From the President
As a grassroots organization, we invite our membership to set our organization's priorities each year through our annual membership survey. This year, your voices were loud and clear that you want preventing war, protecting our community's rights at home, and lifting broad sanctions that harm Iranians to be NIAC's top priorities.
Last week, our Policy Director Ryan Costello and I published an op-ed for Friends of Europe [[link removed]] on the urgency of ending the U.S. reliance on broad sanctions, arguing that every sanction in the playbook has been turned up to 'maximum pressure' and the disastrous results speak for themselves:
"Ordinary Iranians are poorer and more isolated than ever. Iran’s middle class – a critical base for democratization – has collapsed as the elites of the Islamic Republic and the IRGC are wealthier and more powerful than many could have ever imagined."
Ultimately, we write, "comprehensively easing sanctions that broadly impact the Iranian economy, while leaving targeted measures in place against Iran’s government, would do far more to empower the people of Iran than any other actions the US and Europe could contemplate."
You can read the full essay here [[link removed]] .
We must stop centering interventions from the outside at the expense of empowering Iranians inside Iran. For us, that means continuing to press for changes to U.S. policy to allow Iranians greater access to internet communication and anti-censorship tools, to allow for Iranian Americans to send remittances, and to grant Iranians humanitarian parole to come to the U.S. But it also means putting an end to a policy that treats sanctions as sacrosanct and the Iranian people as collateral damage. We need to make it clear that the people must come first. They are the real agents of change.
You can learn more about our efforts to keep the focus on the Iranian people, as well as our most recent work to protect our rights at home and build political power below. None of this is possible without you.
With gratitude,
- Jamal Abdi
Key developments
Senate Resolution for Internet Freedom and Targeted Measures Nears Majority Support: We have secured 50 Senate cosponsors for S.Con.Res.2 which calls for the U.S. and private sector to do more to enable online tools to be accessible for Iranians while urging for targeted measures against Iranian officials rather than broad sanctions against ordinary people. This is the companion legislation to a measure we helped pass in the House earlier this year. Take action now and urge the Senate to pass this important resolution >> [[link removed]]
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NIAC Congressional Briefing : The U.S. and Iran After 5 Years of “Maximum Pressure”, Is There Still a Path to Meaningful Change? NIAC hosted an expert panel with scholars and former officials discussing movements for change inside of Iran, the nuclear issue and risks of war, and the impact of U.S. policies. You can watch the discussion on YouTube [[link removed]] and read the write-up [[link removed]] on our website.
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Tracking Discriminatory Property Bans: Thanks to our powerful coalition made up of national and local organizations and activists, Texas State Bill SB147 has been put on hold for this year. This was the most prominent legislation attempting to enshrine discrimination against Iranians and other maligned immigrant communities by banning them from buying property.
The fight is far from over, with similar bills proposed in legislatures across dozens of states [[link removed]] and threatening to open the door to ethnic profiling and discrimination against Iranian Americans seeking to buy a home.
“These bills are 21st century versions of the Alien Land Laws. These laws are being passed in southern states with relatively minimal national attention. It could be a slippery slope towards bringing more discrimination based on people’s ethnic identity.”
- NIAC Organizing Director Myriam Sabbaghi in the Intercept [[link removed]]
We’ve worked to urge Congress to act at the federal level and protect our community’s right to buy a home or property without facing discrimination. Now, Congressional legislation has been introduced to protect our communities from these xenophobic bans , and we appreciate Representatives Judy Chu and Al Green for their leadership on this matter.
take action: Tell your representative to cosponsor legislation to protect against discriminatory property bans [[link removed]] We’re also supporting lawsuits against discriminatory property bans: In response to Florida Governor DeSantis signing a bill [[link removed]] that restricts property purchases based on national origin, our coalition is supporting legal action to challenge this unjust law and actively seeking potential plaintiffs for a lawsuit to challenge this unjust law. If you are a Florida resident who could be affected, please sign & share this intake form for potential plaintiffs [[link removed]] .
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NIAC Action 2023 Endorsements : NIAC Action is excited to endorse three exceptional leaders in the upcoming Virginia primaries: Ibraheem Samirah [[link removed]] , Parisa Dehgani-Tafti [[link removed]] , and Atoosa Reaser [[link removed]] have demonstrated their commitment to serving our community, and fighting for justice and democratic values. When we organize and engage, we can make a significant impact.
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NIACTruth.org Launch: We are proud to have launched NIACTruth.org, a platform to counter and correct disinformation targeting our community. Visit the website in English [[link removed]] or Persian [[link removed]] .
NIAC HRT (Human Rights Tracker)
Unyielding Voice: The Life, Activism, and Imprisonment of Mohammad Hossein Razzagh [[link removed]]
کنشگر خستگی ناپذیر: زندگی، کنشگری و زندان محمدحسین رزاق [[link removed]]
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Championing Freedom: Honors and Awards for Narges Mohammadi [[link removed]]
نرگسی برای همه فصول : توجه جهانی به مبارزات آزادی‌‌خواهانه نرگس محمدی [[link removed]]
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Voices Behind Bars: A Comprehensive Report on the Detained Journalists in Iran Amid Rising Tensions and Government Repression. [[link removed]]
خبرنگاران پشت میله‌های زندان: گزارشی جامع از روزنامه نگاران بازداشتی در ایران در بحبوحه افزایش تنش ها و سرکوب دولتی [[link removed]]
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📥 Subscribe to receive our Human Rights Tracker in your inbox > [[link removed]]
In Memoriam
NIAC was saddened to learn of the passing of Dr. Firouz Naderi, a profound advocate for science, philanthropy, and human rights. Dr. Naderi’s profound contributions as a scientist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, his dedication to supporting underprivileged children, and his work promoting Internet freedom in Iran deserves special recognition. His sudden departure has left a void in the hearts of Iranians around the world, both in Iran and the Iranian diaspora. Read our full statement >> [[link removed]]
Thank you for your continued support, which enables us to make a difference. Stay tuned to our emails and social media channels for updates on future panels, actions, and opportunities to get involved.
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