Iranian Canadians in Waterloo region are worried for safety of family in Iran
The war between Israel and Iran began about 2 weeks ago
Iranian Canadians from Waterloo region and across Ontario are worried.
The war between Iran and Israel has been unpredictable. A ceasefire between the countries has been shaky. Hundreds of lives have been lost since the conflict started almost two weeks ago.
Some residents in Waterloo region, like Siavash Borhan, are waiting nervously for the next political move that could put the safety of their loved ones in jeopardy.
Borhan's mother, brother and sisters all live in a small town in the south of Iran, far from the area of conflict. So he thinks they are safe.
But his in-laws live in Tehran, and their safety remains uncertain, he told CBC News.
"It's hard for them to go to work and they are afraid of losing their job. Financially it's hard for them," Borhan said.
"Every single hour [we] check the news of what happened and try to call them. And sometimes in the worst situation they cannot reply to us and we cannot reach them."
Borhan is a Kitchener resident who has been doing everything he can to spread awareness about what's happening between Israel and Iran. He organized a protest inthe city over the weekend to advocate for peace between the two countries.
"We are together and we try to stay resilient. We need to stay hopeful. We need to make sure the children will be far from the bad news," he said, adding he believes the war should be concerning even for those with no ties to Israel or Iran.
"Maybe next year is another country. Maybe the year after, another country [will be in war]."
Concerns for long-term safety
Borhan's story is a familiar one for Ahsan Zareei, who lives in London, Ont. His parents and other family members are also living in Iran.
He said he's worried for the future of Iranian people at the hands of the regime.
"People are empty handed. So the regime might not have the tools and everything to stand against Israel and the U.S. and any other coalition abroad, but they are well-equipped to stand against the people of Iran."
Another challenge was a communication blackout for much of last week, which left Canadians unable to reach people in Iran for days. Iranians were left cut off from the world without reliable, updated information about the war.
Mo Akbari has lived in Ontario for more than 30 years. He's one of the Iranian Canadians trying desperately to get in touch with friends and family in Iran last week.
- Are you a Canadian currently in Iran? We want to hear from you. Send an email to ask@cbc.ca.
"It's a mixed feeling. We don't know what's gonna happen and we just worry it can be finished as soon as possible so that people can get back into their live a normal life," Akbari said.
"For over 46 years they always been living under constant threat, either being attacked from outside countries or getting jailed or suppressed by the government in Iran."
Borhan said one of his friends, a software engineer from Tehran, lost his job because a missile completely destroyed his office building.
"He was safe. Nobody was there [in the building] when the attack happened. But he lost his job," he said, adding that many jobs and livelihoods have been impacted, putting people under immense financial strain amidst all the ongoing uncertainty.
"Every building, every company that get under attack [has been] losing the jobs, losing the company."
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With files from Matthew Trevithick