Finding hope and joy

On Human Rights Day (Dec. 10), I think about a 17-year-old who decided to flee Iran.

That teenager was a member of the Baha’i Faith, which has been under severe persecution in that country since the 1979 revolution.

It wasn’t an easy decision for him to leave behind his parents, friends, neighbourhood, and so many connections. But the pressure and persecution from the Iranian government, together with the excitement of a new and promising future, made that decision a little easier.

That teenager was me.

After fleeing across the desert to Pakistan, including eluding army patrols, I arrived in Canada as a refugee in 1985.

In those days, Canada was considered a leader in accepting Baha’i refugees. Many Canadian government officials, such as Lloyd Axworthy, then the immigration minister, went out of their way to help us come to Canada.

It laid the foundation for other Western countries to do the same.

I’ll never forget the generosity the Canadian government and the Canadian people showed me and others in those early days. The irony was not lost on me — being forced out of my homeland solely because of my beliefs, only to be welcomed by a distant people with whom I had no historic, religious or cultural ties, except for our shared humanity.

My early days in Winnipeg brought their share of excitement and obstacles. Yet the feeling of limitless possibility made every challenge feel worth facing.

Over the years, I’ve come to understand that belonging to a community and feeling accepted are critical to identity and well-being. I keep this passage from the Baha’i writings close to my heart: “Let your vision be world-embracing, rather than confined to your own self.”

It reminds me that reaching out to those who look, act, or think differently from us — and stepping out of our comfort zones — is the true Canadian way of life.

Since my early days here, I found joy in working with others through community-building activities — whether at school, in my neighbourhood, or through various like-minded organizations.

These experiences have strengthened my hope and my belief that small steps in connecting with others can lead to the betterment of society.

I’ve also had the privilege of connecting and developing friendships with members of Indigenous communities.

From them, I’ve learned about the spirit of sharing the bounties of this great land, even amid the pain and injustices they have endured for so many years. Working toward reconciliation, as difficult as it is, has made me realize that we are all in the same boat, and that the well-being of our neighbours is inseparable from our own.

At the same time, I haven’t forgotten my Baha’i relatives and friends who still suffer in Iran.

For the last 46 years, they have been subjected to systematic persecution, including imprisonment, exclusion from public-sector employment, economic targeting, and denial of access to higher education — all because of their beliefs.

I recently learned that over 1,500 Baha’is from Iran have fled to Turkey, where they are seeking a safe third country for refuge. Many have been living there in limbo for more than a decade, and if they are unable to secure resettlement, they risk being forcibly returned to Iran where they face severe persecution.

I know Canada faces many economic and social challenges concerning immigrants and refugees today. Yet, I can confidently say the long-term benefits of welcoming those in need are enormous and far outweigh the difficulties.

Human Rights Day commemorates the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by the United Nations General Assembly in 1948. It’s a day to promote and protect the fundamental rights and freedoms to which all humans are entitled, including the freedom of religion.

As we reflect on this day, I hope the same compassion and empathy I felt 40 years ago can once again be extended to this hopeful and oppressed community waiting to call Canada their new home, along with so many others in need around the world.

Payam Towfigh is past president of the Manitoba Multifaith Council and president and CEO of StateMix, which provides industrial mixing and dispensing technologies for the cast urethane market.