Liberal MP Majid Jowhari, who is seeking a fourth term in the upcoming federal election, once again found himself defending against allegations of ties to the Iranian regime during an election debate in Richmond Hill South.
During the closing statements of the April 17 debate, NDP candidate Ebrahim Astaraki shifted focus to Jowhari’s stance on Iran, accusing the Liberal incumbent of remaining silent in the face of human rights abuses.
“He keeps closing his eyes and his mouth when atrocities happen there,” said Astaraki, an educational consultant who, like Jowhari, was born in Iran. He claimed the Iranian regime interferes in Canadian elections and targets dissidents living in Canada — while Jowhari fails to speak out.
“He takes no stands against them,” Astaraki said to the audience gathered Wednesday evening.
Although Jowhari had already made his final remarks, he responded to the accusations afterward, dismissing them as “unsubstantiated.”
“I have not had any relationship with the Iranian regime,” Jowhari told reporters. “I’ve always opposed the regime in the strongest terms and have spoken out against it.”
This is not the first time Jowhari has faced scrutiny over his perceived position on Iran. In 2016, he supported a petition that called for Canada to resume diplomatic relations with Iran and re-open embassies in both countries — a move that has continued to draw criticism.
Richmond Hill has become a vocal center of opposition to the Iranian regime in Canada. Following the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in custody in Tehran in 2022, approximately 50,000 people gathered outside the city’s central library in protest, underscoring the political significance of Iran-related issues in the riding’s sizable Iranian-Canadian community.
Jowhari maintains that this election should focus on Canadian sovereignty and identity.
“This election is about being Canadian,” he said during the debate.
