An Iranian-born Canadian citizen, photojournalist Zahra (Ziba) Kazemi, was murdered in June while she was in the custody of authorities in Iran. She was accused of spying. Apparently she was arrested while interviewing the families of detained students in the vicinity of the notorious Evin Prison. The student protests against proposed privatization of universities and against clergy domination of Iran, sparked a mass roundup and detention by security police. Near Evin Prison, signs are posted that say ‘Do not take pictures’. They do not say that the penalty for a violation is death.

According to the Toronto Star on June 21, 2003, Canadian “Embassy officials (who) could not confirm her family’s statement that Ms. Kazemi has been beaten into coma

.... hand delivered a diplomatic letter to Iranian authorities seeking details.” Iranian Medical authorities refused to show x -rays and scans of her skull.

Different explanations emerged from the two factions of the Iranian government. As the Globe and Mail editorial, July 25, 2003, explains,

“Certain senior Iranian officials, including Vice-President Mohamad Ali Abtahi, have openly acknowledged that Ms. Kazemi died from a beating and vowed to bring the perpetrators to justice. President Khatemi called for an open trial of those implicated in her death, knowing full well that the guilt most likely lies with Tehran’s chief prosecutor, Saeed Mortazavi, and secretive operatives who report directly to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei.

But others are still trying to sweep everything under the carpet or to deflect attention from their actions, triggering a major diplomatic row with Canada.

A day after an exasperated Prime Minister Jean Chretian recalled Canada’s ambassador, Iranian Government officials bizarrely (our emphasis) tried to compare what happened to Ms. Kazemi with the police shooting of an Iranian citizen in Canada.”

In fact, local police killed an18 year-old Iranian, in Port Moody, British Columbia. The police are conducting an internal investigation, which many expect will white wash the crime and clear the police of any blame. At first no major media carried the story of the killing of the Iranian teenager by police. The news was reported only after Iranian officials started enquiring about the fate of the youth.

In fact, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and local police have a long history of brutality, of shooting blacks and native people, and yet none of the investigations or inquiries to date have been able to determine responsibility for any death or police shooting.

Two Saskatoon police officers picked up Darrell Night, a 34 year-old native man, on January 28, 2000, and drove him to the outskirts of town where they abandoned him to the frigid elements. Mr. Night was lucky to survive in extreme winter conditions and without proper clothing. He endured the walk back to town, and reported his ordeal to police.

Darrell Night’s story also raised suspicions about possible police involvement in a number of deaths of native Saskatoon men on the outskirts of the city.

On January 29, 2000 Rody Naistus was found frozen to death in the same area where Night was dropped off. Lawrence Wegner, an aboriginal social work student, was found frozen to death on February 3, 2000. Earlier, Neil Stonechild, only 17, was found frozen to death just outside Saskatoon.

In Toronto alone, in recent decades, dozens of Blacks, particularly youths, have been unjustly shot and killed by police – with scarcely any consequences for the latter.

The Canadian bourgeois media took advantage of the crimes and confusion of Iran’s rulers to attack the defense policies and nuclear energy industry of Iran, and also to repeat Washington’s allegations that the Iranian government is harboring al-Qaeda suspects.

The Canadian government must pursue the cause of death of Zahra Kazemi in the strongest terms, including the demand that the Iranian government prosecute those responsible. Most Iranian workers would welcome such action. At the same time, Canada should defend the rights of all of its citizens, including the ones in U.S. detention in Guantanamo Bay, and the three Canadian prisoners in Syria. Likewise, there must be independent inquiries to investigate and to convict the police who unjustly shoot and kill people, including members of visible minority communities in Canada.

Working people should not be fooled by the counter-claims of Canadian and Iranian authorities. Both governments act against the interests of workers, especially the interests of oppressed minorities and women.

While the murder of Zahra Kazemi should be protested, activists should be careful when petitioning Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien. Although not explicitly justifying foreign intervention to secure justice in the case of Zahra Kazemi, some progressives seem to leave the door open for this. Kazemi´s death coincides with a campaign led and orchestrated by the Bush administration to demonize Iran as a potential threat in the region with the purpose of achieving ´regime change´. The ultimate goal is to reverse the 1979 revolution, and to return Iran to the fold. While vigorous in defence of political and social rights in Iran as elsewhere, the left in English Canada and Quebec needs to be quite clear that regime change in Iran is a task for the Iranian people and not western imperialism.

Some petitioners are far too solicitous towards Jean Chretien. The many twists and turns of the Liberal government in the lead up to the Iraq war indicate that Canadian policy was being driven by something other than courage and commitment to social justice. Canada’s decision not to participate fully in “the coalition of the willing” was a product of several factors, above all the groundswell of antiwar sentiment across the country, which the government could ill afford to ignore. Even so, some Canadian sailors and soldiers aided the invasion, and nearly 2000 troops are posted to Afghanistan as a relief corps for the U.S. military. Canada is a full participant in the imperialist intervention in Afghanistan, as well as in the Balkans. It is a fatal error to think that the leaders of the Liberal Party really mean well and just need a little encouragement to shore up their resolve. To the contrary, the Liberals are cold, calculating politicians – well practiced in the art of political maneuver and demagogy -- which seek to act in the best interests of the Canadian business class.

The article above was written by Ben Eddy.