Latest news with #Machouf
Global News
15 hours ago
- Politics
- Global News
Iranian Canadians and others watch and worry after U.S. strikes on nuclear sites
Iranian Canadians and Jewish groups turned worried eyes to the Middle East on Sunday, as U.S. strikes against three Iranian nuclear sites raised fears of escalating violence. Nimâ Machouf, a member of a Montreal Iranian women's association, said family members in Iran are living 'from one bomb to another.' 'I'm very worried because this will only accelerate the violence in the region,' she said in a phone interview. 'It will further aggravate the problem and take us further away from peace.' Machouf, who is also an epidemiologist and former NDP candidate, believes the strikes will only hurt the people who are fighting to free themselves from Iran's repressive regime. Attacks from other countries means that Iran's people 'are not protected by their government, nor protected by others, by the international community,' she said. 'So people feel abandoned by everyone, everywhere.' Story continues below advertisement 0:50 Iran's UN envoy accuses Netanyahu of 'hijacking' U.S. foreign policy The United States inserted itself in Israel's war against Iran early Sunday as it launched strikes on three Iranian nuclear sites. Police in Toronto and Vancouver have published messages on social media platform X, confirming an increase in police presence in both cities while authorities monitor the situation in the Middle East. The Toronto police post said that more police presence 'can be expected wherever necessary,' while Vancouver police said more officers and resources will be deployed to 'certain places of worships, cultural and community centres, and diplomatic buildings.' Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy 'Conflicts in the Middle East are thousands of kilometres away, but they reverberate closely in our diverse community and impact many peoples' sense of safety,' the post from Vancouver police said, adding that more officers have also been deployed to make sure protests 'remain lawful.' Story continues below advertisement 'We're listening to local faith leaders and community representatives from countries impacted by the conflicts … Our priority is your safety.' Prime Minister Mark Carney wrote on social media that U.S. military action was designed to alleviate the 'grave threat' Iran's nuclear program represents to international security. 'Canada has been consistently clear that Iran can never be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon,' he wrote. 1:42 Israel says world should 'thank' U.S. after strikes on Iranian nuclear sites But Carney said the situation in the Middle East was 'highly volatile,' and urged the parties to return to the negotiating table and reach a diplomatic solution. The interim president of the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs described Iran's nuclear program on Sunday as a 'grave danger to global peace and security.' 'Eliminating this threat is an essential step toward achieving a safer Middle East and a more secure and peaceful world,' wrote Noah Shack, who urged the federal government to 'stand strong against the Iranian threat.' Story continues below advertisement Kaveh Shahrooz, a lawyer and a senior fellow at the Macdonald-Laurier Institute, said many Iranians are worried about the impact the U.S. decision will have on civilians. 'I think there's quite a bit of (concern) simply because there's a lot of unknowns,' he said. Shahrooz said Iran's regime offers virtually no protection to its own citizens in the form of air raid sirens or shelters, and internet has been cut off. 'So there's a lot of fear about what we will find out once internet connection is restored and we're able to talk to our families again,' he said. Shahrooz said feelings among Canada's Iranian diaspora vary, from anger at the strikes to support for U.S. actions. 'Among the people who are not supportive of Iran's regime, I think there are some who are cheering and who are saying this was long overdue,' he said. 'And they're happy to see the Iranian regime's nuclear program effectively dismantled and to see that regime humiliated.' On the other hand, Machouf called any suggestion that Israel will 'liberate' Iran's people a 'masquerade' and said regime change must come from within. Gur Tsabar, a spokesperson with Jews Say No to Genocide, said a rally called 'Hands Off Iran' was organized for Sunday afternoon in Toronto to demand sanctions on Israel and a two-way arms embargo. He described recent Israeli and American actions in Iran as 'beyond disturbing.' Story continues below advertisement Tsabar said the rally scheduled for Sunday afternoon is co-organized by 16 groups, including the Iranian Canadian Congress, Palestinian Youth Movement, Jews Say No to Genocide and a number of labour unions.
Hamilton Spectator
17 hours ago
- Politics
- Hamilton Spectator
Iranian Canadians and others watch and worry after U.S. strikes on nuclear sites
Iranian Canadians and Jewish groups turned worried eyes to the Middle East on Sunday, as U.S. strikes against three Iranian nuclear sites raised fears of escalating violence. Nimâ Machouf, a member of a Montreal Iranian women's association, said family members in Iran are living 'from one bomb to another.' 'I'm very worried because this will only accelerate the violence in the region,' she said in a phone interview. 'It will further aggravate the problem and take us further away from peace.' Machouf, who is also an epidemiologist and former NDP candidate, believes the strikes will only hurt the people who are fighting to free themselves from Iran's repressive regime. Attacks from other countries means that Iran's people 'are not protected by their government, nor protected by others, by the international community,' she said. 'So people feel abandoned by everyone, everywhere.' The United States inserted itself in Israel's war against Iran early Sunday as it launched strikes on three Iranian nuclear sites. Prime Minister Mark Carney wrote on social media that U.S. military action was designed to alleviate the 'grave threat' Iran's nuclear program represents to international security. 'Canada has been consistently clear that Iran can never be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon,' he wrote. But Carney said the situation in the Middle East was 'highly volatile,' and urged the parties to return to the negotiating table and reach a diplomatic solution. The interim president of the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs described Iran's nuclear program on Sunday as a 'grave danger to global peace and security.' 'Eliminating this threat is an essential step toward achieving a safer Middle East and a more secure and peaceful world,' wrote Noah Shack, who urged the federal government to 'stand strong against the Iranian threat.' Kaveh Shahrooz, a lawyer and a senior fellow at the Macdonald-Laurier Institute, says many Iranians are worried about the impact the U.S. decision will have on civilians. 'I think there's quite a bit of (concern) simply because there's a lot of unknowns,' he said. Shahrooz said Iran's regime offers virtually no protection to its own citizens in the form of air raid sirens or shelters, and internet has been cut off. 'So there's a lot of fear about what we will find out once internet connection is restored and we're able to talk to our families again,' he said. He said feelings among Canada's Iranian diaspora vary, from anger at the strikes to support for U.S. actions. 'Among the people who are not supportive of Iran's regime, I think there are some who are cheering and who are saying this was long overdue,' he said. 'And they're happy to see the Iranian regime's nuclear program effectively dismantled and to see that regime humiliated.' Machouf, on the other hand, called any suggestion that Israel will 'liberate' Iran's people a 'masquerade' and said regime change must come from within. Gur Tsabar, a spokesperson with Jews Say No to Genocide, said a rally called 'Hands Off Iran' was organized for Sunday afternoon in Toronto to demand sanctions on Israel and a two-way arms embargo. He described recent Israeli and American actions in Iran as 'beyond disturbing.' Tsabar said the rally scheduled for Sunday afternoon is co-organized by 16 groups, including the Iranian Canadian Congress, Palestinian Youth Movement, Jews Say No to Genocide and a number of labour unions. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 22, 2025. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Yahoo
14-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Meet the candidates who want to oust Steven Guilbeault from Parliament
OTTAWA – Danielle Smith and Nimâ Machouf have very little in common. In fact, they may only share one thing: their dislike for federal Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault. On the one hand, the premier of Alberta has repeatedly expressed her annoyance with the man who, according to her, 'has a deranged vendetta against Alberta' and who once suggested to American polemist Tucker Carlson to put Guilbeault in his 'crosshairs'. On the other hand, Machouf, who is a scientist and was at the forefront of the COVID-19 pandemic, is the NDP candidate trying to oust Guilbeault from Parliament. Machouf has been canvassing for nearly a year, after being nominated in May 2024. On the ground, people have been sharing their concerns with her, which echo those of most Canadians: cost of living, housing, the tariffs and jobs in an uncertain economy. The environment is also on the minds of Quebecers and Machouf's belief that Guilbeault hasn't been strident enough on this file would surely find disagreement from the premier of Alberta. Six years after first running for Parliament, the man who once climbed the CN tower to unfurled a banner that read 'Canada and Bush Climate Killers', who was a Greenpeace activist, and then the face of Equiterre in Quebec, is now the minister of a government that bought a pipeline in Western Canada, that authorized the Bay du Nord Development Project in the Atlantic Ocean, and that ultimately recognized that the consumer carbon tax was a failure. 'There is a lot of disappointment about what he has accomplished and what he has not accomplished,' said Machouf in an interview with National Post. 'Each time, people saw that ultimately economic imperatives weighed more heavily, it would seem, for the minister of the environment than health and environmental imperatives,' she added. However, he may not stay in that portfolio for long. According to multiple media reports, Guilbeault could be moved to another portfolio in incoming prime minister Mark Carney's first cabinet. Guilbeault's office declined an interview request for this story but did confirm that he will run for re-election. Guilbeault expected to be shuffled out of post as Carney attempts break from Trudeau era Guilbeault, the carbon tax's staunchest defender, admits it could be 'replaced' Contrary to the criticism levelled at him by Smith and other Albertans, Guilbeault is not criticized in his Montreal riding for his overzealousness, but rather for his lack of results on environmental issues. Welcome to Laurier-Sainte-Marie, the downtown Montreal riding represented for over 20 years by former Bloc Québécois leader Gilles Duceppe and by the NDP for eight years before Guilbeault's election in 2019. It is a francophone riding where single people outnumber couples and families, where driving is often a nightmare, and where the left prevails over the right. It's a riding where the Bloc hopes to elect the historian and author Emmanuel Lapierre to reclaim this long-cherished riding. His leader, Yves-Francois Blanchet, and many others in the riding have suggested this week that the population might ask themselves a couple of questions about their Liberal MP before election day. 'Indeed, local issues are going to be very, very important. We have major challenges in terms of social housing, homelessness and culture too,' said Lapierre. But whether Lapierre or Machouf could beat an MP elected with 43 per cent of the vote in 2019 and 39 per cent in 2021 is another question. In December and early January, Laurier-Sainte-Marie was almost locked for the NDP and Machouf was leading with about 35 per cent according to the polling aggregator 338Canada. Philippe J. Fournier, head of the polling aggregator, said the situation has since reversed in the MP's favour. 'If the Bloc Quebecois is not in the mid 30s, but in the mid 20s in Quebec, and we know that the Bloc Quebecois is lower in Montreal than the rest of Quebec, add to this, the NDP having big problems throughout Canada since the new year, it would really surprise me if Guilbeault were to lose this election,' said Fournier. 'And I would not have told you that in January.' But pollsters are clear about the Liberals' recent surge in the polls: this is a very volatile environment for political parties. 'I mean, it's clear that the polls are unfavourable at the moment, with a good margin,' said Lapierre. 'So, I see this race as someone who goes to meet Quebecers, who takes their pulse and listens to their concerns, and I'm going to try as best I can to carry their voice.' Machouf, who increased her support in the riding in 2021 to finish 9 points behind Guilbeault, believes that this time around, everything will go well. While projections show her trailing the minister by nearly 20 points, she hopes that progressives will switch their vote in her favour this time around. Meanwhile, the Conservatives have no chance in this riding. Even though Guilbeault has become one of their main targets, some Conservatives hope he will win back his seat and continue to be their party's punching bag. After all, it's not every day that a Greenpeace activist sits at the cabinet table. National Post atrepanier@ Get more deep-dive National Post political coverage and analysis in your inbox with the Political Hack newsletter, where Ottawa bureau chief Stuart Thomson and political analyst Tasha Kheiriddin get at what's really going on behind the scenes on Parliament Hill every Wednesday and Friday, exclusively for subscribers. Sign up here. 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