Thousands of Iranian-Canadians gathered for rallies in Vancouver over the weekend after Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed during attacks on the country by the U.S. and Israel. One of the larger rallies took place at David Lam Park Saturday, where a crowd celebrated for hours. News of the supreme leader’s death was met with joy for many in the Iranian diaspora, following weeks of demonstrations in solidarity with anti-regime protests at home. But with the future of the country’s government unknown, as well as ongoing strikes across the Middle East, the development leaves the community with mixed emotions. Parvaneh Tarverdian, who attended a rally outside the Vancouver Art Gallery Sunday remembering opposers of the Islamic Republic who have been killed, said Khamenei’s death is “bittersweet.” “We’re happy he’s gone; he went to hell hopefully,” she told CTV News, but added she’s worried for people in Iran. “We’re not looking for a war, war is not the answer.” “It’s hard to know how to feel right now, of course we’re happy that Khamenei is reported to be killed, but of course we don’t want to see children or civilians caught in that crossfire,” Ronak Pahlevanlu said on Sunday. She said she has family members and friends who have been political prisoners in Iran and have suffered under the current regime, so while there is relief, there are also mixed feelings. “U.S. and Israeli intervention is not necessarily something that I myself personally support,” Pahlevanlu continued. “If we want a free Iran we want to see the people liberate their country and not through Western imperialist intervention.” Many of the protests held in solidarity with Iran in Canada have included calls for the return of the monarchy that was toppled in the 1979 Islamic Revolution, and specifically for the exiled son of the last shah, Reza Pahlavi, to lead. However, participants at the Vancouver Art Gallery Sunday said they do not want another king or religious leader to take charge, and called for a democratic republic. “The overthrow of this regime has to be done by the people of Iran, by the resistance units inside Iran and the future of Iran is in the hands of the Iranian people and the organized resistance,” Zhaleh Nangir, director of the Free Iran Movement Association in Vancouver, told CTV News. “Khamenei is dead but the regime is still there, the (Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps) is still there…we have a long way to go; we have to fight to overthrow this government.” Nangir and Tarverdian said they support the National Council of Resistance of Iran, which is headquartered outside the country and has plans for a transitional government should the current regime fall. They both said they hope to see the NCRI take over for a temporary period before a free election in Iran and a new constitution that upholds separation of religion and state and freedom of speech. “We do not want another dictatorship; we do not want another shah. We want a completely new democratic republic for Iran,” Nangir said.
