(The following editorial is from the July 1-31, 2009, issue of People's Voice, Canada's leading communist newspaper. Articles can be reprinted free if the source is credited. Subscription rates in Canada: $25/year, or $12 low income rate; for U.S. readers - $25 US per year; other overseas readers - $25 US or $35 CDN per year. Send to: People's Voice, c/o PV Business Manager, 133 Herkimer St., Unit 502, Hamilton, ON, L8P 2H3.)
By Liz Rowley, Ontario leader of the Communist Party

People's Voice Editorial

PM Stephen Harper has voiced his government's deep displeasure with the repression of opposition forces in Iran - even while preventing Iranians from taking refuge in the Canadian embassy in Tehran. But perhaps Mr. Harper has finally awakened to the widespread abuses of human rights and democracy in our world. If so, we urge him to look at some of his close allies.

     If the Conservatives truly abhor attacks on civilians, perhaps they will condemn the actions of the Israeli military, which has killed thousands of Palestinians and Lebanese people during Mr. Harper's time in office. If the Prime Minister's new-found concerns include the lives of trade unionists, maybe he will cancel the free trade agreement reached with the Colombian regime, the number one murderer of labour activists across the planet. And if he genuinely wants to reduce nuclear proliferation, he should check out the dangerous nuclear-armed menace on our southern border - the United States - or Israel, which also bristles with such weapons.

     The Harper/Tory hypocrisy is truly endless. This government lectures others about the rule of law, while routinely ignoring "unfavourable" court rulings. This pattern is so extreme that we were shocked when the PM recently agreed to accept the Federal Court order to allow Canadian Abousfian Abdelrazik to return home from Sudan. (Of course, Mr. Harper refuses to accept another ruling to repatriate child soldier Omar Khadr from the US Guantanamo Bay concentration camp!)

     In truth, however, Mr. Harper is among the handful of far-right leaders who backs the idea of military-imposed "regime change" in Iran, and his words are calculated to stir up public support for this horrifying action. The people of Iran are quite capable of restoring democracy and human rights without the "help" of NATO bombs and bullets. Canadians can help by dumping the Harper Tories and electing a government which understands the need for a comprehensive global struggle for peace and social justice.