از آنرو که هییت مدیره های کنگره لزومی برای حفظ اطلاعات از سالی به سال دیگر نمی بینند، این صفحه بوجود آمده است تا که اطلاعات را ثبت نموده و تاریخچه ای برای کنگره بوجود آورد. در تصحیح اطلاعات ما را یاری کنید.

دوره چهارم - 2012

global dialogue iranThe Munk School of Global Affairs will launch the inaugural Global Dialogue on the Future of Iran (hosted by the Munk School in Toronto, with support of the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada - DFAIT). This is a two day conference starting May 10th – May 11th, 2013.

The objectives of the initiative are focused on creating political space for public dialogue among Iranians on the future of Iran. As such, the Global Dialogue is committed to exploring ideas from voices that are as varied and as representative as possible.

Participants can look forward to dialogue on a number of important themes:

· The Iranian Economy: Prosperity or Poverty? · Political Participation and the Obstacles to Freedom in Iran · Defending Rights, Diversity and Equality for Women · Open Session: What’s on the Minds of our Online Global Dialogue Participants? (Topics crowd-sourced from Iranians inside and outside Iran.) · Diplomacy with Iran – Escaping Isolation

The Munk School will use a full range of media tools to broadcast, record, and document the dialogue as it unfolds (ensuring it is widely available to the Iranian public during and after the event.) In addition, participants at the event itself will be encouraged to provide their thoughts through direct-to-camera short interviews that will be immediately made available on the Global Dialogue website and through social media.

The official website is www.theglobaldialogue.ca, and the countdown to the official launch has begun.

Watching the Event

The Global Dialogue on the Future of Iran will be broadcast live (on May 10th and 11th) via YouTube and Google Hangouts. Tune in to www.theglobaldialogue.ca during the conference for the latest link to each session. Refresh the homepage for the latest link.

Participating in the Event

If you would like to participate and connect, both during and after the event, you will find al list of alternatives you may choose from:

1. Connect directly on Twitter (www.twitter.com/gdfilive) and Facebook (www.facebook.com/TheGlobalDialogue) so you can be followed and updated on the latest information related to the Dialogue.

2. Visit the official Google Moderator page (www.google.com/moderator/#16/e=209f57) where you can pose ideas for crowd-sourced session on day two of the conference. Pose questions and comments that you think should be included as part of the other thematic sections of the dialogue.

3. Share this message with your friends/family and networks and encourage them to contribute their comments and questions on the subjects to be covered in the dialogue, as well as ideas for the crowd-sourced session. If they cannot connect to any of these channels above, they can connect with at munkschool@utoronto.ca for help.

The ICC encourages the Iranian Canadian Community to get involved and add their voices to the discussions. By participating, you can help ensure that the voices of Iranians inside Iran are heard.

_________________________________________________________

درباره گفت و گوی جهانی درباره آینده ایران

موسسه آموزشی امور جهانی مانک بتاریخ دهم و یازدهم ماه می 3102 اقدام به برگزاری گشایشی گفت و گوی جهانی درباره آینده ایران )به همت موسسه آموزشی مانک در تورنتو با همیاری وزارت امور خارجه و تجارت بین المللی کانادا( مینماید. در این رویداد ویژه، شخصیتهای ایرانی خواستار آگاهی از چندگونگی نظراتی که باید ضمن برگزاری انتخابات مردم ساالری شنیده شود، حضور خواهند داشت.

گفت و گوی جهانی، موجب گشایش شبکه های ارتباطی بین ایرانیان و نیز مشارکت فعاالنه مجازی از داخل ایران ضمن برگزاری این گفت و شنود میشود. طیفی از گزیده ها در اختیار کسانی که از طریق اینترنت شرکت میکنند، قرار میگیرد تا بتوانند در طول برگزاری این رویداد، پرسشها و نظراتی ابراز و نیز در رهنمود مسائل مورد بحث بطور زنده شرکت جویند. گفت و گوی جهانی متعهد است که نظرات ابرازی از قول کسانی را مورد کاوش قرار دهد که حتی المقدور متنوع باشند. موضوعات مهم مورد بحث از جمله عبارتند از:  اقتصاد ایران: شکوفائی یا فقر؟  مشارکت سیاسی و موانع بر سر آزادی در ایران  دفاع از حقوق و چندگونگی و برابری برای زنان  نشست آزاد: نظرات شرکت کنندگان گفت و گوی جهانی از طریق اینترنت چیست؟  دیپلماسی با ایران – فرار از انزوا موسسه آموزشی مانک ضمن کاربرد طیف وسیعی از ابزار و وسائل الزم، برنامه گفت و گوی مزبور را پخش و ضبط و بصورت سند حفظ مینماید )از نظر حصول اطمینان از قابلیت دسترسی عامه ایرانیان به آن در طول و نیز پس از برگزاری آن(. عالوه بر این، شرکت کنندگان حاضر در این رویداد تشویق میشوند که مصاحباتی کوتاه جلو دوربین انجام دهند که بالفاصله در تارنمای گفت و گوی جهانی و نیز در وسائل ارتباط جمعی در دسترس قرار خواهند گرفت. هدف ما اینستکه ضمن تبدیل گفت و گوی جهانی به طرحی پویا، صدای مردم ساالری ایران را هم پیش و هم پس از برگزاری انتخابات در ماه جون سال جاری، هرچه رساتر سازیم. کوششهای ما معطوف است به ایجاد فضای سیاسی برای گفتمان عمومی بین ایرانیان راجع به آینده ایران. میخواهیم شما را تشویق به تشریک اطالعات درباره این گفتمان با هر کسی کنیم که عالقمند به رساندن صدای ایرانیان ً یا از طریق تارنمای خود در این گفتمان شرکت جوئید، لطفا ً سراسر جهان و داخل ایران میباشند. چنانچه میخواهید شخصا به تارنمای ما http://www.theglobaldialogue.ca مراجعه کرده هر آنچه را که میخواهید با ما تماس و سهیم و مشارکت نمائید. چگونگی تماس و تسهیم و مشارکت تماشای برنامه گفت و گوی جهانی درباره آینده ایران بطور زنده روزهای 01 و 00 ماه می از طریق YouTube و Global Hangouts پخش میشود. در طول کنفرانس جهت آگاهی از آخرین اخبار مربوط به این همایش به .www.theglobaldialogue.caمراجعه نمائید. جهت اطالع از آخرین آدرس ارتباطی، تماس با صفحه مربوطه را تکرار کنید. کارشناسان ما از محل برگزاری، از طریق twitter رسمی گفت و گوی جهانی http://twitter.com/gdfilive بطور زنده تماس خود را حفظ میکنند. ضمن تماس با ما با اشاره به gdfilive@ پرسشهای خود را مطرح، نظرات خود را ابراز و پیشنهادات خود را در باره موضوعات مورد طرح جلسه روز شنبه اعالم نمائید. گزینه های زبان تماما فارسی یا انگلیسی گوش کنند فراهم خواهد بود. این گزینه ً ارتباط صوتی زنده برای کسانی که بخواهند برنامه را به برای شنوندگان مناطق طول موج ضعیف با میزان bit پائین پخش میگردد. مدت کوتاهی پس از برگزاری این کنفرانس، پیاده کردن آن بصورت MP3 از طریق تارنمای گفت و گوی جهانی امکان پذیر خواهد بود. به صفحه Participate در تارنمای www.theglobaldialogue.ca مراجعه نمائید. طرح پرسش و مشارکت از طریق اینترنت گفت و گوی جهانی ضمن استفاده از Google Moderator گفتمان مزبور را بروی تمامی شرکت کنذدگان سراسر جهان باز میکند. جهت طرح پرسش مستقیم یا دادن رأی برای سوال مورد نظر، ضمن مراجعه به صفحه Google Moderator با ما تماس حاصل فرمائید. میتوانید بدون اعالم نام خود، نظرات خویش را اعالم کنید. برای طرح پرسش و رأی دادن به http://goo.gl/mod/lccm مراجعه فرمائید. نحوه تماس با ما به انتخاب شماست (Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Google) پرسشها و نظرات خود را به سلیقه خود برای ما بفرستید. ما بگوش هستیم!

Twitter: http://twitter.com/gdfilive
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/theglobaldialogue
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/theglobaldialogue
Google+Page: http://goo.gl/MADdR
http://iccongress.ca/announcement/connecting-global-dialogue-future-iran#sthash.kMHrFiBA.dpuf

On Sunday, May 5, 2013, the Iranian Canadian Congress (ICC) held its fifth Annual General Meeting (AGM) at the Sheraton Parkway Hotel in Richmond Hill with more than 340 registered members participating in the election.

Farrokh Zandi the President of the ICC commenced the pro- gram with the annual activities report of 2012. He spoke of
- the ICC’s efforts to restructure and optimize the organization,
- increase the ICC media presence, and
- enhance its influence among officials at all levels of government. Dr. Zandi noted that
- a main aspiration of the ICC is to ensure the Iranian Canadian youth, in particular second generation Iranian Canadians, are engaged in community-related issues.

- He commented on the ICC’s swift and effective response
- to the closure of the Iranian embassy in Canada and
- TD bank’s decision to close the bank accounts of some Iranian Canadian community members.

In addition, Dr. Zandi expressed his gratitude, on behalf of the ICC, toward the tireless efforts and outstanding achievements of former Board of Directors member, Mr. Kaveh Shahrooz, Vice President and spokesperson of the ICC,
_ and Advisory Board Members Mr. Reza Banai, Ms. Atoosa Mahdavian, and Mr. Ali Vakili.
- The aforementioned Board Members submitted their resignations prior to the AGM.

- Dr. Davod Kafai, Treasure of the ICC, presented the financial report for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2012. The ICC’s financial position as of that date was -$ 1,242.52. A motion to approve the Financial Report was adopted by a majority vote.

- A question and answer segment followed Dr. Zandi and Dr. Kafai’s presentations allowing members of the ICC to pose questions and concerns.

- During the second section of the program, an election was held to occupy five (5) vacant Board of Directors positions..

- Prior to the candidate speeches, two one-time motions were presented to waive the eligibility requirements for a few candidates.
- The first Motion (to waive the one-year membership eligibility requirement) was adopted by a majority vote and
- the second Motion (to waive the Canadian citizenship eligibility requirement) was not adopted by majority vote.

- The election monitors, Ms. Rose Bahrami, Ms. Minoo Derakhshan, Mr. Shahram Saremi, and Mr. Hossein Zereshkian oversaw the entire election process, from the registration of members to the counting of the ballots.

- Once the votes were cast, Ms. Maryam Nayeb Yazdi, Ms. Yasna Beheshti, Ms. Sarah Takhsha, Ms. Shahla Ghafouri, and Ms. Sima Tajdini were announced as the newly elected members of the ICC’s Board of Directors. Election monitor, Ms. Bahrami announced the election results.

- In its newest term, the ICC aims to create sub-committees in hopes of engaging its members in activities related to the ICC and the Iranian Canadian community. The initiatives include revising the ICC’s Bylaws and adding Persian content to the ICC website.

The Iranian Canadian Congress wishes to sincerely thank all the members who came out and voted, the election monitors, and the tremendous volunteers who assisted.

http://iccongress.ca/announcement/icc-holds-fifth-annual-general-meeting#sthash.NkRtG3Rh.dpuf

IMPORTANT NOTICE

The Annual General Meeting of the Iranian Canadian Congress

The Board of Directors of the Iranian Canadian Congress (“ICC”) hereby announces to its members and other members of the community that its Annual General Meeting (“AGM”) will be held on Sunday, May 5, 2013, 1:00pm, at the Sheraton Parkway Hotel located at 600 Hwy 7 Richmond Hill, ON L4B 4R8.

The AGM agenda is as follows:

(1) A report to the members regarding the activities of the ICC in the past year

(2) A financial report of the ICC’s finances since its founding, and submission thereof for approval of the general membership

(3) Proposal submitted for the approval of the membership concerning revisions to the ICC’s bylaws (the proposed changes will be announced via the media and the ICC website prior to the AGM)

(4) Motion to waive one-year membership eligibility requirement for candidacy

(5) Motion to waive Canadian citizenship eligibility requirement for candidacy

(6) An introduction to the candidates seeking election to the four vacant seats on the ICC’s Board of Directors, followed by election for the four seats

(7) Announcement of election results.

It is hereby also announce that all eligible candidates must declare their candidacy by 11:59 p.m., April 18, 2013. Details on how to become a candidate, and the requirements you must meet to become a candidate, are available by clicking here.

In addition, we hereby also announce that to be eligible to vote at the AGM, you must be a member of the ICC. It is recommended that you become a member by no later than May 2, 2013.

Whether you were a member before, or are joining as a member today, you must be electronically registered. To do so, click here and fill in the information (including assigning yourself a new password.) The $10 membership fee will be collected at the AGM.

 http://iccongress.ca/announcement/notice-annual-general-meeting#sthash.PHVHQk9N.dpuf

Ideal program participants want to be involved in the political process and are committed to supporting the Iranian Canadian community achieve greater civic leadership.

Please RSVP to info@iccongress.ca by April 14th, 2013 as spots are limited. (Or by phone at # 416-218-5550)
When: Sunday, April 21st 2013, 11AM – 2PM
Where: 5100 Yonge St, North York, Civic center, Committee Room # 4

کنگره ایرانیان کانادا برگزار می‌کند کنگره ایرانیان کانادا با خوشوقتی به اطلاع می‌رساند که کارگاه یک روزه Democratic Engagement Program را در ماه آپریل برگزار می‌کند.در این برنامه ضمن آشنایی با ساختارها و روند کارکرد نهادهای سیاسی کانادا می‌آموزید که چگونه می‌توان داوطلب فعال برگزاری انتخابات شد و در حوزه های انتخاباتی استان انتاریو و همچنین دولت فدرال شرکت کرد . در این کارگاه شما : * با اصول اساسی یک کمپین انتخاباتی آشنا می شوید * می‌آموزید که چگونه داوطلب با هدفی باشید * و چه گونه رای دهندگان را تشویق و متقاعد کنید تا در انتخابات شرکت کنند شرکت کنندگان در این برنامه با یاد گیری نحوه مشارکت در روند فعالیت‌های سیاسی قادر خواهند شد که با حمایت از جامعه ایرانی-کانادایی مدیریت شهروندی مورد نظرشان را به مرحله اجرا درآورند. به دلیل محدود بودن جا از علاقمندان به شرکت در این برنامه تقاضا می‌شودهرچه زود تر با ایمیل info@iccongress.ca ویا تلفن:416-218-5550 تماس بگیرند. زمان:شنبه ٢١ آوریل ٢٠١٣ از ساعت١١ صبح تا ٢ بعدازظهر مکان:5100 خیابان یانگ، سیویک سنتر نورت یورک اتاق اجتماعات شماره 4

http://iccongress.ca/announcement/icc-host-second-democratic-engagement-program#sthash.tYIq4eo3.dpuf

CANDIDATES FOR THE ICC BOARD OF DIRECTORS; OTHER AGM INFORMATION

ICC SEEKS YOUR INPUT ON PROPOSED BYLAW REVISIONS

On April 5, 2013, the Iranian Canadian Congress hosted its first annual ICC Achievement Awards Gala at Toronto’s glamorous Royal York Hotel. The event was attended by over 850 community members and was among the most successful Iranian-Canadian events ever held.

Elected officials at the federal, provincial, and municipal levels and from all three major political parties were present. Also in attendance were the two Iranian-Canadian elected officials: the Honourable Dr. Reza Moridi (MPP Richmond Hill and Minister of Innovation and Research) and Dr. Amir Khadir (Quebec Member of National Assembly, Riding of Mercier). Messages of support for the ICC were also received from the Honourable Jason Kenney, Canada’s Minister of Immigration and Citizenship, the Honourable Kathleen Wynne, Premier of Ontario, and the Honourable Michael Coteau, Ontario’s Minister of Citizenship and Immigration.

- ICC Board and Achievement Award Winners
During this award ceremony, the ICC celebrated the success of the Iranian-Canadian community in general, and in particular the achievements of three stellar individuals. The winners of the three awards were Dr. Hadi Mahabadi (achievement in science or medicine), Ms. Afkham Mardukhi (achievement in social justice and civic service), and the Honourable Dr. Reza Moridi (President’s Award for outstanding contribution the Iranian-Canadian community.) (Biographies of all winners can be read by clicking here.)

The master of ceremonies of the event was Yasna Beheshti, a member of the ICC’s Board of Directors. The event featured speeches by Dr. Farrokh Zandi (President of ICC),
Mr. Kaveh Shahrooz (Vice President of ICC), Mr. David Mousavi (member of the ICC’s board of directors) and Dr. Payam Akhavan (member of the ICC’s Advisory Board.)

The ICC was honoured by the presence of a special guest, music legend Dariush Eghbali. Mr. Eghbali was recognized for his professional success and his community
engagement. He delivered some prepared remarks in which he discussed the importance of unity among citizens, the critical role played by non-governmental organizations,
and the critical importance of emphasizing human rights.

The evening’s entertainment was performed by well-known Iranian-Canadian musician Babak Amini. Symbolizing the fusion of our community’s Iranian and Canadian identities,
Amini and his band began the proceedings with a beautiful rendition of “O Canada” performed with a mixture of Western and Iranian instruments. Amini and vocalist
Mohammad Reza Sadeghi also closed the show with a captivating performance of two classic Iranian songs.

It is the ICC’s belief that people of Iranian ethnicity contribute to Canada every day in myriad ways. Regardless of their profession, education, or income, many
Iranian-Canadians work hard each day to achieve success and to give back to their communities. The intention of the ICC Achievement Awards Gala was to
celebrate the central value of hard work and community involvement and to honour those who have made significant contributions to Canada while remaining
engaged with the Iranian community.

 http://iccongress.ca/announcement/icc-hosts-successful-achievement-awards-gala#sthash.TusQ97ZO.dpuf

منوهر میثاقی - مقاله شهروند     فرح طاهری - مقاله شهروند      مشهود ناصری - مقاله سلام تورنتو

(کلیه اطلاعات سال های 2012 و 2013 توسط بیژن احمدی از سایت کنگره حذف شده اند.)

ICC RECOGNIZES IRANIAN CANADIAN ACHIEVEMENT: DR. KEVIN ROD

The Iranian Canadian Congress invites you to its FIRST ANNUAL ICC ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS GALA, celebrating the accomplishments of the Iranian-Canadian community in a variety of fields. At this prestigious awards ceremony, the ICC will present awards to a number of stellar individuals who have made significant contributions to Canadian society.

Tickets go on sale on Friday, March 15, 2013. Tickets will not be available at the door and will only be sold in advance. We hope you will join us in celebrating our community's achievements.

THE ICC RECOGNITION AWARDS DATE: APRIL 5, 2013
VENUE: The Royal York Hotel 100 Front Street West, Toronto (accessible by TTC at Union Station)
TIME: 6:30 (Registration) 7:30 (Awards Ceremony Followed by Dinner)
TICKETS: $50 A limited number of student tickets available for $30

You can purchase tickets by calling the ICC office at 416-218-5550 or sending an email to tickets@iccongress.ca

http://iccongress.ca/announcement/icc-host-first-annual-achievement-awards#sthash.EKehjJNK.dpuf

MAYOR OF TORONTO SENDS NOWRUZ GREETING TO ICC

The Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Iranian Canadian Congress (ICC) is coming up soon! We will share with you the exact date, time, and location of the AGM in the very near future. We will also soon distribute information about how to become a candidate for the upcoming ICC board elections.

Remember: to run as a candidate, to vote, or to participate in the AGM, you must be a member of the ICC.

IF YOU ARE AN ICC MEMBER, IT IS TIME TO RENEW YOUR MEMBERSHIP. CLICK THIS LINK AND COMPLETE THIS ELECTRONIC FORM TO RENEW YOUR MEMBERSHIP. (Note: You must choose a new password and enter your contact information.)

IF YOU HAVE NEVER BEEN A MEMBER IN THE PAST OR YOUR MEMBERSHIP HAS EXPIRED, THE TIME TO SIGN UP AS AN ICC MEMBER IS NOW. CLICK THIS LINK AND COMPLETE THIS FORM TO BECOME A MEMBER. Each person, regardless of whether or not he/she had ever signed up for membership in the past, must register on the ICC site as a member to be eligible to participate in the AGM. Any questions should be directed to membership@iccongress.ca.

http://iccongress.ca/announcement/icc-encourages-you-become-member#sthash.N4T2fiSk.dpuf

ICC CONGRATULATES DR. REZA MORIDI, ONTARIO'S NEW MINISTER OF RESEARCH AND INNOVATION

ICC RECOGNIZES IRANIAN-CANADIAN ACHIEVEMENT: MS. BAILEY (BAHAREH) VAEZ

 The ICC is committed to encouraging Iranian-Canadian participation in Canadian society.  We are therefore delighted to inform you that a member of the ICC, Mr. Changiz Sadr, is running for the East Central Region Councillor of the Professional Engineers of Ontario (PEO) for 2013.  Members of the following chapters of PEO are eligible to vote for Mr. Sadr: East Toronto, Lake Ontario, Scarborough, Simcoe Muskoka, Willowdale/Thornhill and York. Aside from his community involvement, Mr. Sadr is the past-chair of the Willowdale/Thornhill chapter of PEO, and has held several positions with the board of the executives including Chair (2008 to 2010) and Vice Chair (2005 to 2008).

To learn more about Mr. Sadr’s candidacy, you can visit his site and his election Facebook page.  A copy of Mr. Sadr's election poster can be seen below. Voting will start on January 25th and be on until March 1st, and be conducted online only.  The ICC wishes Mr. Sadr well in this election.
http://iccongress.ca/articles/icc-member-changiz-sadr-seeks-peo-councillor-seat#sthash.eR1Z6txk.dpuf

January 7, 2012
ICC RECOGNIZES IRANIAN-CANADIAN ACHIEVEMENT: DR. HADI MAHABADI

The ICC has recently has learned that a young Iranian-Canadian woman suffering from leukemia is in need of a bone marrow transplant. Shahrzad Jabbarian, a 24 year old woman in the Greater Toronto Area, was diagnosed with the illness in September 2012.

Medical professionals have indicated that the best way to find a bone marrow match is to seek a donor in her cultural community. At present, there are very few Iranians in the Unrelated Bone Marrow Donor Registry. The ideal candidates are males between the ages of 17-35. Others are certainly encouraged to be tested.

An important information and testing session will be taking place on Saturday January 19, 2013 from 1:00 pm-7:00 pm at Persian Palace (full details below). The information session will be delivered by OneMatch Stem Cell and Marrow Network, a network under the auspices of Canadian Blood Services. A donor screening process will follow thereafter.

The ICC encourages all community members to attend this session and to share this message with other members of the Iranian-Canadian community.

Your attendance will help increase the donors to the Unrelated Bone Marrow Donor Registry and will provide support for Sharhzad and others like her struggling with leukemia.

Information about the session is as follows:
LOCATION: Persian Palace, 10711 Yonge Street, Richmond Hill, ON L4C 3E1 (to see the location on a map, click here)
DATE: Saturday January 19, 2013
TIME: 1:00 pm-7:00 pm

To read more about OneMatch, click here. To learn more about Shahrzad’s situation, click here.

We hope that you will help in this important initiative. Your involvement can save a life.

http://iccongress.ca/announcement/icc-encourages-paticipation-onematch-event#sthash.xS7sHjMb.dpuf

http://iccongress.ca/news?page=9#sthash.4wXETHha.dpuf

http://iccongress.ca/announcement/icc-hosts-largest-social-event-its-history#sthash.M95eOVi5.dpuf

The ICC is excited to announce that it will host a year-end gathering on Sunday, December 2, 2012. The event will be an opportunity to see friends and community members, reflect on the work of the Iranian Canadian Congress in the past year, and to look ahead to all the exciting initiatives in 2013. A number of prominent elected officials from various political parties will be in attendance. The details are below. We are looking forward to seeing you there.

DATE: December 2, 2012

TIME: 6:00pm-10:00pm (Cocktails and Networking 6:00pm-7:00pm Dinner at 7:00)

LOCATION: The Bayview Golf Club 25 Fairway Heights Drive Thornhill, Ontario

TICKET PRICE: $100

TO PURCHASE: Send an email to info@iccongress.ca

http://iccongress.ca/announcement/icc-host-year-end-gathering-december-2-2012#sthash.Ou0BNkes.dpuf

November 23, 2012
ICC Statement Referenced by Senator Frum

In a debate of the Canadian Senate on November 22, 2012, Senator Linda Frum spoke in defense of Nasrin Sotoudeh, a political prisoner in Iran, and referenced the recent letter from the Iranian Canadian Congress to Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird.  Senator Frum's statement can be read below and can be found as part of the Senate debate here.

Hon. Linda Frum: Honourable senators, I would like to draw your attention to the urgent situation of Nasrin Sotoudeh, a brave attorney held behind bars in Iran since September 2010.

Senator Eaton first told us about the case of Nasrin Sotoudeh last February during the Senate's inquiry into human rights abuses in Iran. Nasrin Sotoudeh is currently serving a six-year prison term and has been banned from her profession for 10 years for her defence of other political and religious prisoners.

Today Nasrin is on her thirty-eighth day of an indefinite hunger strike. Her husband's public updates regarding her well-being have been frightening. Yesterday he announced that her weight has dropped to 95 pounds and that she was finally transferred back to the Evin Prison general women's ward after the Iranian authorities secretly held her in solitary confinement for 19 days.

One of the main reasons she launched her hunger strike is reportedly because the Iranian authorities continuously harass and threaten her family. For example, the Iranian authorities have banned her 12-year-old daughter from leaving the country. During a cubicle visit on Tuesday, November 20, Nasrin Sotoudeh told her husband, "I cannot just sit here and allow them to do whatever they like to my family."

Honourable senators, there is no doubt that Nasrin Sotoudeh and her family are innocent hostages of the Iranian regime. Members of the Iranian community, including the Iranian Canadian Congress, have asked that Iranian authorities be reminded that they are accountable for Nasrin Sotoudeh's life, her inhumane treatment and her false imprisonment.

Let us unite our voices collectively to call for the immediate and unconditional release of Nasrin Sotoudeh and all of Iran's unlawfully held political prisoners.

The minutes of the meeting are available here.

If you wish to complete a survey distributed at this event, please click here. You can send the competed survey to info@iccongress.ca.

http://iccongress.ca/announcement/icc-hosts-second-successful-community-group-roundtable#sthash.p3vxnoke.dpuf

November 14, 2012
Toronto Star References ICC Action on Sotoudeh

In her column on Nasrin Sotoudeh's ongoing hunger strike in Iran, The Toronto Star's Olivia Ward made reference to the ICC's letter to Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird which urged the Government of Canada to participate in an international campaign for her release.

The Toronto Star article can be read here.

In its letter, the ICC expressed serious concerns about the situation faced by Ms. Sotoudeh, a courageous lawyer in Iran currently imprisoned for defending political prisoners.  The letter made reference to actions and statements by Canada's likeminded countries, including the United States and the European Union, and asked that Canada take a similarly bold approach with respect to the Sotoudeh case.

ICC URGES CANADIAN ACTION ON SOTOUDEH

ICC APPOINTS TWO NEW BOARD MEMBERS

September 9, 2012
CTV Interviews ICC on Embassy Closure

Kaveh Shahrooz, Vice President of the ICC, spoke today to CTV Newsnet regarding Canada's decision to end diplomatic relations with Iran and its effect on the Iranian-Canadian community. 
You can watch video of the interview on the CTV Newsnet site, here.

September 7, 2012
ICC VP Discusses Embassy Closure with CBC

The Vice President of the ICC, Kaveh Shahrooz, was interviewed by CBC Newsworld concerning the Government of Canada's recent decision to cut off diplomatic relations with Iran. 

Full video of the interview is below.

http://iccongress.ca/inthenews/icc-vp-discusses-embassy-closure-cbc#sthash.tHHjxFLP.dpuf
 

September 6, 2012
Ottawa Citizen Reports on ICC's Letter to Senator Meredith

The Ottawa Citizen, one of Canada's leading newspapers, has reported on the ICC's recent letter of protest to Senator Don Meredith concerning his decision to attend an event organized by the Iranian embassy in Ottawa.  The full text of the article is below.

Senator chided over Iranian embassy event

Organization expresses concern at Tory's opening remarks during cultural exhibition

By Michelle Zilio And Karen Chen, Ottawa Citizen September 6, 2012

The Iranian Canadian Congress has joined the wave of criticism facing Conservative Senator Don Meredith for at-tending an event organized by the Iranian Cultural Centre.

The senator faced backlash from the Iranian-Canadian community after attending a Persian cultural exhibition at Ottawa City Hall on Saturday.The event was organized by the Iranian embassy and the Iranian Cultural Association at Carleton University.

Meredith, a Pentecostal pastor who sits on the Senate's Standing Committee on Human Rights, was considered the guest of honour at the event. He delivered the opening remarks.

Iranian Canadian Congress president Farrokh Zandi denounced Meredith's attendance in a letter to the senator Wednesday.The organization expressed "deep concern" for Meredith's presence at the event, particularly the speech he delivered.Meredith's remarks Saturday included a reference to Iranian chargé d'affaires Kambiz Sheikh-Hassani as his "great friend." Sheikh-Has-sani is an outspoken supporter of the Iranian Embassy, which recently faced accusations that its Iranian Cultural Centre is formed by Iranian agents.

While the comments made were concerning for the congress, what was even more worrisome was an omission. Meredith did not mention the "dire" situation two Canadian citizens and a permanent Canadian resident face in Iranian prisons without due process. Two of these individuals face the death penalty, according to the congress.

"We are deeply worried that by attending an event of this nature, Senator Meredith ... has ignored the plight of Iranian people, in particular Iranian-Canadians languishing in Iranian prisons without trial," said Kaveh Shahrooz, vice-president of the ICC, in a press release Wednesday.

The congress joins the multitude of Iranian Canadians disturbed by Meredith's attendance at the event.Shabnam Assadollahi, an Ottawa activist for the Iranian community, said she is putting pressure on the Senate human rights committee to reconsider Meredith's membership.

The federal Conservative government was also at odds with Meredith's choice to at-tend the event. "Our government's position with respect to the Iranian regime is well known. Senator Meredith was not representing the government at this event," Carl Vallée, Prime Minister Stephen Harper's press secretary, told the Citizen in an email Wednesday.Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird has been critical of the Islamic Republic and has advised officials not to at-tend such cultural events.

Meredith did not respond to requests for comment Wednesday. However, his Facebook page did acknowledge the concerns raised.

http://www.ottawacitizen.com/news/Senator+chided+over+Iranian+embassy+event/7197145/story.html

http://iccongress.ca/inthenews/ottawa-citizen-reports-iccs-letter-senator-meredith#sthash.wFZbR0vW.dpuf
 

4 September 2012
ICC STATEMENT REGARDING SENATOR MEREDITH

http://iccongress.ca/announcement/icc-holds-successful-panel-discussion-bill-c-31#sthash.DgNmLILb.dpuf

July 20, 2012
Ottawa Citizen Reports on Recent ICC Meeting With TD Bank

 The Ottawa Citizen, one of Canada's leading dailies, reported on the ICC's productive recent meeting with TD Canada Trust President and CEO.  The article can be read on the Ottawa Citizen website. The full text is below.

Iranian Canadian Congress meets with TD bank officials over closed accounts

By MICHELLE ZILIO, The Ottawa Citizen July 20, 2012 OTTAWA —

Leaders of the Iranian-Canadian community pleaded their case Thursday with TD bank officials who’ve closed the bank accounts of Iranian expatriates in a bid to comply with sanctions against their home country.

While members of the Iranian Canadian Congress didn’t emerge from the hour-long meeting at the TD Canada Trust Tower with any promises, they said they left with a sense that their concerns were finally being heard.

“In response to ICC concerns, TD indicated that it now better understands the difficulties caused for the Iranian-Canadian community and that it will address the issue more seriously in the future,” said the ICC in a press release Thursday evening.

During the meeting, TD said it stressed that the recent decisions to close the accounts “were not based on ethnicity, a person’s name or a particular community.” The bank also reiterated its plan to “reach out” to some Iranian-Canadians whose accounts were closed in compliance with the sanctions.

The meeting was held exactly two weeks after the Citizen reported that TD Bank Group had begun sending letters to clients whose accounts it had closed. The letters told clients that under recent changes to the Special Economic Measures (Iran) Regulation, Canadian financial institutions are forbidden from providing financial services to anyone in Iran or for the benefit of Iran, and anyone who provided and retained an active residential or employment address in Iran.

According to the Canadian Bankers Association, it is up to each bank individually to ensure compliance with economic sanctions.

After receiving an email from the ICC last week, TD agreed to meet with the organization in two weeks. Although reports said the meeting would be held July 22, it was held early Thursday. TD began sending the letters to Iranian-Canadians across the country as early as the beginning of May, according to some of those who received them.

The bank said it tried to contact customers affected by the regulations, and in cases where they did not hear back, it was forced to close their accounts.

The bank announced Tuesday its plan to contact clients affected by the account closures who did not answer calls or letters to confirm or update their information. The action will be taken in the next 30 days and may lead to the restoration of some banking relationships.

While TD’s decision to contact former accounts holders is a “positive” step forward for the ICC, the organization stressed the need for increased outreach to better promote the rights of Iranian-Canadian community members. “We recognize that TD operates in a complex regulatory environment, but believe it is imperative that customers who have not violated Canadian laws are not harmed,” said Kaveh Shahrooz, vice-president of the ICC, in a press release.

TD and the ICC said they are committed to working closely as they move forward. The ICC said it plans to assist the bank with its community outreach in the next 30 days and hold a public forum for Iranian-Canadians affected by the closures to make TD’s intentions known.

So far, it appears no other Canadian bank has taken the same action as TD. The bank could not confirm how many accounts had been closed as a result of the sanctions, but closures have been reported in Ottawa, Montreal, Toronto and British Columbia.

http://www.ottawacitizen.com/Iranian+Canadian+Congress+meets+with+bank+officials+over+closed+account

11 July 2012
ICC Featured in BBC Report on TD Bank Decision to Close Bank Accounts

The ICC was quoted in a recent article by the BBC concerning TD Bank's decision to close the bank accounts of Iranian-Canadians. 

 In the article, ICC vice president Kaveh Shahrooz emphasized that pensioners, students, and others with no affiliation with the Iranian regime should not be harmed by Canada's sanctions.

 The article is available here . The text is below.

TD Bank: Iranian-Canadians caught up in sanctions row

By Bahman Kalbasi BBC Persian

A Canadian bank cancelled accounts of customers of Iranian origin with no chance to deny they violated financial sanctions, customers have reported.

They allege that TD Bank gave little or no notice before telling customers to take their funds elsewhere.

Customers and supporters said they were targeted because of Iranian names.

TD Bank told the BBC it did not target people based on ethnicity or nationality, but it was required to comply with Canadian law on sanctions.

"This episode shocked us," said Pooya Sadeghi, a real estate agent whose father-in-law's account was closed.

He has created a Facebook page entitled "Condemn TD Bank in their Treatment of clients with Iranian Background" to draw attention to the issue.

"Never in our wildest dreams did we imagine that a major bank in Canada would treat us like we are second-class citizens and undeserving of answers."

'Second-class Canadian'

Since 2010, the Canadian government has imposed a series of sanctions against Iran intended to pressure the Islamic republic to suspend nuclear enrichment activities and co-operate with the International Atomic Energy Agency.

As part of the sanctions, Canadian banks are forbidden to provide financial services "to, or for the benefit of Iran, or any person in Iran", TD wrote in a letter to an Iranian-Canadian customer.

More than a dozen Iranian-Canadian TD customers told the BBC their checking and savings accounts were closed, credit cards and lines were revoked, and mortgages not renewed.

"I felt like a second-class Canadian," said an Iranian woman in British Columbia who only found out her account had been closed when she entered a branch to withdraw cash.

We value all our customers regardless of their ethnicity or heritage. To suggest otherwise would simply be false”

Mohammed Nakhooda TD Bank spokesman

"They were simply told to take their money elsewhere," said Kaveh Shahrooz, a lawyer and vice-president of advocacy group Iranian-Canadian Congress, which held an emergency meeting in Toronto last week to gather anecdotes and formulate a collective response.

 "Many are pensioners or students who got small sums of money from Iran and many hadn't received any money from Iran at all," he said.

"It seems like the bank is being over-zealous. They see an Iranian name and they close their bank account."

A spokesman for TD Bank rejected suggestions it had specifically gone after Iranians, and said Canadian law required the bank to comply with banking laws and regulations and Canada's economic sanctions against Iran.

"We value all our customers regardless of their ethnicity or heritage - to suggest otherwise would simply be false," said spokesman Mohammed Nakhooda.

He said the bank had tried to contacted the customers whose accounts it closed.

"We understand that this is a sensitive issue and that is why we took additional measures to reach out to customers who would be impacted by the regulation," he said.

"In cases where we did not hear back from customers to confirm their information, we were required to apply the regulation."

Sanctions bite

But TD customers told the BBC they were not asked to account for any of their transactions before the closure of their accounts.

"I was never contacted by TD to talk about any of my bank account activity," said Farshid Ganj, who said he had been a TD customer for seven years.

"I went the extra mile to get an answer and after dozens of phone calls and branch visits I got the same response: 'We can't give you the details of why your account was closed'."

A spokesman for Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada said banks are advised to apply the Iranian sanctions to individual accounts on a case-by-case basis.

The ministry also offers waivers for some non-commercial remittances of CAN$40,000 ($39,200; £25,200) or less from Iran to Canada.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-18803129

http://iccongress.ca/inthenews/icc-featured-bbc-report-td-bank-decision-close-bank-accounts#sthash.IMz4JjKG.dpuf
 

11 July 2012
ICC Interviewed by Voice of America Regarding TD Bank Account Closures

Voice of America featured a Persian Language interview with Kaveh Shahrooz, Vice President of the ICC, concerning TD Bank's recent decision to close bank accounts of Iranian Canadians. 

The article, by Maryam Aghvami, includes reference to ICC's recent fact-finding event, our opposition to TD's decision to close the accounts of Iranian Canadians who have no affiliation with the Iranian Government, and the strategies ICC is pursuing.

The article can be read here . The full Persian text of the article is below.

تصمیم بانک کانادایی و بستن حساب اتباع ایرانی

کاوه شهروز، معاون کنگره ایرانیان کانادا

  ۱۳۹۱/۴/۲۱

بانک کانادایی «TD Canada Trust» اخیراً در اقدامی بی سابقه برای تعدادی از ایرانی تباران مقیم این کشور نامه ای ارسال و آن ها را از بستن حساب های بانکی شان مطلع کرده است. در نامه این بانک بزرگ کانادایی به «قانون اقدامات اقتصادی ویژه علیه ایران» اشاره شده است که براساس آن موسسات مالی کشور از ارائه خدمات مالی به افراد مقیم ایران و یا افرادی که به نفع ایران کار می کنند، منع شده اند.

بنا به گزارش رسانه های کانادا و نهادهای ایرانی کانادایی، مقامات این بانک از توضیح در مورد این تصمیم و تشریح مفاد قانون تحریم هایی که علیه جمهوری اسلامی ایران و مقامات دولتی اعمال شده اند و احتمال و یا اشاره به موارد نقض این قانون از جانب ایرانی تباران مقیم این کشور خودداری کرده اند.

اتاوا سیتی زن گزارش داده است حساب های بانکی تعدادی از ایرانیان مقیم تورنتو و بریتیش کلمبیا از اوایل ماه مه مسدود و هم اکنون اخباری در  موارد مشابه برای ایرانیان مقیم اتاوا، پایتخت کانادا هم منتشر شده است. 

کاوه شهروز، وکیل ایرانی تبار مقیم تورنتو و معاون «کنگره ایرانیان کانادا» در مورد اقدام این بانک در مسدود کردن حساب های متعلق به تعدادی از ایرانیان مقیم کانادا با وب سایت صدای آمریکا به گفتگو نشست:

علت این که تی دی بانک و احتمالاً برخی دیگر از موسسات مالی کانادا تصمیم گرفتند حساب های بانکی تعدادی از ایرانیان مقیم کانادا را ببندند و یا مبادلات مالی آن ها را مسدود کنند چه بود؟
کاوه شهروز: هنوز برای ما روشن نیست که چرا تی دی بانک حساب های اعضای جامعه ما را مسدود کرده است. در بسیاری از موارد این افراد حتی هیچ نامه ای دریافت نکردند و از پیش در مورد این تصمیم به آن ها اطلاع داده نشده بود. در برخی موارد به تعدادی از کانادایی های ایرانی تبار نامه ای ارسال و به آن ها گفته شده بود که حساب بانکی شان بسته شده است. در برخی از نامه ها به مسئله قانون تحریم ها اشاره شده، اما توضیح و یا علت احتمالی نقض قانون تحریم از سوی این افراد مطرح نشده است.

آیا می دانید که کدام مشتریان بانک و یا چه حساب هایی حساسیت بانک را برانگیخته و مقامات را بر آن داشته تا حساب ها را بدون هیچ توضیحی مسدود کنند؟ آیا این افراد به طور تصادفی انتخاب شدند و یا این گروه حساب های داشتند که منبع پول و دارایی آن ها از ایران تامین می شدند؟

کاوه شهروز: پاسخ به این سوال دشوار است چون مقامات تی دی بانک از تشریح علت این امر خودداری کرده اند. در برخی از موارد حساب تعدادی از ایرانی تبارانی را بسته است که پول از ایران به حساب هایشان واریز کرده بودند و این مبالغ برای اهدافی به جز فعالیت های بازرگانی بوده است. (مبلغ مجاز برای واریز به حساب های شخصی کمتر از ٤٠ هزار دلار است.) در موارد دیگر هیچ پولی از ایران به کانادا واریز نشده بود و چنین روندی نگران کننده است.

وضعیت کنونی مبالغ موجود در حساب های مسدود شده چیست؟ آیا دارایی های نقدی این افراد مسدود شده و یا آن ها اجازه دسترسی به حساب ها و برداشت پول هایشان را داشته اند؟
کاوه شهروز: تا جایی که ما مطلع هستیم، این حساب ها مسدود و یا غیرقابل دسترسی نشده اند. پول مشتریان به آن ها تحویل داده شده و به آنها توصیه شده تا در یک بانک دیگر حساب باز کنند. ما نگران این هستیم که بانک های دیگر هم الگوی بانک تی دی را تکرار کنند. من نمی دانم مردم چه خواهند کرد اگر دیگر بانکهای کانادایی هم از این روند پیروی کنند.

آیا دولت کانادا از تصمیم بانک مطلع شده است؟ آیا مقامات اتاوا تا به حال واکنشی در این زمینه داشته اند؟
کاوه شهروز: دولت کانادا از این مسئله مطلع شده، اما به نظر ما اقدام جدی و کافی در این زمینه اتخاذ نکرده است. تا به حال تنها واکنش آن ها این بوده است که ما را به قانون تحریم ها ارجاع بدهند. اما نه مقامات دولتی و نه مسئولان بانک برای ما تشریح نکرده اند افرادی که حساب هایشان مسدود و یا بسته شده است، چگونه و کدام ماده قانون تحریم ها را نقض کرده اند. ما به شدت نگران هستیم که این مشکل به بانک های دیگر هم کشیده شود.

موضع کنگره ایرانیان کانادا در این مورد چه بوده و تا به حال چه اقدامی انجام شده است؟
کاوه شهروز: موضع ما روشن و ساده است. اگر دولت کانادا و یا شرکت های بزرگ کانادایی قصد دارند دولت ایران را به دلیل برنامه اتمی و یا موارد نقض حقوق بشر مجازات کنند، ما از این اقدامات استقبال می کنیم. اما ما نگران این هستیم که تصمیم اخیر بانک در بستن حساب های بانکی ایرانیان مقیم کانادا، از مجازات دولت ایران فراتر برود. به نظر می رسد که رفتار تی دی بانک به مردم عادی، دانشجویان، اقشار آسیب پذیر و مستمری بگیرانی که هیچ ارتباطی با دولت ندارند، لطمه می زند.

تصمیم اخیر بانک کانادا چه تاثیری بر ایرانیان مهاجر مقیم این کشور خواهد داشت؟
کاوه شهروز: این تصمیم تاثیر مستقیم بر زندگی و شرایط مالی ایرانی تباران مقیم کانادا داشته است. مردم به دردسر افتاده اند. اما من فکر می کنم که جامعه ایرانیان کانادا بیشتر نگران آینده است. بسیاری از اعضای جامعه ایرانی مقیم کانادا احساس می کنند که احتمال دارد هر لحظه از خدمات بانکی موسسات مالی کانادا محروم شوند و بسیاری از آن ها تصور می کنند که نه تنها مورد بی احترامی قرار گرفته اند، بلکه با آن ها همچون شهروندان درجه دو رفتار شده است. نگرانی ما این است که تحریم ها باید ناقضان حقوق بشر را هدف قرار دهند و نه مردم عادی.

سخنگوی تی دی بانک تاکید کرده است که این تصمیم به طور خاص ایرانی تباران مقیم کانادا را هدف قرار نداده است، آیا از تجربه مشابهی در دیگر جوامع قومی مقیم کانادا اطلاع دارید؟
کاوه شهروز: من اطلاعی ندارم که اعضای جوامع قومی دیگر هم تجربه مشابهی داشته اند و یا خیر. به نظر من حتی اگر آن ها هم تجربه مشابهی داشته باشند، بدرفتاری این بانک با مردم مسئله ناخوشایندی است و با هیچ کس نباید به این شیوه  برخورد کنند.

با وجودی که هنوز تعداد ایرانیانی که هدف تصمیم اخیر تی دی بانک قرار گرفته اند مشخص نیست، اما روزنامه اتاوا سیتی زن از افزایش تعداد حساب های مسدود شده و عدم پاسخگویی مقامات مسئول این بانک خبر داده است.
براساس مقررات انجمن بانکداران کانادا، هر بانک این کشور باید از اجرای تحریم های دولت فدرال علیه ایران پیروی کند و بانک ها، براساس توافق نامه ای که به هنگام افتتاح حساب با مشتریان خود امضا می کنند، از حق مسدود کردن و یا بستن حساب های بانکی آن ها برخوردار خواهند بود.

 http://ir.voanews.com/content/article/1383761.html

http://iccongress.ca/inthenews/icc-interviewed-voice-america-regarding-td-bank-account-closures#sthash.CjOMq2hS.dpuf
 

CBC's "Metro Morning" Interviews ICC VP Regarding TD Bank Decision

CBC Radio's "Metro Morning", hosted by Matt Galloway, interviewed ICC vice President, Kaveh Shahrooz, on TD Bank's recent decision to close the accounts of Iranian-Canadians.

During the interview, the ICC representative emphasized that the members of the community are upset by TD's decision to unilaterally end its services to certain Iranian-Canadians with no affiliation with the Iranian government.

CBC's interview with Kaveh Shahrooz can be heard here .

http://www.cbc.ca/video/news/audioplayer.html?clipid=2255118727

http://iccongress.ca/inthenews/cbcs-metro-morning-interviews-icc-vp-regarding-td-bank-decision#sthash.ioe0QN0J.dpuf
 

11 July 2012
Interview on CBC News Network Regarding TD Bank Account Closures

July 11, 2012
ICC's vice president, Kaveh Shahrooz, was interviewed on CBC News Network today regarding the group's views on the closure of Iranian-Canadian bank accounts by TD Bank.

In the interview, Shahrooz emphasized that the ICC is primarily reaching out to TD in the hopes that the bank recognizes that its decision has had a harmful effect on the community.

 You can watch the interview below

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N93tvw5jeiI.

http://iccongress.ca/inthenews/interview-cbc-news-network-regarding-td-bank-account-closures#sthash.1Rp8oWue.dpuf
 

 http://iccongress.ca/announcement/icc-hosts-fact-finding-event-connection-td-bank-account-closures#sthash.IuwNMRTA.dpuf

On June 3rd, 2012, the Iranian Canadian Congress hosted its first ever Community Group Roundtable. The event was attended by representatives from a number of leading community organizations. Feedback received from participants was overwhelmingly positive. During the meeting, the group exchanged ideas on how best to advance the interests of the Iranian-Canadian community, particularly with respect to the recent closing of the Visa Office in Tehran.

 http://iccongress.ca/events?page=5#sthash.hE3kHutK.dpuf

ICC Quoted by the Ottawa Citizen Concerning Closure of Iranian-Canadian TD Bank Accounts

The Ottawa Citizen, one of Canada's leading dailies, quoted a representative of the ICC in its reporting on TD Bank's recent closing of the accounts of Iranian-Canadians. The ICC is scheduled to host a fact-finding event on this pressing issue on July 7th.  In the article, the ICC represenative stressed that Canada's banking system should not be used by the Iranian government to pursue its goals. However, the decision to close bank accounts should not harm innocent people with no ties to the Iranian government. The article is available on the Ottawa Citizen site here . (It can also below seen, below.) TD Bank closing some customer accounts to comply with sanctions against Iran By MICHELLE ZILIO, The Ottawa CitizenJuly 5, 2012 11:01 PM TD Bank Group has confirmed it has been sending letters to clients telling them under recent changes to the Special Economic Measures (Iran) Regulation, Canadian financial institutions are forbidden from providing financial services to anyone in Iran or for the benefit of Iran. OTTAWA — A major Canadian bank has begun to close the accounts of some of its customers to comply with new federal regulations that govern economic sanctions against Iran. TD Bank Group has confirmed it has been sending letters to clients telling them under recent changes to the Special Economic Measures (Iran) Regulation, Canadian financial institutions are forbidden from providing financial services to anyone in Iran or for the benefit of Iran. That appears to include any use of an account to send or receive money via wire transfer to or from friends and family in Iran. So far, it seems no other Canadian bank has taken similar action, but TD Bank Group spokesperson Mohammed Nakhooda said the bank is simply following regulations set out by the Canadian government. CIBC spokesman Kevin Dove said Thursday night the bank has closed the accounts of a few customers, but only those whose names were reviewed with them by the Canadian Security and Intelligence Service. But CIBC does not appear to have gone to the same lengths as TD. Officials from other banks were not available for comment Thursday. TD said it tried to contact customers who were affected by the regulations, and in cases where they did not hear back, the bank was forced to close their accounts, Nakhooda said. “In no way is TD targeting the Iranian Canadian community,” Nakhooda said Thursday. “We are simply following regulations set out by the sanctions.” According to the Iranian Canadian Congress, many Iranian-Canadians across Canada have received these letters. One of them is an Iranian-Canadian woman from lower British Columbia who received a letter June 28. The Citizen is not publishing her name because of worries about the safety of her family in Iran. After attempting to use her TD debit and credit card at a dollar store on June 27, the woman said she learned that all of her accounts had been frozen. When she went to her local TD branch to find out what was happening, she said she faced a day-long runaround that resulted in no clear answers. The next morning, the woman continued to call TD’s head office in Toronto. That afternoon, she did receive a call telling her the reason for the account closure. “They said that, ‘Yes, because of the new economic sanctions against Iran, the accounts had been closed.’” The woman, who is a Canadian citizen, was confused why she had been “targeted.” Although she has family in Iran, she claims they have no political affiliations with the Iranian regime and she never sends money to the country. She did, however, concede that her family in Iran recently wired a large sum of money to a Canadian family member. On June 29, she was told her account would be reopened after the Canada Day long weekend. But that never happened, and as of Thursday evening, the woman’s two credit cards, line of credit, mortgage and debit account with TD were all still closed. She can still access her money through bank drafts, but says she is nervous handling large amounts of money in this way. The woman said her family will not attempt to reopen the accounts with TD, and are looking to move to another bank. “I feel betrayed and frustrated,” the woman said. “After 10 years of living in Canada, this is an absolute disgrace to me.” Kaveh Shahrooz, vice-president of the Iranian Canadian Council. said the ICC became aware of the letters a couple of months ago, although reports of more letters have increased in the past few weeks. The ICC could not specify how many Canadians it has heard from, but said it is now starting to receive two to three reports from Canadian-Iranians a day. “These are people’s livelihoods,” said Shahrooz. “They’re worried that if they can’t do banking with TD, they can’t do banking with any other bank out there.” The Department of Foreign Affairs was not able to confirm Thursday what specific changes to the Canadian sanctions against Iran led to the closures of the banks accounts. However, Shahrooz said he believes the closures may have something to do with the January 2012 expansion of Canada’s sanctions against Iran. The changes, announced by Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird on Jan. 31, added five entities and three individuals to the list of designated people whose assets were frozen. “Our organization is very sensitive to the idea of the importance of making sure that the Iranian government doesn’t use the banking system here in Canada to further its goals,” said Shahrooz. “But at the same time we are very concerned about the overzealous application of this sanctions regime may harm innocent people.” The ICC will hold a meeting in Toronto Saturday for members of the Iranian-Canadian community whose accounts have been closed by TD. The purpose of the meeting is to gather relevant information from those affected so the group can take the appropriate steps of action. Those affected have taken to social media websites to express their concerns. A Facebook page titled “Condemn TD Bank in their Treatment of clients with Iranian Background” has more than 70 likes and a number of posts from users saying they known of Iranian-Canadians whose TD bank accounts have been closed. Twitter users have also been reporting account closures, with one user even posting a portion of the letter from TD online. Letter recipients are given a date by which their accounts and services with TD will be closed. They are then instructed to contact Foreign Affairs to apply for a permit to carry out future transactions prohibited by the regulations. Foreign Affairs did not having anything to say about the changes to the sanctions or TD’s letters as of Thursday evening. According to the ICC, it appears that only TD is sending out the letters at this time. TD could not confirm whether any other banks were sending similar letters to clients. © Copyright (c) The Ottawa Citizen

http://iccongress.ca/inthenews/icc-quoted-ottawa-citizen-concerning-closure-iranian-canadian-td-bank-accounts#sthash.5vnYEzzn.dpuf
 

June 14, 2012

بیانیه کنگره ایرانیان کانادا در ارتباط با استعفای سه عضو هیأت مدیره

به دنبال استعفای سه تن از اعضای هیأت مدیره کنگره ایرانیان کانادا در هفته گذشته، هیأت مدیره کنگره ایرانیان کانادا بیانیه زیر را منتشر کرد: “در تاریخ 15 جون 2012، دکتر فرخ زندی رئیس هیأت مدیره کنگره ایرانیان کانادا استعفای سه تن از اعضای هیأت مدیره را قبول کرد. آقای مهرداد خلیلی، خانم شعله خلیلی و خانم نیاز سلیمی استعفاهای خود را در 12 جون 2012 ارایه کرده بودند. کنگره ایرانیان کانادا از سال ها خدمات این سه عضو سابق هیأت مدیره به کنگره و به کامیونیتی ایرانی – کانادایی تشکر می کند. کنگره پست های خالی را مطابق با قوانین داخلی خود Bylaws پر خواهد کرد.”

سلام تورنتو    شهروند

June 14, 2012

کارزار کنگره ایرانیان برای بازگشایی بخش ویزای سفارت کانادا در تهران - سلام تورنتو

June 12, 2012

شهروند

استعفای سه تن از اعضای هییت مدیره - نیاز سلیمی - شعله خلیلی - مهرداد خلیلی (قرکانی)

17 May 2012
Shahrvand Newspaper Reports on ICC`s Letter to Minister Kenney

Shahrvand, a leading community newspaper in Toronto, reported on ICC`s letter to Minister Kenney concerning Canada`s decision to close the Tehran visa office.

Read the full letter here.
http://www.shahrvand.com/archives/27627

http://iccongress.ca/inthenews/shahrvand-newspaper-reports-iccs-letter-minister-kenney#sthash.6WxIIeVx.dpuf
 

On May 8, 2012, the ICC sent a letter to Jason Kenney, Minister of Citizenship, Immigration, and Multiculturalism, expressing the concerns of the Iranian-Canadian Community with respect to the decision to close Canada`s visa office in Tehran. In particular, the ICC noted that the community is deeply worried about worsening backlogs and the increased costs and hassle of travel to Turkey to obtain visas. The ICC also expressed concern that that the decision to close the visa office was made without consultation with the Iranian-Canadian community.

You can read the full text of the English and Persian letter on the ICC's site.(http://iccongress.ca/index.php…)

16 May, 2012
ICC applauded for putting pressure on Canada's Immigration Minister

Radio Farda reports that Jason Kenney, Canada's Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism, has vowed take action to ease restrictions on Iranians who wish to travel to Canada. Radio Farda notes that the Minister has made this statement in light of actions taken by community groups, including the ICC, in light of Minister Kenney's decision to close the temporary visa office in Tehran. Read the full story (in Persian) here .

http://www.radiofarda.com/content/f3_canada_will_faciliate_for_iranians_apply_visa/24582969.html

http://iccongress.ca/inthenews/icc-applauded-putting-pressure-canadas-immigration-minister#sthash.VSSROnf7.dpuf

HELP THE ICC CONVEY THE COMMUNITY’S CONCERN TO THE CANADIAN GOVERNMENT

On April 29, 2012, the Government of Canada announced that it was closing its Visa Office in Tehran for budgetary reasons. This decision can cause significant delays for our family members seeking visas and was made without consultation with the Iranian-Canadian community. The Iranian Canadian Congress has written to the Honourable Jason Kenney, Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism, and has urged him to consider the negative effects of this decision.

http://iccongress.ca/events?page=5#sthash.PAdp5SHr.dpuf

Fourth ICC’s Annual General Meeting:
Date: Sunday April 29th 2012, 3.00 PM – 4.30 PM
Location: Council Chambers, North York Civic Centre, 5100 Yonge St, Toronto, ON Building on our accomplishments in past 4 years, ICC is preparing for an even more productive year in 2012 & 2013. We accepted candidacy from those who submitted their bio through email or mail before 12.01 AM April 23rd 2012. List of Candidates: Mr. David Mousavi , Ms. Nasrin Javanfar, Mr. Ahmad (Ed) Dolatabadi , Mr. Sam Assadpour , Mr. Farrokh Zandi , Mr. Kaveh Shahrooz , Mr. Davod Kafai . -

http://iccongress.ca/events?page=6#sthash.dBLVP5J1.dpuf

در سال 2012 لوگو کنگره بدون آنکه به اطلاع عموم رسد و یا در رابطه با آن نظر خواهی شود توسط هییت مدیره تغییر کرد.
لینک فیسبوک

ویدیو های مجمع عمومی سالیانه که در تاریخ 29 آپریل 2012 در سیویک سنتر نورت یورک برقرار گردید

Part 1 خوش آمد

Part 2 گزارش مالی

Part 3 احمد دولت آبادی -فرخ زندی دیوید موسوی - داود کفائی

Part 4 صمد اسدپور -کاوه شهروز نسرین جوانفر

Part 5 نتایج انتخابات

Sholeh Dolatabadi            Saturday January 17, 2015          

اقاى كاوه شهروز كانديداى مورد صحبت هستند. هيچ سندى مبنى بر عضويت ايشان از ابتدا در كنگره ايرانيان وجود نداشت. يكى دو هفته قبل از انتخابات يكى از دوستان را به جلسه هييت مديره فرستادند تا موافقت اعضا را براى كانديتاتورى اقاى شهروز جلب كند كه با توضيح جمع در مورد خلاف اساسنامه بودن اين درخواست، عليرغم اصرار و فشار اين فرد، جلسه پايان يافت. اقاى شهروز اما به اين پاسخ قانوني اكتفا نكردند و در ضمن مذاكرات، و مشاجرات، متعدد با هييت مديره ، تا همان روز انتخابات، تا آنجا پيش رفتند كه اعلام كردند كه به عنوان يك وكيل استشهاد نامه اى خواهند نوشت كه ايشان در سال اول كار كنگره عضو بوده اند در حاليكه هيچ نشانى از ايشان در مدارك كنگره موجود نبود و متقابلا ايشان حتى يك ايميل از كنگره دريافت نكرده بودند. نكته جالب كه به ايشان هم ياد آورى شد اين بود كه در دوره اول منشى كنگره خواهر خود ايشان، خانم لادن شهروز، بودند كه چنانچه اختلالى در ارتباط با دريافت ايميل هاى كنگره توسط ايشان موجود بود ميتوانستند به آسانى پيگيرى كنند. در روز انتخابات هم عده اى از دوستان در اطاق بالاى سالن اصلى ميز مستطيل بزرگى را ترتيب دادند و دوباره خواستار پذيرش اقاى شهروز براى شركت در انتخابات شدند كه باز هم هيات مديره ايشان را به اساسنامه كنگره ارجاع دادند. با گذشت زمان و دير كرد جلسه همچنان فشار براى پذيرش ايشان ادامه داشت تا اين كه ما از تمام كسانى كه عضو هييت مديره نبودند خواستيم كه اطاق را ترك كنند و پس از گفتگوى زياد اكثريت اعضا پيشنهاد كردند كه پذيرفتن شركت ايشان در انتخابات ، بدون ذكر نام ، به رأى اعضا حاضر در جلسه گذاشته شود. البته چندى بعد كه اين حسن نيت هييت مديره سابق در مورد اقاى شهروز در جلسه با مديدان جديد عنوان شد آقاى زندى مشخصا اعلام كردند كه ما اينهمه عضو را اورديم كه اگر شما كانديتاتورى اقاى شهروز را نپذيريد همه شما را بيرون كنند. اينهمه شرح ماوقع!!

https://www.facebook.com/groups/www.goftoshenidiranian.blogspot.ca/1597219520523935/?notif_t=group_comment

January 14, 2015

January 17, 2015 at 4:33pm

عدم شفافیت و قانونمندی هییت مدیره در سال 2012
مواردی که مایل هستیم در رابطه با آن بیشتر بدانیم و در سال 2012 صورت گرفته است:
1- مراحل قانونی و اجرائی جهت تغییر لوگوی کنگره
2- حذف سایت کنگره و جایگزینی آن با یک سایت جدید بدون آنکه از سایت قبلی کپی نگاهداری شود
3- اقدام به بازبینی اساسنامه توسط یک گروه خاص بدون دعوت و اطلاع رسانی عمومی
4- در سال 2012 شش استعفا در هییت مدیره انجام میگیرد که هیچکدام از آنها در سایت کنگره اعلام نشده است

گفتگو در فیسبوک و مقایسه  نحوه رفتار کاوه شهروز و بیژن احمدی

12 November 2016

Medi Shams