Canada's quiet support for Iranian protestors following last month's election fraud stands in contrast to the more creative, active response of other Western nations.

Despite the severe crackdown on the popular protests against electoral fraud in Iran, the country’s summer of resistance, defiance, disillusionment, and dissent continues. The remarkably peaceful, determined protest movement – under the slogan “Where is my vote” – has mobilized millions of Iranian expatriates around the world. In Canada, large demonstrations, sit-ins, and hunger strikes have been mounted weekly by the thousands-strong Iranian diasporas in Toronto, Montréal, Vancouver, and Ottawa.

Considering that the majority of these expatriates were driven out of Iran by political or religious persecution, repression, and the social-cultural circumstances in the country after the 1979 revolution, it is understandable that the community is completely consumed by the news of the protests in their country of origin. Keeping up the solidarity and protest rallies in support of the protesters, and providing the public and the media with evidence of the Iranian regime’s brutality through witness accounts, video, and photographs seem effective strategies to send a message to the front-line resisters in Iran and warn the regime that “the world is watching.”

It is a good strategy. In fact, the courageous young Iranian women and men who are fighting for their basic rights through peaceful, democratic means in the face of the brutality and injustices of the regime, have mesmerized the public in North America, Western Europe, and the world over, mobilizing solidarity and support. Neda Agha Soltan, the young woman whose killing was captured on film, has now turned into the emblem of resistance against the violence of the powerful few, even though many other young women and men have been killed, beaten, injured, arrested, and kidnapped by the Islamic regime since.

The general public in Canada has also been sympathetic and supportive. Canadians have had a glimpse into the life experiences of the Iranians who live among them and have gained insight into the reasons for their departure from Iran. Yet, this support has at best been very low-key – less creative and active compared to other Western nations.

In Milan, green-band-wearing models paraded in an important fashion show. In Florence, the city displayed a huge green banner, and shone green light on Michelangelo’s David statute in the main square. Statements of solidarity were read on stage at the start of operatic performances. In Paris, the City Council has adopted a green flag in solidarity.

Meanwhile, a few Canadian politicians went to the rallies and others added their signatures to petitions prepared by their Iranian friends. But while all European Green Parties actively and vigorously supported the Iranian protesters, a representative of the Canadian Green Party in Ottawa is a staunch supporter of the Islamic regime and has at best dubious relations with its embassy.

Perhaps Canadians, known for being cautious, unemotional, hesitant, and reserved, hide their real feelings. The quiet sympathy of onlookers at the July 26 demonstrations in global solidarity with Iranians – save for one driver who yelled out his car window, “Go home!” – exemplified the manner in which Canadians perhaps prefer to show their support. This stands in stark contrast to the clapping of the German passers-by who added their voices to a chorus of “freedom for Iran” at a June demonstration in Hannover that I attended.

However, while one can ignore the utterance of “go home,” the actions of the “alternative” media and the intellectuals who have chosen to go to the opposite side of the fence, standing by the torturers and the killers of Iranian people, are hard to ignore.

Consider a lead article by Yvonne Ridley in Canadian Charger, a recently launched on-line “alternative” magazine, in which she proudly identifies herself as “a fan of Mahmoud Admadinejad”. She claims that Ahmadinejad is adored by the common man and woman in Iran, and declares that “Anyone who vows to narrow the gap between rich and poor can't be all that bad ... unless you’re one of the rich!”

But no sound mind would identify the millions of people who are protesting the regime in city streets across Iran as rich. The majority of wealthy Iranians today are conservative clerics and members of the Islamic Guards, friends and supporters of Ahmadinejad. Ignorance might be bliss, but not when it is combined with the boldness of offering political analysis. Interestingly, Ridley admits that she has been hired to run a political show for Iran’s Press TV, owned by the Islamic Republic’s TV, IRIB.

The corruption of the self-appointed guardians of Shari’a – the deceit, lies, and unaccountability of a government with a military-fascistic interpretation of Islam – is so evident for anybody who wants to see. This is a regime that rules by sheer force, believes women are second-class citizens. Under its rule, contrary to Ms. Ridley’s claim, the gap between the rich and the poor has enormously widened, while unemployment has grown, particularly among youth. The anger displayed by Iranians and people around the world since Ahmadinejad’s re-election has not been exclusively in response to the electoral fraud, but also to the moral crusades of a totally and completely immoral regime.

Sadly, among those on the editorial board of Canadian Charger are a group of Canadian academics. Impressed with “anti-imperialist” heroes like Ahmadinejad, they are unable to see or listen to any other views but those in support of their own “faith.” They believe they know better the needs of people in Iran and other Muslim-majority countries than the people themselves. They take it upon themselves to tell these people that democracy and freedom of expression in the West are partial, superficial, and flawed, and that these things are not needed in the Middle East. What Ridley and the Charger don’t understand is that regardless of the end-result of the present crisis, and even if the regime succeeds in silencing the protesters in a blood bath, the process of more fundamental change has already started in Iran. One wonders if they will continue their hostility against the people who will bring about this change.