1/ 🧵 Most ppl understood why Richmond Hill MP @MajidJowhari wasn't allowed to speak at our weekend Iran Freedom Rally or get a photo-op. But for those that don't have the background, a short thread on why democracy/human rights activists & victims groups uniformly reject him.
2/ First, disclosure: in 2014, when I was more naive about Trudeau, I ran for the nomination of the federal Liberals in RH against Jowhari. He won that race (through truly nasty smearing of me). So, you're welcome to think this is score-settling, though I don't believe it is.
3/ These are some of Mr. Jowhari's actions/positions on the IRI since he was elected.
He worked very closely with the Tehran-friendly Iranian Canadian Congress on a petition to restore relations with Iran's regime when every activist said this was a bad idea for human rights.
4/ He held a meeting with IRI representatives though Canada considers the regime a state sponsor of terror. His own Foreign Minister had to go on the record and say that the meeting was not authorized.
5/ In 2019, as 1,500 protesters were killed on the streets in Iran during what is now called "Bloody November", Mr. Jowhari tweeted that Iranians should have the "support of their elected government" (the one shooting them).
5/ Mr. Jowhari associates with (and I have been told he employed the son of) Reza Hosseini-Nassab, a local Imam whose org the Canada Revenue Agency believes may be an Iranian front organization.
6/ Mr. Jowhari affiliated with -- and was so close to him that he gave him a tour of Parliament-- Alireza Onghaei, the man alleged by CSIS to have laundered money for the Iranian regime. He received campaign contributions from Onghaei.
7/ Jowhari claims he didn't know about Onghaei's past. Maybe he's telling the truth. Maybe he isn't. But isn't it weird the sheer number of times that he ends up in situations and with people that advance the IRI's interests?
8/The #PS752 families have also all collectively stated that Jowhari has been of no help to them. I've been told that at a meeting with the PM, some members of the families walked out when Jowhari showed up.
9/ The problem has been so bad that, in the 2019 federal elections, the most prominent Liberals in Jowhari's riding advised voters to vote for the Conservative candidate instead.
10/ So if you're wondering why the organizers of the Iran Freedom Rally didn't invite Jowhari, and kicked him out when he showed up to speak and get a photo-op, the above is why.
11/None of the above is a secret. They've all been publicy reported. I've written about them widely. I guess the question is why the @liberal_party, which has known about all this, continued to overlook these issues?
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