Canada's ambassador to Iran was summoned to the Foreign Ministry after a Canadian newspaper published an incorrect story claiming Iranian law would force Jews and Christians to wear badges.

The article, published in the National Post on May 19, caused an international uproar and prompted Iran's foreign ministry to summon Ambassador Gordon Venner on Wednesday.

The Post, a long-time supporter of Israel and critic of Tehran, later admitted the story was untrue and apologized, pledging to run more checks before publishing such articles in the future.

The newspaper ran the story on its front page along with a large photo from 1944 which showed a Hungarian couple wearing the yellow stars that the Nazis forced Jews to sew to their clothing.

"Is Iran turning into the new Nazi Germany? Share your opinion online," the newspaper asked readers, after printing tough anti-Iran comments from prominent Jewish groups. 

The Post claimed it was quoting Iranian exiles saying Iran's conservative parliament was debating a draft law that would force Jews and Christians to wear special patches of coloured cloth to distinguish them from Muslims.

Iranian officials have denied that any such provision existed.

On the day the story was published, Prime Minister Stephen Harper said that such a dress code could "remind people of Nazi Germany."

"Unfortunately, we've seen enough already from the Iranian regime to suggest that it is very capable of this kind of action," he added.

However, Harper stepped back from those comments following a speech in London, Ont., on Wednesday, stressing that before he spoke last week he cautioned that the facts of the story had yet to be verified.

"I'm glad to hear that the government of Iran is not considering this," he told reporters.

A copy of the draft law discussed by Iran's conservative parliament last week was obtained by the Associated Press Wednesday.

AP said the draft made no mention of religious minorities or any requirement of special attire for them.

Post apology

Douglas Kelly, editor-in-chief of the National Post, said the erroneous story was based on a column by Amir Taheri, an Iranian author and journalist, and two expatriate Iranians living in Canada.

"We apologize for the mistake and for the consternation it has caused not just National Post readers, but the broader public who read the story," Kelly wrote in the newspaper.

"We should have pushed the sources we did have for more corroboration of the information they were giving us."

Taheri said the National Post "jumped the gun" and misinterpreted his original column.

But on his website, Taheri said that sources told him that the concept of badges for religious minorities has been discussed for several years.

Meanwhile, an Iranian Foreign Affairs Department spokesman confirmed Ambassador Venner had been summoned, but refused to say what was discussed at the meeting, AP reported.

Relations between Canada and Iran cooled after the 2003 death of Iranian-Canadian photographer Zahra Kazemi, who was arrested by Iranian authorities while covering a demonstration.

In November, an appeals court upheld the acquittal of an Iranian intelligence agent and ruled Kazemi's death was not premeditated.

Another Canadian-Iranian intellectual was arrested early this month in Tehran.

According to news reports, Ramin Jahanbegloo, head of the office of contemporary studies at the private Cultural Research Bureau in Tehran, and a well-known philosopher and writer in Iran, has been charged with espionage and violating security measures.

Canadian officials are trying to secure his freedom.