Democratic culture
NIAC statement on recent legislative alert

April 27, 2005
iranian.com

National Iranian American Council (NIAC) statement following publication of B. Bamdad's "Regime change":

Washington, D.C., April 27, 2005 -- NIAC welcomes the opportunity to address and to further explain why we adhere to the fundamental belief that Iranian Americans must be given the right to choose a voice and opinion of their own liking.

Some have had difficulty in accepting the results of the recent letter writing campaign regarding H.R. 282. This may be due to a lack of familiarity with democratic processes combined with a tendency to dismiss the importance of respecting the viewpoints of those with whom one may differ.

Unlike partisan organizations, NIAC does not decide what Iranian Americans should think or say. Rather, we help Iranian Americans say what they already think. By permitting the individual to choose his or her own voice, NIAC seeks to promote participation in American civic life, while stressing the importance of tolerance and a democratic culture within our own community.

A number of individuals who found themselves in the minority camp have expressed frustration with NIAC, a reaction which may well be rooted in their misconception regarding the popularity of their own views, and which seems to be reflective of a fundamentally undemocratic tendency towards denying others the right to develop their own opinion.

While it certainly can be disappointing to discover that one’s opinion reflects the minority viewpoint, one should not permit that disappointment to be manifested through undemocratic acts such as slandering or disrespecting one’s fellow Iranian Americans. Indeed, in a democracy, holders of minority views must struggle to expand their support base, not through slander in the face of loss, but through stronger and more sophisticated advocacy.

Only when adhering to the basic principles of democracy can we expect to be able to build a better future for our children, one in which the oppression of free thought is eradicated - both in Iran and within the Iranian-American community in America.
 
As Iranian Americans, we have a duty to take advantage of the opportunities America offers, integrate, and partake in this great democracy, while making democracy a part of ourselves.

Through this transformational experience, we come to understand that intimidation and slander are unacceptable tools, for when we resort to these absolutist tactics, we lose the moral authority to criticize dictators elsewhere.
 
What you should know about NIAC
-- NIAC is a strictly non-partisan organization, and neither supports or opposes any form of legislation. As a civic education organization, we have three primary aims:  (1) to objectively engage the Iranian-American community in the democratic processes of America (2) to measure the viewpoints of the Iranian-American community and (3) to educate the public about the nuances, trends, characteristics and traits of our community. Toward these objectives, NIAC routinely makes public the findings of its letter-writing campaigns on specific issues affecting Iranian Americans.

-- With respect to the recent press release referencing H.R. 282, NIAC neither represents the 82.5 percent opposing the bill, nor the 17.5 percent supporting the legislation. Each individual included in these percentages has spoken for himself/herself. NIAC strongly believes that the individual’s right to choose a belief lies at the very heart of democracy.

-- As a US registered 501 c(3) educational organization, funded primarily by the Iranian-American community, but also by US foundations such as the Tides Foundation, Open Society Institute and the National Endowment for Democracy, NIAC’s books are completely open to the public. And in the spirit of objectivity and transparency -- other pivotal building blocks of a functioning democracy -- NIAC devotes a great deal of resources to ensure that, at all times, equal space is given to both sides of an issue so that individuals can make informed choices and decisions. NIAC also believes in the importance of an objective measurement of Iranian-American public opinion -- one that puts emphasis on democratic process, and not on a particular outcome, opinion, or ideology.

-- The Capwiz software NIAC uses and which permits its visitors to send letters to their members of Congress, is also used by 85 percent of organizations nationwide involved in letter-writing services. This software requires that all addresses be verified as legitimate constituents before any letter is sent to the appropriate lawmaker. Duplicates and fakes are weeded out.

-- The recent findings revealed by NIAC regarding the H.R. 282 were a reflection of how a particular, sizeable sample of our community felt about a specific piece of legislation (H.R. 282).  They were only asked to consider a particular bill and react to that. They were not asked whether they support or oppose regime change in Iran per se. Whether any specific bill is a pro- or anti-Iran, anti-immigration, pro or anti-education, is a subjective political assessment, which NIAC as a non-partisan group refuses to make. Indeed, as an Iranian American, you have a right to expect a lot from NIAC, but the only thing you should not expect is to have NIAC do your thinking for you.  We won’t do it.  You and only you have to do that.

About
The National Iranian American Council is a Washington, DC-based non-profit educational organization promoting Iranian-American participation in American civic and political life. As a non-partisan, non-profit 501 c(3) organization, NIAC is prohibited by law from taking a stance on legislative matters or endorsing political candidates This is not a political endorsement. For more information, please visit www.niacouncil.org, email NIAC at info@niacouncil.org or send a fax to 202-518-5507. All donations to NIAC are tax-deductible.