An Iranian movie depicting an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) commander with close ties to Iran’s Supreme Leader as a hero is set to screen at a Canadian film festival this weekend, stoking controversy in the Iranian-Canadian diaspora.
IRAN INTERNATIONAL -- The film, called “Ahmad” is scheduled to play November 30 at the Muslim International Film Festival (MIFF) in Toronto.
The Canadian government listed the IRGC as a terrorist entity in July. The listing means police can charge anyone who financially or materially supports the IRGC and banks can freeze its assets.
“I think it's absolutely abhorrent,” Toronto Independent Member of Parliament (MP) Kevin Vuong told Iran International.
Vuong said he was looking into what avenues were available to address this issue including bringing this up in the House of Commons.
“For us to have worked so hard for the Iranian diaspora to have demanded for so many years to finally see the IRGC designated as a terrorist that they are. And now, for their permission of a video that glorifies a IRGC leader. It makes no sense,” he told Iran International over zoom.
The film festival website described the main movie character Ahmad Kazemi as a hero and a martyr who mobilized the IRGC Air Force (AF) to save lives after the devastating 2003 Bam earthquakes in southeastern Iran.
Kazemi was appointed as to the IRGC AF in 2003, and as Commander of the Ground Forces of the IRGC in 2005 by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, according to the Tehran Times. He was killed in a plane crash that year.
He also had close ties to Quds Force commander Qassem Soleimani who was killed by a US airstrike at Baghdad airport in 2020.
“"How is it possible that IRGC is designated as a terrorist organization in Canada? But now a movie that's praising one of the is former generals will be on this screens in Canada. This is shocking for me,” Mehdi Moradi, a human rights advocate in Ontario told Iran International.
Moradi is one of dozens of activists in the community who helped push the Canadian government to list the IRGC as a terrorist entity.
Representatives for MIFF responded to Iran International's inquires saying they have received messages from the Iranian diaspora expressing concern and are currently evaluating their next steps.
The Canadian government, Public Safety Canada, and the Department of Justice did not immediately respond to Iran International's request for comment.