President's Message
Dear John,
I hope you are taking care during this difficult time. We are deeply concerned about the scale of suffering in Palestine and Israel and the escalating risk of regional war. That is why we are actively supporting a cease fire, and working on the Hill to combat a slew of legislative proposals from opportunists using this conflict to advance their own interests, including banning travel to Iran, eliminating humanitarian sanctions waivers, and actively pursuing war with Iran.
We are only able to fight for a ceasefire and against destructive proposals because of support from individuals like you. Thank you for your support thus far. To help us strengthen our efforts, we urge you to chip in a donation to support this work moving forward. Support these efforts [[link removed]]
And before we jump into our recent work, a quick note. If you are looking for resources to help take care of yourself or loved ones, I’d encourage you to visit our mental health resources page [[link removed]] , which includes resources specific to Persian speakers and our community.
Now onto the work.
All the best,
Jamal Abdi, President National Iranian American Council[[link removed]]
War in the Middle East
[link removed] [[link removed]] Take action - Urge Congress to support the ceasefire resolution [[link removed]]
As the horrific Israel-Palestine conflict continues to claim more innocent lives, the risk of a broader regional war is growing [[link removed]] . It is becoming increasingly urgent for supporters of peace to do everything in our power to stop the crisis from escalating into all out regional war.
NIAC and over 60 Organizations Call for Gaza Ceasefire, Humanitarian Aid, and Respect for International Law [[link removed]] .
On October 16th, NIAC and over 60 organizations condemned the ongoing violence taking place against innocent civilians in Israel and Gaza and urged U.S. policymakers to take immediate measures to de-escalate and prevent further violence.
NIAC fights back against proposals to "freeze" humanitarian funds for Iran [[link removed]]
Hawks on Capitol Hill exploited the Oct. 7th attacks to push for the U.S. to renege on the recent prisoner swap deal and “freeze” Iranian funds slated for purchases of food and medicine. NIAC criticized [[link removed]] the Biden Administration's apparent flip flop on the agreement and worked to block efforts to pass legislation in this regard. This included an attempt by Sen. Tom Cotton to push through a bill through unanimous consent, which NIAC Action strongly opposed. Sen. Peter Welch (D-VT), thankfully, objected to stop the bill from passing through the irregular Senate procedure. Additional efforts to push Biden to renege on the deal and block humanitarian funds have been introduced in the House of Representatives and we are continuing to work to block these from succeeding.
In a piece [[link removed]] for Responsible Statecraft, NIAC Action Policy director Ryan Costello called on Congress to give the administration space to uphold its prior agreements with Iran. He urged that we “leave no stone unturned to secure freedom for hostages, protect the lives of civilians, and move toward a ceasefire and just peace.”
Opposing the Ban on Travel to Iran
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NIAC Action Opposes Ban on U.S. Travel to Iran [[link removed]]
NIAC Action was quick to mobilize against an effort to ban U.S. travel to Iran, an affront to the hundreds of thousands of Iranian Americans who travel to Iran regularly. Just as NIAC Action helped lead the effort to oppose and ultimately overturn the ban against Iranians traveling to the U.S., we are committed to defeating these proposals to ban U.S. travel to Iran.
NIAC Action secured an amendment to strip the travel ban language out of this proposed bill but the ban is now moving to the full House. [[link removed]]
Thanks to weeks of work, hundreds of phone calls, and thousands of messages to lawmakers’ offices, we secured an amendment to strip travel ban language out of H.R. 5826. Representative Sara Jacobs introduced the amendment, and you can listen to her comments and the debate that followed here [[link removed]] .
The Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-NY) [[link removed]] , along with Reps. Gerry Connolly (D-VA) [[link removed]] and even Brad Sherman (D-CA) spoke out against the proposed ban and in favor of the Jacobs amendment, noting the impacts this could have on the Iranian-American community.
Because senior Democrats are now on the record opposing a ban on travel to Iran we now have significant momentum to block the travel ban section, including in the Democratic-controlled Senate, if necessary. This means we can stop a travel ban from passing into law. But we must keep up the momentum. You can keep the momentum going by messaging or calling your lawmaker below. Message your lawmaker [[link removed]]
use this script to call your lawmaker [[link removed]]
NIAC dives into the Iran Hawks pushing a U.S. ban on travel to Iran on Capitol Hill [[link removed]]
There is no shortage of lobbies and interests on Capitol Hill advocating for sanctions, travel bans, military threats, and other forms of “pressure” that punishes ordinary Iranians and leads to violations of Iranian Americans’ rights here at home. From AIPAC to FDD, and from MEK to NUFDI to UANI, the list is long - each of these organizations are calling for a ban on travel to Iran.
We unpack who is supporting this ban on travel to Iran in our recent memo [[link removed]] .
Frequently Asked Questions on proposed Iran Travel Ban [[link removed]]
What does the travel ban bill do? Could it actually pass? If passed into law, would it block you from traveling to Iran? NIAC answers all of these questions and more in our FAQ memo [[link removed]] .
Fighting Alien Land Laws
[link removed] [[link removed]] This month, we hosted a State Legislatures 101 Training, with Texas State Representative Gene Wu and allied organizations Asian Americans Advancing Justice (AAJC), National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA), Asian Texans for Justice, and RISE AAPI.
The training focused on how state politics work and how we can make an impact. We analyzed examples in Texas and Louisiana, where NIAC Action members helped defeat “alien land law” bills and mobilize members to action on similar legislation around the country.
This training is just another step to oppose these “alien land law” bills, which single out Iranian, Chinese, Russian and North Korean visa holders based on their nationality and open the door to further discrimination against our immigrant communities.
NIAC Action and our coalition of civil rights and immigrant rights organizations are leading the fight across the country and on Capitol Hill to reject xenophobia and ensure lawmakers do not enshrine national heritage as a grounds for discrimination. For more information check out the resources below.
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Demand
your
lawmaker
protects
immigrants
from
these
bills
[[link removed]]


*
Check
out
our
“alien
land
law”
tracker
[[link removed]]


*
Read
​​NIAC
Action
ally
and
California
Congresswoman
Judy
Chu
statement
for
the
record
on
this
issue
[[link removed]]


Human Rights Tracker
Elaheh Mohammadi and Niloufar Hamedi Sentenced to Prison for Reporting the Truth [[link removed]]
[link removed] [[link removed]] It is outrageous and shameful that Niloufar Hamedi and Elaheh Mohammadi have spent even a single day in prison for reporting on the brutality inflicted on Mahsa Amini and her subsequent funeral. Yet they have both languished in prison for months simply for doing their jobs as journalists, and now have been sentenced to years more in prison. This is a profound abuse by Iranian authorities aimed solely at intimidating the public and silencing dissent.
NIAC reiterates its call on the Islamic Republic to reverse these unjust sentences, to free Hamedi, Mohammadi and all journalists and prisoners of conscience who have been wrongfully detained and deprived of their freedom by the Iranian judiciary.
European Union Honors Mahsa (Jina) Amini and the Iranian Women’s Movement with the Prestigious Sakharov Prize [[link removed]]
[link removed] [[link removed]] The European Union’s Sakharov Prize, a beacon of hope for champions of freedom and equality, has found its latest heroes in Mahsa (Jina) Amini and the Iranian Women’s Movement. This prestigious award is a testament to the Iranian people’s unwavering commitment to the cause of women’s rights and human rights.
Nobel Peace Prize Awarded to Narges Mohammadi: Honoring Courage and the ‘Women, Life, Freedom’ Movement in Iran [[link removed]]
[link removed] [[link removed]] This year’s Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to Narges Mohammadi, an Iranian human rights activist imprisoned for her consistent advocacy and challenges to the authorities in Iran, in a welcome tribute to Iran’s “Woman, Life, Freedom” movement as a whole. Despite being imprisoned in Iran’s Evin Prison, Narges Mohammadi has not wavered in her efforts to promote human rights and democracy. Over the past decade, she has emerged as one of the most outspoken critics of the Iranian government. She is the second Iranian to receive the Nobel Peace Prize after Shirin Ebadi 20 years ago.
📥 [[link removed]] Subscribe to receive our Human Rights Tracker in your inbox > [[link removed]]
Iran Unfiltered
[link removed] [[link removed]] Each week, NIAC publishes a comprehensive newsletter tracking stories and news from sources inside Iran. Our latest edition [[link removed]] delved into the tragic murder of Dariush Mehrjui and Vahideh Mohammadi Far, Khamenei Addressing the Israeli Offensive, Iranian Activist and Singer Mehdi Yarrahi being Released on Bail, and much more.
To dive into these stories and much more each week sign up to receive this newsletter by clicking the link to subscribe below.
📥 [[link removed]] Subscribe to receive Iran Unfiltered in your inbox > [[link removed]]
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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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