Addressing the violence in Iran

As the violent crackdowns on civilian protestors continue in Iran, our thoughts and hearts are with our Iranian community members as well as those with family or deep connections to Iran. We recognize that this is a time of deep anxiety, fear and distress and encourage any community members impacted by the violence in Iran to seek support. VIU’s Counselling team can be reached at 250.740.6416 and 24-7 crisis services are listed here: https://services.viu.ca/counselling. If you see someone who is struggling please direct them to supports.

On Friday, the Honourable Melanie Joly, Minister of Foreign Affairs, issued a statement urging Iran to meaningfully address the grievances of all of its citizens without discrimination and to protect their right to peaceful protest. We wanted to share part of her statement with our community, and join her in condemning the violence: “Women’s rights are human rights. We salute the courage of the Iranian women who are peacefully protesting and we join them in sending the regime a very clear message: they must end all forms of persecution and violence against women.”