Tehran:Iran's Foreign Ministry has voiced strong criticism regarding Canada's approach to the historical treatment of Indigenous children, emphasizing that reconciliation cannot be limited to symbolic gestures or political rhetoric.

According to Islamic Republic News Agency, Esmaeil Baqaei, a spokesperson for the ministry, highlighted unresolved issues surrounding the residential school system in Canada. He pointed out that many Indigenous children were forcibly removed from their families, losing their names, languages, cultures, and identities, and were subjected to a system that aimed at forced assimilation. Many suffered abuse and neglect, with some dying far from home and being buried in unmarked graves.

Baqaei's comments were made in a post on his X account on September 30, coinciding with Canada's National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, which is meant to honor residential school survivors and remember the Indigenous children who never returned home. He asserted that true reconciliation requires more than a commemorative day, as many serious questions remain unanswered and the history of residential schools is often contested or obscured.

He further stated that the suffering endured by Indigenous children should not be reduced to a culture war but should be acknowledged as a matter of historical truth and accountability. Baqaei stressed the need for evidence, transparency, and an honest examination of the historical record concerning unmarked graves, opposing any form of denial or distortion. He concluded by asserting, "No reconciliation without truth. No justice without accountability."