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Dear John,
My name is Juan Cole, and I serve on NIAC’s Community Council. I’m the Richard P. Mitchell Collegiate Professor of History at the University of Michigan, and for more than three decades, I’ve studied how empire, violence, and resistance shape the relationship between the West and the Muslim world.
Too often, the Iranian-American community is spoken about, not listened to.
That’s why NIAC’s latest poll with YouGov is so important. It’s more than just data. It’s a form of political resistance, a refusal to let our voices be distorted by pundits, lobbyists, or governments that profit from endless crises.
The poll shows a clear mandate:
* Diplomacy is by far the favored path on the most pressing issues: Iran’s nuclear program [[link removed]] , human rights [[link removed]] , and regional security [[link removed]] .
* Sanctions have not worked, not in the way they are sold to policymakers or the press.
* And 52% say sanctions should only be narrowly targeted [[link removed]] , focused on leadership, not on destroying the economy and the lives of ordinary people.
This view is not based on naivety. It’s based on history. Those of us who study this region, and those of us who live with its consequences, know the pattern. Broad-based sanctions rarely lead to justice. War never does. What they do succeed in is collective punishment, displacement, and political backlash.
The people most familiar with the costs of these policies are telling us what they want. It’s time the political establishment listened.NIAC is building the political force our community has always needed, one that insists on diplomacy over war, justice over collective punishment, and a U.S. - Iran policy rooted in peace rather than endless crisis.
That’s why we’ve launched our Fall Campaign [[link removed]] with a goal of raising $400,000. Your support will allow us to:
* Build the largest Iranian American civic force in history: 250,000 members strong, organized in every state, impossible to ignore.
* Shape the national conversation: Reach millions Americans with a clear pro-peace message that makes war politically impossible.
* Defend every right and every life: Expand our legal support and advocacy work so no Iranian American faces detention or discrimination alone, and they have access to all resources and tools needed
Our community is depending on us. Together, we can build the power, protect the rights, and secure the future we deserve.
DONATE TO NIAC’S FALL FUNDRAISING CAMPAIGN [[link removed]] With solidarity and historical clarity,Juan R. I. Cole
NIAC Community Council Memberunsubscribe: [link removed]