A Message of Solidarity for Iranian Students on Campus

We are deeply saddened to hear about the lives lost in the crash of Ukranian International Airlines flight PS752, flying from Tehran, Iran to Kyiv, Ukraine on January 7, 2020. Amongst the 176 victims, eight were Iranian-Canadian living in Manitoba.

The University of Winnipeg Students’ Association (UWSA) would like to offer deepest condolences to everyone who lost loved ones in this tragedy. A list of passengers is available here: Flight PS752 passenger list.

We encourage students affected by this to use the wellness resources found on campus and in the community. Counselling services are available to all UWinnipeg students free-of-charge at the Student Wellness Centre.

For assistance 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, please contact these community resources:

• Klinic Crisis Line | 204.786.8686
• Klinic Sexual Assault Line | 204.786.8631
• Manitoba Suicide Phone Line | 1.877.435.7170
• Winnipeg Regional Health Authority Mobile Crisis Services | 204.940.1781
• Crisis Response Centre | 817 Bannatyne Ave.

Due to increased racialized tensions in the community, we would also like to bring awareness to Muslim students’ rights on campus. The National Council of Canadian Muslims (NCCM) has also issued a ‘Know your Rights’ guide which you can download here. Some of their recommendations are listed below.

If you are approached by CSIS:

1. You are not obliged to meet with CSIS unless you are a foreign national and an immigration officer has asked you to meet with them.
2. If you choose to meet with CSIS, the NCCM recommends that you have a lawyer present.

If you encounter police on campus, please note that:

1. If stopped by police or security on campus, you have a right to ask why you’re being stopped.
2. You are not obliged to answer any questions if you’re stopped by police.
3. If you are being arrested, you don’t have to answer any questions and have the right to request a lawyer.
4. You have the right to request the name and employee identification number (or badge number) of the police and security staff involved.

For assistance, please contact NCCM’s Education and Outreach Coordinator, Aasiyah Khan at akhan@nccm.ca.