BRAMPTON, Ont. — A Shia Islamic centre in Brampton hosted a three-day memorial service honouring Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei following his death in a Feb. 28 strike attributed to Israel and the United States.A flyer circulating online announced the majlis, or mourning gathering, at the Mausumeen Islamic Centre, describing Khamenei as a “shaheed,” an Arabic term meaning martyr. The event was organized to commemorate the Iranian leader, who was killed in what Iranian authorities have called an assassination.The memorial drew attention on social media after it was highlighted in a post by activist Meir Israel Weinstein, who criticized the event and raised concerns about the presence of what he described as Iranian regime sympathies in Canada. Weinstein compared Khamenei to Adolf Hitler and warned of perceived threats to Israel and Jewish communities..The Mausumeen Islamic Centre has ties to the Islamic Shia Association of Toronto, an organization that has received more than $373,000 in federal funding since 2020 through Canada’s Security Infrastructure Program. The program provides grants to religious and community institutions to enhance security measures such as surveillance cameras, alarms, and reinforced entry systems.During the memorial event, attendees declined to speak with reporters. Individuals associated with the centre also told people approaching reporters not to answer questions.There was no media presence at the gathering aside from Western Standard and Rebel News.Online discussion surrounding the memorial included calls from some commenters for authorities to investigate similar events and for federal funding to organizations linked to Iranian institutions to be reviewed. Some posts urged the RCMP to monitor gatherings they believe may promote Iranian government messaging.Canada is home to an estimated 300,000 Shia Muslims, many of whom trace their heritage to countries including Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Pakistan, and Afghanistan.The Iranian government has not publicly commented on the Brampton memorial. Canadian officials have also not issued statements regarding the event or any potential investigations.Khamenei led Iran as supreme leader for decades and was a central figure in the country’s political and religious leadership. His death in the Feb. 28 strike has heightened tensions in the Middle East and prompted responses from Iranian supporters and critics around the world.
