured Iranian diaspora in Canada not only indicates that the current Canadian government officials suffer from a superiority complex but also reflects a misjudgment of the Iranian community in Canada. In recent years, relations between Iran and Canada have soured significantly. In September 2012, the Conservative government of Canada labeled Iran as "the greatest threat to global security," closed its embassy in Tehran, and gave Iranian diplomats in Canada five days to leave the country. Meanwhile, following the announcement of the results of the 11th presidential election in Iran and the election of Hassan Rouhani, John Baird, the Canadian Foreign Minister, condemned the restrictions in Iran for holding a free election, stating that the outcome of this election was "meaningless." However, in a different statement, on June 21, 2013, he congratulated Iranians for their "brave" vote in the presidential election, which aimed to compel the government to listen to the voice of the people. The murder of Zahra Kazemi, an Iranian-Canadian photographer in July 2003, has also been one of the reasons for the deterioration of relations between Iran and Canada over the years. Kazemi was arrested by Iranian security forces while photographing in front of Evin Prison on July 2, 2003, and after a few days, she was transferred from Evin Prison to Baqiyatallah Hospital in Tehran, where she died. In this context, Canadian officials called for an investigation into the role of Saeed Mortazavi, the then Tehran prosecutor, "in the rape, torture, and murder" of Zahra Kazemi.