Putting the cart before the horse
IEEE's ban on Iranian electrical engineers
October 7, 2003
The Iranian
Like many of you, I have been scratching
my head trying to figure out the
decision of Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)
to suspend its activities, publication and contribution rights
to the many bright and enthusiastic engineers and professionals
whose only crime is to live within the borders of Cuba, Iran, Libya,
and
Sudan.
My first impression and response is that the IEEE has made perhaps
one of the most
illogical and questionable decisions in the history of professional
societies and associations.
As a professional in the business
world, however,
I tried to first understand the technical details involved
in this decision, primarily as it relates to U.S. government laws
and regulations,
especially those laws that have come to exist thanks to evangelist
Pat Robertson's
favorite attorney general, John Ashcroft.
But as you begin to review
the facts, you
realize that IEEE has been too willing and has rushed to
these limitations, as
they say, putting the cart before the horse!
It has come to light that the IEEE first began implementing restrictions
against the said members 9 months before its first inquiry to
the US
government about such actions. This is an enquiry to which the
US government
hasn't responded to this day. So, the IEEE had every excuse and
even legal protection,
to be able to refrain from such actions and at least postpone
them as much as possible!
Now, the other beef I have is with the army of Iranian professionals
and
entrepreneurs, especially those who came to prominence and success
in the
boom of 1990's. There are hundreds if not thousands of Iranian-born
engineers and professionals who consider themselves icons and pillars
of the
Silicon Valley world and have not missed a chance to promote and
announce
their "success" to their expatriates.
My question is
where the hell are you? Where is the family of entrepreneurs who
is proud of having created Qualcomm? Aren't you the guys who
sued the government of the
United States
and won billions of dollars? What good is your billions, your
prominence in
the Silicon Valley and all that hot air you've been feeding
us if you can't
influence such unjust discriminations against your
old countrymen?
Where are all those Iranian-American PhD's, professors, businessmen
and
scientists who proudly attend talk shows on Iranian radio and
satellite TV
stations and claim to have their hands on the pulse of America's
business,
science and technology? How come we don't hear from people
who gather and
mingle in their professional associations, under such titles
as Silicon Iran
and mingle in their elitist conferences?
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