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A memorial honouring the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the former Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic occupying Iran, has sparked serious concerns after it was held openly in North York despite Canada's designation of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organization.

The ceremony took place at the Madina Tul Ilm Mosque, also known as the Al-Eman Society of Canada, where attendees gathered to mourn. Videos posted online show portraits of Ali Khamenei displayed beside the flag of the Islamic Republic. Roses were placed beneath Khamenei's image as mourners listened to speeches delivered by some dressed in traditional mullah attire.

The Madina Tul Ilm mosque in Toronto, also known as the Al-Eman Society of Canada, held a lengthy funeral service of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Every single one of these people should be deported from Canada. pic.twitter.com/SwYKCVJOFY

— Leviathan (@l3v1at4an) July 5, 2026

The gathering featured chants of "Allahu Akbar," ritual chest beating known as matam, and repeated references to Khamenei as a "martyred leader." Social media posts promoting the event included the hashtag "#WeMustRise," the same hashtag Ali Khamenei used on his X posts. Speakers acknowledged the attendance of members of the Pakistani, Afghan, Lebanese, and other communities.

Farewell ceremony for the Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei martyred leader in Toronto, Canada.#WeMustRise #MartyrKhamenei#Hero_Never_Dies #Martyred_Leader#روایت_بدرقه pic.twitter.com/RTMEmEtIlQ

— ارسلان (@Arsalan_30) July 10, 2026

One familiar face in attendance was Toronto’s Firas Al-Najim, who has become well known to many Iranian Canadians and Jewish residents through his regular appearances at demonstrations across the GTA, where he glorifies the regime that murdered at least 52,000 people this year alone.

Al-Najim has previously been accused of driving his vehicle toward Iranian protesters outside a Thornhill mosque in 2022 and frequently appears at demonstrations in the Bathurst and Sheppard area, where he spews regime rhetoric. 

IRGC loyalist Firas Al Najim has a similar vehicle that matches the photograph of the vehicle seen in security footage that shot at the @usconstoronto where he previously used it to ram into Iranian protestors in 2022.

Perhaps he upgraded into a newer model? 🧐 pic.twitter.com/CdrgqnqpiV

— Leviathan (@l3v1at4an) March 10, 2026

He has also been photographed with Liberal MP Salma Zahid while wearing a shirt displaying the images of the Islamic Republic's three deceased Supreme Leaders, and has posed for a photo with Jagmeet Singh.

Carney Liberal MP Salma Zahid poses with Islamic Regime terrorist supporter, Firas Al Najim, says after - if she had seen the sweat-shirt, she wouldn't have posed with him. Yeah, right. pic.twitter.com/IZC3j2xbAq

— Josh Ryan 🍁 (@joshryanjames) May 25, 2026

At the vigil for Khamenei, Al-Najim led chants of "Marg bar America" ("Death to America"), "Marg bar Israel" ("Death to Israel"), and "Death to the opponents of the Supreme Leader," with the audience chanting each slogan back.

Iraqi Islamic Republic loyalist Firas Al Najim chanted

“Marg bar America" (Death to America 🇺🇸),

"Marg bar Israel" (Death to Israel 🇮🇱),

and "Death to the opponents of the Supreme Leader" at a recent vigil for Ali Khamenei held at a North York mosque. 🇨🇦 pic.twitter.com/TE3vJkvtp3

— Scarlett Grace (@ScarlettGrace92) July 18, 2026

Those words carry particular weight in Toronto. Earlier this year, an estimated half a million people marched through the city in support of a free Iran under Shah Reza Pahlavi. Calls for the death of the Supreme Leader's opponents extend far beyond foreign governments. They encompass millions of people who oppose the Islamic Republic, including many Iranians who sought refuge in Canada after fleeing the murderous regime Al Najim glorifies.

Throwback to earlier this year, when an estimated 350,000–500,000 people—mostly Iranians—filled the streets of Toronto, Canada, in one of the largest demonstrations in support of the people of Iran. 🇮🇷 pic.twitter.com/C4BAtMjQzk

— Armin Reza 🇮🇷 (@ArminReza7) July 14, 2026

Khamenei drove Iran into the ground for more than three decades, maintaining ultimate authority over the country's military, intelligence services, judiciary, and foreign policy. Throughout his leadership, the IRGC evolved into the regime's principal instrument for crushing domestic opposition while expanding Tehran's influence abroad through terrorism and proxy warfare.

Founded after the 1979 Islamic Revolution, the IRGC answers directly to the Supreme Leader. Its elite Quds Force has trained, financed, and armed organizations including Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Houthis. The IRGC was also responsible for the 2020 shootdown of Ukraine International Airlines Flight PS752, killing 55 Canadian citizens and 30 permanent residents.

After years of political pressure, Ottawa finally officially designated the entire IRGC as a terrorist entity under the Criminal Code on June 19, 2024, citing its terrorist activities, extensive human rights abuses, and support for other listed terrorist organizations.

Yet two years later, a public ceremony celebrating the man who commanded that organization proceeded without interruption in Canada's largest city.

The Islamic Republic has repeatedly been accused of carrying out transnational repression against dissidents living in Western democracies, including surveillance, intimidation, and alleged assassination plots targeting critics abroad. For many Iranian Canadians, ceremonies praising the regime's leadership are not simply religious observances but horrifying reminders of the regime they escaped.

If the IRGC is considered a terrorist organization under Canadian law, it is reasonable to ask where the line is drawn when its commander-in-chief is publicly honoured, his ideology promoted, and slogans calling for the deaths of his opponents are openly celebrated on Canadian soil.