نامه اعتراضی به رهبر حزب سبز کانادا درباره کاندیدای ایرانی آن حزب در اتاوا

کاندیداتوری یک ایرانی از حزب سبز(گرین) در اتاوا ـ آقای اکبر مأنوسی ـ و ارتباط او با سفارت جمهوری اسلامی ایران در کانادا از سوی تعدادی از استادان…

شهروند ـ ۱۲ اکتبر ۲۰۰۸

در روزهای پایانی مبارزات انتخاباتی فدرال در کانادا، کاندیداتوری یک ایرانی از حزب سبز(گرین) در اتاوا حوزه ی اتاوا/ ونیر ـ آقای اکبر مأنوسی ـ و ارتباط او با سفارت جمهوری اسلامی ایران در کانادا از سوی تعدادی از استادان دانشگاه، روزنامه نگاران و فعالان سیاسی ـ اجتماعی جامعه ی ایرانی مورد پرسش قرار گرفت. آنها طی نامه ای به خانم الیزابت می رهبر حزب سبز دغدغه های جامعه ی ایرانی را با ایشان در میان گذاشتند.

متن نامه را در زیر می خوانید:

Ms.
Elizabeth
May

Leader of Green Party of

Canada

leader@greenparty.ca

October 9, 2008

(Very urgent)

Dear Ms. May,

We are writing to you to express our deep concern about one of the Green Party candidates,

Mr.
Akbar
Manoussi, in the riding of Ottawa/Vanier. His nomination has made us wonder whether the Green Party does serious background checks of its candidates. The Green Party’s website, http.//www.gpo.ca/node/493, introduces

Mr.
Manoussi as the “Secretary General of the Iranian Scholars Association of Canada,” “Director General of the Iranian Cultural Centre in

Ottawa,” and “Professor” at
Carleton.

We Iranian-Canadian academics, journalists, and writers, who have lived and worked in this country for over two decades, have never heard of the “Iranian Scholars Association of Canada.” We are wondering when this Association was established; who were the founding members; what is its governance structure for which
Mr. Manoussi is the Secretary General; what is its mandate, and what activities it has been involved in.

The “Iranian Cultural Centre in

Ottawa” raises more serious concerns because of its links with the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran. When it was originally established a decade ago, many Iranian residents of

Ottawa expressed outrage because a centre was established in their name and without their knowledge. The Ottawa Sun’s report on
۲۱/۰۲/۱۹۹۹ provided some historical background about this centre.

Mr.
Manoussi, who is an Instructor in the Sproll School of Business, has in the past denied to have had a major role in this “cultural centre”, but the Green Party website mentions him now as Director General of this centre. It seems he has been very active in organizing conferences for the Islamic Republic’s Embassy, as shown in http://www.farhangeiran.com/Heads_OF_ISLAMIC_COMMUNITIES_QURAN_nov.12.04.htm

There is no doubt that such a candidate, regardless of the outcome of elections, will harm the Green Party’s image and raise question about the party’s judgment. We are sure and hope you would agree that nominating a candidate who could represent progressive ideas on social issues including human rights would better suit the interests of Canadian voters and will attract more support in favour of your party.

Sincerely yours, (Signatories in alphabetical order):

–

Nasrin
Almasi, Editor, Shaharvand weekly, (the largest Iranian newspaper in
North America)

–

Minoo
Derayeh, Asst. professor,

York
University, Derayeh@yorku.ca

–
Amir
Hassanpour, Associate Professor University of Toronto, amirhp@chass.utoronto.ca

–

Haideh
Moghissi, Professor,

York
University, moghissi@yorku.ca

–

Shahrzad
Mojab, Professor,

University of
Toronto, smojab@oise.utoronto.ca

–

Ezat
Mossalanejad, Canadian Centre of Victims of Torture, ezat@cctv.org

–

Saeed
Rahnema, Professor,

York
University, srahnema@yorku.ca

– Niaz Salimi, Director of Centre for Thought, Dialogue and Human Rights in

Iran,

Director – Canadian Muslim union, niaz_salimi@yahoo.com

– Farah Taheri, Journalist, Shaharvand weekly, farah@shahrvand.com

– Farrokh Zandi, Professor,

York
University, fzandi@schulich.yorku.ca