Eight weeks into the war and far away from flying missiles, the Iranian diaspora in Canada struggles with focusing on their everyday lives as concerns grow about their families in their native land.For many Iranians living in Montreal, it’s not the negotiations or diplomacy that bothers them; it’s inability to communicate with family and friends that is having a debilitating effect on their daily lives.The internet blackout imposed by the Tehran government since February 2 has significantly affected the Iranian diaspora.
On April 11, hundreds took to Montreal’s streets to protest against the Iranian regime, with many diaspora members exasperated by the months of uncertainty surrounding the safety of their family members back home. Similar demonstrations have taken place in other cities, including Ottawa and Vancouver.
Iran’s government shut down the country’s internet access after US-Israeli missile strikes killed its former leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on February 28, sparking a war that is now under a fragile ceasefire.
Trying to focus on his current job as a college-level teacher while worrying about family members back in Iran has been gruelling for Mehdi Ghayour, who attended the demonstration.
“For me, being focused and just wrapping up my mind every day is so difficult. It’s so difficult for me and my wife just to get out, to be normal,” he said.
“It’s hard to understand what’s going on with my family and my friends.”
According to NetBlocks, an independent internet watchdog, the blackout surpassed the 1000-hour mark on April 10. Netblocks found that Iran’s connectivity levels have hovered at about one per cent of capacity since the beginning of the war.
Some Iranians have found workarounds – though often expensive ones – in the form of VPNs, SMS messages, phone calls and the use of Starlink.
Mozdeh Rouz, a Montreal resident, has noticed hair loss due to the extreme stress she has faced from recent uncertainty. She has been able to contact her family, although infrequently – about twice a month for only a few minutes at a time.
“It’s not a normal life … It’s full of stress, full of bad feelings,” she said.
“You don’t know any minute what will happen, what my mother is feeling right now.”
The possibility of government crackdowns weighs on Rouz, who referenced the severe crackdown on anti-government protesters that killed thousands of Iranian civilians in December and January this past year. She is less concerned about the threat of US or Israeli strikes, which took place in March but have been halted due to the ceasefire that began on April 8.
“I’m scared if this regime stays, everybody will die in my country,” she said. “These two weeks [since the ceasefire] give my government time to kill more people.”
Well over a month since Khamenei’s death, she is still in disbelief that the long-time ruler is no longer at the helm. This gives her hope that the regime could finally fall as well.
“Still, I can’t believe it. All my life, I’ve been living under this dictator,” she said.
“I never thought he could die.”
It had been a week since Atousa Taheri had spoken to her family back home. She was able to have a phone call with her father who fortunately had a SIM card. Like Rouz, Taheri’s lingering fears about government repression makes her anxious for her family’s well being.
“It was the only time where I could hear their voices after weeks,” she said.
“Just hearing them and having assurance that they’re not in prison signifies a lot for me. Every time I make contact, I just want to assure myself that they are still at home.”
Ghayour also criticized the Canadian government’s response to the conflict, pointing out that Prime Minister Mark Carney is yet to directly address the months-long internet blackout.
“He has not even mentioned that there’s no internet in Iran. How is that possible?”
Carney has maintained opposition to the Iranian regime while also focusing efforts on a diplomatic solution that results in reopening the Strait of Hormuz oil chokepoint.. In a statement on April 8, when he co-signed a statement with European and other world leaders, the PM said, “This [ceasefire] will be crucial to protect the civilian population of Iran and ensure security in the region. It can avert a severe global energy crisis…Our Governments will contribute to ensuring freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.”
