Iran summons Canadian ambassador after Harper's hasty remarks
by Romeo St. Martin

[PoliticsWatch posted 5:30 p.m. May 24, 2006]

OTTAWA  — Prime Minister Stephen Harper's comments last week on an erroneous news story reporting Iran enacting a law to make religious minorities wear markers has created a diplomatic row with Tehran. 
 
News agencies reported Wednesday that Canada's ambassador to Tehran, Gordon Venner, was summoned by the Iranian government over the weekend to explain Harper's remarks. 

"I can confirm that our ambassador was called in by the foreign ministry of Iran regarding the (Post) story," said Marie-Christine Lilkoff, a spokesperson for the Department of Foreign Affairs in Ottawa.

"But we're not commenting further on the nature of the discussions."

On Friday, the National Post incorrectly reported in a front-page story that the Iranian Parliament had passed a law requiring Jewish people and other religious minorities to wear badges. 

The practice would have been similar to that used in Nazi Germany. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has been condemned internationally for recent comments denying the Holocaust ever happened. 

On Friday, Harper was asked by reporters while in Gatineau, Quebec, what he thought about the reported new Iranian policy. 

Harper said he did not know if the story was accurate, but went ahead and mused about it anyhow. 

"Unfortunately, we've seen enough already from the Iranian regime to suggest that it is very capable of this kind of action," Harper said. 

"We've seen a number of things from the Iranian regime that are along these lines  . . . It boggles the mind that any regime on the face of the earth would want to do anything that could remind people of Nazi Germany." 

Hyperlinks to The Post story appeared on blogs and popular news sites all over the world on Friday morning, but by mid afternoon it was no longer available on the paper's Web site.

The Liberals even raised the issue in their first round during question period on Friday morning. 

"Canadians are shocked and appalled to hear reports today that indicate Iran is about to pass a law requiring non-Muslims to wear coloured badges identifying their religious beliefs," said Liberal whip Karen Redman. 

"What steps is the government taking to protest the actions of this rogue state?"

Unlike their boss, Harper's parliamentary secretary Jason Kenney and Foreign Affairs Minister Peter MacKay did not elaborate on the media reports in their responses to questions from the Liberals. 

"We have been unable at this point to independently verify the reports," said Kenney. "Our officials are working diligently in Iran to establish independent verification of these deeply troubling reports."

Liberal MP Keith Martin asked MacKay if Canada had recalled its ambassador to express outrage over what turned out to be a non-existent law. 

"I appreciate the intent of the question," said MacKay, "but to pre-emptively call in somebody and express dismay over an allegation would be nothing short of irresponsible."

Harper's decision to make comments on the Post story before the government had independently verified it has received criticism in both Iran and Canada. 

The Tehran Times questioned whether Harper's comments were a gaffe or "deliberate disinfo." It accused the PM of being in the "habit of making hasty judgements on Iran" 

The Canadian Islamic Congress issued a statement this week calling Harper's comments "even more shameful" than the Post story. 

"Prime Minister Stephen Harper would rush in to affirm that Iran is capable of enacting the ridiculous extremes . . .  Harper is just as guilty as the National Post for not doing his homework." 

Earlier on Wednesday, the National Post printed an apology for the story five days after it was first published.  

"It is now clear the story is not true," wrote Post editor-in-chief Douglas Kelly on page A2 of the daily. 

"We apologize for the mistake and for the consternation it has caused not just National Post readers, but the broader public who read the story. We take this incident very seriously, and we are examining our procedures to try to ensure such an error does not happen again."

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