Another PAAIA Failure - Apple's discrimination

Balatarin
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Another PAAIA Failure - Apple's discrimination
by Kabriat
20-Jun-2012
 

This morning, as every Iranian-American knows, it was announced that Apple employees discriminated against Iranian-American customers because they spoke Farsi in their store.  

NBC and various news outlets have already covered the matter. Prominent lawyers have blogged about it. NIAC and CAIR have already issued statements guaranteeing that they will take actions to rectify the situation.

So where's PAAIA - the self-proclaimed champion of our rights? Why haven't they informed us that they are getting information or addressing the issue? What the hell are they actually doing?

Now, I know, PAAIA might issue a statement tomorrow. Probably one deliberated over for 10 hours just to make sure it passes through every single one of their Board members (you know, those corporate executive take their time since they have other obligations), so that every single word is precisely written and so that the personal politics of each of their Board members is addressed. But the fact is, they've failed again by not promptly responding to the matter when the issue is this important, this obvious. 

And this isn't the first time.  When Iranians were protesting for their rights in the historic 2009 protests, PAAIA waited and waited before issuing its first response.  They waited, because individuals on their Board didn't want to say anything.  Some Board members had families in Iran and didn't want to be associated with an organization that was too aggressive with the Iranian government.  Others simply didn't want anything to do with Iran generally.  And even when they finally issued a tempered down press release about the violence in Iran, they used that moment to also ask their members to send emails promoting the success of Iranian-Americans to Andrew Sullivan's blog (note those "successful" Iranian-Americans were PAAIA's own board members).

It's not often that there is such an overt expression of discrimination against Iranians in the U.S. This is one of them. And a very public one. So to be silent, even for a day, when everyone is in outrage reflects how incompetent and poor PAAIA has become as an organization. The organization, which has at least 3 full-time staff members and therefore no excuse for its laziness, is completely out of touch with the Iranian-American community. We demand more and PAAIA has failed. Again.

Balatarin
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bahmani

More reason why good people need to join these orgs

by bahmani on Wed Jun 20, 2012 10:41 AM PDT

Fighting them from the outside is hard, fighting them from the inside is harder.

Unfortunately, because we do not take responsibility for our own destiny, we are forced to face these folks doing it for us.

I have come to the belief that it is our fault, not theirs.

Mostly, primarily, the majority of the folks at the PAAIAs and the NIACs are well intentioned, do the right thing Iranians, with no clue that their entire premise and practice is undemocratic, dictatorial and fraught with the inherent risks of dictatorship and tyranny.

Or, they dont know they are actually dictating and that this is what a tyrant is. IN their case, again, as well wishing and intentioned as they are.

The justification is always the same, "Bruce, someone has to lead so the rest can follow". Which is utter horse shit. Yet a compelling enough argument for them to steamroll ahead regardless of the many warnings that the light they think they see at the end of the tunnel is in fact an oncoming train. And that train usually gets here in 4-5 years, on average, shattering everything in its path.

My answer and prediction based on 20+ years "Tryin' Shit" with our community is always the same,

"Mehdi-jan, if YOU build it, they will COMA!"

"Because Mehdi-jan, just because you run a dot com, or other tech company, or are even a major banker in the US, you know nothing about building a "community" by consensus. You're just used to being the BOSS."

The real answer will come when we develop the group resolve to build honest to god success-based, community organization processes and practices, so that these kinds of advocacy "Clubs" can defer to the greater community organization and the real representatives of the community, and not their ideal HD 3D CGI illusion of it.

For example, PAAIA continually champions Iranians to get into politics. But none of the "Candidates" have the slightest competence nor do they care about the non-Iranian, or greater American electorate in the least.

How can you ever get elected if you disdain or don't ever intend to serve the larger voter block? Worse, how can you serve the larger block when you are perpetually outside it? Do you even know where the Legion Hall in your gated-community/suburb is?

Insanity? Possibly. Misplaced theory that getting into politics is only about influence peddling to Iranians with aspirations to sell real estate to the local government, and not ever about serving the greater good? Absolutely.

I (almost) NEVER vote for the Iranian candidate.

Because (almost) ALWAYS he/she is NEVER the best qualified person suited for service to the greater community.

If I voted Xenophobically, as instructed by PAAIA, I would be remiss in my duty as a citizen and member of the American community.

Actually I think it might even be considered a criminal act (vote buying) in some states.

Yet more proof these self appointed Clubs know nothing about which they do. They must be stopped ideally, or at a minimum, re-positioned, re-guided, and re-constructed to follow the greater direction of the community at large and not their own mis-placed unjustifiable ideas.

To read more bahmani posts visit: //brucebahmani.blogspot.com/


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Kabriat

Who cares about discrimination, lets watch a free movie.

by Kabriat on Wed Jun 20, 2012 07:23 AM PDT

More fuel for the fire.  No word from PAAIA yet regarding Apple's discriminatory acts.  But they are saying you can go to a free movie if you want to:

Tonight's the night! Join us in Orange County for the free community screening of The Iran Job: an American...

It's clear they simply don't get it.


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