Iran's President, Ebrahim Raisi, is a war criminal and mass murderer.
His regime regularly tortures and kills innocent people, supports
assassination and kidnapping plots in the U.S. (against both former
officials and dissidents), holds American citizens hostage, and thumbs
its nose at the international community's concern with its nuclear
weapons program. Despite all of this, the Biden administration is
granting Raisi a visa to speak, in New York, at the annual meeting of
the UN General Assembly set to take place this week.

Freedom's Newest Martyr

On Friday, a 22-year-old woman named Masha Amini, was arrested by
Iran's morality police for failing to wear Iran's legally mandated
hijab. She was taken to a police station to be "educated." In
reality, this young and brave woman was beaten to death by Iran's
Gestapo-like authorities. Since her death, Iranians of all backgrounds
have taken both to the streets and social media to protest the grotesque
and inhumane treatment of people exercising their most basic human
rights at the hands of the Iranian regime.

Amini is far from the first woman arrested, tortured, and imprisoned for
deigning to defy the regime's disgusting and misogynistic laws. And
tragically, it is highly unlikely she will be the last.

In addition to the wave of rage spreading across Iran, here in the U.S.,
a number of Iranian dissidents plan to file a federal civil action
against Raisi under the Torture Victim Protection Act. While it's
unlikely these individuals will ever see Raisi pay for his crimes -
figuratively or literally - their decision to move ahead with this
case will draw additional attention to Iran's preeminent domestic and
foreign policy doctrine: engaging in crimes against humanity.

As it is quite clear Iran has no qualms about seeking to kill dissidents
anywhere in the world, including here in the United States, we commend
these brave souls' refusal to be silent.

Meet the Mass Murderer

Given the nature of Iran's mass-murdering regime, it is no surprise
that Iran's President, chosen by the regime's Supreme Leader, is
indeed a mass murderer. Raisi's rise to power began with his
overseeing the mass execution of Iranian political prisoners in 1988.
When asked about this during a recent 60 Minutes interview, Raisi
didn't bother denying the allegation. Rather, he made clear that he
stands by his war crimes, noting, "...what happened to them was
exactly proportionate to what they did."

During the same interview, Raisi went on to say, "Israel is a
malignant, cancerous tumor... that has to be removed and eradicated."
He also justified his country's nuclear program and engaged in a bit
of Holocaust denial. And this is the man with which the White House
thinks it can make a deal.

The State Department has acknowledged that the talks with Iran have
reached a "stalemate," but the question is, what are we doing about
the evil Raisi, his thugs, and his Supreme Leader have wrought?

Thus far, it seems like we're doing a whole lot of nothing. As we
noted at the top of our Update, Raisi will receive a visa to enter the
United States and speak - quite literally - on the world's stage.
He will enjoy the very freedom of speech and religion he denies to his
own people. He will visit the very city he would gladly see turned to
ashes if his regime just had the means to accomplish its genocidal
goals.

Some in Congress want to do something about this abomination, and we
commend them for it. Earlier in September, some 50 Members of Congress
sent a letter to President Biden calling on the White House to deny
Raisi and his delegation entry to our country, and noting, "Given
Ebrahim Raisi's record of supporting terrorism and violating human
rights, he should not be afforded the privilege to step onto American
soil nor the privilege to address the United Nations General
Assembly."

Unfortunately, this letter seems to have had no effect on the current
occupant of the Oval Office. Now, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) is circulating a
piece of legislation, the Strengthening Entry Visa Enforcement and
Restrictions (SEVER) Act, which would bar Raisi and others associated
with Iran's tyrannical regime from setting foot on American soil.

Cruz minced no words in explaining the purpose of his legislation,
"The United States is absolutely able to deny entry to anyone who
threatens our national security. Raisi is a mass-murdering terrorist who
was handpicked by the ayatollah-and he's coming to the United States
while there are Iranian agents trying to murder former American
officials and dissidents on American soil. Joe Biden should not grant
him a visa, and Congress should pass the SEVER Act to ensure he doesn't
do so now or in the future."

It is, frankly, unclear to us why Mr. Biden feels he must kowtow to the
Iranian regime. Those who derive their power by subjugating, torturing,
and murdering innocent women are weak. And most of us learned long ago
on the schoolyard that sometimes the only way to deal with a bully is to
punch him in the nose. Mr. Biden, it's time to clench your fist.

Sincerely,

The CUFI Action Fund Team

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