President's Message
Dear John,
This past week, our team attended oral arguments for a landmark class action lawsuit against Bank of America’s targeting of Iranian Americans ; we teamed up with progressive and pro-peace organizations to launch ceasefireaction.com to keep building pressure to end US support for Israel’s onslaught in Gaza; and we concluded our membership survey — the results of which will be released in a members-only briefing next week.
It also became effectively official this week, if it wasn’t already, that we will be looking at a rematch of the 2020 presidential election this November that pits two unpopular candidates against one another — and many in our community and beyond do not feel well represented by either option. This as we witnessed yet another Iranian election last week met with apathy and rejection, and offering no hope for meaningful change.
As stagnant and familiar as the feeling may be heading into our own elections, I’ve got news for you — we are living through a transitional moment in our politics, even if the figures on top are the same. From the peace movement that has been reborn over the past several months, to the uncommitted campaign that rocked the White House in just a matter of weeks, to the increasingly blatant efforts of groups like AIPAC to swing elections against anyone who dares criticize Israel or Netanyahu — and the increasing willingness of lawmakers to reject AIPAC — change is underway. What that change looks like is up to all of us. But the fact that U.S. Middle East policy and the role of the so-called “Israel Lobby” are under the microscope and will very much be on the ballot this year means we have a chance to deliver a historic paradigm shift in our politics . We will have much more to share on NIAC Action's 2024 electoral plans in the weeks ahead, so stay tuned.
As always, don’t hesitate to reach out and share your thoughts, and I hope you’re proud of the work and achievements below that we’ve been able to accomplish together.
In solidarity,
- Jamal Abdi
Protecting Civil Rights
Bank of America is Being Sued for Discriminating Against Iranians [link removed] [[link removed]]For years, NIAC has documented the unjust closure of bank accounts held by individuals of Iranian heritage, including at Bank of America.
On February 22nd, Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Representative Ilhan Omar (D-MN) called on banks to halt discriminatory “de-risking” practices that have cut off Iranian Americans and other communities from their bank accounts, citing NIAC’s work [[link removed]] on this issue
Now, there is a groundbreaking class-action lawsuit in California pushing back on this discrimination. NIAC was proud to provide critical background information to the plaintiff that has been cited throughout the class action lawsuit. During the lawsuit, Bank of America has admitted to restricting or closing the accounts of 15,000 Iranian customers. NIAC attended the oral arguments in court last week and interviewed the plaintiff’s lawyer Jason Rathod.Learn More
>> Read our breakdown of the case and oral arguments [[link removed]]
>> Watch our interview with Mr. Rathod here [[link removed]]
Advocating for Peace & Diplomacy
[link removed] [[link removed]] NIAC Action has joined with over 25 partner organizations to help launch CeasefireAction.com [[link removed]] , where you can see if your members of Congress have endorsed a ceasefire or not, and take action to build the pressure on them:Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu has pledged to invade the city of Rafah, regardless of any ceasefire deal. The assault is planned for March 10th, the start of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. More than 1.4 million people are currently sheltering in Rafah, where Israel had previously told civilians to gather to escape the war. The planned attack on Rafah would be yet another horrific escalation in Israel’s assault on Gaza that has already claimed over 30,000 Palestinian lives, including over 13,000 children.
We need Congress to act NOW to call for an immediate, permanent ceasefire.
Sign the petition: Congress must support an immediate, permanent ceasefire in Gaza. Contact Congress at CeasefireAction.com. [[link removed]]
>> Join our local advocacy efforts to help secure a ceasefire. [[link removed]]
Sign up to join your local NIAC chapter and join our coalition of grassroots partners working for peace.
Building Political Power
Michigan Democrats Deliver Biden a Wake-up Call By Ryan Costello, NIAC Action Policy Director
Michigan’s Democratic primary delivered a stark wake-up call to the Biden administration. President Biden’s bear hug of Israel and by extension Netanyahu, even as it is prosecuting a campaign credibly accused by the International Court of Justice of genocide, puts at risk his ability to win the key swing state of Michigan in November’s 2024 Presidential election and, by extension, his entire reelection campaign.
This development was driven by a grassroots campaign led by the large Arab-American community in the state to convince voters to vote “Uncommitted” in the Democratic primary to increase pressure on Biden.
Rightwing groups like Democratic Majority for Israel (DMFI), an offshoot of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) that spent over $6 million to defeat progressive candidates in Democratic primaries last election, poured money into ads against the "Uncommitted" campaign. They failed to blunt the result.
>> Read more here. [[link removed]]
California Legislature Introduces the MENA Inclusion Act🎉
[link removed] [[link removed]]
The MENA Inclusion Act [[link removed]] has been introduced in the California state legislature. NIAC, alongside a coalition of groups, including the Arab American Civic Council, have been leading the efforts to pass this bill, which would finally create a “Middle Eastern and North African (MENA)” category for state ethnic data collection. California is, far and away, the state with the largest Iranian-American population - it is well past time for the state to recognize it and count us officially!
The introduction of this bill is a crucial step to officially put our community on the map and open up new resources and benefits – from having better data to address health disparities in our communities, to economic growth opportunities, to increasing our political presence and participation.
This is a big opportunity for the Iranian-American community and all groups of MENA heritage. While the federal government is considering major changes at the national level to the U.S. Census, state-level action like this can make a significant difference.
Read more about the bill's specifics in our explainer [[link removed]] .
If you live in California, please send a message to your lawmakers asking them to support this bill. [[link removed]]
Iran Unfiltered
Iran’s Subdued Parliamentary Elections: A Second Round in the Shadow of Low Turnout
[link removed] [[link removed]] Last week's elections for parliament and the Assembly of Experts appear to have been the most subdued and lowest-turnout election in the history of the Islamic Republic. While government officials celebrated the reported participation of 25 million Iranians, the announced 41% threshold was still the lowest in history with many races forced to go to a run-off and a high number of spoiled ballots.
As a result, the next parliament is set to be deeply unrepresentative and is likely to be dominated by hardline voices.
>> Read more in Iran Unfiltered [[link removed]] .
In Case You Missed it
NIAC Gathers Rep. Rashida Tlaib & Experts to Analyze War in Gaza and Broader Regional War
[link removed] [[link removed]] NIAC President Jamal Abdi joined with Representative Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) and top Middle East experts, including former Israeli peace negotiator and President of the U.S./Middle East Project Daniel Levy, Arab American Institute President Jim Zogby, Foundation for Middle East Peace President Lara Friedman, and Stimson Center Distinguished Fellow Barbara Slavin, for a panel titled “The War in Gaza and the Prospect of Regional War.” This was a must-see event, you can watch a recording of the discussion here on Youtube [[link removed]] .
Stay Engaged
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Support Our Work
Your continued support is crucial. Donate today to help us make a difference. [[link removed]]
Thank you for standing with us as we navigate these challenging times and strive for peace, justice, and human rights.
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