McGill University says it is investigating one of its instructors who allegedly called for the deaths of people taking part in anti-government protests on the streets of Iran in recent weeks.
Members inside and outside the McGill community accuse staff member Soroosh Shahriari of promoting hate speech and inciting violence. They also say the university is moving too slowly to hold him accountable and plans to hold a campus protest Thursday night.
A post on his Twitter account, which has since been deleted, said how “sweet” and “heartwarming” it would be to see protest leaders killed.
Shahriari is an instructor in the Jewish studies program for the fall 2022 semester, according to the McGill website.
On September 22, a post from his Twitter account appeared to comment on the recent uprising in Tehran following the death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old woman who died in police custody after being arrested by Iran’s “morality police.” .
She was arrested after authorities attacked her because her headscarf was allegedly too loose, in violation of a mandatory dress code for women in Iran.
Since her death, protesters have taken to the streets, many of them women who have boldly removed their hijab as they call for the ouster of Iranian leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Since Amini’s funeral on 17 September, the protests have spread to more than 80 cities in Iran and Amnesty International estimates at least 52 people have died at the hands of the security forces between September 19 and 25.
“How good and moving it will be to experience the execution of hundreds of mujahideen leaders arrested in the recent riots. Oh, good, that’s sweet!” read the controversial tweet from Shahriari’s account.
CTV News contacted Shahriari by email and he declined to comment publicly.
Along with his Twitter account, his Facebook and LinkedIn accounts also appear to have been deleted.
an online petition which has collected more than 23,000 signatures asks McGill to investigate the matter and enforce university policies.
“The tweet in particular praises the execution and may incite violence against protesters. In our opinion, and given the context outlined above, the ‘arrested mujahideen leaders’ in this tweet can only be interpreted as referring to Iranian protesters or a group of protesters whom the author of the tweet speculates are members of [People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran]”, says the petition.
“We feel the statement is a veiled threat to the safety of any individual, including McGill students, who supports freedom-seeking protesters in Iran or who may share the political beliefs targeted by this tweet.”
Asked if Shahriari is still an instructor, McGill said she couldn’t comment due to privacy laws.
The university wrote that it is balancing increased concern over “shocking posts” on social media with instructor freedom of expression.
“We continue to monitor the matter very closely and have reached out directly to Iranian students at McGill to offer support at this difficult time. We have also encouraged all students, Iranian or otherwise, who require support to seek available resources at McGill,” a spokesperson wrote in an email.
“As we have reminded our community, it is critical that we all remember the importance of due process and take into account the broad protection afforded to free speech in our society, even when such speech is unwelcome or disturbing.”
Meanwhile, a poster with the headline “Freedom from Repression” was circulating on social media promoting a “sit-in” at McGill from 6-8pm on Thursday.