Banu is more than just another restaurant on Queen West, it is a beacon for human rights. Home to a family of Iranian ex-pats, these restaurateur activists have never stopped fighting.
Salome, Samira and Amir Mohyeddin came to Canada in the 80’s. Their parents were fleeing the revolution that saw Komenhi come into power. They grew up knowing they could never go back. But they never gave up hope that the regime would topple. The past few days have been the realization of years of activism on behalf of their fellow citizens that they’ve been engaging in from afar for basically their entire adult lives.
“Women’s groups in Iran have tried to ban stoning but it never gets passed,” explains Samira. The government-sanctioned method involves different physical tactics between the genders, and both are, per an Amnesty International report, meant to prolong suffering before it results in death. “Parliament will pass it, but parliament in Iran is impotent. The Guardian Council controls the law. We have a Supreme Leader and a Guardian Council. It’s all very Gilead,” Samira says, referring to the dystopian Margaret Atwood novel and TV show, The Handmaid’s Tale, which Atwood based in part on the rise of evangelicals in America under Reagan, and the Ayatollahs in Iran. – Food & Wine
Maast-o Kihar, the classic Iranian dish of thick yogurt with rose petals, cucumber and mint, can be found on the menu at Banu. Photo courtesy of Saveur.
In April a profile of the siblings was published in Food & Wine. In it we learn that Samira, if she had grown up in Iran, would not be who she is today, at least not openly.
“She would not be able to sing or dance in public, or leave her hair uncovered. Certainly, she would have to hide the fact that she is gay. “If I was caught with another woman, under Sharia law, I would be killed.”
In light of recent events, the protests around the world and the massive march that took place in Toronto this weekend, have given the Mohyeddins and all their fellow Iranians hope. They’ve been fighting for a very long time. As the siblings told Food & Wine,
“We want to teach people about Iran before the revolution,” says Amir. “We wouldn’t have opened this place to just be a restaurant.” Salome adds, “We have been activists since we were children. We came to Canada because of the revolution in Iran. That shaped us into the adults we are today.”
Banu is located at 777 Queen West and are open Tuesday through Sunday.
