Alert, Prepared to Respond - so Act!

One might think that there is more than enough reason for Canada to simply shutter the Iranian Embassy in Ottawa.  That the Islamic Republic of Iran is not permitted to open consulates anywhere else in Canada, and has been enabled by Canada only to operate their embassy in Ottawa does reflect a stringent view of the country by the Government of Canada to keep the embassy and its staff under close scrutiny. 

But that hasn't stopped the embassy or its staff from interfering in Canadian affairs.

And while Foreign Affairs has issued a statement to the effect that it is prepared to "take action" as appropriate against any foreign embassy that is incautious enough to breach Canadian or international law, perhaps it's time for it to take action, now.  It could hardly be more evident that diplomats assigned by Iran to their Ottawa embassy have been engaging in activities that interfere with Canada's sovereignty.

They've dug their talons into affairs that have raised objections among Canadians, in attempting to manipulate events within Canada that are meant to change public opinion about its true intentions on the world stage.  And it has been charged by Iranian-Canadians who oppose the oppressive and human-rights-destructive regime of attempting to intimidate them. 

It has funded and encouraged groups of Iranian-Canadians to launch conferences featuring speakers sympathetic to the regime, portraying it in glowing terms, and not as it presents to most of the international community, based on its revolutionary standards of fanatical Islamism.  Added to which is its growing threat to the world community through its insistence on establishing a nuclear program geared to the possession of nuclear arms.

It has become clear that the regime, in contravention of international law as it applies to diplomatic relations, is breaching the Vienna Convention through their recruitment and use of Iranians who reside in Canada as landed immigrants and citizens, to favour the Republic and to work on its behalf.  These events are without doubt inimical to Canada's interests as clear interference in domestic affairs.

Canada views Iranian-Canadians living in Canada as people having sought a new country to further their own security and aspirations for the future, as dual citizens, but with responsibility toward and loyalty to their new country of residence.  Iran, by contrast, does not recognize dual citizenship and regards their diaspora as Iranian citizens living abroad with clearly defined cultural and heritage-inspired loyalties to Iran.

From the perspective of Iran there are no violations of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, for they regard Iranians with Canadian citizenship as still being Iranians, simply living abroad.  They see their location in Canada as an opportunity to integrate into high echelons of government agencies, exclusive of melding into Canadian society; to hold themselves apart, but to infiltrate for Iran's advantage.

That advantage, as set out in a Farsi-language interview with Iran's cultural counselor stationed in Ottawa, was to aid their home country to gradually have greater influence in bringing about universal Sharia and restoring at some future date, the lost Caliphate.  Canada has the option of informing the cultural attache of the Iranian embassy of its displeasure; something the embassy is already well enough aware of.

Foreign Affairs could demand a clarification of the statements of the cultural attache, by the embassy's head of mission, its Ambassador to Canada.  Who would then deny that either the embassy or the Republic has any intention of undermining Canadian sovereignty and it was all a great misunderstanding.  Were that to be done it would accomplish nothing in practical terms.

There is always an argument to be had that keeping channels of communications open is better than slamming tight the door of future exchanges that might possibly herald a change in attitude and lead to improved relations between countries.  In the case of Iran, skilled at prevarication and throwing off the scent of suspicion, this would only be a continuation of the game that Iran plays, biding its time until it succeeds in its mission.