El Shafie: Now’s the time for Trudeau to act on Iran 1/17/2018 9:19:59 PM Iranians rally across from the White House in Washington, on Saturday, Jan. 6, 2018, in solidarity with anti-government demonstrators in Iran By Majed El Shafie Iran has seen its largest anti-government protests since the disputed presidential election in 2009. Toronto Sun, January 15, 2018  - It’s been two weeks since Iranians took to the streets across Iran in protest. More than 20 people including children have been killed, over 3,000 have been arrested. With a lull in protest activity following a crackdown by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard (IRGC)- the Ayatollah’s fighting forces – now is the time for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to find his voice and use the levers available to increase pressure to support reforms that benefit the Iranian people. Harsh economic conditions endured by working-class Iranians, corruption and the repression of basic fundamental human rights ha...

FUREY: Staying tough on Iran should be a non-partisan issue Former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad gives an interview to The Associated Press at his office, in Tehran, Iran, Saturday, April 15, 2017. Ebrahim Noroozi  /  AP Canada has a history of going tough on Iran. But now we’re softening our approach to a country long criticized for human rights abuses and questionable nuclear ambitions.   Over 10 years ago Liberal Prime Minister Paul Martin gave the regime’s ambassador to Canada a dressing down over one of then-Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s particularly anti-Semitic speeches. Five years ago Stephen Harper shut down trade and closed shop on diplomatic relations over human rights issues. But Justin Trudeau is taking a different approach. He promised during the 2015 campaign to restore diplomatic and economic relations and they’re now heading in that direction. This all coming on the heels of President Obama’s nuclear de...