Protecting Civil Rights
The heart wrenching death of George Floyd at the hands of U.S. law enforcement over a week weeks ago has re-ignited the fight to secure justice, equality, and civil rights for all Americans. Even as thousands of Americans don masks to peacefully march across the country to demand justice for George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and many more, our leadership is threatening to silence dissent with state-sanctioned violence.
As an immigrant community, Iranian Americans know discrimination, and it is only by banding together with our fellow Americans that we protected our rights. The fight for justice cannot be won alone—and our community must not be complicit in injustice by sitting by silently. Stand up for justice today and demand Congress support legislation backed by NIAC Action, the NAACP, ACLU, Black Lives Matter and more, that could change use of force standards, eliminate the transfer of military equipment to law enforcement, and so much more.
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Only by supporting the chorus of voices demanding that Congress undertake the fundamental changes needed to demilitarize the police and protect vulnerable communities can our nation truly begin the work needed to safeguard black lives and secure human dignity moving forward. (Artist credit: Mina Jafari)
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Advancing Peace & Diplomacy
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Securing Equitable Immigration
Yesterday, Dr. Sirous Asgari was finally released from ICE detention and deported to Iran, following a successful judicial decision to release him from custody. Dr. Asgari, an Iranian engineering professor who was detained by ICE despite being exonerated by U.S. courts over alleged sanctions violations. Dr. Asgari, who suffers from respiratory problems and contracted COVID-19 in detention, was held in squalid conditions in Louisiana at a facility where detainees had little to no soap or sanitizer, no social distancing, and no hygienic supplies like masks. A joint effort by Iranian-American organizations, including NIAC, had pressed for his humanitarian release.
Dr. Asgari’s release comes amid reports that Michael White, a U.S. Navy veteran unjustly detained in Iran in July 2018, will be allowed to return to the U.S. soon. Both White and Asgari should have been granted their freedom long ago, along with other dual nationals who remain arbitrarily detained in Iran. NIAC reiterates its call on the Iranian government to release them, along with all prisoners of conscience, and to uphold its international human rights obligations. We also continue our call on the Trump administration to redouble its efforts to secure the release of imprisoned Americans in Iran through serious diplomatic negotiations.
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Spotlighting Human Rights in Iran
Iranians across the nation and globe have taken to social media to express their sorrow and anger over the death of a 14-year-old girl from a small city in the Northern Gilan province of Iran, Romina Ashrafi, who was brutally killed at the hands of her father after eloping with her 35-year-old boyfriend.
Though Romina’s father was arrested and confessed to the killing, Iran’s penal code limits the prison sentence in such cases to only three to ten years. The case of Romina Ashrafi highlights not only the many injustices of Iran’s judiciary system, but also of its patriarchal structure, which enables gender discrimination. Nothing can rectify the loss of this innocent young life, but given the horrific nature of the crime, a reduced sentence is yet another cruelty. Iranians are rightly demanding justice for Romina, and a justice system that is deserving of the name.
📥 Subscribe to receive our Human Rights Tracker in your inbox >
 As we navigate these challenging times, we are reminded of the importance of community, belonging, and our shared experiences and stories. A new anthology of essays from the Iranian-American diaspora entitled My Shadow is My Skin: Voices from the Iranian Diaspora bring together 32 authors of various backgrounds to tell their stories.
The stories are personal and often hard to tell, making it particularly important for a community and culture that often avoids confronting their traumas. We hope you'll checkout the anthology, and don't forget to listen to our conversations with some of the anthology's editors and authors at the links below!
🎧 NIACast Episode #4 – Book Talk with the Editors of "My Shadow Is My Skin"
🎧 NIACast Episode #6 – Book Talk with Poet Darius Atefat-Peckham
For Iranians and the diaspora, one story that is central to our shared identity is the 11th century epic by Ferdowsi, Shahnameh (The Book of Kings). More than a collection of stories, Shahnameh embodies a cornerstone of Iranian history and culture. One Iranian-American artist, Hamid Rahmanian–a Guggenheim fellowship-winning visual artist–has dedicated much of his labor to telling the story of Shahnameh to the widest audience possible. Along with his wife, Melissa Hibbard, Rahmanian has created a variety of stunning work under the banner of “Kingorama,” which includes the cinematic shadow play, Feathers of Fire.
In Feathers of Fire, Rahmanian’s live-performance play combines traditional puppets, masks, and costumes, with the modernity of digital animation, to create an unforgettable visual spectacle in its most primal form, shadows. This masterful retelling of an ancient story is sure to captivate any audience, young and old. Now available to stream online, don’t miss the chance to experience what Francis Ford Coppola calls, “Fantastic, spectacular… cinematic wizardry.”
🎥 Stream Feathers of Fire online >
📚 Read more about "Kingorama" >
From Our Staff
Crisis and Cooperation in the Persian Gulf
Shervin Ghafferi for InkStick
 "For the past few decades, the Persian Gulf has lurched from crisis to crisis, interrupted by occasional periods of uneasy calm. However, a convergence of factors over the preceding months and the COVID-19 crisis might offer a new path forward toward a sustainable framework for regional dialogue and compromise. Amid the COVID crisis, the reaction of GCC states to Iran’s deadly outbreak of the disease may provide an opening for greater things." Read more >
Trump Vetoed the Iran War Powers Resolution, but America's No-War Message Is Clear
Assal Rad for Newsweek
 "To no one's great surprise, President Donald Trump vetoed a bipartisan resolution passed by the Senate and the House to prevent him from starting an unauthorized war with Iran. Though the Senate was unable to override Trump's veto, Congress sent a clear message challenging the Trump administration's Iran policy and reasserting a core principle of the Constitution. The bipartisan majority also echoes the sentiment of an American populace weary of fruitless wars and hurting from a pandemic that is still just taking shape with unpredictable consequences." Read more >
Two Part Series: Why the US should not emulate Israel’s strategy in Syria and
Pressuring Iran is not the answer to the US’s Middle East woes
Sina Toossi for Responsible Statecraft
 In a two-part series, Sina Toossi examines U.S. policy towards Iran and the Middle East. The first piece rebuts an idea gaining prominence in some Washington, DC quarters that the U.S. should militarily escalate against Iran. The second piece focuses on how a second term Trump administration or a Joe Biden administration can reoptimize the U.S. strategy towards the region to better secure U.S. interests and increase stability.
Iran Unfiltered: MP Says Syria Should Pay Iran Back
 The latest issue of Iran Unfiltered looks at a recent Amnesty International report shedding light on the killing of protesters in Iran in November, provides an update on Iran's coronavirus crisis, analyzes the developments surrounding Iranian oil tankers heading to Venezuela, and more!
📰 Read Iran Unfiltered here >
Check out our podcast: NIACast!
 Join the NIAC staff in our podcast as we break down the current political issues, celebrate arts and culture, and discuss the most pressing issues of the day with experts and members of the Iranian-American community.
🎧 Check out our latest episodes here >
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