We must support democracy and freedom for Iranians, not distract from it
For we Iranian Americans the past few weeks have one hand really inspiring and hopeful — the women from across Iranian society refusing the mandatory hijab and turning that CHOICE into an act of liberation and revolution that strikes fear in the heart of an oppressive regime. On the other hand, its scary — these women […]
NIAC joins 45 organizations urging Justice Department to investigate Bijan Ghaisar killing
45 human rights, progressive, faith, and government transparency organizations, representing millions of members across the country, including Amnesty International USA, MoveOn, National Iranian American Council, NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice, Project on Government Oversight, and Working Families Party sent a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland calling on the Department of Justice to give […]
An Old Faith in the New World – Zoroastrianism in the United States
Iranian Americans are one of the most spiritually diverse diaspora groups in the United States due to their wide range of minority religions. Although most are Shia Muslims, they are still much more diverse religiously than Iranians in Iran. An MIT poll of Iranian Americans in 2005 found that half of them identified as Muslim, while the CIA World Factbook estimates that 95% of Iranians in Iran do. In addition to Baha’is, Christians, Jews, and secularists, members of ancient Iranian religions have also found a home in the United States. Of these, perhaps the most interesting example is Zoroastrianism.
Learning from the Past – The Failures of Militant Counterrevolution in Iran and Cuba
“Violence is the last refuge of the incompetent.” – Foundation, Isaac Asimov
Although I am not a part of the Iranian diaspora, I have seen many similarities between its history and that of a diaspora I am part of – Cuban exiles. My grandmother, aunt, and mother were born in Cuba and fled its communist government for a better life in America. Like many other Cuban exiles they hate Fidel Castro, and want few things more than to bring his regime down. How precisely to do this, however, is a point of contention – my mother favors diplomatic relations with Cuba and expanding socioeconomic exchanges to foster demand for reform. On the other hand, my grandmother and aunt oppose engagement with the regime on the grounds that dialogue would legitimize it.
Men in Iran are Wearing Hijabs in Support of Women’s Rights
The fight against the forced hijab has been documented since it began immediately after the 1979 Iranian revolution. Iranian women have gone so far as to shave their heads in protest of wearing the hijab. Last week, however, the fight against forced hijab took a new turn. Iranian men have begun wearing the hijab in […]
Media dupes lump entire Iranian-American community in with MEK
As Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad spoke at the United Nations, a large rally took place near the United Nations building. This participants were described as “Anti-Ahmadinejad protesters” (AFP), “anti-Iranian regime protesters” (CNN), merely “protesters” (NY Daily News, USA Today), “sponsored by groups including the Association of Iranian-Americans in New York & New Jersey” (CBSNewYork), and […]
Iranican Promotes Unity through Dialogue and Tolerance
We had the wonderful opportunity to interview the hosts behind Iranican, a non-profit, volunteer-based organization based in the Silicon Valley whose mission is to explore issues affecting “Generation Iranian-American”. This is done via radio and video interviews and shows as well as via an online blog. The Iranican team uses entertainment in order to educate […]
Thank Obama for Suspending Sanctions on Humanitarian Aid
Dear President Obama, Thank you for taking action to enable the American people to help the Iranian people in their time of need following the earthquakes that struck northern Iran. We greatly appreciate your issuance of a general license to help ensure sanctions don’t obstruct humanitarian relief in the aftermath of this tragedy. Your efforts demonstrate […]
E Pluribus Unum
It’s no challenge trying to find an American flag and seal in the U.S. State Department. Almost every place you look, you can find our nation’s beautiful seal decorated with these powerful words, “E Pluribus Unum” meaning Out of Many One. But the reason I went to the State Department was not just to admire […]
Lessons from the Jewish-American Community
The AIPAC membership is only a fraction the size of the membership for the other top two lobbying organizations in the U.S., those being the AARP and NRA. How has AIPAC has been able to reach such a level of influence? How do Jewish-American organizations interact and balance cooperation and competition? How does the community […]
The Root Cause of Apple’s Discrimination
In this episode, you will hear from Sahar Sabet, a young Iranian-American woman who was recently denied the ability to purchase Apple products from an Apple store in Alpharetta, Georgia. This incident has garnered international media coverage and left the Iranian-American community in outrage. NIAC’s Policy Director, Jamal Abdi tells us how sanctions are at […]
U.S. Companies Blocking Communication Tools in Iran
With Apple’s vigilante-sanctions-enforcement/racial profiling of Iranian Americans receiving well-deserved attention, we wanted to spotlight similar over-enforcement of broad sanctions by tech companies impacting people inside Iran. Below is a list of services not technically blocked by sanctions but still denied to Iranians by U.S. companies, compiled via researcher Collin Anderson who maintains and updates the […]