By Dr. Mohammed Alkhaledi – Spokesperson, Canada Office of the National Council for Iraqi Opposition (NCIO)
For years, the world has watched as Iraq — a cradle of civilization — is held hostage by corruption, foreign interference, and repression. Brave citizens have taken to the streets to demand reform, only to be met with bullets, disappearances, and silence.
Yet the international response has been muted.
Canada, a nation that stands for human rights, democracy, and multilateralism, must do more than issue statements. It must recognize and support credible Iraqi voices calling for change — like the National Council for Iraqi Opposition (NCIO).
We are not a political party. We are not an armed group. We are a coalition of civil society leaders, reformers, academics, and diaspora representatives united in one vision: a free, federal, democratic, and secular Iraq — governed by the rule of law and accountable to its people.
Despite peaceful protests in 2012-2014, 2019, and 2022, Iraq’s government in the green zone in Baghdad has failed to deliver justice. Foreign militias operate with impunity. Corruption drains billions. Women and youth are excluded from power. Minorities live in fear.
Canada can help.
We call on the Government of Canada to:
- Recognize the NCIO as a legitimate voice for Iraqi reform
- Support international investigations into human rights abuses
- Impose Magnitsky-style sanctions on those responsible for repression and corruption
- Fund Iraqi civil society, independent media, and human rights defenders
This is not about regime change — it is about supporting the Iraqi people’s right to self-determination.
The time for silence is over.
Canada has a moral responsibility to stand with the oppressed, not the oppressors.
Let us be clear: Iraq belongs to the Iraqi people — not to foreign powers or corrupt elites.
And the future of Iraq must be decided in Baghdad — not Tehran, Washington, or Riyadh.
A Free Iraq — For the People, By the People.
Dr. Mohammed Alkhaledi is Spokesperson and Leader of the Canada Office of the National Council for Iraqi Opposition (NCIO). He can be reached at director@ncioi
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