Statement made on 03 November 2009 by Senator Jerahmiel Grafstein (retired)
Hon. Jerahmiel S. Grafstein:
Honourable senators, I rise briefly to comment on this resolution and to urge support of the motion which is timely and self-explanatory. By the way, this mirrors a resolution that was passed unanimously in the other place a short time ago. The wording is exactly the same.
I think it is a fair and thoughtful resolution
Honourable senators, this was passed unanimously in the other place. Why this motion? Why now? The world community of nations is seized of the issue of the clear aims and objectives of the President of Iran. He makes no mistake about what he says. He has issued proclamations and declarations at the United Nations, not once, but twice. He also speaks in Iran. For years, Iran has fomented terrorism and antagonism towards the West, throughout the Middle-East and beyond. Iran has supported terrorist groups with words and materials. There is no question about that. Iran is a totalitarian state.
This state is under scrutiny by its own people, who rose during the last election and were suppressed during the course of a supposedly democratic election. In the 1930s, the Western world chose to ignore the rise of totalitarianism.
How is that situation different today? It is not different by much. We have been warned. The President of Iran is seeking nuclear power and refused, as late as last week, to comply with UN resolutions for transparency. Instead, he delays, while he continues his nuclear plans unabated.
I would like to read some quotes in today's New York Times, the international edition, page A4, about the question of nuclear weapons:
Iran's leadership has once again equivocated after agreeing to a deal that would ease its nuclear standoff with the West.
The article goes on to say:
On Monday, —
That is Monday of this week.
— Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said that Tehran had to accept the deal in full, with no changes. And the British foreign minister, David Miliband, emerged from a meeting in Moscow with his Russian counterpart, Sergey V. Lavrov, to declare, "We both want to see a prompt response."
. . . France and Germany warned Iran on Monday that there was a limit to their patience.
Again, that is from this article.
The French Foreign Minister, Bernard Kouchner, said, We are waiting for a reply. If the reply is aimed at delaying matters, as we believe, then we will not accept it."
The whole world is up in verbal arms against the Iranians and their objectives.
Honourable senators, we must turn back to the 1930s. All honourable senators present know this history. In the 1930s, the world opinion was divided against the rise of totalitarianism. The British Parliament, French Parliament, Belgium Parliament, Norwegian Parliament and the Canadian Parliament said let it be; it will work itself out.
As a matter of fact, Canada turned its back on the League of Nations and withdrew from a critical resolution against the rise of Italian fascism and its effort to invade Abyssinia. We pulled out at a crucial moment.
If history teaches us anything, it teaches us to be vigilant against defined and clear-cut objectives. To be fair to the President of Iran, he has been clear and fair in the sense that he clearly set out his objectives. His objectives are to establish Iran as regional power, backed with nuclear weapons. That is his objective. There is nothing complicated about that. Meanwhile, the rest of the world says "no" over and over.
Therefore, I urge honourable senators to support this resolution as quickly as possible, so that the voice of the Canadian Parliament — both houses — can say to Iran, and to the world, that this Parliament listens, this Parliament has reacted and this Parliament will not stand silent.