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Advancing Peace & Diplomacy
U.S. and Iran Take the Stage at the UN General Assembly
We applaud President Biden’s announcement that the U.S. will seek a major new global vaccination effort. We urge President Biden to put his words into action and to ensure citizens and refugees of the global South and within sanctioned countries like Iran have equitable access to vaccines and the necessary means to defeat the coronavirus.
Unfortunately, as the urgent and overriding crisis of COVID-19 has continued to afflict Americans, Iranians and every population around the globe, geopolitical tensions between the U.S. and Iran continue to fester. The UN General Assembly should provide an important opportunity for the U.S., Iran and other parties to the agreement to put the wheels in motion for a resumption of the diplomatic negotiations that have stalled since Iran’s Presidential election in mid-June. Diplomacy cannot afford to wait any longer. Iran should agree to engage the U.S. directly instead of continuing to rely solely on intermediaries, which has slowed and convoluted the diplomatic process. Read more >
NIAC Sends National Security Joint Memo to Biden Administration
NIAC signed on to a joint memo calling for an end to policies that unjustly surveil, profile and criminalize Black, African, Arab, Middle Eastern, Muslim, and South Asian (BAMEMSA) communities under the justification of the “Global War on Terror.” The memo, developed by our partner organizations calls for ending or changing policies that disproportionately harm Iranian Americans and other communities in the United States, including the Muslim and African bans, extreme vetting, social media vetting, and terrorism-related inadmissibility grounds. Moreover, the secretive policies rarely provide for easy redress and “have a chilling effect on impacted communities, preventing them from fully living their lives without fear of scrutiny or differential treatment.” Read more >
Political Power
NIAC Action Celebrates California Recall Results
Ahead of the September 14th election, we surveyed our NIAC Action members residing in the Golden State, and the results were clear: NIAC Action members did not want to recall Gov. Gavin Newsom. With the support of our members, we were able to join the effort to make sure Californians voted NO on their ballot.
And together, our impact was huge. Your generosity gave our volunteers in San Francisco and Los Angeles the tools and resources needed to contact voters across the state and make sure they knew when, how, and WHY to vote NO on the recall. In fact, by the time polls closed in California last night, our team had sent 12,897 text messages to NIAC Action voters.
It’s clear, this work couldn’t have been possible without you. Thank you, as always, for your help in building political power for our community and ensuring our voices are heard at all levels of government.
Equitable Immigration
The Latest on Diversity Visas
In some much welcome news, the House Judiciary Committee recently approved immigration language for the must-pass reconciliation bill. In addition to providing a pathway to citizenship for Dreamers and others in the United States, the language would provide visas to Diversity Visa recipients barred from securing their visas due to Trump-era bans. The restoration of Diversity Visas that were lost for Iranians and other nationals barred under Trump’s Muslim Ban is key to undoing the lingering damage from that policy and restoring American credibility.
The Judiciary Committee should be applauded for advancing its must-pass reconciliation package that would be the biggest overhaul of America’s broken immigration system in years. Chairman Nadler and Rep. Lofgren deserve particular credit for including a provision that would rectify America’s failure to live up to its word to many Diversity Visa recipients in recent years. America is strongest when it keeps its word and lives up to its ideals as a land of immigrants, and it is with this in mind that we will continue our work to ensure the whole package is swiftly adopted by both the House and Senate and signed into law by President Biden.
Spotlighting Human Rights in Iran
As Iranians struggle with the Covid-19 pandemic, they have also seen their own government increase the pressure with repression and a strong crackdown on any form of dissent from different sectors of civil society. One of the most recent targets of Iranian authorities is journalist and labor activist Amir-Abbas Azarmvand, who was arrested on September 1st. According to reports, Azarmvand is being charged with the all too familiar and vague allegation often employed by Iranian authorities to go after activists: “propaganda against the state.” Read more >
For too long, the Iranian government has met free expression with arbitrary detention–a flagrant violation of Iran’s international human rights obligations that poses a direct threat to Iran’s vibrant and diverse cultural expressions. This was once again evidenced by the arrest of Iranian rapper Toomaj Salehi by Iranian authorities, ostensibly for producing music that is not in line with the strict limitations placed on Iranian artists, which also sharply criticized Iranian officials and the state’s repression. NIAC unequivocally condemns the arrest of Salehi, and those of other civil society activists and artists, and calls on authorities to immediately release him.
📖 Read more from our Human Rights Tracker >
➡️ Follow NIAC's Human Rights Tracker on Twitter >
📥 Subscribe to receive our Human Rights Tracker in your inbox >
Community & Culture
Supporting Afghan Refugees
There are a number of incredible organizations that are currently working to assist Afghan refugees as they resettle in the United States. Our community can best help during this time by providing the assistance and resources these organizations need to continue doing their work, whether it is through volunteering our time or by donating. Below is a non-comprehensive list of organizations doing this work. You can see our full list here >
From Our Staff
Why talks with Iran have faltered and what Biden can do to revive them
Ryan Costello for Responsible Statecraft
Deep into the Biden administration’s first year, the United States and Iran have failed to restore the Iran nuclear deal and negotiations have yet to resume after Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi was inaugurated in early August. Far from desperate for a deal, as many Washington commentators portrayed, Iran is content to bide its time and believes it is in a strong position to either restore the agreement on its terms, pursue a new bargain, or escalate tensions with the United States further. Whether the JCPOA can still be salvaged remains to be seen, but understanding some of the reasons why the United States and Iran have not sealed the deal could help policymakers bridge the gaps that remain. Read more >
Restoring the Nuclear Deal Requires Political Courage from the US and Iran
Assal Rad and Giorgio Cafiero for Inside Arabia
The fact that the Raisi administration has allowed the IAEA access to its monitoring equipment and signaled its intention to resume nuclear negotiations, while the US has tabled a resolution to censure Iran, provides some hope that all parties recognize the widespread benefits of restoring the accord. Now they must show political courage and resolve to take the steps necessary to do so. Read more>
A rapper in Isfahan has been arrested after releasing songs critical of the government, while Iran has also reached a new agreement with the IAEA that keeps hopes for a JCPOA return alive. Meanwhile, several key foreign ministry officials have been replaced, while the Foreign Ministry says there are no redlines to COVD vaccine imports.
📖 Read the latest Iran Unfiltered >
📥 Subscribe to receive Iran Unfiltered in your inbox >
Events
Looking Back to a Path Forward: Peace Corps Iran Association Virtual Conference
Saturday, October 2 at 2pm ET/11am PT
NIAC Research Analyst Sina Toossi will be joining the Peace Corps Iran Association's third plenary session at its 2021 virtual conference. Joined by NIAC Advisory Board Member Ambassador John Limbert and Bahman Baktiari, Executive Director of the Baskerville Institute, the panel will explore U.S.-Iran relations
🎟️ RSVP here >
Join NIAC's Monthly Open Mic Night!
Sunday, September 26 at 5pm ET/8pm ET
NIAC Iowa will be hosting August’s end of summer Open-Mic Night on Sunday, September 26 at 5pm PT/8pm ET. ALL NIAC Chapter members across the country are welcome to join! Please join us to share your poems and short stories--or simply show-up to listen to some of our talented chapter members. The event will feature award-winning writer Adib Khorram, who will kick off the event with a reading of his original work.
🎟️ RSVP here >
Now Hiring!
Apply for NIAC’s Digital Associate Position Today!
NIAC and NIAC Action are seeking a Digital Associate to take the lead on the email marketing program for the organizations and help advance all digital marketing and communications efforts. The Digital Associate will be responsible for managing the communications calendar; drafting copy for emails, social media, and the website; working across departments to identify opportunities to advance the organizations’ missions; bolster our digital advocacy, and provide general organizational support as needed. Learn more here >
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