Iran Issues Travel Advisory: "Canada is a Very Dangerous Place"

News just in, via activists and Iranian state media....

(Interesting Fact: in 2003, Iranian-Canadian Zahra Kazemi died in custody in Evin Prison in Tehran.

Interesting Fact #2: in 2008, Iranian-Canadian Hossein Derakhshan was arrested when he returned to Iran after eight years in Canada. He was sentenced in September to 19 1/2 years in prison.)

Iran's foreign ministry office has issued a travel advisory against traveling to Canada.

The Islamic Republic's foreign ministry has warned Iranian citizens against traveling to Canada due to anti-Islamic sentiments and lack of attention paid to the subject by the Canadian government. According to Mehr News Agency, the text of this warning is as follows:

"Anti-Islamic rhetoric and fear against Iranians have been on the rise in Canada. This has also affected the Canadian government officials and has caused arrests and deportations of many Iranian citizens based on various excuses.

In some cases the Canadian government has failed to secure the civil rights of Iranian citizens. Iran does not recognize dual citizenship. At the same time Iranians who use Canadian passports are also subject to discrimination. The actions of Canadian police show that this 'free' country is incapable of pursuing legal means with regards to Iranian citizens.

There are many cases of Iranians who have been murdered while the Canadian police has done nothing to arrest the perpetrators. The rate of crime is on the rise in Canada. Therefore Iranian travelers might naturally become victims of crimes committed by Canadian citizens. In the past few years there have been many reports regarding tens of cases od death caused by electric batons used Canadian police. Canadian police often uses violence against protesters.

The latest case involves the violent reaction of Canadian police against popular protests and the arrest of hundreds of people in the Summer of 2010. According to reports filed by human rights groups, those who were arrested were denied their most basic civil rights. Reports about threats of rape have been widely printed in local and government publications.

The Islamic Republic of Iran will use all legal means to protect its citizens in foreign countries, including in Canada. But it's vital that due to the violent behavior of the Canadian government against Iranian citizens, our dear compatriots who are planning to travel to Canada take these warnings seriously.