Leading Iranian American Groups Call For Tougher Sanctions on Iran

WASHINGTON, June 6, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Some 30 Iranian American organizations representing tens of thousands of naturalized Iranian-American citizens across the United States are calling for tougher economic sanctions on the regime of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, saying the move is needed to further isolate and weaken his government.

In a letter to the Leadership of both chambers of U.S. Congress, Harry Reid (D-NV), Mitch McConnell (R-KY), John Boehner (R-OH) and Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), the Iranian American communities, wrote, "We offer our support for increased sanctions against the current regime in Iran to prevent the development of a nuclear weapons capability and to spur democratic change.  The regime has no interest in the future of its people nor in engaging the rest of the world peacefully.  Only by standing up to the theocratic dictators in Tehran can the civilized world hope to free the Iranian people and ensure peace and stability in the region."

The members of the Iranian-American community maintain ties with friends and relatives inside the closed society that is Iran, and is keenly aware that, as the 2009 street demonstrations proved, the vast majority of Iranian citizens want change in order to live in peace and freedom – and to be able to elect their own leaders.

The communities included, Iranian American Communities of Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Nevada, Northern California, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, North Texas, Tennessee, South Carolina and Wisconsin as well as California Society for Democracy in Iran, Iranian American Society of Connecticut, Council for Freedom and Democracy in Iran (Virginia Chapter), Iranian American Cultural Association of Missouri, Iranian American Professionals and Scholars of Maryland, Iranian American Cultural Association of Michigan, Association of Iranian Americans in New York – New Jersey, Iranian Society of South Florida, and Minnesota Iranian-American Advocacy Council.

The letter by the communities added, " The Arab Spring promises a long overdue opportunity for genuine democracy and economic opportunity to oppressed peoples -- but to the Iranian regime, it only presents an opportunity to undermine other governments in the region and bring them under the Tehran's sphere of influence." The Iranian Americans further noted, "Meanwhile, the Iranian regime has called for wiping Israel off the map, funds proxy groups who oppose peace and undermines those Palestinians who favor peace in the Middle East."

"Like the rest of the Iranian people, the 3,200 residents of Camp Ashraf and Camp Liberty, the members of Iran's main opposition, the People's Mojahedin of Iran (PMOI/MEK) have suffered for years under the malicious influence of Iran's clerical regime, the letter said.

Additional European Union sanctions against Iran, meanwhile, are scheduled to take effect July 1, and will further restrict the purchase of petroleum products from Iran.

SOURCE Iranian-American Cultural Association of Missouri