Council Votes To Honour Mahsa Amini
Ottawa City Council has voted to rename the section of Metcalfe Street in front of the Iranian Embassy after Mahsa Amini. The approved motion also calls for plaques to be placed at the intersections along Metcalfe Street between Somerset St. West and McLaren Street. The signs will be installed for at least one year.
The motion was put forward by Councillor Theresa Kavanagh.
Amini died in custody in September after being arrested by Iran’s morality police for violating Iran’s strict dress code as it was alleged she was wearing her hijab improperly. Kavangh noted during the debate of the motion that her death sparked protests around the world in support of women’s rights in Iran. Several protests have been held across Canada, including in Ottawa.
Kavanagh said the plaque will, “in a small measure, give voice to those in Iran who cannot tell the truth for fear of their lives.”
One local politician who has been working diligently at giving Mahsa Amini and the women of Iran a voice is Carleton MPP Goldie Ghamari.
“I am pleased to see Ottawa City Council pass this vote,” Ghamari I would like to acknowledge and thank Bay Councillor Theresa Kavanagh, who was moved enough by a display at City Hall to bring this motion forward. This action will not go unnoticed in Iran.”
Ghamari, who was born in Iran and was just a year-old when her family left Iran to move to Canada, has been vocal at protests in Ottawa and Toronto. Her social media posts have raised awareness to women’s rights in Iran worldwide, leading to numerous radio and television interviews in Canada, the U.K. and Europe.
Locally, Ghamari’s work on the issue has resonated. Signs of support for women’s rights in Iran in the name of Mahsa Amini are popping up, including in front of the Royal Bank in Manotick.
“The IRGC (Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps) is a terrorist entity of an illegal regime that seized control of Iran in 1979. As the first Iranian-Canadian woman elected into Canadian politics, I believe it is my responsibility to give the protests in Ottawa, Ontario and around Canada a voice. Since the murder of Mahsa Amini, Canadians have become more aware of the horrors facing women through these protests, which continue to grow and increase awareness among Canadians. The steps taken by Ottawa City Council are important. Of Course, the big step that we all want to see is the Canadian Government finally recognize and acknowledge that the IRGC is a terrorist entity.”
The motion passed by City Council also calls for Mayor Mark Sutcliffe to send a letter to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau calling for continued and increased sanctions against the Iranian government until the people of Iran have access to freedom, justice and the totality of human rights guaranteed under the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Carleton MPP Goldie Ghamari, the first Iranian-Canadian woman ever elected into Canadian politics, has become a global voice for women’s rights in Iran.
Featured Image: A sign in support of women’s rights in Iran is posted in front of the Manotick RBC.
