Shiite Ceremony in Canada: We See Our Leaders Being Killed, Sabotaged, Assassinated –We Can't Even Mention the Name of Ali Khamenei Today Without Fear
On January 7, 2024, a memorial service was held by the Ahlulbayt Youth Collective honoring the 'martyrs murdered by Israel in Lebanon,' including Hamas deputy leader Saleh Al-Arouri and various Hizbullah officials. During the service, teen boys saluted posters of these "martyrs" while the song 'Salute, Commander' played in the background. The lyrics of the song include children pledging to become soldiers of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
It is notable that the mosque and its associated Islamic school held a similar memorial for Hizbullah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah on September 29, and for several Hizbullah 'martyrs' on June 22. In 2022, Firas Al-Najim of CD4HR shared a photo of himself with Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens at a 2018 event at the mosque, wearing a scarf featuring Khamenei's image.
The Ahlulbayt Youth Collective Instagram account frequently shares stories glorifying Hizbullah officials and 'martyrs.' The Windsor mosque also hosted a Shiite youth group from Michigan for the Muharram observance.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Shafaq News
6 hours ago
- Shafaq News
EXPLAINER: From the fight against ISIS to US withdrawal talks
Shafaq News More than a decade after the US-led Global Coalition was formed to defeat ISIS, Iraq is entering a decisive phase. The 2022 Baghdad–Washington agreement set September 2025 as the point to begin US troop withdrawal. Today, as the deadline approaches, Iraq faces competing pressures: renewed warnings of ISIS activity, political demands for full sovereignty, and armed factions' threats against foreign troops. From Combat Operations to Training and Support -The Global Coalition against Daesh was launched in September 2014, led by the United States and joined by 87 members. -Its first task was to degrade and ultimately defeat ISIS while stabilizing liberated areas. -Coalition forces provided combat support to the Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) and the Kurdish Peshmerga, and later aided reconstruction. -Under Operation Inherent Resolve, the mission evolved into training, advisory, intelligence, and surveillance support, including countering ISIS financing. -Iraq itself is a key member of the Coalition, with its security forces now leading operations against ISIS remnants. Rising Demands for Foreign Troop Withdrawal After ISIS's territorial defeat in 2017, calls for Coalition withdrawal grew louder. -In January 2020, a US airstrike in Baghdad killed Iranian commander Qassem Soleimani and Iraqi PMF leader Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, prompting Iraqi leaders to accuse Washington of violating sovereignty. -Soon after, Iraq's parliament passed a non-binding resolution demanding the removal of foreign troops and the cancellation of Baghdad's formal request for Coalition support. -In January 2024, US–Iraq negotiations began on the future of foreign troops, focusing on Iraq's military readiness and the continuing ISIS threat. A joint commission was formed to establish a timeline. -ISIS propaganda quickly seized on the talks, framing them as proof that 'America only understands the language of force.' -Today, about 2,500 US troops remain in Iraq. Renewed ISIS Activity -In July 2024, US Central Command (CENTCOM) warned that ISIS attacks in Iraq and Syria were set to double compared to 2023. -The group claimed 153 attacks in the first half of 2024, surpassing the 121 attacks reported in all of 2023. -CENTCOM credited US and partner forces with 196 counter-ISIS missions during the same period, including: 137 operations, killing 30 militants, and detaining 74 in Iraq. 59 operations, killing 14 militants and detaining 92 in Syria. -US officials estimate about 1,000 ISIS fighters remain in Iraq, describing the threat as persistent but contained. -Critics in Iraq argue the warnings are overstated and used to justify prolonging the US military presence. PMF Pressure Campaign -Pro-Iran factions within the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF)—including Kataib Hezbollah, Harakat Ansarallah al-Nujabaa, and Kataib Sayyid al-Shuhadaa, all sanctioned by Washington—have been central to the campaign against US forces. -These groups targeted US bases in Iraq and Syria, especially after the Gaza war broke out in October 2023. -In January 2024, they declared a suspension of operations, and no attacks have been recorded since—even during Israel–Iran war. -Despite this pause, their leaders continue to call the US deployment 'illegal' and threaten renewed action if the withdrawal is delayed. Iraq's Internal Divide -The debate remains unresolved within Iraq's political and security circles: -Advocates of Withdrawal stress that Iraq's forces are now capable of defending the country, that foreign troops are unconstitutional, and that sovereignty requires ending external military missions. -Supporters of the Coalition argue that the US-led presence still plays a stabilizing role, pointing to ongoing ISIS activity and volatile regional conflicts involving Gaza, Lebanon, Israel, and Iran.


Shafaq News
a day ago
- Shafaq News
Iran: Five militants killed in Sistan-Baluchestan raids
Shafaq News – Tehran On Sunday, Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) dismantled two militant cells in Sistan-Baluchestan, killing five men accused of preparing suicide attacks. In a statement, the IRGC-affiliated Quds base said its forces raided two safehouses, seizing 25 kilograms of explosives along with several devices ready for use. While no party was directly accused, the statement followed an assault by Jaish al-Adl — a separatist faction operating near the Pakistani border — on a police patrol in Iranshahr that left one officer dead and another injured. Bordering both Pakistan and Afghanistan, Sistan-Baluchestan has long been a flashpoint, with insurgent groups and smuggling networks regularly clashing with Iranian forces.


Rudaw Net
3 days ago
- Rudaw Net
Istanbul district mayor arrested on corruption charges
Also in Turkey Ankara-PKK talks a chance to avoid past mistakes: DEM Party Magnitude 6.1 earthquake hits northwestern Turkey, no fatalities reported Ankara-PKK peace process to finish by end of 2025: Bahceli Turkey says tightening measures to battle forest fires A+ A- ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The mayor of Istanbul's Beyoglu district, Inan Guney, was arrested on Friday along with more than 40 others as part of an investigation into corruption in opposition-held municipalities. 'Let the hearts of my neighbors in Beyoglu, my family, and my party members be at ease. I have not engaged in any action that would embarrass anyone, nor will I. When my location and residence are known, being taken into custody from my home at six in the morning amid the tears of my three daughters clearly shows that the real purpose is political pressure,' Guney wrote in a post on Instagram. Guney is from the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), whose elected officials have faced a series of arrests this year, beginning with Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu in March. He and 44 others were detained on charges of leading a criminal organization, extortion, bribery, aggravated fraud, unlawful acquisition of personal data, and tender rigging, state-run Anadolu Agency reported. CHP said the arrests were politically motivated. 'This operation is a revenge operation undertaken to cover up the damage suffered by the judicial gang and the AK Party,' party leader Ozgur Ozel said in a statement, referring to the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP). In July, state media reported that Turkish authorities detained three mayors in a corruption probe. All were members of CHP. Many elected Kurdish officials have also been arrested in recent years.