The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has been added to Canada’s blacklist of terrorists, after all parties agreed on a recommendation from the Commons Justice Committee.Cabinet however did not comment on the committee proposal to immediately “expel the estimated 700 Iranian agents operating in Canada,” according to Blacklock’s Reporter. “The decision to list an organization under Canada’s Criminal Code as a terrorist entity isn’t made because of comments on Twitter or Question Period,” Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc told reporters. “It is made based on the advice of our security services.”“Canada will use all of the tools at its disposal to combat the terrorist entity of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. The Iranian regime has consistently displayed disregard for human rights.”“As a result of this designation under the Immigration And Refugee Protection Act thousands of senior Iranian government officials including top Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps members are inadmissible to Canada. In addition to being banned from entering the country, current and former senior Iranian government officials who are in Canada may be investigated and removed.”.The proposal to blacklist the IRGC was put forward by the justice committee last December 6.“There is a timeliness to all of this,” Conservative MP Melissa Lantsman said at the time.The committee also recommended cabinet “create an Anti-Hate Crime Task Force to coordinate the protection of faith communities” following anti-Jewish protests. The proposal was never adopted.MPs documented a series of anti-Semitic incidents nationwide since the October 7 Hamas killing and kidnapping of Jews in Israel. The justice committee report followed gunfire outside a Jewish home in Winnipeg, street protests targeting Jewish shopkeepers in Toronto and the attempted firebombing of Jewish kindergartens and synagogues in Montréal.“These shameful acts have one goal, to terrorize Canadians,” said Conservative MP Rob Moore, sponsor of the motion to blacklist Iranian terrorists. “This cannot be tolerated. All Canadians must be able to freely live their lives and follow their dreams without fear and without intimidation.”Liberal MPs yesterday said they had waited years for the listing. “You can certainly count on me for being very, very supportive of that,” said MP Ali Ehsassi, son of an Iranian émigré.“There needs to be a strong message sent to Iran,” Liberal MP Anthony Housefather told reporters. “Iran is fomenting terrorism.”
