McGill lecturer's tweet calling execution of Iranian protesters 'heartwarming' sparks backlash

Red tape covered their mouths. Their hands were bound behind their backs. They were on their knees. 

That was the silent statement protesters wanted to make as they gathered in front of Montreal's McGill University Thursday afternoon to demonstrate against online comments allegedly made by a fall semester lecturer in the school's Jewish studies program.

The comments, posted to Twitter and later deleted, appear to encourage violence against protesters in Iran.

CBC News has only seen a screenshot of the tweet. It shows Soroosh Shahriari saying how "heartwarming it will be to experience the execution of hundreds of Mojahedin leaders arrested in recent riots."

An online petition calling on McGill to investigate the matter and take appropriate action has gathered nearly 24,000 signatures.

"The statement was felt by us to be a veiled threat to the safety of any individual, including McGill students, who support freedom-seeking protesters in Iran or may share political beliefs that are targeted by this tweet," the petition says.

On Thursday, a crowd gathered in front of the school on Sherbrooke Street, holding signs in support of Iranian protesters. Among them was Maryam Azimi who was furious about the tweet.

"It hurt me, but more than that, I'm angry. I'm angry, why in Canada, in a country that a lot of Iranians are living, can someone tweet something like this," Azimi said. 

Protest organizer Bijan Jalali said the tweet is dangerous as the lecturer is "creating an environment here and he's basically creating violence against Iranian students here in Montreal and all over the world."

Shahriari's social media pages seem shut down as of Thursday, and he could not be reached.

McGill looks into tweet

McGill University issued a statement, saying it is investigating the matter.

The tweet contains comments that "are, from an objective perspective, troubling and offensive," the statement says. Angela Campbell and Fabrice Labeau, co-acting provosts and vice-principals, signed the statement.

"In such a heated context, it is crucial for all of us to remember the importance of procedural fairness, and the dangers of rushing to judgment — particularly in response to unverified social media activity," the statement says. 

"Furthermore, we must also take into account the wide protection offered to free expression in our society, even when such expression is distasteful or disturbing."

McGill has reached out directly to Iranian students to offer support, McGill media relations says in an email.

"We have also encouraged all students, whether Iranian or not, who require support to seek out the resources available at McGill," the email says. "We recognize that this situation is distressing."

Protests ongoing in Iran

Meanwhile, protests continue in Iran after several weeks of unrest.

The protests emerged in response to the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini after her arrest for allegedly violating the Islamic Republic's strict dress code.

The scope of the ongoing unrest, the most sustained in over a decade, remains unclear as witnesses report spontaneous gatherings across the country featuring small acts of defiance — protesters shouting slogans from rooftops, cutting their hair and burning their state-mandated headscarves.

In Montreal and across Canada there have been demonstrations in support of the people of Iran. 

Jalali said Thursday's demonstration was more than just an expression of outrage over a tweet, but also to stand up for Iranians.

But, he said, allowing somebody on staff to promote violence is not good for the school's reputation or that of the city. 

"We are in complete solidarity. We know the dangers," he said. "But I am happy to say the Islamic Republic of Iran has zero power here. They can't do anything here."